CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. SCORE Samsung Galaxy S21 Fe $290 at Amazon $390 at Walmart Pros Affordable price A follow-up to Samsung’s previous midrange Galaxy S phone, the new S21 FE starts at $700 and launches on Jan. 11.
Despite being $100 cheaper than the regular Galaxy S21, it has the same processor and comes with a larger screen, a triple-lens camera and support for both versions of 5G.
However, the Galaxy S21 FE may end up feeling lost in Samsung’s lineup and the broader Android phone market. Although the Pixel 6 doesn’t have the S21 FE’s third camera lens, it’s loaded with Google-specific features that could make it more appealing for some. The Galaxy S21 does, however, have some design accents that make it feel like a more expensive phone, such as the glossy metallic finish on its camera module and sides. Google’s $600 Pixel 6 has an eye-catching two-tone glass design with sharper corners that almost makes it feel similar to the Galaxy Note.
The Galaxy S21 FE is sleek and lighter than the Pixel 6, and some might find it easier to use with one hand, but it doesn’t leave the same impression. There’s also an in-screen fingerprint reader and facial authentication for unlocking the device, which I generally found to be pretty reliable. That’s not too shabby, especially since I had the motion smoothness setting on high, which cranks the screen’s refresh rate up to 120Hz. Samsung’s new phone comes with the same processor as the Galaxy S21, which means the US version runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888.
That chip is found in other high-end phones like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the OnePlus 9 Pro, so the S21 FE should be able to keep up with those devices easily. Samsung also says the S21 FE supports a response rate of 240Hz, allowing for even quicker reaction times in game mode like the rest of the Galaxy S21 series. However, it scored slightly lower than both the regular S21 and Pixel 6 on a separate benchmark called 3DMark Slingshot Unlimited for testing graphics performance.
The S21 FE’s images are rich in detail and color, and the camera performs well in different lighting conditions.
Some people might prefer Samsung’s more colorful shots, but Google’s images looked truer to their surroundings most of the time. (Note: I didn’t change the camera settings on either phone prior to testing other than to adjust the Pixel’s 6 crop ratio.)
Overall, I think the Pixel 6’s photos provided the best balance of consistency and accuracy, but it’s safe to say that both phones are capable of taking really great pictures. Photos taken on both phones looked the same in some cases, but the images below of a green bush really highlight the difference between Samsung’s and Google’s cameras. The most notable distinction between the Pixel 6 and Galaxy S21 FE is that Samsung’s phone has an 8-megapixel telephoto lens in addition to a 12-megapixel wide and ultrawide lenses. While both phones produce similar images when photographing objects like street signs, the Galaxy S21 was able to capture more detail in other scenarios. The Galaxy S21 FE isn’t very good at freezing moving subjects in frame when taking photos. It’s another sign that the definition of a high-end phone is starting to change as once-premium features like 5G, borderless displays and multilens cameras begin trickling down to more affordable devices.
Samsung typically launches its new Galaxy S phones early in the year, and rumors suggest the next generation could come with a 50-megapixel camera and faster charging. But the Pixel 6 has a more distinguished design and Google-specific goodies like the ability to have Google Assistant screen spam calls and wait on hold for you.
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Samsung Galaxy S21 FE review
On paper, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is a fine mid-range phone, with adequate features like an attractive screen, powerful processor and capable cameras for those looking for a handy, less expensive mobile. However, the launch price is still far too high for what you get, not to mention issues like slow charging speed, laggy software and an unimpressive battery life. This is purportedly the budget member of the Samsung Galaxy S21 range, offering features and specs from the main S21 family, but at a lower asking price because of a few select downgrades that average phone users likely won’t notice.
You can pick up the Galaxy S21 – a now older phone with more impressive specs and features – for less (assuming you find a good, sub-$600 deal).
We also found the software to be rather laggy, and swiping between menus, closing and booting up apps, and simply unlocking the phone often took longer than it would have on another mobile. That’s a surprise given the phone’s processor, screen refresh rate and RAM, but this isn’t the first time we’ve found Samsung’s One UI to behave like this.
To be clear, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE isn’t a bad phone, which is why we gave it a mixed score as opposed to a negative one. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE went on sale on January 11, 2022, after being unveiled at CES 2022 a week before, and retailers in the US, UK and Australia offered various incentives to encourage purchases, including free headphones or in-store credit. What’s more, many mid-range phones like the Realme GT, Moto G200, Pixel 5 and iPhone SE (2020) cost a lot less, and most come with comparable specs that make them more tempting mobiles. You’d be forgiven for confusing the Galaxy S21 FE with its non-FE siblings, because other than its size, it’s a dead ringer for the vanilla and Plus members of its family.
