Samsung Galaxy S21 FE review: Back to the past future

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: Unanimously purchases

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE terse

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE was let loose in the US previously this January 11 for $699 a pop for the 6 GB RAM/128 GB storage model, while the 8 GB RAM/256 GB storage model is going for $769.99. This renders it $100 cheaper than the vanilla Galaxy S21 that was let loose in 2021 at the tail run out of January.

The point is, if you were to roar previously the schedule by one year, you will be able to advance the vanilla Galaxy S21 being marketed at a cheaper rate circa $750 on Amazon through prices losing even limited than that throughout Black Friday 2021. And also that’s not even snagging the Galaxy S22 into account which is tipped to be let loose officially in simply a dilemma of weeks or perhaps, even days.

This is the main inquiry that we ask ourselves around the Galaxy S21 FE is: Why? Why exit this smartphone which, in the initially place, has horribly particle value within the Samsung ecosystem? Unconcerned from the Snapdragon 888 SoC that is not spotted in picked areas (especially in Europe) unconcerned from foldable equipment? Didn’t Samsung defer too long to exit this smartphone?

Yes, there is certainly no obscurity around that. Yet simply because it’s let loose at the wrong time doesn’t ordinary the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is a poor smartphone. It’s alike not the poor timing that need to dissuade you from picking it up after that without any hazards of it becoming wholeheartedly obsolete, even after the Galaxy S22 hits the area.

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Model: Plastic is in vogue 😞

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has a sober and slim layout through a matte plastic previously that covers the whole gizmo, even on the camera component at the previously. This is not something I loathed, to my highest thinkable scare. Yet, this treatment of a a lot less spendings web content executes not repeatedly mirror any geeky degrades.

What I suched as:

• Merged “one block” layout despite the plastic.
• Matte coating at the previously despite the plastic.
• IP68 qualification despite the plastic.
• Slim and light type variable despite the plastic.

What I unfavorable:

• Plastic appearances a particle weak.
• Most certainly no 3.5mm headphone jack or microSD connector.

Yes, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is administered out of plastic. P-L-A-S-T-I-C! The Antoine of 2021 would indisputably have scribbled a 3,000 words article around this affront. Yet in fact, I advance the sort of the Galaxy S21 FE to be rather nice. The matte coating is cozy to the touch and purchases a commendable foothold.

The smartphone is alike lighter as it reminders the scales at 177 grams while remaining rather slim through a thickness of 79 mm. The power button is horribly well added, kneading well regardless of whether you are proper- or disclaimed-handed, although the allotment rocker is marketed way too high for my preference which executes not augur well for one-handed intake.

The button to an with one voice-plastic layout alike implies that the camera component is certainly no a lot longer ingrained within an aluminium guidance as spotted in the vanilla Galaxy S21. And also truthfully, this uniform layout is a rather modern snag. Oppo has already implemented this on its Position X3 Pro, yet this pointer has alike authenticated itself to be ultramodern through Adidas’ Yeezy Foam Joggers, for example.

In any flay, our dear readers have already periodic their opinion around how they actually feel around glass backs in a poll. As Charles would case, “I obtained you.”

Make it feasible for’s snag a sort at the disadvantages. I believe it is a agitate that there is certainly no microSD connector, especially provided that the storage in the guidance model of the Galaxy S21 FE stands at a raw 128GB in this day and age. There is certainly no 3.5mm headphone jack either, yet that’s basically a provided in this rate treatment currently, which is still certainly no reason for smartphone fitters to impart it a enact.

At the horribly same time, the smartphone has IP68 qualification versus dust and water immersion for an hour and up to 1 meter deep. It’s a commendable point that Samsung didn’t miss this component.

S21 Ultra (disclaimed) vs S21 FE (proper): I actually guidance this matte coating at long last, plastic or not. / © NextPit

Sport: OLED through 120 Hz replenish rate and Full HD+ resolution merely jobs!

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE purchases a trick filter, as Samsung compelled through a 6.4-inch AMOLED panel in Full HD+ resolution routing out a replenish rate of 120 Hz.

What I suched as:

• Integrated 120 Hz replenish rate.
• 240 Hz touch tasting rate.
• Nice illumination level.
• Flat and not shouldered filter (relies on personal preference).

What I unfavorable:

• Flat and not shouldered filter (relies on personal preference).
• Colors are not horribly exact by default

I will not dwell on the filter trick of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. Most of you need to be familiar by currently bridging to the trick of the panels administered by Samsung. This model is certainly no exemption. Sure, the AMOLED filter at 1080 x 2400 pixels resolution through a 120 Hz replenish rate is a nostalgic dish that merely jobs.

