Samsung Galaxy S21 FE review
Our Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Fe offers many of the same features found in the Galaxy S21, but at a slightly lower toll. With the Galaxy S22 looming, though, this phone is a difficult sell.
For
- Same Snapdragon 888 processor as the Milky way S21
- Bright, colorful brandish
- Improved Dark Style
- Skilful all-around cameras
- Ships with Android 12
Against
- Lower resolution telephoto lens compared to Milky way S21
- Less RAM than the Galaxy S21
- 120Hz refresh rate isn't adaptive
- Hard to recommend with Galaxy S22 launch so close
- Battery life disappoints
Tom'due south Guide Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE offers many of the same features found in the Milky way S21, simply at a slightly lower price. With the Galaxy S22 looming, though, this telephone is a hard sell.
Pros
- +
Aforementioned Snapdragon 888 processor as the Galaxy S21
- +
Bright, colorful display
- +
Improved Night Manner
- +
Good all-around cameras
- +
Ships with Android 12
Cons
- -
Lower resolution telephoto lens compared to Galaxy S21
- -
Less RAM than the Galaxy S21
- -
120Hz refresh rate isn't adaptive
- -
Hard to recommend with Galaxy S22 launch so close
- -
Battery life disappoints
Samsung Galaxy S21 Atomic number 26 specs
Starting price: $699
Display: six.4-inch AMOLED (FHD+; 120Hz)
CPU: Snapdragon 888
RAM: 6GB, 8GB
Storage: 128GB, 256GB
Rear cameras: 12MP main (f/i.viii); 12MP ultrawide (f/2.2); 8MP telephoto (f/2.iv) with 30x Space Zoom
Front end camera: 32MP (f/2.2)
Battery size: 4,500 mAh
Battery life (Hrs: Mins): 7:46 (120Hz); ix:xv (60Hz)
Charging speed: 25W wired; 15W wireless
Size: 6.i x 2.9 x 0.31 inches
Weight: vi.2 ounces
The Samsung Milky way S21 Atomic number 26 has arrived, bringing a lower-cost add-on to the Galaxy S21 lineup. Merely has the window for releasing this new $699 handset already slammed close?
It'due south a question worth considering since the launch of the Milky way S22 lineup — Samsung's next round of flagship devices — is merely around the corner. That means the Galaxy S21 Fe non only invites comparisons to other Galaxy S21 models but to Samsung phones that could be in our hands as quickly as a month from now. Fifty-fifty smartphone shoppers holding out for the S21 Atomic number 26's lower price may be tempted to await only a little bit longer to encounter if the Galaxy S22 introduces significantly improved features.
That'south a question that will take to wait until the Milky way S22 makes its commencement appearance, which will reportedly be at a launch event in February. For at present, our Samsung Milky way S21 FE review finds a device that doesn't sacrifice likewise many features from the Galaxy S21 lineup, just doesn't come with as big a discount in cost equally y'all were probably hoping for. If y'all're looking to run across how the Galaxy S21 Fe stacks up to Apple, cheque out our Galaxy S21 Iron vs iPhone 13 confront-off.
- Samsung Galaxy S21 Atomic number 26: 4 reasons to buy and 3 reasons to skip
- The best Android phones right now
Samsung Galaxy S21 Iron crook sheet: Height features
- Costs $100 less than the Galaxy S21
- Features aforementioned Snapdragon 888 chipset as the Galaxy S21 for comparable performance
- 8MP telephoto lens isn't equally sharp equally the 64MP lens that the S21 offers
- 120Hz refresh rate, but yous manually arrange that
- iv,500 mAh bombardment is the same size as the one in the Milky way S20 Fe, while the screen shrinks slightly (6.iv inches vs. 6.5 inches)
- Every bit on the Galaxy S21, battery life takes a significant hit with the 120Hz refresh rate enabled
- Lavander is the best color choice among graphite, white and olive models
Samsung Galaxy S21 Iron review: Price and availability
A large function of the entreatment of the Galaxy S20 FE was its toll — it debuted at a $300 discount from the Galaxy S20. Simply later on cut prices on the Galaxy S21 lineup last year, Samsung had a harder time offering the Milky way S21 Iron for that substantial a discount from its main flagships.