That’s right, this is a plastic phone – or maybe we should call it Glasstic, which is Samsung’s marketing term for it, even though its similarities to glass (a common smartphone material) end with the name. Colors, contrast, and brightness all look great, and it made streaming TV shows or playing games on the phone a treat.
This telephoto snapper may be lower-res than the S21’s, but it’s actually paired with the same lens, which allows for 1.1x optical or 3x hybrid zoom; this seeming downgrade therefore won’t make a huge difference for most people. We found pictures taken on the main camera to be very colorful, which is pretty standard for shots taken on a Samsung phone – it’s apparent the brand’s scene optimization software has never heard of oversaturation. Still, the main camera capabilities make shots look instantly social media-worthy, especially pics taken in well-lit situations. If we have a criticism, it’s that on the rear camera, the autofocus was a little iffy for close-up subjects, both ones that were very close like flowers, and ones taken at a medium distance like pets.
We took the phone for a spin playing games, and it performed admirably, with quick loading, top graphical options available, and no significant lagging or freezing. The RAM, processor and screen refresh rate should make navigating the FE’s menus a breeze, but in our experience, that wasn’t the case. We found that swiping between home pages, opening apps and unlocking the phone felt a little sluggish, especially when using gesture navigation. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has a 4,500mAh power pack – that’s a fairly standard size for a mobile – but we still found the battery life disappointingly lacking.
With average use – that is to say, some social media browsing, music streaming and maybe the odd game and photo capture here and there, we found the battery just about limped to the finish line and barely survived a whole day between powering. That’s with the fastest-charging cables we had at home, but since a charger isn’t included in the box, you’ll have to power at the speed of whatever plug you already own or choose to buy.
While the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has similar screen specs to its siblings, it sits at a nice middle ground between them in terms of size. We found the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE comfortable to hold in the hand, with a thin body and light weight, so if you don’t want a chunky device it’s a good option.
We often found we needed to augment our behavior to get the Galaxy S21 FE to last a full day between charges – if you want a reliable one-day-plus mobile, it’s not going to be great for you.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G review: The sequel is never as good
OnePlus graduated to full flagship status, LG is out of the game, and to put it politely, Motorola is targeting a different kind of audience. Suffice it to say, there are a lot of question marks surrounding the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G.
The Galaxy S20 FE launched at $699, a full $300 cheaper than its closest flagship sibling. In 2021, the Galaxy S21 series launched at $799, putting the S21 FE at just $100 less, and as already mentioned, $100 more than the Google Pixel 6. Suffice it to say, there are a lot of question marks surrounding the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G. In short, I wanted to find out if the phone cuts the right corners to make it the same value as its predecessor despite the imminent launch of the S22.
In terms of design, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G doesn’t really break the mold compared to its siblings. Like the other flagships, the camera bump blends naturally into the back and side of the phone, but it lacks the S21’s two-tone approach, opting instead for a single housing.
There’s a single hole-punch at the top to accommodate the 32-megapixel selfie camera and the same reliable under-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor at the bottom.
I don’t blame Samsung for sticking with the Snapdragon 888, but I give it less of a pass given that the S20 FE came out with the top-of-the-line processor at the time. This is a 6.4-inch 2400 x 1800 dynamic AMOLED panel that is just a touch smaller than the previous generation but keeps the same 20:9 aspect ratio. The phone is comfortable to hold and use one-handed, but I wouldn’t mind if Samsung shaved off another third of an inch or so.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing, since a lower resolution will help battery life considerably, especially when you have the phone running at its 120Hz refresh rate. Personally, I can rarely tell the difference between a 60Hz and 120Hz refresh rate; it simply doesn’t impress me when it’s there, nor does the lack of it bother me. I usually increase the brightness so I can take in the rich detail of the games I play or the movies I watch, but with the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G, I simply didn’t need to. I usually increase the brightness so I can take full advantage of HDR10+ and take in the rich detail of the games I play or the movies I watch, but with the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G, I simply didn’t need to.
One aspect where Samsung continues to struggle mightily is touch rejection on the edges of the screen. This is a flat panel, but accidental touches on the edges are maddening, rendering games like Call of Duty Mobile virtually unplayable. This is a 4,500 mAh power cell, and I regularly went to sleep with the phone hovering in the teens or single digits, percentage-wise. That’s after a day’s worth of bouncing between four email addresses, Twitter, Discord, Reddit, Kindle, and the full suite of Microsoft apps (Teams, Outlook, and more).
I had no problems with dropped calls nor spotty internet, which also didn’t manifest on my iPhone 13 Pro.