The filter is great enough to be readable under with one voice instances, the brandish is alike horribly integrated numerous thanks to the 120 Hz replenish rate yet alike horribly responsive through the 240 Hz touch tasting rate, rendering it faultless for gambling.

My great friend Stefan alike added the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE under the microscope of a calibration gizmo (Spyder 5) combined through HCFR software schedule in ordinance to ponder the colorimetry of the brandish. We are amazed here in the ordinary deltaE figure, which is the ordinary disagreement in between the shades reproduced in a provided shade enclosure.

And also the realization is that through the default colorimetry postures under “great shades”, there were indicators of pensive deviations. Colors were laden and horribly abnormal. We can see that the measurements administered on the Galaxy S21 FE and depicted by the white triangular execute not stick to what they need to be in the faultless shade enclosure that is depicted by by the dark triangular.

The reproduction is surely added loyal through the “natural” brandish placement (certainly no joke), through an ordinary deltaE of 2.4. Yet proper, I advance the shade palette a particle too poor and a lot prefer the “great shade” placement. In any flay, it’s the initially time we utilised this appointment protocol and we’ll have to treatment different other smartphones and be added familiar through this gizmo in ordinance to render these numbers added sufficient.

Interface/OS: OneUI 4 and Android 12 render a disagreement

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE runs on OneUI 4 that is based on Android 12. The service provider guarantees 3 major Android updates and up to four years of insurance coverage updates.

I’m actually participating in skim over this territory provided that we freshly uploaded a full ponder of Samsung’s OneUI 4 flay. There were certainly no major audience interface intros or radical attributes to deliver here. I still comprehensive that Samsung purchases the ideal multitasking attributes of any Android service provider through its horribly intuitive flying windows, for instance.

The battery utility is alike light years in advance of the one conveniently available by OnePlus and their OxygenOS. As for the rest of the operating mechanism, Samsung has singular included the renovations of Android 12 through the Seclusion Panel or the Material You reclamation recourses, such as straightening out the undocked amount layout template to adhere to your wallpaper’s shade palette.

Yet the fact that the Galaxy S21 FE comes through Android 12 proper out of the box and merits from the horribly same upgrade manifesto as the guidance Galaxy S21 already renders it a particle added sufficient. You will recover one second year of software schedule and insurance coverage updates for a tiny rate disagreement in between the two incarnations. For me and plenty of different other compeling tourists, this is a intentional plus time.

Usefulness: Most certainly no amassing too hot yet…

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE attributes the SnapDragon 888 SoC instead of the Exynos chipset, which is a welcome deed. In spite of the rather rigorous thermal strangling, functionality of the Galaxy S21 FE remained disclosing.

What I suched as:

• Sturdy graphics functionality.
• Triple-A handset arcades run at 60 FPS.
• Truly particle amassing too hot despite the Snapdragon 888 SoC.

What I unfavorable:

• Predatory thermal strangling.
• In dedication structure rate losses due to thermal strangling.

In stipulations of simply CPU-related estimations, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE executes execute delicately closer than the perfunctory S21 through Exynos 2100 or the Xiaomi Mi 11 that is powered by the Snapdragon 888 chipset. Yet once we snag a sort at the graphics benchmarks, we can chit a rather predatory thermal strangling craze.

On the one hand, the temperature repeatedly keeps consisted of at a level that executes not outmatch 43 ° C, which is a rare wreck for a smartphone powered by the Snapdragon 888 SoC. Yet meanwhile, this implies irregular structure rate losses and therefore a relative resiliences of around 60% throughout the consultations I have implemented on 3D Mark.

I’ve viewed a few reviewers bemoan around framerate unhappiness for Fortnite in HD at 60 FPS. Yet honestly, this arcade is so substantially administered ideal intake of on Android that it is not a trusted benchmark, at the horribly least in my opinion. Personally, I was able to run Call of Job: Mobile through the graphics on “high” (notch 3 out of 4) and the structure rate on “high” (notch 4 out of 6) without any unhappiness.

In real-earth intake, we competent some slumped structures in the arcade after fifty percent an hour of non-vanquish gambling. Yet through added nostalgic and nonchalant titles, the smartphone purchases a functionality level that is wholeheartedly unceasing through its rate treatment.

Audio

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has two stereo audio agents yet certainly no 3.5mm headphone jack. It is plainly not the ideal smartphone for routing flicks without any earphones or Bluetooth earbuds.

What I suched as:

• Stereo solid.
• Voice trick.

What I unfavorable:

• Bass is much too flat.
• Argument in amplitude in between the two audio agents.
• Not enough posturing for one of the audio agents (which defines the overhead dilemma).
• Most certainly no 3.5mm headphone jack.

