Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G

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Galaxy S21 compared with Galaxy S21 FE 5G

	SamsungGalaxy S21	SamsungGalaxy S21 FE 5G
Overview
Released
Released	January 2021	January 2022
Display
Screen size
Screen size	6.2″	6.4″
Resolution
Resolution	2400 × 1080 (better)	2340 × 1080
Sharpness
Sharpness	424 pixels per inch (better)	403 pixels per inch
Panel
Panel	OLED	OLED
Refresh rate
Refresh rate	120 Hz	120 Hz
Display type
Display type	Flat FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O Display (2,400 × 1,080), HDR10+ certified; adaptive 120 Hz (48–120 Hz); 6.2 inches as a full rectangle, 6.1 inches with rounded corners	Flat Dynamic AMOLED 2X; 6.4 inches as a full rectangle or 6.3 inches accounting for rounded corners. Samsung UK support and Australian specifications give 2,340 × 1,080, taking precedence over 2,400 × 1,080 in TechRadar and Expert Reviews.
Pixel density
Pixel density	421 ppi	–
Brightness detail
Brightness detail	1,300 nits peak	–
Screen protection
Screen protection	Corning Gorilla Glass Victus front	Gorilla Glass Victus, according to TechAdvisor and Expert Reviews
Display features
Display features	Eye Comfort Shield	120 Hz refresh with 240 Hz touch sampling in Game Mode; Eye Comfort Shield with AI blue-light control; manual 60/120 Hz selection confirmed by Tom's Guide
Performance
Chip
Chip	Exynos 2100	Snapdragon 888
Memory
Memory	8 GB	6 GB – 8 GB
Storage
Storage	128 GB, 256 GB	128 GB, 256 GB
CPU
CPU	5 nm, 64-bit octa-core, 2.9 GHz + 2.8 GHz + 2.2 GHz; 8 GB of LPDDR5 RAM	Snapdragon 888 in the UK model, confirmed by Expert Reviews and TechAdvisor; Samsung publishes a 5 nm 64-bit octa-core processor and lists Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100 depending on region/operator. Expert Reviews identifies CPU clusters at 2.84/2.42/1.8 GHz.
Storage type
Storage type	128 or 256 GB; no microSD slot	UK 6 GB RAM with 128 GB storage or 8 GB RAM with 256 GB, confirmed by TechAdvisor and TechRadar; Samsung's global 8/128 GB configuration is regional. No microSD expansion.
Cameras
Main camera
Main camera	12 MP	12 MP
Ultra wide camera
Ultra wide camera	12 MP	12 MP
Telephoto camera
Telephoto camera	64 MP	8 MP
Optical zoom
Optical zoom	1.1×	3× (better)
Front camera
Front camera	10 MP	32 MP (better)
Main camera
Main camera	12 MP wide-angle, Dual Pixel AF, OIS, F1.8, 1.8 µm, 79°	12 MP, f/1.8, Dual Pixel autofocus and OIS; Expert Reviews identifies a 1/1.76-inch sensor with 1.8 µm pixels
Ultra wide camera
Ultra wide camera	12 MP fixed focus, F2.2, 1.4 µm, 120°	12 MP, f/2.2 and 123° field of view; the first UK support comparison table drops the leading digit and says 2 MP, while its second table and global launch correctly say 12 MP
Telephoto camera
Telephoto camera	64 MP, phase detection AF, OIS, F2.0, 0.8 µm, 76°; 1.1x optical zoom (MobileSyrup)	8 MP, f/2.4, 3× optical zoom and OIS confirmed by Samsung UK support; TechRadar's 1.1× optical/3× hybrid description conflicts with the maker
Front camera
Front camera	10 MP Dual Pixel AF, F2.2, 1.22 µm, 80°	32 MP, f/2.2, fixed focus and 81° field of view
Zoom
Zoom	3x Hybrid Optic Zoom; 30x Space Zoom	3× optical and up to 30× digital Space Zoom
Video recording
Video recording	8K at 24 fps; 4K at 60 fps	Rear camera records up to 4K 60 fps; 960 fps HD and 240 fps Full HD slow motion in Samsung's Australian exact-model sheet
Front video
Front video	–	Up to 4K 60 fps, according to TechRadar
Camera features
Camera features	–	Night Mode, AI Face Restoration and simultaneous front/rear Dual Recording; Single Take described by TechRadar
Battery and charging
Battery
Battery	4,000 mAh	4,500 mAh (better)
Video playback (maker's claim)
Video playback (maker's claim)	Up to 20 hours	–
Wired charging
Wired charging	Up to 25 W	Up to 25 W
Wireless charging
Wireless charging	Up to 15 W	Up to 15 W
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	4,000 mAh typical, 3,880 mAh rated; wireless video playback up to 20 hours; internet use up to 14 hours (LTE) or 15 hours (Wi-Fi); talk time up to 33 hours (4G)	4,500 mAh typical; 4,370 mAh rated minimum in Samsung's global release. The UK launch footnote instead calls 4,500 mAh the rated minimum; global specification footnotes control.
