The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE (“Fan Edition”) 5G (Snapdragon) offers many of the features, including the Snapdragon 888 chipset, of the standard S21 5G model, at a slightly more affordable price point. FE users can compose images on a large 6.4” Dynamic AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution and power is supplied by a 4,500 mAh battery. Let’s have a closer look at how the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon) performs in the DXOMARK Camera tests and compares to its rivals. About DXOMARK Camera tests: For scoring and analysis in our smartphone camera reviews, DXOMARK engineers capture and evaluate over 3000 test images and more than 2.5 hours of video both in controlled lab environments and in natural indoor and outdoor scenes, using the camera’s default settings.
This article is designed to highlight the most important results of our testing. For more information about the DXOMARK Camera test protocol, click here.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon) 117 camera 119 Preview Preview 64 91 Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max Best: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max (91) 111
%s Outdoor Photos & videos shot in bright light conditions (≥1000 lux) BEST 160 Top score %s Indoor Photos & videos shot in good lighting conditions (≥100lux) BEST 132 Top score %s Lowlight Photos & videos shot in low lighting conditions (<100 lux) BEST 149 Top score %s Friends & Family Portrait and group photo & videos
Please be aware that beyond this point, we have not modified the initial test results. While data and products remain fully comparable, you might encounter mentions and references to the previous scores.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G 102 116. Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G 78 136.
Xiaomi Redmi 12C 45 14th 14 Position in Premium Ranking 1. Nice color in indoor and outdoor images Pretty accurate subject isolation in bokeh mode Accurate exposure, white balance and focus preview when zooming
Good exposure in low contrast video Accurate white balance and color in bright light and indoor video Good video stabilization for static scenes Cons Limited dynamic range results in highlight clipping Ghosting, hue shift and color fringing artifacts
Frame shifts and ringing artifacts in video The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon) camera does a respectable job, earning itself a DXOMARK Camera score of 120 that puts it into a mid-field position in the Premium segment. The score is one point higher than the S21 5G (Snapdragon), making the FE model a great alternative to the standard model for photocentric users. This said, with the S21 5G having been available at retailers for several months now its street price has come down to a level that is very close to the FE. Overall, the camera performs on a very similar level to the other models in the S21 series from Samsung. This indoor image offers accurate color rendering without any casts.
However, slight color fringing and huw shifts are noticeable. In this shot and the graph below, we can see that the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE’s texture performance has been improved over the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Textures are slightly more refined in all light conditions. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon), low light texture Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon), crop: slight loss of texture Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (Snapdragon), low light texture Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (Snapdragon), stronger loss of texture, stronger noise
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon), indoor texture Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon), crop: slight loss of texture Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (Snapdragon), indoor texture Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (Snapdragon), stronger loss of texture, more highlight clipping Texture comparison: the S21 FE Snapdragon is very slightly improved over the S21 5G across all light levels.
The difference is most noticeable in low light. The preview image in bokeh mode is very close to the final capture. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon), preview image Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon), crop: preview only slightly different to final capture Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon), final capture in bokeh mode Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon), crop: similar bokeh effect to preview image In bokeh mode, images can sometimes be slightly underexposed, but the simulated bokeh effect provides mostly accurate depth estimation, with only a few visible depth artifacts. Bokeh mode: good depth estimation
When using the tele zoom, exposure is generally accurate and stable, but dynamic range is limited, which can result in highlight clipping in high contrast scenes. Our testers also observed a loss of detail at most tele and ultra-wide zoom settings, as well as some autofocus failures.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon), long range zoom Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon), crop: good exposure but loss of detail In video mode, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon) records footage with good exposure in low-contrast scenes. However, in more difficult high-contrast conditions video clips tend to be underexposed. Our testers also observed some color and white balance instabilities but overall white balance and color rendering are generally accurate when recording in bright light or under typical indoor conditions.
In low light, an orange cast is more intrusive than on the comparison phones. Noise is quite visible in all conditions, it’s particularly strong in low light. We also noticed frame shift and ringing artifacts in all conditions. Video stabilization does a good job in static scenes and is on a similar level as the competitors. In this sample clip, we can see that at the start of the video the subject is slightly underexposed. Strong color and exposure instabilities are noticeable between 00:19 and 00:25 are visible.