The Galaxy S21 Iron starts at $699 in the U.Due south. That's $100 less than the Galaxy S21'south debut cost from last spring; depending on the Galaxy S21 deals available, you may even exist able to find last year's flagship for less. Unless Samsung raises the price for the upcoming Galaxy S22 — and it'south a possibility according to at least i rumor — the Galaxy S21 Atomic number 26 won't cost that much less from Samsung's newer flagship.
The Galaxy S21 FE went on auction Jan 11. The phone is available through both carriers and retailers every bit well equally through its own online store. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon all announced plans to sell the phone, with discounts bachelor as the telephone launches if you've got a device to trade-in. Our guide on where to purchase the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE includes information nearly those deals.
If you plan on buying the S21 Fe, make certain y'all choice upwards one of the best Samsung Galaxy S21 Atomic number 26 cases to protect your investment.
Samsung Milky way S21 FE review: Blueprint
With Samsung moving to its plastic-dependent polycarbonate design for the Galaxy S21 and Milky way S21 Plus, at that place's no mystery as to what material the phone maker would utilise for the Galaxy S21 FE. Information technology'south plastic, and while that'southward non necessarily a large merchandise-off from the S21, there's no attempt to disguise what this telephone is encased in. A haze finish on the back of the phone gives the Galaxy S21 FE a professional person veneer, but no one's going to misfile this phone with a premium handset.
The Galaxy S21 Iron does adopt one of the S21'south better design flourishes with the contour cut design that houses the rear photographic camera array. While there is a bump holding that strip of vertically aligned lenses, it blends seamlessly into the side of the telephone, 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. Within a couple hours of taking possession of the Milky way S21 FE, the phone had already slipped out of my hands a couple times, and only my cat-similar reflexes kept it from tumbling to the footing.
Similar the regular S21, the Galaxy S21 Atomic number 26 uses a fingerprint reader that'south embedded under the brandish. An overlay that appears when the phone is locked makes the sensor easy to notice, and I've certainly found it more than responsive than the Pixel six'due south pokey unlocking feature.
The Milky way S21 Fe adopts another Galaxy S21 feature that's probable to annoy some users. There's no microSD menu slot like there was on the Galaxy S20 so the storage on the phone you purchase — whether it'due south 128GB or 256GB — is what you're getting.
The blackish graphite color of my review unit is easily the least exciting of the Galaxy S21 Iron'due south 4 color options. You can also go the phone in lavender, olive and white. Lavender'due south the slickest-looking selection in my opinion, only your mileage may vary.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Iron review: Brandish
The half dozen.4-inch AMOLED panel on the Galaxy S21 FE is larger than the standard S21's 6.2-inch display, though a wee chip smaller than the 6.five-inch screen on the Galaxy S20 Atomic number 26. The smaller console doesn't feel peculiarly cramped, and I'd go then far equally to say it probably makes the S21 Fe easier to use with one mitt than the previous model.
Like the S20 Fe, the Galaxy S21 Fe can back up a 120Hz refresh rate, if you set up motion smoothness to Loftier in the device'southward Settings app. That means scrolling volition look smoother on the Galaxy S21 FE'southward brandish, which leads to a better overall experience with the phone. That said, information technology looks like you tin only toggle between 120Hz and 60Hz manually; the other phones in the Galaxy S21 lineup accept adaptive displays that suit on the fly. It'southward perhaps a minor distinction, but it helps explain that $100 deviation with the standard S21.
Watching the Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer on the Milky way S21 FE, I idea the Sorcerer Supreme'south red cape looked suitably vibrant — well, except when he was strolling around the moodier sections of the multiverse. An episode of AP Bio streaming via the Peacock app was besides bright and clear.
Our testing confirms the Galaxy S21 FE does a pretty good job with colors, equally it reproduces 119.eight% of the sRGB color spectrum in natural mode. That compares to 109.2% on the Milky way S21. Both Samsung phones recorded Delta-E ratings of 0.29, then colors are but as accurate on the Galaxy S21 Fe as they are on the more expensive model.