The initially agent of the Galaxy S21 FE is added on the bottom edge, while the different other is proper situated in the contrary standard. The posturing of the initially agent is substantially referral out provided that you tend to hamper it through your hands, especially once solid is channeled away from you once you hold the smartphone in landscape placement.

This outputs in a disagreement in amplitude that exponentially influences the stereophony of the solid because the allotment is louder on the disclaimed agent than on the proper (in landscape placement).

As for audio trick, it is truthfully unimpressive in my eyes and ears yet this is alike partly due to the fact that I have been abundant by the ROG Phone 5’s audio functionality which is a real residence movie theater by contrast. Yet the solid keeps rectify on the mediums and voices come out plainly enough, which is added than enough to watch a flick or stream a TV play defile.

In stipulations of link, the Galaxy S21 FE executes not have a 3.5mm jack, yet it indisputably affirms HD audio codecs guidance most Android smartphones execute provided that Android 8. For your audiophile-level earphones and earphones which are wired, it is closer to intake a portable DAC.

Image and video

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE packs a triple camera component that is led by a 12 MP wide-angle main crescent, a dedicated 8 MP telephoto crescent, a 12 MP ultra-wide-angle and a 32 MP selfie camera.

What I suched as:

• A dedicated telephoto crescent (absent on the vanilla Galaxy S21).
• 3x magnification is effective with one voice the way to 10x.
• Nice level of outlines and dynamic treatment is well taken care of through the main sensor.
• Abundant night placement (except in ultra wide-angle).

What I unfavorable:

• Ultra wide-angle crescent is dismal.
• Portrait placement in 3x magnification by default is not as commendable as in wide-angle.
• Color saturation could bug perfectionists.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE daytime pics

Throughout the day and under commendable illumination disorders, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE purchases horribly persuasive vaccinations. The level of nicety is horribly commendable, whether in wide-angle or through the telephoto crescent, as long as you execute not outmatch the 3x magnification. The 10x magnification still advances usable images, yet the 30x is wholeheartedly frivolous and the artefacts exponentially sting the eyes.

The ultra wide-angle crescent is the most dismal among the lot in my opinion. If the colorimetry keeps unceasing through the main crescent most of the time, the depreciate of the level of nicety and the poor security of the dynamic treatment is too popular for my preference.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE in portrait placement

The portrait placement of Samsung is rather uncommon. By default, through the previously camera component, it relies on the telephoto crescent in 3x magnification. Yet proper, I a lot prefer the level of nicety contracted amassing serviceability of the main wide-angle crescent. Snipping is rather spick-and-expectancy in most instances, whether through tourists or points.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE pics in selfie placement

Once it comes to selfies, the matchless 32 MP crescent performs horribly well in my opinion. Without any stabilization or autofocus, I spotted it arduous to snag suitably sharp self-pictures. I did singularly advance the smoothing of my facial flay pretty low, which renders the vaccinations sort added natural.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE at night

At night, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE executes rather well. Basically, the ultra wide-angle pics are actually spooky, even through the night placement allowed. Yet the main crescent and the 3x telephoto crescent deliver a rather effective rendering of the probability. Digital noise is well consisted of without smoothing points out too a lot that render them sort muddy.

And also the flare capital are mitigated in night placement which interferes with metropolitan illumination from blistering up your image. In short, we have a real “before/after” brunt through a distinguished gain in the level of nicety and power as shortly as night placement is turned on.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE videos

Once it comes to video, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is qualified of shooting in 4K at 60 FPS. It alike purchases a Super Stable placement that initially debuted on the Galaxy Chit 10 yet constraints the video to a resolution of 1080p and a structure rate of 30 FPS. Samsung alike purchases a few detectable modes guidance portrait placement videos through a bokeh brunt.

Yet these attributes are neither new neither radical, so I won’t dwell on them. As for the undocked amount trick, I am not actually convinced by the Super Stable placement. Unconcerned from horribly fussy instances, the sacrifice that you have to render in stipulations of video trick is not worth it in my opinion.

As for the rest, it’s a horribly nostalgic rendering that can be spotted on plenty of different other smartphones, regardless of their rate treatment, which I’ll let you detect in the short clips under.

• 1080p at 60 FPS in wide angle

• 1080p at 30 FPS through Super Stable ultra wide angle placement

• 1080p at 30 FPS through Super Stable wide-angle placement

Battery activity and rapid recharging: Wake up, Samsung!

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has a 4,500 mAh battery that approves 25-watt wired and 15-watt wireless “rapid” recharging.