We can also see frame shifts and an exposure adaptation issue towards the end of the clip when the model turns around.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G review
The ultrawide camera is a bit of an oddball – it has either Sony IMX258 or the Hynix Hi1336 – both are 13MP sensors with 1.12µm pixels behind 13mm f/2.2 lens and with a focus fixed at infinity. Whatever sensor turns out in your Galaxy S21 FE, it will save 12MP images – as advertised by the PR materials. And just like on the previous Fan Edition, this zoom camera also saves a bit upscaled 12MP photos for whatever reason. Finally, the 32MP selfie camera is also identical to the one on the S20 FE – it relies on a Sony IMX616 Quad-Bayer sensor with a 25mm f/2.2 lens, and a focus fixed at infinity.
This camera, contrary to the majority of the Quad-Bayer selfie shooters, saves native 8MP images. The colors are quite pleasant, even if not perfectly accurate – they came out looking a bit warmer than they really were in real life, but that’s fine. The colors are nicely popping, a match to the main camera, and just a bit warmer and punchier than they should have been. This camera has a 13MP sensor, but it saves 12MP images, and our guess is that the corner straightening involves a minor crop, too.
Their resolved detail is in the high range, even if the sharpness isn’t on par with the other cameras because of the minor upscaling. The contrast, dynamic range and color presentation are a match to the rest of the cameras, too, meaning you get high contrast, high dynamic range, and a bit warmer and punchier colors than they actually were that day.
In broad daylight, the Galaxy S21 FE telephoto camera is the better shooter, even if by a small margin. The S21 FE offers sharper images with less noise, noticeably better contrast, and more likable colors.
The difference in the resolved detail isn’t a major one, but the S21 FE has the upper hand – especially if you crop the photos or inspect them from up close. Portrait mode is available on the Galaxy S21 FE, and while it defaults at the 3x zoom camera, you can switch to the primary one as well. The portraits from the main camera also excel in separation and bokeh, but their subjects are much sharper, more colorful, and the contrast is better. They are rich in detail, contrasty, with excellent color saturation, high dynamic range and realistic exposure and look. While Auto HDR succeeds in restoring most clipped highlights in the normal shooting mode, it doesn’t do much for brightening up the shadows. The 12MP ultrawide photos at night offer good color saturation, life-like exposure and higher than expected dynamic range, they are often extremely soft and overrun by noise.
The Night Mode on the ultrawide camera produces likable photos with enough detail, low (or at least tolerable) noise, improved exposure and dynamic range, and excellent color saturation. These Night Mode images are not as great as the ones from the main camera, but they are much better than the default ones and perfectly usable.
Most of the time, the low-light 3x zoomed photos you are going to shoot will turn out to be cropped and upscaled from the main camera’s output. The selfie camera on the Galaxy S21 FE, just like on many other Samsung phones, features a toggle to determine how wide the frame will be.
They’re natural-looking, with low noise, balanced sharpness, and excellent colors, contrast, and dynamic range. The fixed focus sweet spot, however, is not ideally tuned for shooting at an arm’s length, so selfie sharpness is less than stellar.
The 4K clips from the main camera are very good – the captured detail is above the average, the dynamic range is outstanding, the colors are great, and the noise is low. There is plenty of detail in them; they are sharp, and share all likable qualities we observed on the main camera – great colors, dynamic range, contrast, and even low noise.
The low-light videos from the main camera are alright – they have good color saturation and realistic exposure. The gentle noise reduction leaves a lot of detail visible, the exposure is not bad, and the colors aren’t that much desaturated.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE review
Why you can trust Tom’s Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what’s best for you. After going on sale in January, the Galaxy S21 FE is available through both carriers and retailers as well as through Samsung’s own online store. While there is a bump holding that strip of vertically aligned lenses, it blends seamlessly into the side of the phone, making the array seem less prominent.
