Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G vs Galaxy S21 FE 5G: The Ultimate Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Galaxy S21 FE 5G emerges as the overall winner due to its superior battery life, faster charging, and slightly better performance. However, the Z Flip3 5G’s innovative foldable design and compact form factor make it a compelling choice for those prioritizing style and portability.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 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, 78, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 26, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 66 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International | 1, 3, 5, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (6CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1600/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, August 11 | 2022, January 04 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, August 27 | Available. Released 2022, January 07 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Plastic front, glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | Unfolded: 166 x 72.2 x 6.9 mm Folded: 86.4 x 72.2 x 15.9-17.1 mm | 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm (6.13 x 2.93 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 183 g (6.46 oz) | 177 g (6.24 oz) |
| IPX8 water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2640 pixels (~426 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 101.5 cm2 (~84.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.4 inches, 100.5 cm2 (~86.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| Cover display: Super AMOLED, 1.9 inches, 260 x 512 pixels | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | 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 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - Version 1Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - Version 2 |
| GPU | Adreno 660 | Adreno 660 - Version 1Mali-G78 MP14 - Version 2 |
| OS | Android 11, upgradable to Android 14, One UI 6.1 | Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | - | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 12 MP, f/1.8, 27mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1.12µm | - |
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.4, 26mm (wide), 1.22µm | 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 |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@60/240fps, HDR10+ | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.4, 26mm (wide), 1.22µm | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| Video | 4K@30fps | 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 Tuned by AKG | 32-bit/384kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | Unspecified |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C, 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 (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 15W wired 10W wireless 4.5W reverse wireless | 25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 3300 mAh | Li-Ion 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Phantom Black, Green, Lavender, Cream, White, Pink, Gray, Thom Browne Edition, Bespoke Edition, Wooyoungmi Edition, Dream White | White, Graphite, Lavender, Olive |
| Models | SM-F711B, SM-F711N, SM-F711U, SM-F711U1, SM-F711W, SM-F7110 | SM-G990B, SM-G990B/DS, SM-G990U, SM-G990U1, SM-G990W, SM-G990E, SM-G9900, SM-G990B2, SM-G990U2, SM-G990W2, SM-G990U3 |
| Price | € 279.00 / $ 208.04 / £ 215.00 | € 199.00 / $ 143.95 / £ 154.99 / ₹ 29,990 |
| SAR | - | 0.77 W/kg (head) 0.90 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.86 W/kg (head) 1.58 W/kg (body) | 0.95 W/kg (head) 1.48 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 69h | Endurance rating 92h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -25.8 LUFS (Very good) | -26.9 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 596866 (v8) | 682223 (v9) GeekBench: 3441 (v5.1) GFXBench: 40fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 566529 (v8), 719696 (v9) GeekBench: 3049 (v5.1) GFXBench: 56fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G
- Unique foldable design
- Compact and pocketable
- Vibrant display
- Stylish
- Shorter battery life
- Slower charging
- Smaller cover screen
- More fragile than traditional phones
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
- Excellent battery life
- Faster charging
- Versatile camera system
- More affordable
- Durable
- Less unique design
- Not as compact as the Z Flip3
Display Comparison
The Z Flip3 boasts a vibrant 6.7-inch foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate, offering an immersive viewing experience. However, its external cover screen is small. The S21 FE 5G features a 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a brighter peak brightness (792 nits vs 935 nits on the Z Flip3), making it easier to see outdoors. The S21 FE's display is more practical for everyday use.
Camera Comparison
The Z Flip3 has a dual-camera system (12MP wide, 12MP ultrawide) that delivers good quality photos and videos. The S21 FE 5G features a more versatile triple-camera system (12MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, 8MP telephoto) with optical zoom, providing more creative options. The S21 FE generally produces more detailed and vibrant images.
Performance
Both phones are powered by the Snapdragon 888 5G, ensuring smooth performance for most tasks. The S21 FE 5G potentially has a slight edge due to the possibility of an Exynos 2100 variant, which can sometimes offer slightly better efficiency. However, both offer excellent performance for everyday use and gaming.
Battery Life
The S21 FE 5G significantly outperforms the Z Flip3 5G in battery life, offering an endurance rating of 92 hours compared to the Z Flip3's 69 hours. The S21 FE also supports 25W fast charging, while the Z Flip3 is limited to 15W. This makes the S21 FE a much better choice for users who need all-day battery life.
Buying Guide
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G is ideal for fashion-conscious users who want a unique and compact phone and don't mind sacrificing some battery life. The Galaxy S21 FE 5G is a better choice for users who prioritize battery life, faster charging, and a more conventional smartphone experience at a competitive price.