Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs S21: A Deep Dive into Samsung's Flagship Lineup
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Samsung Galaxy S21 emerges as the superior choice. While the S21 FE offers a slightly larger display and potentially newer software, the S21’s brighter screen, marginally better battery endurance, and often lower price make it the more compelling option.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 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, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 - SM-G991U1 |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International | 2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-G991U1 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1600/200 Mbps, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) |
| 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, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-G991B | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, January 04 | 2021, January 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, January 07 | Available. Released 2021, January 29 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm (6.13 x 2.93 x 0.31 in) | 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm (5.97 x 2.80 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 177 g (6.24 oz) | 169 g (Sub6), 171 g (mmWave) (5.96 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 Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~421 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.4 inches, 100.5 cm2 (~86.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.2 inches, 94.1 cm2 (~87.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) |
| 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 (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) - InternationalOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - USA/China |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - Version 1Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - Version 2 | Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - USA/China |
| GPU | Adreno 660 - Version 1Mali-G78 MP14 - Version 2 | Mali-G78 MP14 - InternationalAdreno 660 - USA/China |
| OS | Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 | Android 11, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB 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 | - |
| 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 64 MP, f/2.0, 29mm (telephoto), 1/1.72", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 1.1x optical zoom, 3x hybrid zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, gyro-EIS | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| 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 | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) |
| 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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) | Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) 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 |
| Type | Li-Ion 4500 mAh | Li-Ion 4000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | White, Graphite, Lavender, Olive | Phantom Gray, Phantom White, Phantom Violet, Phantom Pink |
| 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-G991B, SM-G991B/DS, SM-G991U, SM-G991U1, SM-G991W, SM-G991N, SM-G9910, SM-G991Q, SCG09 |
| Price | € 199.00 / $ 143.95 / £ 154.99 / ₹ 29,990 | € 194.00 / $ 153.58 / £ 149.99 |
| SAR | 0.77 W/kg (head) 0.90 W/kg (body) | 0.74 W/kg (head) 1.08 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.95 W/kg (head) 1.48 W/kg (body) | 0.46 W/kg (head) 1.51 W/kg (body) |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 8GB RAM | - | $ 249.00 |
| 256GB 8GB RAM | - | $ 289.99 |
| RENEWED | - | $ 317.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 92h | Endurance rating 93h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -26.9 LUFS (Good) | -26.4 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 566529 (v8), 719696 (v9) GeekBench: 3049 (v5.1) GFXBench: 56fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 584055 (v8) GeekBench: 3238 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
- Potentially newer software updates
- Slightly larger display size
- Often available at competitive prices
- Lower peak display brightness
- Slightly lower battery endurance
- Chipset variations can impact performance
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
- Brighter and more vibrant display
- Slightly better battery life
- Potentially more consistent performance (depending on region)
- May be more expensive than the S21 FE
- Older software version at launch
- Smaller display size compared to the FE
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21 boasts a brighter display, reaching 856 nits measured, compared to the S21 FE’s 792 nits. This difference is noticeable in direct sunlight, making the S21 more readable outdoors. Both feature 'Infinite' contrast ratios, typical of Samsung’s AMOLED panels, and likely share similar color accuracy. However, the S21 FE’s larger screen size might appeal to users who consume more video content, though the difference isn’t substantial. Both displays utilize dynamic refresh rates, though neither specification explicitly states LTPO technology, suggesting they are not adaptive beyond the standard range.
Camera Comparison
Both the S21 and S21 FE share similar camera setups, focusing on photo and video capabilities. Detailed sensor information is missing, but the core components are likely comparable. The image processing style is also expected to be consistent across both devices, meaning similar color science and dynamic range. The absence of detailed sensor specs makes a definitive camera comparison challenging, but the S21’s established reputation for image quality gives it a slight edge. The inclusion of a 2MP macro camera on the S21 FE is largely inconsequential, offering limited practical benefit over the standard camera modes.
Performance
Performance is a complex area due to chipset variations. The S21 FE comes in two versions: a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G and an Exynos 2100. The S21 also has both variants, but the regional distribution differs. The S21’s Snapdragon 888 (USA/China) and Exynos 2100 (International) CPUs have slightly higher clock speeds on the Cortex-X1 and A78 cores compared to the corresponding S21 FE versions. While the real-world performance difference is often minimal, the S21’s potentially higher sustained performance due to better thermal management (implied by the slightly more conservative clock speeds in the FE) could benefit demanding users. Both phones utilize LPDDR5 RAM, but the speed isn't specified, making it difficult to assess a significant difference.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S21 FE achieves an endurance rating of 92 hours, slightly lower than the S21’s 93 hours. While the difference is minimal, it suggests the S21 is marginally more efficient. Both support 25W wired charging with PD3.0, achieving 50% charge in 30 minutes (S21 FE) and similar times for the S21. Both also offer 15W wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, with the S21 offering 4.5W reverse wireless compared to the S21 FE’s unspecified rate. The S21’s slightly better endurance, combined with comparable charging speeds, makes it the more practical choice for all-day users.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G if you prioritize a slightly larger display and are seeking the latest software updates, even if it means potentially sacrificing some peak brightness and battery efficiency. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G if you value a brighter, more vibrant display, slightly longer battery life, and can find it at a competitive price – especially considering its current discounts.