Portrait mode is one of the best I’ve seen, easily picking out the edges of your subject while blurring out the background. One subtle difference I noted was how the main camera seems to capture brighter colors at a warmer temperature than the other two sensors. Portrait mode is one of the best I’ve seen, easily picking out the edges of your subject while blurring out the background.
The Galaxy S21 FE is capable of hybrid zoom up to 30x, but you shouldn’t use it unless you’re looking for photos to use as models to practice your watercolor painting. Don’t get me wrong, the cameras are still very good, but they fall short of the greatness that can be found on the iPhone 13 or the Pixel 6. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is in such a weird place it’s hard to wrap my head around it. Depending on where the S22 series lands in terms of price and specifications, this may be a great deal, or it may be a questionable purchase where a little extra money can bring you a lot more phone.
To be frank, while this is a really good smartphone on its own at its price, Samsung probably would have been better off just not releasing it at all, or launching it directly next to the S22 as a “budget” alternative. Neither the Google Pixel 6 nor the iPhone 13 cameras have the optical zoom capability, so that’s one point for Samsung. But both phones outclass the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G in many other ways including software, camera processing, and design.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE review: Questionable value
It does those things, to some degree, but the timing of the phone’s arrival to market is off, as is the price point, and that leaves the Galaxy S21 FE standing in a strange spot. The phone is being supported widely by US carriers, including AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, as well as the usual slate of third-party electronics retailers. The US and European model ships with the Snapdragon 888 processor, though some global variants of the phone will pack the Samsung-made Exynos 2100 SoC instead.
Samsung took the one significant visual design characteristic of the Galaxy S21 — the raised corner camera module — and made sure the S21 FE featured it prominently.
I’d call it a bit of a step up from the Galaxy S20 FE, which wasn’t as cohesive in its looks. The phone is fairly light, too, which helps reduce or prevent hand fatigue during prolonged use.
The plastic backing gives me more confidence in carrying it around without a case, but surely some will feel better about wrapping it up in some protection (check out our picks at the link above.) The phone meets the IP68 rating for protection from dust and water, which is increasingly common for affordable flagships. The smooth Gorilla Glass and metal frame go a long way toward giving the phone a better-than-mid-range appeal. The plastic rear panel in no way feels like glass despite Samsung’s marketing, but the matte finish works really well and helps prevent fingerprints from mucking it up. A small power button and stubby volume toggle populate the right edge of the phone. There’s no headphone jack, but you’ll encounter the USB-C port and SIM card tray on the bottom edge.
In sum, there’s absolutely nothing objectionable about the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE design and hardware. It passingly resembles the now-retired Galaxy S21 but doesn’t carry the same sex appeal. The Galaxy S21 FE’s AMOLED display measures 6.4 inches, with an odd 13:6 aspect ratio. This means scrolling behavior looks a bit smoother when using apps like Twitter and YouTube.
The S21 FE’s faster 240Hz touch sampling rate gives it an advantage over slower screens when it comes to gaming. You’ll find a proper number of advanced tools for controlling the screen’s behavior.
In addition to basics such as dark mode and blue light settings, the Galaxy S21 FE permits owners to choose from several pre-defined color profiles, as well as set their own white balance and even custom-tune red, blue, and green levels to get the look they want. We tested it with an Anker Nano II 30W charger and it usually took about 90 minutes to recharge fully — nothing to write home about, but not terrible either.
The phone does offer reverse wireless charging for accessories, so you can power up your headphones or smartwatch when needed. Some mid-range devices from Motorola, however, handily beat the S21 FE with two-day battery life. I found the Galaxy S21 FE to be a smooth operator across the board no matter the task at hand, including more intensive 3D games such as Asphalt 9. We ran the usual set of benchmark apps, including AnTuTu, GeekBench, and 3DMark, and the phone put up respectable scores that stopped just short of being outstanding.
That means it handily outperformed the vast majority of entry-level and mid-range phones. It scored on par with competing Snapdragon 888 devices, such as the Galaxy S21 or OPPO Find X3. With our homegrown Speed Test G benchmark, the Galaxy S21 FE scored one minute 22 seconds, which is right on par for a Snapdragon 888 phone. Sure, the lenses may look bigger thanks to the revamped rear hardware, but the sensors themselves and their core capabilities are carried over from one generation to the next.
The main camera has a 12MP sensor at f/1.8 with OIS and dual pixel autofocus — same as the Galaxy S21. Everyday shots you take outdoors during the day or indoors with good lighting turn out bright with that typical Samsung color boost.