We measured the Galaxy S21 FE's brandish at 700 nits with Adaptive Brightness turned on. That'south just shy of the Galaxy S21, which maxed out at 711 nits. And while the 795-nit iPhone 13 outshines the S21 FE, Samsung's latest phone is still brilliant enough to run into outdoors.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Fe review: Cameras
Cameras haven't inverse all that much on the Galaxy S21 FE when compared to the previous generation, at least in terms of hardware. As with the S20 Iron, the new telephone features a 12MP main camera, augmented past a 12MP ultrawide lens and 8MP telephoto lens, with the latter shooter capable of delivering a 30x Space Zoom. Even the apertures on those three lenses are unchanged from the S20 FE.
The 8MP telephoto lens is easily the biggest merchandise-off betwixt the Galaxy S21 FE and Samsung'southward standard flagship. Both the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus featured a telephoto camera with a higher resolution — 64MP, specifically. I don't take either an S21 or S21 Plus on hand, merely I imagine photos taken with either phone's telephoto lens will wait a footling sharper than what yous go from the Galaxy S21 FE.
Still, the Milky way S21 FE at least has a telephoto lens, which is not something you can say for other phones in its price range. The Pixel half dozen, which costs $100 less than the Galaxy S21 FE, lacks a dedicated telephoto lens, every bit does the iPhone 13, which costs $100 more. Considering those two devices rank among the best camera phones, information technology'south worth seeing how the Milky way S21 FE'south photographic output measures up.
You'd be difficult-pressed to notice whatsoever difference in these dueling shots of a plate of tacos other than how I framed the shot with the Galaxy S21 Iron and Pixel half dozen. The cilantro leaves topping the tacos in the Galaxy S21 FE shot stand out a flake more than distinctly, and the texture of the lime green wall in the background is more detailed. Otherwise, these two photos are roughly the aforementioned, and that speaks well of the Galaxy S21 Fe'due south optics.
Moving outside to a covered vegetable stand up, we come across the Galaxy S21 FE exhibit a familiar trait for Samsung camera phones — information technology likes to amp upwardly colors, even if the end result teeters on over-saturating the shot. I think the Pixel 6's warmer tones pb to a better composed shot — the tomatoes may not look equally vibrant as they exercise in the S21 Atomic number 26'due south photo, but the overall image is balanced throughout.
Not that the S21 Atomic number 26'south bias toward colors doesn't pay off in some instances, similar in this shot at a nearby marina with downtown Oakland in the background. I like the brightness of the blueish heaven that the S21 Atomic number 26 captures and how it'southward reflected in the water. The iPhone 13'due south photograph — while more accurate — doesn't pop as much.
It's hard to test the Galaxy S21 FE'southward zoom lens confronting either the iPhone 13 or Pixel 6, every bit those phones must rely entirely on digital zooms. Y'all see the edge the Galaxy S21 Iron has when you max out the iPhone xiii'due south zoom to 5X and compare it to a similar shot from the S21 FE. The proper name of the Tribune Building is very legible in the S21 FE photo; it'southward simply a blur when captured by the iPhone.
Of course, the Galaxy S21 Iron can go beyond 5x, as the telephoto lens supports a 30x Space Zoom feature. Information technology'due south difficult to frame a shot when maxing out the zoom without using a tripod, but Samsung'south zoom lock characteristic can at least help you lot go a focused shot without too much blur. This shot of the Tribune edifice isn't every bit sharp every bit a purely optical zoom would be, but the photo is articulate enough to not just display the Tribune name but to also make out the Wells Fargo sign on the adjacent building.
The ultrawide angle lens on the Galaxy S21 FE has a 123-degree field of view, which is substantially the same as the 120-degree FOV on the iPhone 13. Consequently, both phones capture an equal amount of detail in ultrawide mode. They also add a noticeable distortion effectually the sides of the film, as you can encounter from the manner the lamppost on the right is listing. 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 every bit I hit the shutter button.
