The new Galaxy S21 FE looks to be a better deal than the flagship Galaxy S21

After what seems like an eternity, Samsung has finally lifted the covers off the highly-anticipated Galaxy S21 FE. As we saw in numerous leaks over the last few months, Samsung’s latest Fan Edition device is a trimmed-down version of its flagship Galaxy S21. It offers quite a few of the same features as the flagship model, including a flagship SoC, a respectable camera setup, a high refresh rate display, and a big battery, at a slightly more affordable price. But is it worth getting over a deeply discounted Galaxy S21? Let’s quickly take a look at what Samsung’s new affordable flagship has to offer.

Since the Galaxy S21 FE is essentially a more affordable Galaxy S21, we’ll start with taking a look at their hardware. Check out the table below for a quick comparison of the new Galaxy S21 FE and the flagship Galaxy S21.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs. Galaxy S21

Specification	Samsung Galaxy S21 FE	Samsung Galaxy S21
Build	Plastic back Metal frame	Plastic back Aluminum mid-frame
Dimensions & Weight	155.7 x 74.5 x x 7.9mm 177g	151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9mm 171g
Display	6.4-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X flat display 2340 x 1080p 120Hz refresh rate 240Hz touch sampling rate in Gaming Mode	6.2-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X 2400 x 1080p 120Hz refresh rate 240Hz touch sampling rate
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888	International: Exynos 2100 USA: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
RAM & Storage	6GB + 128GB 8GB + 256GB	8GB LPDDR 5 + 128GB 8GB + 256GB
Battery & Charging	4,500mAh 25W wired fast charging support 15W wireless charging support Reverse wireless charging support	4,000mAh 25W fast charging support 15W wireless charging support Reverse wireless charging support
Security	Optical in-display fingerprint sensor	Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner
Rear Camera(s)	Primary: 12MP f/1.8, Dual Pixel AF, OIS Ultra-wide: 12MP f/2.2, 123° FoV Telephoto: 8MP f/2.4, 3x optical zoom, 30x space zoom, OIS	Primary: 12MP f/1.8, Dual Pixel AF, OIS Ultra-wide: 12MP f/2.2, 120° FoV Telephoto: 64MP f/2.0, PDAF, OIS
Front Camera(s)	32MP f/2.2	10MP f/2.2, Dual Pixel AF
Port(s)	USB Type-C	USB 3.2 Type-C
Audio	Stereo speakers Dolby Atmos	Stereo speakers tuned by AKG Dolby Atmos
Connectivity	Sub6/mmWave 5G 4G LTE Dual-band (2.4GHz + 5GHz) Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax Bluetooth	Sub6 5G 4G LTE Dual-band (2.4GHz + 5GHz) Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax Bluetooth 5.1
Software	One UI 4 based on Android 12	One UI 4 based on Android 12
Other Features	Samsung Pay with NFC	Samsung Pay with NFC

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As you can probably tell from looking at the spec table above, the Galaxy S21 FE isn’t all that different when compared to the flagship Galaxy S21. It offers pretty much all the features found on the flagship device, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chip, up to 8GB RAM, up to 256GB onboard storage, and the same connectivity features. However, the two phones aren’t exactly the same. In fact, the Galaxy S21 FE does a few things better.

For instance, the device has a larger 6.4-inch FHD+ 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, which some people might prefer over the vanilla Galaxy S21’s 6.2-inch FHD+ 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. It even has a larger 4,500mAh battery that offers the same fast charging capabilities as the flagship model. On top of that, the new phone has an arguably better 32MP selfie shooter. But while the Galaxy S21 FE looks to be better than the regular Galaxy S21 in these three areas, Samsung has cut some corners to keep its price low.

Speaking of cutting corners, the new Galaxy S21 FE doesn’t get the same telephoto camera as the flagship model. While you do get a 12MP primary camera and a 12MP ultra-wide camera on the device, you don’t get a 64MP telephoto camera. Instead, the device features a more modest 8MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and 30x space zoom.

The Galaxy S21 FE also doesn’t get the same ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner as the flagship model, and it opts for a more mainstream optical in-display fingerprint scanner. But that might actually be a good thing because my experience with the ultrasonic fingerprint sensors on other Samsung devices hasn’t been all that great. They’re a bit too sluggish compared to the optical fingerprint scanners that the company offers on cheaper devices.

Since Samsung hasn’t shared the complete RAM, storage, and USB specifications for the Galaxy S21 FE yet, we’re not sure if it offers the same hardware as the flagship model. It is possible for Samsung to have opted for slower components on the Fan Edition model to keep its price low, but you’ll have to wait for our full review to know if that’s the case or not.

All in all, the Galaxy S21 FE packs some impressive hardware at its price point and it has the potential to replicate the Galaxy S20 FE’s success. However, since it’s hitting the market after a long delay, Samsung might not get the same results as last year.

One good thing about the delay, though, is that the Galaxy S21 FE ships with One UI 4 based on Android 12 out of the box. This means that it will get an additional Android OS upgrade and an extra year of security updates, which slightly increases its chances of attracting buyers. Another thing that we’re sure will pique your interest in the Galaxy S21 FE is its price. Check out the section below for more details.

Pricing & Availability

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE will be available in four colorways — Black, White, Olive Green, and Lavender — and it will go on sale starting January 11. Although it offers pretty much all the features that you get with the $800 Galaxy S21, it starts at $699 for the base 6GB + 128GB model. If you’re wondering if the Galaxy S21 FE is worth the given price or not, make sure you stay tuned for our full review.

What do you think of the new Galaxy S21 FE? Would you get it over other similarly priced phones? Let us know in the comments section below.

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