The camera defaults to auto HDR, and the tool manages to balance things out in decent fashion even in high-contrast scenes. Hopping to the ultrawide, which is at 0.5x zoom compared to the main camera, is fun when you want to squeeze more into the frame.
Ultrawide shots are definitely softer than those taken from the main camera, but the color profile and exposure are about the same.
HDR isn’t as effective with this camera and you’re more apt to get overexposed or underexposed spots in photos with overly bright or dark regions. You’ll find 20x and 30x Space Zoom to be mostly worthless in terms of real-world results. It’s the same night mode available on other Samsung phones, which means it takes a longer exposure and you have to hold still when shooting.
Results vary widely depending on the light, what you’re shooting, and how still you hold the phone. The selfie camera does a fair job when it comes to color and exposure, but images are a bit soft in terms of focus. These all work the same as they have on most Samsung phones over the last few years and the selection strikes a nice balance between fun and functional.
The high-res video footage I shot looked good on my 4K monitor, though contrast was a little flat.
Bottom line, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has a good camera for the price point, though it doesn’t quite match today’s leading devices. While the majority of people will be satisfied with the S21 FE’s camera, those looking for the best possible experience may benefit from going with a newer flagship.
It was among the first phones from Samsung to ship with the current operating system from Google, and that’s a good start. For example, you’ll notice the new speaker/microphone alerts in the notification bar when the phone is using those features, as well as the precise/approximate location dialog box.
One UI does a fair job of adopting Android 12’s automatic color palette feature, but the options aren’t quite as good as those you’ll see on the Google Pixel 6 devices. It was among the first phones from Samsung to ship with the current operating system from Google, and that’s a good start. For example, you’ll notice the new speaker/microphone alerts in the notification bar when the phone is using those features, as well as the precise/approximate location dialog box. One UI does a fair job of adopting Android 12’s automatic color palette feature, but the options aren’t quite as good as those you’ll see on the Google Pixel 6 devices.
That’s better than any other phone maker at the moment, even Google, which means your S21 FE will remain up to date longer than most. So far, we’ve seen updates through the November 2022 security patch and Android 13 is just starting to roll out.
That’s better than any other phone maker at the moment, even Google, which means your S21 FE will remain up to date longer than most.
So far, we’ve seen updates through the November 2022 security patch and Android 13 is just starting to roll out.
There’s also a basic face recognition feature, though it’s not the super-secure type that relies on dedicated hardware. There’s also a basic face recognition feature, though it’s not the super-secure type that relies on dedicated hardware.
You’re not going to get the loudest, clearest sound in the world, but you’ll get enough volume to fill a small room and enough clarity to discern the highs from the lows, whether listening to music or watching videos. You’re not going to get the loudest, clearest sound in the world, but you’ll get enough volume to fill a small room and enough clarity to discern the highs from the lows, whether listening to music or watching videos. Samsung provided a T-Mobile SIM card with our review unit and we were able to put the phone’s 5G to the test. The Galaxy S22 has fully updated specs, a more appealing design, and higher performance parameters. This phone is legit $300 more than the S21 FE, but you’re getting a lot for your money with one of the best all-rounders in the market. The phone has an excellent camera, solid performance and some AI-powered perks, and a software commitment that’s almost as good as the Galaxy S21 FE.
Moreover, you get special Pixel-exclusive features directly from Google, such as Call Screening, Now Playing for music discovery, Live Caption, and others. The updated Tensor G2 chip also fixes a few of the flaws from the previous Pixel 6, making it even better for the same price of admission. In other words, if the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE doesn’t quite float your financial boat, you’ve got options.
The screen is very good, battery life is above average, and it delivers better performance than many phones in its price class. Samsung managed to ship the phone with the latest version of Android (at the time), and it comes with the very best OS and security update commitment. Samsung shipped the phone with the latest version of Android at the time, and it comes with the very best OS and security update commitment. The phone simply doesn’t have the price advantage it needs to stand apart from the Galaxy S22. Budget-conscious power users in regions where the Galaxy S22 has an Exynos chipset may be tempted by the Fan Edition, but most should still favor the real thing.
The Pixel 7, in particular, is simply a better buy than the Samsung for the moment, especially if you care about camera results and software. While the $100 between the S21 FE and the S22 is surely a lot to some potential buyers, it’s money well spent if you’re going with Samsung’s latest flagship.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE review: Good phone, wrong time
To me, fans are the people who are first in line, first to read all the related news and rumors, and most importantly, the first to check out the latest products from their favorite device makers. So when Samsung announced the $700 Galaxy S21 Fan Edition almost a full year after the original S21 came out, it felt long overdue.