Even ignoring all that, I think the iPhone thirteen did a meliorate job here, with its darker, more counterbalanced limerick. In one case again the Milky way S21 FE has highlighted the colors, specially the blue sky, simply it's washed out some elements of the movie theatre's art deco facade.
The Galaxy S21 FE's portrait way does an adequate task blurring the background of shots to highlight your bailiwick, even if it aggressively smooths out faces. You can't fifty-fifty tell that my daughter has freckles in the S21 FE'southward photo, when they're somewhat evident in the Pixel half-dozen shot.
I besides think Google's phone is smart nearly what to blur and what to go out alone. The ukulele next to my daughter in the left side of the portrait simply gets a modest mistiness from the Pixel 6. The Galaxy S21 Fe, on the other mitt, is a lot more inexact with how it applies that blur. Samsung's photograph does conspicuously differentiate between her and the background though, which is what you desire in a shot like this.
Samsung says it improved the Night Mode on the Galaxy S21 FE, and I remember that's axiomatic from this shot of a skeleton nosotros have hanging in our basement workshop. ("Why exercise you have a skeleton hanging downwardly in that location?" y'all ask? Why don't y'all, I answer.) The skeleton emerges clearly from the shadows in the Milky way S21 Iron shot, and Samsung's phone even does a good job balancing the ambient lighting streaming in from the correct side of the flick. Looking at Samsung's shot, you'd be hard pressed to realize it was taken in a pitch black room.
The iPhone 13's effort is a little darker, especially on the left side of the shot. That probably makes for a spookier photo, but the image comes out more than clearly in the Galaxy S21 Fe shot.
One thing I'd add most Nighttime Mode on the Galaxy S21 FE: When taking photos in low-low-cal with the S21 FE's photographic camera app, a crescent moon will appear in the viewfinder. This might make you think that Nighttime Manner is turning on automatically, merely it's not — you have to manually enable the feature, and I've found that the best fashion to exercise that is from the More options listed amongst the different camera modes. Otherwise, you might air current upward with a shot that'due south still very much in the dark.
The 32MP sensor on the front of the Galaxy S21 Fe takes an uncharacteristically muted selfie. Colors look authentic, but are a lot more muted than what the iPhone xiii's TrueDepth photographic camera produces. I await hale and hearty in the iPhone 13 selfie, whereas the Galaxy S21 FE has an ashen quality.
Amidst the Galaxy S21's video features is back up for dual video capture. That means you can tape video using both the forepart and rear lenses of the S21 Fe, just as you would on the standard Galaxy S21. It's a nice characteristic to take if video blogging or Instagramming are among your passions.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE review: Performance and 5G
Many of the new top-of-the-line Android phones coming out this year will run on Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, merely the Galaxy S21 Fe will stay a year behind with 2021'south Snapdragon 888 silicon. On the bright side, the Snapdragon 888 is the same system-on-chip that powered the entire Galaxy S21 lineup, and so you tin wait comparable performance with those models. And the 3 S21 phones were among the best performing Android handsets we've tested in the last year.
You make a trade-off from the residuum of the Milky way S21 lineup when yous opt for the Fe, though. Samsung includes less RAM, with the 128GB base model of the Galaxy S21 FE sporting just 6GB to the 8GB found in the standard S21. That affects the power to speedily switch between apps, though non then much that you'll observe a serious lag.
Certainly, I was able to switch back and forth betwixt apps without whatsoever issues on the Galaxy S21 FE. I as well appreciated how the phone tin can handle some fairly demanding apps without hesitation. I played PUBG Mobile on the Galaxy S21 Atomic number 26, and the game ran smoothly without sacrificing whatever of the first-person shooter's detailed graphics.
My experience is reflected past our benchmark tests for the Galaxy S21 FE. When we ran Geekbench five on the new Samsung phone, we got a multicore score of 3,199. That's non equally good as the iii,302 upshot the standard Galaxy S21 posted on that full general functioning test. The OnePlus 9, a comparably priced Snapdragon 888-powered phone that comes loaded with 12GB of RAM, posted a 3,618 score. The Pixel 6, which is powered by Google's Tensor silicon, lags the Galaxy S21 Fe with a ii,696 multicore score.
