Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs Galaxy S21: The biggest differences

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs Milky way S21: The biggest differences

(Paradigm credit: Tom'southward Guide)

There'southward a Galaxy S21 FE this year — ameliorate late than never, we suppose. The Milky way S20 FE offered a compelling flagship-tier smartphone for $699. It was a killer value, especially when compared to the Galaxy S20 and Note 20 series. And from all appearances, the S20 Iron sold good numbers.

And then it shouldn't surprise you lot that Samsung released a Galaxy S21 Fe to capitalize on the FE brand'south good will. Simply there's an obvious large bump in the road: the base model Galaxy S21 is now just $799, which is a $200 price drop from the previous model. That'south not mention the price drops you can find in the best Galaxy S21 deals.

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In this Galaxy S21 Atomic number 26 vs. Galaxy S21 face-off, we'll take a await at how these phones compare.

Samsung Milky way S21 Atomic number 26 vs. Milky way S21: Price

This volition be the sticking point, as the Milky way S21 Iron sits between the base model Milky way S21 ($799) and the mid-range Galaxy A52 5G ($499), non to mention the Milky way A72 internationally. The Galaxy S20 Iron came in at $699, and Samsung has stuck to that, despite it being simply $100 less than the S21.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Iron vs. Galaxy S21: Blueprint and display

In 2020, the Milky way S20 Iron was a slightly slimmed-down, plastic version of the S20. On the surface, plastic on a Milky way S device seems bad, but Samsung created a plastic-drinking glass hybrid that feels like super premium plastic. For the Milky way S21, Samsung brought that cloth over and it helped go on the cost of the S21 down.

For the S21 series, Samsung designed the photographic camera module such that it blends nicely with the frame of the device, creating a smooth contour. The Galaxy S21 Atomic number 26 follows this design language, looking almost exactly like its S21 blood brother (except for the compatible colour versus the S21's 2-tone scheme).

Samsung galaxy s21 fe review — (Prototype credit: Tom's Guide)

The S21 FE comes in Graphite, White, Olive, and Lavender. The S21 comes in Phantom Violet, Phantom Pink, Phantom White, Phantom Gray.

For the S21's display, Samsung went with a 6.5-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel with a variable refresh charge per unit. The display could downclock to 48 Hz or crank up to 120 Hz when needed. You lot could also lock the display at 60 Hz to save on bombardment (which makes a noticeable difference on that phone).

The Galaxy S21 Iron sports a 6.four-inch Super AMOLED FHD+ brandish. The refresh rate locks to either 120Hz or 60Hz. There is no adaptive option on Samsung'south latest phone, a noticeable difference between it and the regular S21.

Samsung Milky way S21 FE vs. Galaxy S21: Cameras

Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus — (Image credit: Tom'south Guide)

Samsung prioritized the front-facing camera on the Galaxy S21 FE, giving it a 32MP resolution. On the back, it has a 12MP master lens, 12MP ultrawide, and a 8MP telephoto with 3x. That telephoto is a much lower resolution than the S21, though information technology keeps the aforementioned optical zoom level.

The Galaxy S21 has three rear cameras: a 12MP wide-angle, 12MP ultrawide, and a 64MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom. And then if long-range photography matters to you, the regular S21 is the better selection.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Atomic number 26 vs. Galaxy S21: Functioning

This is where we see feature parity betwixt the Milky way S21 Iron and Milky way S21. The latter uses Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 888 processor with 8GB of RAM. The S21 FE uses the same system-on-chip, but Samsung lowered the RAM to 6GB instead of 8GB.

For storage, the S21 FE comes in 128GB and 256GB flavors. The Milky way S21 also comes in 128GB and 256GB. Neither phone supports expandable storage, much to the chagrin of some.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs. Galaxy S21: Battery life and charging

1 surface area where the Milky way S21 FE could really better upon the Galaxy S21 is battery life. The regular S21 isn't bad with its four,000 mAh power pack, but even on 60 Hz manner, it falls brusk of the 10-hour average we see with other phones in the Tom's Guide bombardment test.

The handsets on our best phone bombardment life list all last 11 hours or more than on a accuse. Since the Galaxy S21 Atomic number 26 sports a 4,500 mAh battery, bigger than the S21, we hope Samsung will utilize this increment in size to include a larger battery. We're nevertheless running our tests on the S21 Iron.

The S21 serial didn't come with chargers in the box, since Samsung took yet another folio from Apple'southward playbook. The Galaxy S21 tops out at just 25W for fast charging. The S21 FE does non feature faster charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless.

Samsung Milky way S21 Atomic number 26 vs. Galaxy S21: Outlook

Samsung Galaxy S21 review — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

All of this leaves us with some last thoughts. The Galaxy S21 FE comes in at $699, leaving us with a very crowded smartphone lineup from Samsung. This is a problem it already has with the big spread of the new Galaxy A series.

The existence of a Milky way S21 Iron raises more questions than it offers solutions. In fact, I think the S21 FE is the answer to a question that no one really asked in the first place — information technology doesn't seem like nosotros need an Fe model this year. That said, information technology will no doubt sell well, considering it's a cheaper mode to get into the Galaxy S family.

Jordan is the Phones Editor for Tom's Guide, covering all things phone-related. He'south written about phones for over five years and plans to continue for a long while to come. He loves zip more than relaxing in his home with a book, game, or his latest personal writing project. Jordan likes finding new things to dive into, from books and games to new mechanical keyboard switches and fun keycap sets. Jordan tends to lurk on social media, but yous tin best reach him on Twitter.