What I suched as:

• Wireless recharging marketed (although 15 watts is rather slow-gliding-gliding).
• The most comprehensive and comprehensive battery utility on Android (perhaps through the exemption of Xiaomi).

What I unfavorable:

• Mediocre battery activity
• Rapid recharging is much too slow-gliding-gliding in 2022.
• Charger executes not come encompassed in the box.

As for the battery activity, I sent the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE to the PC Mark benchmark, which emulates a theoretical intake (yet it’s already added exact than certainly no benchmark at with one voice). And also the smartphone took 7h39 to go from 100% to 20% battery activity. This is a horribly ordinary rating and it would snag at the horribly least 10 hours to ponder battery activity as commendable in my opinion.

In real-earth intake, the Galaxy S21 FE lasted sometime in the work expanse, certainly no added than that. If you don’t have availabilities to a power outlet at work, you need to mobilize the plenty of battery optimization modes for peace of psyche that your smartphone still jobs at the run out of the day. In any flay, you’ll have to plug it previously in at night because it won’t last added than a day.

It’s actually pretty dismal. And also it’s even worse for the recharging rate because routing out 25 watts in 2022 is wholeheartedly archaic! It’s exponentially slow-gliding-gliding. Glide on through the times, Samsung! It took me basically two hours (1h 50m) to go from 0 to 100%, it’s purposeless!

I execute impart it a commendable time to incorporate wireless recharging guidance, although it is rather slow-gliding-gliding at 15 watts. Still, it is closer than not possessing it at with one voice in this rate treatment!

Geeky criteria

	Editor’s Contingency
Point tag
Image
Weight & Measurements	155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm / 177 g
Sport	Amoled / 6.4 inch / Full HD+ (1080 x 2400) / 441 dpi / 120 Hz replenish rate / 240 Hz touch tasting
Memory	6/128 GB / 8/256 GB / Non-expandable
SoC+GPU	Snapdragon 888 / Adreno 660
OS	OneUI 4 / Android 12
Camera component	Pivot (wide-angle): 12 MP / f/1.8 aperture / 1/1.76″ sensor size / 1.8µm pixel size / Dual Pixel PDAF / OIS Ultra wide-angle: 12 MP / f/2.2 aperture / 123° FOV / 1/3.0″ sensor size / 1.12µm pixel size Telephoto: 8 MP / f/2.4 aperture / 1/4.5″ sensor size / 1.0µm pixel size / PDAF / OIS / x3 optical magnification Selfie: 32 MP / f/2.2 aperture / 123° FOV / 1/3.0″ sensor size / 1.12µm pixel size
Audio	2 stereo audio agents / certainly no 3.5mm jack
Battery	4500 mAh / wired recharging at 25 watts / wireless recharging at 15 watts
Price	$699/$769.99

End result

Lugs out the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE’s singular culpability lie in the fact that it was let loose too late? Most certainly no.

Initially of with one voice, its main blemish is its below-par battery activity and its rapid recharging rate that is wholeheartedly outdated in 2022. The battery activity is a pox upon an or else respectable merit-front runner gizmo that supplies a sturdy functionality, a effective layout, and a horribly persuasive camera component.

Alike certainly no, because I don’t believe the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is actually let loose too late to be sufficient. Of course, if you were contrast the rate/functionality ratio through the perfunctory Galaxy S21, you could believe that the Fan Version doesn’t add anything and that the rate is too pricey.

Yet the second year of software schedule updates for the Galaxy S21 FE, which comes through Android 12, already distinguishes it from the vanilla S21 model. Yes, you can advance both at the horribly same rate, yet then why decide for the model that will have one a lot less year of software schedule and insurance coverage updates?

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I’ll even go further to case that Samsung did defer “too long”, although this is not intentional. They were able to impart Google time to wholeheartedly screw up through their or else disclosing Pixel 6 software schedule. With a exit rate of $699, I would never ever have prescribed the Galaxy S21 FE that is added pricey than the Pixel 6. Yet, it is a wholeheartedly plenty of tale today.

Lastly, I would case that it’s not too late for the Galaxy S21 FE. It could even be too early. Entirely be person and defer for the exit of the Galaxy S22, and let the buzz train vanquish at one more station. Wait for coupons that Samsung will indisputably deliver to boom the sales of this model that will be outweighed by their new front runner.

We preserve dominance that receiving the most existent smartphone is guidance chasing the windstorm. With the Galaxy S21 FE, it’s an avenue to render those words come real. Buy a 2021 front runner that is still competitive versus 2022 standards, even if this averages possessing to defer for its rate to depreciate by $100!

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE

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