Wired charging
Wired charging	USB PD 3.0 (PPS) fast charging, AFC and QC2.0 compatible; up to 25 W	25 W Super Fast Charging; Samsung claims over 50% in 30 minutes with its separately sold 25 W charger
Wireless charging
Wireless charging	Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 (WPC); up to 15 W	15 W wireless charging
Charges other devices
Charges other devices	Wireless PowerShare	Wireless PowerShare supported; maker launch does not publish wattage
Design
Type
Type	Standard	Standard
Weight
Weight	169 g (better)	177 g
Thickness
Thickness	7.9 mm	7.9 mm
Height × width
Height × width	151.7 × 71.2 mm	155.7 × 74.5 mm
Water and dust resistance
Water and dust resistance	IP68	IP68
Materials
Materials	Metal frame with Contour Cut camera housing; Deluxe Frosted Haze matte finish	Plastic back and aluminium frame, according to TechAdvisor; Contour-Cut camera housing and haze finish
Colours
Colours	Phantom Violet, Phantom Grey, Phantom Pink, Phantom White	Graphite, Olive, Lavender and White in Samsung's UK launch release; the support comparison additionally lists Navy without a UK launch configuration
Water resistance detail
Water resistance detail	IP68, up to 1.5 m of fresh water for up to 30 minutes; not advised for beach or pool use	IP68; global launch footnote states up to 5 feet of water for 30 minutes
Biometrics
Biometrics	Ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint sensor, face recognition	Optical in-display fingerprint sensor; camera-based face recognition described by TechAdvisor
Sensors
Sensors	Ultrasonic fingerprint, accelerometer, barometer, gyro, geomagnetic, Hall, proximity, ambient light	Accelerometer, barometer, fingerprint sensor, gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor, Hall sensor, light sensor and proximity sensor
Speakers
Speakers	Stereo speakers; UHQ 32-bit and DSD64/128 playback	Stereo speakers, according to TechAdvisor
Software
Operating system
Operating system	Android	Android
Software at launch
Software at launch	Android 11	Android 12 with One UI 4
Software updates
Software updates	–	Samsung's February 2022 policy includes S21 FE for up to four Android/One UI generations and five years of security updates, superseding the shorter commitment in January launch reviews
In the box
In the box	–	Charger excluded, confirmed by Samsung; no other UK box contents verified
Connectivity
Mobile network
Mobile network	5G (NSA, SA), Sub6	5G sub-6, LTE FDD/TDD and 4×4 MIMO in Samsung's global specification; US review mmWave coverage is regional
SIM
SIM	Nano-SIM and eSIM	Dual SIM, according to Expert Reviews; nano-SIM format in Samsung's exact-model specification
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 6 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax), 2.4 and 5 GHz, HE80, MIMO, 1024-QAM	Wi-Fi 6, according to TechAdvisor and Expert Reviews
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 5.0, according to TechAdvisor and Expert Reviews
NFC
NFC	Yes	Samsung Pay with NFC; payment availability depends on market
USB
USB	USB Type-C, USB 3.2 Gen 1; DisplayPort output up to 4K at 60 fps	USB-C; no 3.5 mm headphone socket, according to TechAdvisor
Positioning
Positioning	GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou	–