Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G vs S20 FE 5G: A Deep Dive into Samsung's Fan Editions
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G remains the better buy. Its significantly superior battery endurance (110h vs 92h) and often lower price outweigh the S21 FE's incremental performance gains from the Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100. The S21 FE is a good choice for those prioritizing raw processing power.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 26, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 66 - International | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66, 71 - USA |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International | 2, 5, 41, 66, 71 Sub6 - USA |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1600/200 Mbps, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1800/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 40, 41, 78 Sub6 - International | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, January 04 | 2020, September 23 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, January 07 | Available. Released 2020, October 02 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), plastic back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm (6.13 x 2.93 x 0.31 in) | 159.8 x 74.5 x 8.4 mm (6.29 x 2.93 x 0.33 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 177 g (6.24 oz) | 190 g (6.70 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~407 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.4 inches, 100.5 cm2 (~86.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.5 inches, 101.0 cm2 (~84.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ | Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| Always-on display | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - Version 1Octa-core (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) - Version 2 | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - Version 1Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - Version 2 | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) |
| GPU | Adreno 660 - Version 1Mali-G78 MP14 - Version 2 | Adreno 650 |
| OS | Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| - | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm | 2 MP |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/2.4, 76mm (telephoto), 1/4.5", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.0", 1.12µm | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/2.4, 76mm (telephoto), 1/4.5", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.0", 1.12µm |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | Unspecified | No |
| USB | USB Type-C, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Browser | - | HTTP / WAP 2.0 |
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass |
| Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) | Virtual proximity sensing Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless Reverse wireless | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Stand-by | - | Up to 300 h |
| Talk time | - | Up to 5 h |
| Type | Li-Ion 4500 mAh | Li-Ion 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | White, Graphite, Lavender, Olive | Cloud Lavender, Cloud Mint, Cloud Navy, Cloud White, Cloud Red, Cloud Orange |
| Models | SM-G990B, SM-G990B/DS, SM-G990U, SM-G990U1, SM-G990W, SM-G990E, SM-G9900, SM-G990B2, SM-G990U2, SM-G990W2, SM-G990U3 | SM-G781B, SM-G781B/DS, SM-G781U, SM-G781U1, SM-G781W, SM-G7810, SM-G781N, SM-G781V |
| Price | € 199.00 / $ 143.95 / £ 154.99 / ₹ 29,990 | $ 137.00 / C$ 531.23 / £ 169.00 / € 199.00 |
| SAR | 0.77 W/kg (head) 0.90 W/kg (body) | 0.70 W/kg (head) 0.82 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.95 W/kg (head) 1.48 W/kg (body) | 0.50 W/kg (head) 1.35 W/kg (body) |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 361.99 |
| 128GB 8GB RAM | - | $ 589.97 |
| 256GB 8GB RAM | - | $ 769.99 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 92h | Endurance rating 110h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -26.9 LUFS (Good) | -26.3 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 566529 (v8), 719696 (v9) GeekBench: 3049 (v5.1) GFXBench: 56fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 543986 (v8) GeekBench: 3296 (v5.1) GFXBench: 45fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
- More powerful processor (Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100)
- Improved image processing capabilities
- Slightly more modern feature set
- Significantly shorter battery life
- Lower peak display brightness
- Potential for thermal throttling under heavy load
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
- Superior battery endurance (110h)
- Brighter display (822 nits)
- More affordable price point
- Older processor (Snapdragon 865)
- Less advanced image processing
- Potentially slower app loading times
Display Comparison
Both phones feature 'Infinite' contrast ratio displays, but the S20 FE 5G boasts a higher peak brightness of 822 nits compared to the S21 FE's 792 nits, making it more visible outdoors. While both offer a 120Hz refresh rate, neither utilizes LTPO technology, meaning the refresh rate isn't dynamically adjusted to save power. The S20 FE's slightly higher brightness provides a more comfortable viewing experience in direct sunlight.
Camera Comparison
Both phones share a similar camera setup focused on photo and video capabilities, but detailed sensor information is lacking in the provided data. The S21 FE benefits from the newer image signal processor (ISP) within the Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100, potentially leading to improved image processing, especially in low-light conditions. The S20 FE’s camera system, while capable, lacks the computational photography advancements found in the S21 FE. The absence of details regarding sensor sizes prevents a definitive assessment of image quality differences.
Performance
The S21 FE 5G represents a generational leap in processing power, utilizing either the Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 (5nm) or the Exynos 2100 (5nm) – both built on a smaller 5nm process compared to the S20 FE’s Snapdragon 865 (7nm+). This translates to improved CPU and GPU performance, particularly in the S21 FE’s Cortex-X1 prime core (2.84/2.9 GHz vs 2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 in the S20 FE). However, the 5nm process also contributes to better thermal efficiency, potentially reducing throttling during sustained workloads. The S21 FE’s RAM options are similar to the S20 FE, but the newer chipset benefits from improved memory controller performance.
Battery Life
The S20 FE 5G holds a significant advantage in battery endurance, achieving a measured 110 hours compared to the S21 FE 5G’s 92 hours. Despite both supporting 25W wired charging, PD3.0, and 15W wireless charging, the S20 FE’s larger battery capacity and more efficient chipset result in considerably longer usage times. The S21 FE’s faster processor demands more power, offsetting the benefits of the 5nm process. While both offer reverse wireless charging, the S20 FE provides 4.5W output compared to the S21 FE’s unspecified rate.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G if you need the latest processor for demanding tasks like mobile gaming or video editing, and are willing to accept shorter battery life. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G if you prioritize all-day battery life, a slightly brighter display, and a more affordable price point, without sacrificing a smooth user experience.