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. CNET has the current best Samsung coupons and promo code offers, updated and verified daily.
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
Samsung’s Galaxy S21 FE brings a critical niche feature to the US: dual SIM card slots to let you carry two cellular subscriptions at once. But considering it’s so similar to the previous model and coming out so close to the Galaxy S22 launch, it’s hard to recommend unless you’re specifically looking to buy a dual-SIM phone.
The Galaxy S21 FE comes in four attractive colors: dark gray, green, purple, or white. The phone sports an IP68 waterproof rating and has a 6.4-inch, 120Hz 2,340-by-1,080 display with an optical fingerprint sensor underneath.
Just like the Galaxy S21, the S21 FE uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor and runs Android 12 with Samsung’s usual extensions. The phone appears to be more aggressively thermally throttled than other Samsung models we’ve tested recently.
In real-life use, the S21 FE got noticeably warm when playing the extremely high-powered mobile game Genshin Impact, and while the controls were very responsive, we felt like the frame rate was slightly jerkier than it should be. We get the feeling that some software optimization is still needed, but that’s what happens when you test a phone before it launches (the S21 FE officially hits store shelves January 11).
The SIM 2 insignia marks this as a true dual-SIM slot (Photo: Sascha Segan) More importantly, the Qualcomm X60 modem in the S21 FE supports the new C-band networks launching this month from AT&T and Verizon. We recently benchmarked Google’s Pixel 6 Pro against the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, which uses the same Qualcomm modem as the S21 FE. The S20 FE fixed that, six months later, delivering a reasonably priced phone that worked beautifully.
But the S21 line was terrific, and the S21 FE is coming out right before the S22 launches; the current expectation for the Galaxy S22, which may have a $799 base model with mysterious, fancy new features, is February. If you’re reading this in January and are shopping for a Samsung phone, our advice is to hold tight and wait for the S22 launch. Then we’ll see what new features the S22 family has to offer and how prices on used S21 units drop, potentially below the $699 the S21 FE lists for.
That said, the Galaxy S21 FE is a perfectly good phone, and if you need to use two lines at once, it’s currently the only dual-physical-SIM flagship designed for US networks.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 3.5 Check Stock $599.99 at Best Buy MSRP $699.99 Pros Two physical SIM slots
Don’t Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
There seems to be no element of fan service to it whatsoever, and I can’t imagine what devoted Samsung user would pull the trigger on this phone today just for a slightly lower price. S ome people might be OK with that, but with the smaller Google Pixel 6 offering a better camera for $100 less, you have to really want a Samsung phone to choose this “fan edition.” Despite its “fan edition” moniker, this version of Samsung’s flagship looks cheaper than the other Galaxy S21 models. There’s no fancy trim around the smartphone’s edges, and the back cover feels like just a mere plastic shell. The volume rocker and power button are both on the right side of the device, and the speaker grill and SIM tray are at the bottom. The Galaxy 21 FE 5G sports Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 processor, the chip that powered most of 2021’s Android flagships. That’s mid-range living if you’re an Android user, and there’s a slightly noticeable performance difference in the day-to-day between this device and the OnePlus 9 I use daily, which has the same processor paired with 8GB of RAM. It’s minimal, but the difference crops up in minuscule ways, like whether an animation is stuttering or fluid in intensive apps like Pokémon Go.
On synthetic benchmarks, t he Galaxy S21 FE’s numbers were on par with Samsung’s foldable phones , which have the same processor. Samsung swapped out the 64-MP macro sensor on the Galaxy S21 for this 8-MP one, so photos taken with its 3x optical zoom aren’t very sharp—and that was with the aid of a tripod. In some cases, the Galaxy S21 FE photo of a scene would have more blown-out elements than the one shot with the Pixel 6 Pro. I took two subsequent photos of a flag flapping in the wind, and both times there was a blob of what looks like unprocessed pixels floating around the scene.
The Pixel 6 camera system automatically switches into an extended exposure mode when it senses it’s on a tripod, which helps grab detailed photos at night. Samsung has promised up to four years of security updates on its smartphones, so if you can live with the Galaxy S21 FE’s camera for that long, it has that going for it. However, there are other little features you might like (or hate), including the slide-out dock that hides in the corner of the screen where you can pin apps and things. The Galaxy S21 FE 5G may be for Samsung super-fans , but it’s arriving way too late and with too few features to make it worth buying .
With the Galaxy S22 launching soon with a a slew of new features , including what will probably be better nighttime photo-taking abilities, you’re better off waiting a little while longer than spending $700 on this repackaged but ultimately underwhelming flagship.
