Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. Galaxy S21 FE: A Deep Dive into Samsung's Flagship Lineup
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Samsung Galaxy S23 is the superior choice. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 provides a significant performance boost and improved thermal efficiency, coupled with a brighter, more efficient display and slightly better battery life. While the S21 FE remains a capable device, the S23 offers a more refined and future-proof experience.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S23 |
| 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, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1600/200 Mbps, 5G | HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 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, 7, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, January 04 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, January 07 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm (6.13 x 2.93 x 0.31 in) | 146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6 mm (5.76 x 2.79 x 0.30 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) | 168 g (5.93 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~425 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.4 inches, 100.5 cm2 (~86.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~86.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 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 (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - Version 1Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - Version 2 | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 660 - Version 1Mali-G78 MP14 - Version 2 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM |
| - | UFS 3.1 - 128GB only UFS 4.0 | |
| 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 | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| 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 | 50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical 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@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, 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 | 5.3, 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/6e, tri-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, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 4500 mAh | Li-Ion 3900 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | White, Graphite, Lavender, Olive | Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime |
| 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-S911B, SM-S911B/DS, SM-S911U, SM-S911U1, SM-S911W, SM-S911N, SM-S9110, SM-S911E, SM-S911E/DS |
| Price | € 199.00 / $ 143.95 / £ 154.99 / ₹ 29,990 | $ 237.95 / C$ 336.75 / £ 255.00 / € 322.41 / ₹ 49,990 |
| SAR | 0.77 W/kg (head) 0.90 W/kg (body) | 0.95 W/kg (head) 0.88 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.95 W/kg (head) 1.48 W/kg (body) | 0.96 W/kg (head) 1.30 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 92h | Endurance rating 101h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -26.9 LUFS (Good) | -27.0 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 566529 (v8), 719696 (v9) GeekBench: 3049 (v5.1) GFXBench: 56fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 1231075 (v9) GeekBench: 4950 (v5.1) GFXBench: 110fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
- More affordable price point
- Still a very capable performer for everyday tasks
- Good display quality for the price
- Older chipset prone to throttling
- Shorter software support lifecycle
- Less efficient battery life
Samsung Galaxy S23
- Significantly faster and more efficient processor
- Brighter and more vibrant display
- Longer battery life and software support
- Higher price tag
- May be overkill for basic users
- Reverse wireless charging is slightly reduced to 4.5W
Display Comparison
The Galaxy S23 boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching 1198 nits compared to the S21 FE’s 792 nits. This translates to vastly improved visibility in direct sunlight. Both displays share an 'Infinite' contrast ratio, but the S23’s higher peak brightness and potentially more refined panel calibration (though not specified in the data) contribute to a more immersive viewing experience. While both are excellent, the S23’s display is demonstrably superior for outdoor use and HDR content consumption.
Camera Comparison
Both phones feature capable camera systems, but detailed sensor information is lacking in the provided data. However, the S23 benefits from Samsung’s improved image processing algorithms and the inherent advantages of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2’s ISP. While both can capture excellent photos and videos, the S23 is likely to deliver better dynamic range, noise reduction, and overall image quality, especially in challenging lighting conditions. The S21 FE’s camera is still very good, but the S23 offers a more refined and consistent experience.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The S23’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm) is a generational leap over the S21 FE’s Snapdragon 888 (5nm) or Exynos 2100 (5nm). The 8 Gen 2 features a new CPU architecture (Cortex-X3 vs X1) and a more efficient manufacturing process, resulting in substantial performance gains and improved power efficiency. The S23’s CPU clock speeds are also higher across the board. This means faster app loading, smoother multitasking, and better sustained performance during demanding tasks like gaming. The S21 FE, particularly the Exynos variant, is known to throttle under sustained load, a problem the S23 largely mitigates.
Battery Life
The S23’s endurance rating of 101 hours edges out the S21 FE’s 92 hours. While the battery capacity isn’t specified, the combination of the more efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and optimized software contributes to the longer battery life. The S23 also achieves an active use score of 11:27h, demonstrating real-world endurance. Both phones support 25W wired charging, reaching 50% charge in 30 minutes, and 15W wireless charging. The S23’s slightly better efficiency translates to less frequent charging, even with similar usage patterns.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G if you prioritize value and are comfortable with potentially older hardware. It's an excellent option for users who want a flagship-like experience without breaking the bank, and are willing to accept some compromises in performance and longevity. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 if you demand the best possible performance, a brighter and more vibrant display, and a longer software support lifecycle. This is the phone for power users, mobile gamers, and those who want a device that will remain competitive for years to come.