In graphics testing, the Galaxy S21 Iron produced similar numbers to the Galaxy S21. Both Samsung phones churned out 34 frames per second in the 3DMark Wild Life Unlimited test. That's also the score the OnePlus nine and Pixel 6 both produced. It's worth noting that the iPhone 13 and its A15 Bionic flake outperforms all these Snapdragon 888 devices, with a 55.9 fps result. Still, the takeaway here is that the Galaxy S21 Atomic number 26 tin can concur its ain confronting the best Android phones.
With support for both mmWave and sub-6Ghz 5G, the Galaxy S21 FE should work but fine on any 5G network in the U.Due south, simply like any other Galaxy S21 model.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE review: Bombardment life and charging
Y'all get a iv,500 mAh battery inside the Galaxy S21 Fe, which is the aforementioned size as the ability pack in the phone'due south predecessor. With a slightly smaller screen and a more power efficient chipset running the new telephone, you'd be inclined to look some improvement in battery life over the Galaxy S20 Iron's then-so performance.
Sadly, that'due south not case. The Galaxy S21 Fe did well enough in every day employ, though it was in a need of a charge by the end of the twenty-four hour period. However, in our demanding battery exam — we have a phone surf the web continuously over 5G until it runs out of power — the Milky way S21 Fe roughshod flat. The phone averaged vii hours, 46 minutes on our battery test, which is roughly 2 hours shorter than the boilerplate smartphone.
We got that fourth dimension with the screen'southward 120Hz refresh charge per unit turned on. Disabling that feature improves things considerably, with the Galaxy S21 FE lasting 9 hours and 15 minutes. That's amend 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 Milky way S21 FE.
Considering that the Galaxy S21 suffers from a similar gap — fewer than 7 hours with its adaptive fashion turned on, ix hours and 53 meetings in 60Hz mode — Samsung needs to exercise a better chore with battery life on its flagships.
At least Samsung has boosted the charging speed from the Milky way S20 Iron, every bit the S21 FE supports up to 25W charging. That should become a drained telephone to a 50% charge after half-an-hour. In that time, my Galaxy S21 FE got back to a 46% accuse, though I wasn't able to run that test with a 25W charger.
That'due south because Samsung doesn't include a charger with the Milky way S21 Fe, just like it doesn't include that accessory with other S21 models. At that place are perfectly sound environmental reasons for that movement, but it puts the burden on consumers to already have a charger that can support the Galaxy S21 FE's speeds or to purchase i along with the phone. A 25W charger from Samsung runs you anywhere from $twenty to $35.
Samsung Milky way S21 Atomic number 26 review: Software
The delayed Milky way 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 means to customize the expect of your phone's dwelling screen, icons, wallpapers and more. Widgets get a redesign, and are more customizable, besides. Samsung besides adopted many of the privacy features Google built into Android 12, so that y'all tin become alerts when an app tries to utilise the Milky way S21 Atomic number 26'due south microphone or photographic camera. It'southward a better experience, overall.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE review: Verdict
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 than pocket-sized price. The tradeoffs y'all have to make to save $100 aren't major ones, with the biggest cede beingness the lack of an adaptive brandish as that tin bear upon bombardment life.
Otherwise, this is a solid phone, matching the operation of the superlative Android flagships from a year agone and delivering photos that concord their own confronting some of the best camera phones we've tested.
Just we can't just compare phones to what'due south come up before them. In that location's also the matter of what'south coming next, and with the Galaxy S21 Iron, that next is coming very soon. With the Galaxy S22 about to launch, it'due south hard to recommend buying the Milky way S21 Fe until you've at least seen all the upcoming phone's new features and whether they'll justify paying a little bit extra for that handset. It could well be that the Galaxy S21 FE is still the better purchase, though odds are the S22 is going to prove to be a more compelling choice. (We consider make that case in our Galaxy S21 Fe vs. Galaxy S22 comparing.)
In the end, the biggest flaw surrounding the Galaxy S21 Atomic number 26 is the timing of the phone'south release. And that may be the hardest one to overcome.
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/samsung-galaxy-s21-fe
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