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, Fan Edition (smartphone review)
I would be tempted to get the S22 for the 2022 tech, including the Qualcomm SD Gen 1, 4nm processor and Adreno 730 GPU. And it is in that ‘red ocean’ where there are some great phones like Google Pixel 6 ($999, 8/128GB), Vivo X60 Pro (12/256GB $899), ZTE RedMagic 6 Pro ($999, SD888, 16/256GB), and in a few weeks OPPO’s FindX5 upper-mid-range Neo (may be called a Reno7) and who knows what announcements we will see at Mobile World Congress at the end of February.
Read Don’t buy a grey market phone to ensure you get the Australian model. We run more than 70 tests (many repeated three times) over a week to ensure accurate data you can rely on.
You won’t find more accurate data on phone reception signal strength (a city or rural capable phone), battery life, Wi-Fi performance, CPU/GPU performance, throttling under load and importantly, how it sounds. It’s a 6.4″ screen, 7.9mm (thin) x 177g (light) and well-made with Gorilla Glass Victus on the front, an aluminium frame, and a fingerprint-resistant matte glastic back. Nor can it mount an external SSD or Flash drive as internal storage, making it unsuitable for videographers and vloggers. It drops back savagely by 44% over 15 minutes, but the average user won’t push it this hard.
The S20 FE had a Qualcomm SD865 Chipset, and there was a reasonable expectation that we would get the SD888 SoC (26 trillion operations per second – TOPS) and X60 modem. Joe and Jane Average don’t, but many tech journos seem to get their knickers in a twist over what amounts to a scant few per cent difference either way. If you want to listen to music, you will need Bluetooth headphones or speakers where the Dolby Atmos EQ helps give you a wide sound stage and decent frequency response. We strongly recommend using the Google app alternatives to make it easier if you ever want to exit the Samsung world.
Samsung Knox hardens Android and offers things like secure and hidden folders. It has an under-glass optical fingerprint reader; you can use Face ID (2D and not as secure) and PIN, Pattern etc. Daylight and office light shots are fine with natural colour, fast focus, and exposure. Daylight and office video was above average with solid colours, exposure, good autofocus (primary lens) and OIS.
I would be sorely tempted to spend more on the Galaxy S22, and I am afraid that more new models will out-class it after Mobile World Congress in late February. Brand Samsung Model Samsung Galaxy S21 FE (Fan Edition) Model Number SM-G990E single SIM (DS dual SIM not for AU) Price Base $999 Price base 6/128GB $999 Price 2 8/256GB – $1099 Warranty months 12 Tier Upper mid-range Website Product Page Manual here From Samsung Online and approved retailers Country of Origin Vietnam Company Samsung Test date 12/02/2022 Ambient test temp 24° Other models not for Australia (Don’t buy) SM-G990B, N, U, U1, W or any model ending in DS (dual sim) Size 6.4″ Type AMOLED 2X Flat/Curve/2D/3D Flat with centre 0-hole (the Ultra has curved edges) Resolution 2340 x 1080 (it is seen as a FHD phone) PPI 402 Ratio 19.5:9 Screen to Body 85.30% Colours bits 16m 8-bit Refresh Hz/adaptive 60 or 120Hz and 240Hz touch – not adaptive Response 120Hz 10.5 GtG and 2.4ms BtW Nits typical/test Approx. Daylight readable Yes Always on Display Yes Edge display Yes Accessibility Full suite of vision and sound enhancements DRM Widevine L1 1080p HDR10 Gaming Game mode Screen protection Gorilla Glass Victus Comment Lovely bright, colourful screen, but lack of Adaptive refresh puts it slightly behind the leaders.
Brand/Model Samsung Exynos 2100 nm 5 Cores Octa-core (1×2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3×2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) Modem Samsung AI TOPS 26 Geekbench 5 Single-core 1046 Geekbench 5 multi-core 3226 Like About 5-10% faster than the S21 with Exynos 2100 so reflects later tuning GPU Mali-G78 MP14 854Mhz GPU Test Open CL 7605 Like About 5% faster than the S21 Exynos 2100 Vulcan 5950 RAM/type 6 LPDDR5 Storage/free/type 128 UFS 3.1 (95GB free) micro-SD No CPDT internal seq.
