Which is better S21 or S21 Fe?

The Samsung Galaxy S21 might be almost a year old, but, it is still one of the most sought-after flagship devices during festive deals.

However, with its cheaper sibling set to arrive soon, we are keenly observing if the older sibling continues to command the same level of respect or whether the latest affordable handset upstage its premium counterpart. The Galaxy 21 FE lineup is a stripped-down variant of the flagship lineup introduced earlier and aims to offer an experience similar to the premium variant at an affordable price.

Samsung has just started accepting pre-booking for the Galaxy S21 FE in India, hinting that that launch is round the corner. So, we thought it would be a good idea to quickly compare both devices and give our considered view on which of the two provides the best bang for your buck.

• Samsung Galaxy S21 FE Review
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Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE price and availability 

The Samsung Galaxy S21 is currently available to purchase at a price of Rs. 64,999 for the 8GB Ram and 128GB internal storage variant. The 8GB RAM and 256GB variant seems to be out of stock on both Amazon and Samsung’s websites.

In comparison, the Galaxy S21 FE has been priced at £699 in the UK and $699.95 in the US for the model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and maxes out at £749 / $769.99 for the 8GB RAM/256GB version. 

The Indian prices are not yet available as the phone hasn’t been launched officially, however, reports suggest that the phone might be priced around Rs. 52,000 – though the effective price might be lower thanks to card offers and other discounts.

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE – Design and build 

The Samsung Galaxy S21 came in four colors wherein apart from the Phantom Black variant all other variants had a dual-tone finish. With the Galaxy S21 FE, the company might not have altered the design much, however, the single tone finish doesn’t look as premium as the non-FE device.

Samsung has used similar material for both the devices – somewhere in between plastic and glass, calling Glasstic. However, thanks to the matte finish that the Galaxy S21 carries, it looks more elegant and among the best devices in its price bracket.

Besides this, there is absolutely no difference in the other aspects of the phones – including the design or size of the camera island, lens placement, ports etc. The Galaxy S21 FE is marginally bigger than the Galaxy S21 – a factor that is tough to fathom if one doesn't put both devices side-by-side.

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE – specifications and performance 

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE specs comarision

In terms of specifications, there is hardly anything that separates both devices. A quick look at the specifications table shows that that the Galaxy S21 FE is slightly bigger and has a slightly bigger battery and a 32MP selfie camera compared to the 10MP on the stock variants. Though it has to do away with the 64MP primary rear camera and gets an 8MP snapper instead.

The Galaxy S21 comes with a Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100 SoC at its core depending on the region you’re in while the Galaxy S21 FE has only launched with the Snapdragon 888 SoC in some regions. Though there are rumours that the Indian variant might rock an Exynos chipset – we will have to wait till the official announcement and will update the story as and when it does.

However, if that happens, the Galaxy S21 will automatically get an upper hand and probably give users another reason to stay away from the Fan Edition.

In our review of Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, the editor felt that “the launch price is still far too high for what you get, not to mention issues like slow charging speed, laggy software and unimpressive battery life. 

In summation... 

While both the devices look and feel almost identical, the flagship phone still holds an edge over the cheaper sibling. Better camera setup, premium look and feel and slightly compact design are its key highlights. 

Moreover, the Galaxy S21 FE is rumoured to launch around Rs. 52,000 for the base variant and may go slightly higher for the top-end variant, on the other hand, the Galaxy S21 with 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage was already selling at the same price, during the festive sales. So there is a high probability that if you are a little patient you might still get the better version at the same time.

It is also worth considering that, the Samsung Galaxy S22 FE has been delayed considerably. While the global chipset shortage might have brought the market to a screeching halt, however, we already have the next-gen SoCs from both MediaTek and Qualcomm already out. These SoC’s will power the upcoming flagship from various Chinese brands that are known to price their phones at an affordable price.  

Hence, opting for a stripped down variant over the flagship Galaxy S21 may not be the best investment decision in 2022, after all. 

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Jitendra has been working in the Internet Industry for the last 7 years now and has written about a wide range of topics including gadgets, smartphones, reviews, games, software, apps, deep tech, AI, and consumer electronics.