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Samsung phone fans have more decisions to make than ever before with the Samsung Galaxy S21 and Samsung Galaxy S20 FE more evenly matched than you might expect.
While you can assume that the Samsung Galaxy S21 is the best of the bunch given the naming convention, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is also a surprise winner when it comes to what to buy in this price range.
Bigger than the S21, it’s sure to appeal to those who like bigger phones, although – on the flip side – the Samsung Galaxy S21 is easily the faster of the two devices.
With plenty of comparisons between the two devices, we ask the big question: is the Samsung Galaxy S21 the best option for most people, or should you instead be giving the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE your time and money?
Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Samsung Galaxy S20 FE Price and Availability
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE hit stores on October 2, 2020, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 arrived later on January 29, 2021.
Prices for the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE start at $ 699 / £ 699 / AU $ 1,149 for a 5G model. Alternatively, there are 4G models available in the UK and Australia for £ 599 and AU $ 999 respectively, but we wouldn’t recommend them to anyone looking to prove their purchase going forward.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 is slightly more expensive at $ 799 / £ 769 / AU $ 1,249 for a device with 128GB of storage or a 256GB variant for $ 849 / $ 819 / AU $ 1,349.
This means that the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is the more affordable option of the two, but there isn’t a whole lot between them considering that you are likely to invest in one of these phones for several years. .
Design
You might think that the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is the smaller of the two phones, but it’s actually the opposite. It has dimensions of 159.8 x 74.5 x 8.4mm which makes it larger than the 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9mm of the Samsung Galaxy S21. Logically therefore, it is also a little heavier with an additional weight of 19 g.
None of this is likely to be a deciding factor unless you’re incredibly passionate about the smallest phone you can get away with, but it’s something to consider. Expect the Samsung Galaxy S21 to be a bit more comfortable to hold for long periods of time than the alternative.
There are no curved edges on the screen with both phones – something Samsung has saved for the much higher-end Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. It’s a shame because it makes both devices a bit cheaper. This is reinforced by their use of Glasstic – Samsung’s name for its material, which sits somewhere between plastic and glass. It’s superior to a regular plastic back, but it’s nowhere near as good as a glass back.
Where the Samsung Galaxy S21 stands out from the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is its reorganization of the array of cameras, which Samsung calls its Contour Cut camera slimmer than the more conventional way the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE has chosen.
Display
Both phones use the same resolution – 2400 x 1080 – and the same 120Hz refresh rates. Where things differ the most is when it comes to screen size. As you might expect, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is bigger with a 6.5 inch screen compared to the 6.2 inch screen of the Samsung Galaxy S21.
They both also offer AMOLED display types, with the Galaxy S21 providing a ‘dynamic’ panel. What does that mean? It has an adaptive refresh rate that toggles between 48 and 120Hz when needed.
Neither can compete with the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra’s top QHD display, but you’ll hardly notice the difference if you place a Samsung Galaxy S21 and Samsung Galaxy S20 FE next to each other.
Keep in mind that the Samsung Galaxy S21 will be more comfortable to hold in one hand, but the big screen media will look better on the larger screen of the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE.
Camera
At first glance, the cameras of the Samsung Galaxy S21 and Samsung Galaxy S20 FE look very similar. They both have 12 MP main and ultra-wide sensors, which is a good starting point for anyone looking to take snaps.
Where things differ is when it comes to the telephoto lens. The Samsung Galaxy S21 uses a 64MP sensor and 1.1x optical zoom, while the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE has an 8MP sensor but 3x optical zoom. We found that the S20 FE did a better job with enlarged shots, with the only real issue being that the colors were slightly duller.
Both phones offer extended camera modes which are really useful. This includes Single Shot mode where you just point your phone at a subject, record a short 5-15 second video, pan around the scene and the phone finds the best photos and video footage. for you.
Other modes include Panorama, Night, Live Focus, Video with Live Focus, and two slow motion modes. Either way, night mode works well for getting decent photos in low light conditions without having to keep the phone still for too long.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 only has a 10MP selfie camera while the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE has a 32MP selfie camera. You won’t get a 32MP image because it’s paired with a wide-angle lens, but that means if you take group selfies on a regular basis, the results will be much better than what the S21 can offer.
When it comes to video recording, the Samsung Galaxy S21 is the better of the two. It can deliver 8K at 24 frames per second although the image is sometimes a bit cropped. Both devices offer 4K at 30 and 60 frames per second as well as Full HD at 30 and 60 frames per second. The Samsung Galaxy S21 continues with Full HD up to 240 fps if you need it.
Specifications and performance
The Samsung Galaxy S21 uses the latest chipset compared to the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE. It uses a Snapdragon 888 chipset in the US and an Exynos 2100 everywhere else. This is compared to the Snapdragon 865 and Exynos 990 chipset from the Samsung Galaxy S20 Fe.
Although the latter is still quite fast, it cannot compete with the performance of the Samsung Galaxy S21. If speed is everything, the Samsung Galaxy S21 will steal your heart easily.
Either way, multitasking and gaming will run fast here thanks to 8GB of RAM. It’s just that the S21 has the edge when it comes to processor performance.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 and Samsung Galaxy S20 FE both offer 128GB or 256GB of storage, but notably, only the S20 FE has a microSD slot if you want to expand it. The S21 series ditched this option, so if you like to store a lot of files, you may need to invest in the larger capacity early on.
And, of course, both devices offer 5G connectivity (unless you’re using the 4G version of the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE which we don’t recommend), so you’re good to go for faster connection speeds if you’re in one of the growing areas that offer 5G speeds.
Battery life
In the cases of the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and Samsung Galaxy S21, expect to keep tabs on their power levels throughout the day. Both will arrive at the end of the day, but you may have to make concessions with settings and features if you use them a lot.
On the specification side, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE has a 4,500mAh battery while the Samsung Galaxy S21 offers 4000mAh battery life. Both will arrive around the end of the day, but features like 5G and 120Hz display are taking their toll. There are at least several different power saving modes to make it a bit easier to achieve.
The battery life will undoubtedly be affected if you take advantage of the reverse wireless charging of both phones. However, this is a useful feature if you want to charge your earphones or smartwatch during the day.
Both devices are compatible with Qi wireless charging and offer fast charging via 25W USB-C chargers, but note that the Samsung Galaxy S21 does not come with a charger. This is supposed to be due to Samsung’s urge to cut down on e-waste by thinking that you probably already have a compatible USB-C charger available to use anyway.
To take away
Is Samsung Galaxy S21 or Samsung S20 FE better? Well, it mainly depends on what you need a phone for.
In terms of performance, the Samsung Galaxy S21 is by far the better of the two. It is faster and can easily manage multiple tasks at once in split screen mode without any problem. However, it has limited storage options and it offers a smaller screen than the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE.
The latter, in particular, is only a problem if you want a bigger experience. If you have smaller hands, you’ll find the S21 more comfortable to hold, but if you want a larger screen-like experience when streaming media, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is the better option.
There’s also the camera issue with the S20 FE being superior on this front. Power users or avid gamers will need the extra oomph of the Samsung Galaxy S21, but if you just want a great camera and a good display, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is the best option for you, and it’ll cost you less.
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