Wi-Fi Type/model 6 AX HE80 BCM43571 Test 2m -dBm/Mbps -31 to -35, 1200 variable, not stable Test 5m -59 to -60, 866-1134 variable Test 10m -63 to -70, 680-816 variable BT Type 5 GPS single/dual Single (10m accuracy) USB type 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) ALT DP/DeX/Ready For Yes – USB-C to HDMI cable only and will mirror to a TV NFC Yes Ultra-wideband No Sensors Accelerometer Yes – combo with Gyro Gyro Yes – combo with Gyro e-Compass Yes Barometer Yes Gravity ? Probably Ambient light Yes Hall sensor Yes Proximity Yes Other Comment It’s a shame to limit the Wi-Fi speed to 1200Mbps when others have 2400Mbps. GFX Bench T-Rex 502.8m (8.38hrs) 3351 frames Drain 100-0% full load 6 hrs 30 minutes Watt full load 9W Watt idle 1.5W Estimate battery loss at 120Hz Negligible Estimate typical use maximum 24 hours typical use but carry a charger Comment No charger is penny-pinching, and heavy users will need to charge twice a day.
AMP 2 x Cirrus Logic CS35L41 each 5.3W, 1% THD, 8 ohm Dolby Atmos decode Yes, downmix to two speakers Hi-Res 32-bit/384kHz (not tested) 3.5mm No BT Codecs SBC, AAC, Samsung Scalable Multipoint Can connect to two devices Dolby Atmos (DA) Yes – auto, movie, music, voice and games mode EQ Normal, Pop, Classic, Jazz, Rock and Custom – makes more of a difference in headphones as inbuilt speakers limit what they can do. Mics 2 – with background noise suppression Test dB – all on EQ flat DA off Volume max 80dB fine for personal use Media (music) 73 Ring 75.5 Alarm 73 Notifications ? Sound quality Deep Bass 20-40Hz No Middle Bass 40-100Hz No High Bass 100-200Hz Slowly Building Low Mid 200-400Hz Slowly Building Mid 4000-1000Hz Slowly Building High-Mid 1-2kHz Slowly Building Low Treble 2-4kHz Flat Treble 4-6kHz Flat High Treble 6-10kHz Decline Dog Whistle 10-20kHz Steep decline from 13khz Sound Signature type Analytical: (bass/mid recessed; treble boosted) – crisp but not pleasant for most music Soundstage 2D (no 3D spatial height, but DA gives a wider sound stage. (Ignore the white line) – Recessed bass and mid make this harsh for music but fine for hands-free
Size (H X W x D) 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 Weight grams 177 Front glass Gorilla Glass Victus Rear material Glastic Plastic matte finish grippy Frame Aluminium IP rating 68 Colours Olive, Graphite, Lavender, White Pen/Stylus support No In the box Charger No USB cable USB-A to USB-C Buds No Bumper cover No Comment Well-made, IP68 and should be a keeper OS Android 12 Security patch date 1/11/2021 UI One U1 4.0 OS upgrade policy Three OS upgrades Security patch policy Regular security patches four years Bloatware Samsung alternative to Google suite. Rear Primary MP 12 Mode Wide Sensor Samsung S5K2LD Focus Dual Pixel PDAF (fast focus) f-stop 1.8 um 1.8 FOV° (stated/actual) -67.4 Stabilisation OIS Zoom 8X digital Rear 2 MP 12 Mode Ultra-wide Sensor Sony IMX258 Focus Fixed f-stop 2.2 um 1.12 FOV (stated/actual) 123° (104.3°) Stabilisation No Zoom No Rear 3 MP 8 Mode Telephoto Sensor Hynix Hi847 Focus PDAF f-stop 2.4 um 1 FOV (stated/actual) ? Flash 1 Auto-HDR Yes Object eraser QR code reader Yes Front MP 32 (Bins to 8MP) but delivers 5.2MP Sensor Sony IMX 616 Focus FF can result in out of focus shots f-stop 2.2 um .8 (bins to 1.6) FOV (stated/actual) (69.7°) Stabilisation EIS Flash Zoom 4X digital Video max 4K@60fps – it is above average with good colours and sound. Ratings Features 8 No microSD, 3,5mm, Charger, single sim and fixed refresh rate screen but a very strong processor Value 7 There are perhaps more <$999 options to look at, like Pixel 6 and OPPO Reno or Vivo Performance 8 It should be stellar, but throttling and heat let it down Ease of Use 9 Long OS update and security patch.
One UI 4.0 is easy to use Design 8 It is a glass slab with no distinguishing features Rating out of 10 8 Pro 1 AMOLED 120Hz fixed-rate screen 2 Nice in-hand feel 3 Qualcomm SD888 is hard to beat 4 Great camera all around 5 It is a Galaxy S series and all that goes with it Con 1 No Charger and other price compromises 2 Throttles 3 No 3.5mm jack or microSD 4 There is a lot of <$999 competition 5 Final comment A worthy successor to the S20 FE – better display, SoC, camera and battery life.
Be First to Comment