I wish the sides of the Galaxy S21 FE were a little bit more prominent, though — instead, they’re fairly slick, making the phone hard to hold on to.
An overlay that appears when the phone is locked makes the sensor easy to find, and I’ve certainly found it more responsive than the Pixel 6’s pokey unlocking feature. The smaller panel doesn’t feel particularly cramped, and I’d go so far as to say it probably makes the S21 FE easier to use with one hand than the previous model. That means scrolling will look smoother on the Galaxy S21 FE’s display, which leads to a better overall experience with the phone. That said, it looks like you can only toggle between 120Hz and 60Hz manually; the other phones in the Galaxy S21 lineup have adaptive displays that adjust on the fly. Both Samsung phones recorded Delta-E ratings of 0.29, so colors are just as accurate on the Galaxy S21 FE as they are on the more expensive model. The 8MP telephoto lens is easily the biggest trade-off between the Galaxy S21 FE and Samsung’s standard flagship. I don’t have either an S21 or S21 Plus on hand, but I imagine photos taken with either phone’s telephoto lens will look a little sharper than what you get from the Galaxy S21 FE. Considering those two devices rank among the best camera phones , it’s worth seeing how the Galaxy S21 FE’s photographic output measures up.
The cilantro leaves topping the tacos in the Galaxy S21 FE shot stand out a bit more distinctly, and the texture of the lime green wall in the background is more detailed. Moving outside to a covered vegetable stand, we see the Galaxy S21 FE exhibit a familiar trait for Samsung camera phones — it likes to amp up colors, even if the end result teeters on over-saturating the shot. I think the Pixel 6’s warmer tones lead to a better composed shot — the tomatoes may not look as vibrant as they do in the S21 FE’s photo, but the overall image is balanced throughout. Not that the S21 FE’s bias toward colors doesn’t pay off in some instances, like in this shot at a nearby marina with downtown Oakland in the background. The bend seems more pronounced on the Galaxy S21 FE’s shot, but I think that’s partly because people are walking into the frame just as I hit the shutter button. Once again the Galaxy S21 FE has highlighted the colors, particularly the blue sky, but it’s washed out some elements of the movie theater’s art deco facade.
The Galaxy S21 FE’s portrait mode does an adequate job blurring the background of shots to highlight your subject, even if it aggressively smooths out faces. Samsung says it improved the Night Mode on the Galaxy S21 FE, and I think that’s evident from this shot of a skeleton we have hanging in our basement workshop.
The skeleton emerges clearly from the shadows in the Galaxy S21 FE shot, and Samsung’s phone even does a good job balancing the ambient lighting streaming in from the right side of the picture.
On the bright side, the Snapdragon 888 is the same system-on-chip that powered the entire Galaxy S21 lineup, so you can expect comparable performance with those models.
Samsung includes less RAM, with the 128GB base model of the Galaxy S21 FE sporting only 6GB to the 8GB found in the standard S21. I played PUBG Mobile on the Galaxy S21 FE, and the game ran smoothly without sacrificing any of the first-person shooter’s detailed graphics.
The Pixel 6, which is powered by Google’s Tensor silicon, lags the Galaxy S21 FE with a 2,696 multicore score. You get a 4,500 mAh battery inside the Galaxy S21 FE, which is the same size as the power pack in the phone’s predecessor. With a slightly smaller screen and a more power efficient chipset running the new phone, you’d be inclined to expect some improvement in battery life over the Galaxy S20 FE’s so-so performance. However, in our demanding battery test — we have a phone surf the web continuously over 5G until it runs out of power — the Galaxy S21 FE fell flat.
Disabling that feature improves things considerably, with the Galaxy S21 FE lasting 9 hours and 15 minutes. That’s better than the Pixel 6’s time of 8 hours and 13 minutes with its 90Hz mode turned on, though it stinks that you have to disable a marquee feature to squeeze more battery life out of the Galaxy S21 FE.
There are perfectly sound environmental reasons for that move, but it puts the burden on consumers to already have a charger that can support the Galaxy S21 FE’s speeds or to buy one along with the phone. The delayed Galaxy S21 FE launch has a silver lining in one regard — you won’t have to wait for an update to Android 12.