Elsewhere, the S21 FE essentially has the same design as its forebears, featuring a centrally located selfie cam in front, a power button and volume rocker on the right, and a USB-C port on bottom for data and charging. There’s a speaker grille down below that works with the phone’s earpiece to provide stereo audio, which sounds fine even if it’s a little light on bass for my taste.
Samsung makes the best phone displays in the industry, and even though the screen on the S21 FE isn’t quite as big or high-res as the S21 Ultra’s, there’s not much to complain about. Visually, this doesn’t have a big impact on the S21 FE’s overall UI and layout, though the extra personalization options do make it easier to customize your home and lock screens. And because Samsung’s spin on Android has long included support for features like scrolling screenshots, the most important upgrade in One UI 4.0 is the new Privacy Dashboard. On the flip side, Samsung actually increased the resolution of S21 FE’s front cam to 32-MP (up from 10MP on the S21), which is nice if you like a lot of selfies or videos for social media.
But at the same time, I don’t really think this one upgrade is enough to change the overall impact of the device, leaving it feeling more like a nice bonus and less like a notable improvement. It delivers speedy performance and helps support features like 4K video capture across all of the phone’s cameras (at 60 frames per second on the main wide-angle and front selfie cams and 30 fps for the rest). But for people who do a lot of memory-intensive tasks like gaming or video editing, the FE’s lower base RAM is probably the biggest reason to pay $70 to upgrade to the 8GB model or just opt for a standard S21 or S21+. It’s annoying for sure, but like Apple, Google and others, Samsung says not including a power adapter with its phones should help cut down on e-waste.
It’s still a solid phone, but the standard Pixel 6 shoots better photos, has a more attractive design, and if you get the unlocked model directly from Google, it costs $100 less, too. So even if you’re a huge fan of Samsung’s latest FE handset, at the very least, you should wait to see what the S22 has to offer before purchasing what is essentially a year-old phone. Instead of a repackaged year-old phone, why not make a premium remixed version sporting a microSD card slot and headphone jack? Not only would this be a welcome alternative to a lot of today’s flagships with minimal ports, but it’d also be a considerate nod to old-school Galaxy phone fans who may have felt betrayed when Samsung removed those features from the S20 in 2019.
411ppi, up to 120Hz Dimensions 6.13 x 2.93 x 0.31 inches / 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm; 6.24 oz / 177 g Processor, RAM and Storage Qualcomm Snapdragon 888;6GB DDR5 RAM;128GB / 256GB UFS 3.1 storage Rear cameras 12MP f/1.8 wide, 1.2-micron pixels, 1/1.31″ sensor and f/1.85 aperture12MP ultrawide camera, 1.25-micron pixels, 114-degree FOV and f/2.2 Front camera 32MP, 1.22-micron pixels, f/2.2 Battery 4,500 mAh, 25-watt fast-charging, fast wireless charging Sensors and connectivity Under-display fingerprint sensor, single sim, NFC, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 Water resistance IP68
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G review
The last of the S21 series caters to the true fans of the brand and combines all Galaxy S21 essentials into one powerful no-nonsense smartphone. Samsung has focused on three fan-favorite features for this Fan Edition – display, performance, and camera. Then there is performance – quite expectedly, the Galaxy S21 FE offers the same hardware as the rest of the S21 series – either the Snapdragon 888, or the Exynos 2100 chipset. But the chipset segmentation is reversed here – the international model is the one with the Snapdragon, while Samsung’s silicon is limited to Australia (so far). It looks like a copy-paste from the Galaxy S20 FE – a 12MP primary, another 12MP camera for ultrawide photos, and an 8MP tele for 3x optical zoom. Samsung is not advertising the hardware as more capable, but it brags with better processing and cool features like Object Eraser – all possible thanks to the new chipset. The stereo speakers and the UD fingerprint scanner are here to stay, too, but the microSD slot didn’t make the cut. But on a positive note – the S21 FE now features a proper proximity sensor instead of a virtual one, something that should solve the numerous complaints.
Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); NFC; Bixby natural language commands and dictation, Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified).
The phone supports 25W fast charging, but if you want to enjoy that and you haven’t purchased such an adapter yet, now is a good time to do it.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE review: One for the fans?
Inside, the Galaxy S21 FE comes with a similar lineup of core componentry as the regular S21, with the 5nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset at the helm, backed by 6GB of RAM, and either 128GB or 256GB of internal storage for your apps, photos and home movies. What this means is that the S21 FE delivered largely similar results as the S21 in our tests, matching single-core speeds in Geekbench 5, with the full-fat S21 coming off only slightly better in multicore. Night pictures are also wonderful, with the phone’s HDR algorithm working well to subdue bright highlights while simultaneously lifting darker areas.
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