Samsung Galaxy S21 FE

It isn’t odd for a phone company to release a Fan Edition (FE for short) phone version. However, it is odd to release it right next to its successor, so why should you choose this one over the S22? Reviewers are weighing in!

Design

The design isn’t anything to write home about so-to-speak. It’s very plain, and there’s a textured back made with what Samsung refers to as Glastic. You’ll also find an in-screen fingerprint scanner and a nearly unnoticeable camera bump on the back. However, the color options are decent, with your choices being blue, lavender, bronze, white, red, and graphite.

Display

It has a 6.4-inch OLED screen. Reviewers were impressed by the display’s brightness. The 120Hz refresh rate adds to the experience making menus and other on-screen elements silky smooth to navigate.

Performance

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE chipset is a little behind the times. Reviewers didn’t seem to notice, though. It did alright switching apps or multi-tasking, probably owed to that 120Hz refresh rate.

Software & Storage

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE comes with Android 12 enhanced with One UI. Reviewers liked the interface and customization options. Storage has two possibilities, 128GB and 256GB, and which you choose determines the amount of RAM. There’s no MicroSD expansion on this phone.

Cameras

Reviewers stated that the cameras are not all that different from previous phones in this line. Going even further, they said that when compared to the Pixel 6, it was virtually impossible to pick which was which.

Battery Life

Typically when a consumer buys a phone, it’s with certain expectations of doing better than the previous version. With the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, the battery life is no better and possibly worse. When 120Hz refresh is enabled, the phone only lasts about 7 hours.

Audio

This phone doesn’t come with a headphone jack, so you’ll need Bluetooth. Reviewers stated that the sound out of the speakers was identical to the previous Samsung Galaxy S21 series. Okay, but better with Bluetooth.

Specs at a Glance

• Plastic chassis
• 6.4-inch OLED
• Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G processor
• 6/8GB of RAM
• Android 12
• 128/256GB of storage
• 64MP camera
• 4500mAh battery

Bottom Line

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE other than the timing. With the S22 series on the market, it would be difficult to find a reason to buy this one with a lower chipset for around the same price.

Tom’s Guide states, “The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE offers many of the same features found in the Galaxy S21, but at a slightly lower price. With the Galaxy S22 available, this phone is a hard sell.”

The Verge says, “The S21 FE arrives very late in the S21 family’s product cycle, taking some of the shine off of the “this year’s flagship for less” appeal. It also offers just about everything you get from the standard S21, except a couple fewer gigs of RAM, a lower-quality telephoto camera, and a slightly larger screen. But at $699 it’s also not significantly cheaper than the $799 S21. Considering that the S21 is often discounted and that the S22 is likely to arrive soon, the S21 FE doesn’t look like much of a deal.”