Instead, the Galaxy S21 FE ships with Google’s latest software already installed, along with Samsung’s updated One UI 4.0 interface. One UI 4 introduces a number of ways to customize the look of your phone’s home screen, icons, wallpapers and more. Samsung also adopted many of the privacy features Google built into Android 12, so that you can get alerts when an app tries to use the Galaxy S21 FE’s microphone or camera. Additionally, the launch of the Galaxy S22 has prompted Samsung to extend software support for its top phones to four years.
The Galaxy S21 FE is a fine addition to Samsung’s S21 lineup, retaining the very best features of those flagship phones for a more modest price. The tradeoffs you have to make to save $100 aren’t major ones, with the biggest sacrifice being the lack of an adaptive display as that can impact battery life.
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 5G vs. Google Pixel 6 camera shootout
As long as your lighting is good and your subjects aren’t moving, you could definitely snap some Instagram-worthy shots. Both bring really solid cameras to the table, so I wanted to see where the strengths and weaknesses were by looking at a number of different categories and lighting conditions. In this case, both phones perform quite well when switching between the ultrawide and main cameras, but both also get a little pale and washed out when you zoom in. I’m still not positive what black magic goes into the camera to allow it to take such gorgeous handheld shots of the moon, but suffice it to say, it’s excellent.
What you’re looking for inside is natural bokeh from your close-ups, color reproduction, and white balance. In this scenario, the Google Pixel 6 slightly edges out the Samsung in terms of color accuracy and smoothing out those highlights and lens flare when you accidentally catch light in the background. On the front and the back, Samsung only just barely nips some stray strands of hair in portrait mode. Meanwhile, Google’s portrait mode blurred the back half of my head and jacket.
Both phones did well picking up the background inside the crook of my arm when I held it up, but Google still had trouble figuring out where my jacket ended. On the flip side, Samsung forces a much closer crop than Google for portrait mode, and I think this mostly works well. There’s little background to get confused over, while Google’s wider shot keeps the close ground in focus and fades as it goes back. The Pixel 6 kept a greater amount of detail overall and had less trouble finding focus when snapping the macro shot, but the S21 FE has a greater depth of field, allowing me to keep a bigger part of the subject in focus.
Both phones perform well at night, but the Pixel does a much better job at preserving details and reducing blown-out highlights. The good news is that Samsung’s 3X optical zoom performs quite well at night, which is often a problem, even in flagship phones. While both phones perform very well in good lighting conditions, The nod here goes to the Pixel 6 mainly because of the stabilization of the footage.
Whether you’re walking with the main shooter on the back or the front-facing camera, Google’s stabilization makes it look like your phone is on a track.
I was surprised by this since the Galaxy S21 Ultra had rock-solid stabilization, so I’d hoped that trend would continue. The Google Pixel 6 takes the most categories here, but don’t count the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE out entirely.
Put simply, if you want to zoom in with a Pixel, it’ll cost you an extra three benjamins. As for a solid recommendation of one phone over the other, it’s easy to say it depends on your use case, but the Google Pixel 6 is my pick for most categories.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE Review: Don’t Pay Full Price
If you saw the words “Fan Edition” etched on a product, chances are you’d expect some exclusive features or designs for the company’s most devoted followers, right? I’ve been using the FE for nearly four weeks and have been able to run all my usual apps and games with barely a sputter, thanks to the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chip inside. I did notice the phone getting quite warm and saw a bit of stuttering as my gaming sessions stretched past an hour in Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier, but that’s to be expected.
It helps that it’s light and thin, and you won’t need to worry about the back shattering after an accidental drop because it’s made of composite plastic. This matte rear can look grubby at times (it attracts a lot of fingerprints), but I’m more upset that Samsung decided to forgo the accented color design on the camera module. Having a variable rate usually translates to better battery life as the screen won’t need to refresh so many times if you’re just static on the homepage.
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. If you can pick up the phone as part of a bundle, with price reduced in sales, refurbished or second hand, then you might discover the mobile is worth it.
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. 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.
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