Recognition: Adam Molina / Android Authority
Samsung got its latest flagship smartphones under control with the Galaxy S21 series. The latest Galaxy S devices are arriving much earlier than usual, not only setting the tone for 2021, but also preparing to take on some versions for late 2020. With Samsung’s new pricing strategy, one of those competing devices is the affordable flagship Galaxy S20 FE. How does Samsung’s favorite phone compare to its latest flagship trio? Find out in this comparison between Samsung Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S20 FE!
Samsung Galaxy S21 versus Galaxy S20 FE
Technical specifications
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| display | 6.5-inch flat Super AMOLED FHD + (2,400 x 1,080) resolution 407ppi 120Hz refresh rate HDR 10+ |
6.2 inch Dynamic AMOLED Flat FHD + 2,400 x 1,080 at 421 ppi Adaptive refresh rate of 120 Hz HDR10 + certified |
6.7 inch Dynamic AMOLED Flat FHD + 2,400 x 1,080 at 394 ppi Adaptive refresh rate of 120 Hz HDR10 + certified |
6.8 inch Dynamic AMOLED Curved WQHD + 3,200 x 1,440 at 515 ppi Adaptive refresh rate of 120 Hz HDR10 + certified |
| processor | 5G models: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 4G models: |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or Samsung Exynos 2100 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or Samsung Exynos 2100 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or Samsung Exynos 2100 |
| R.A.M. | 6 GB | 8 GB | 8 GB | 12 or 16 GB |
| warehouse | 128 or 256 GB | 128 or 256 GB | 128 or 256 GB | 128, 256 or 512 GB |
| MicroSD | No | No | No | No |
| battery | 4,500mAh battery 15W wired charging (in-box adapter) 25W wired charging (additional adapter required) 15W wireless charging Wireless PowerShare |
4,000 mAh Fast wired and wireless charging Reverse wireless charging |
4,800 mAh Fast wired and wireless charging Reverse wireless charging |
5,000mAh Fast wired and wireless charging Reverse wireless charging |
| Cameras | Back:
12MP wide angle 12MP ultra wide 8MP Tele Front: 32MP (grouped to 8MP) |
Back: – Wide angle: 12 MP, ƒ / 1.8, 1.8 µm with OIS and dual-pixel AF – Tele: 64 MP, ƒ / 2.0, 0.8 µm with OIS and phase detection AF – Ultra wide: 12 MP, ƒ / 2.2, 1.4 µm with 120 degree FoV 3x hybrid optical / digital zoom Front: |
Back: – Wide angle: 12 MP, ƒ / 1.8, 1.8 µm with OIS and dual-pixel AF – Tele: 64 MP, ƒ / 2.0, 0.8 µm with OIS and phase detection AF – Ultra wide: 12 MP, ƒ / 2.2, 1.4 µm with 120 degree FoV 3x hybrid optical / digital zoom Front: |
Back: – Wide angle: 108 MP, ƒ / 1.8, 0.8 µm with OIS and phase detection AF – Tele: 10 MP, ƒ / 2.4, 1.22 µm with OIS, dual-pixel AF and 3x optical zoom – Tele: 10 MP, ƒ / 4.9, 1.22 µm with OIS, dual-pixel AF and 10x optical zoom – Ultra wide: 12 MP, ƒ / 2.2, 1.4 µm with dual-pixel AF and 120-degree FoV – Laser AF sensor 10x optical zoom Front: |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE support 5 G (below 6 GHz, SA and NSA, mmWave) Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac |
4G LTE support 5 G (below 6 GHz, SA and NSA, mmWave) Wi-Fi 6E support |
4G LTE support 5 G (below 6 GHz, SA and NSA, mmWave) Wi-Fi 6E support |
4G LTE support 5 G (below 6 GHz, SA and NSA, mmWave) Wi-Fi 6E support |
| operating system | Android 10 | A user interface 3.1 Android 11 |
A user interface 3.1 Android 11 |
A user interface 3.1 Android 11 |
| Water resistance | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 |
| colour | Cloud Navy, Cloud Red, Cloud Lavender, Cloud Mint, Cloud White, Cloud Orange | 128 GB in phantom violet, phantom gray, phantom pink and phantom white
256 GB in Phantom Gray only Future colors: Phantom Gold and Phantom Red |
128 GB in Phantom Violet, Phantom Silver and Phantom Black
256 GB only in Phantom Black Future colors: Phantom Gold and Phantom Red |
128 GB in Phantom Silver and Phantom Black
256 and 512 GB in phantom black Future colors: Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy and Phantom Brown |
| Dimensions and weight | 159.8 x 74.5 x 8.4 mm 190 g |
151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm 171 g |
161.5 x 75.6 x 7.8 mm 202 g |
165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm 229 g |
design
Recognition: Adam Molina / Android Authority
Samsung has retained the general design language of its recent flagships with the Galaxy S21 series. However, the camera body has been redesigned and the appearance of Contour Cut is a much-needed improvement. There’s a noticeable camera bump, but it looks slimmer and seems to flow better. It is especially noticeable if you go for an option that offers contrasting colors.
The standard Galaxy S21 has the same “glasstic” housing that you get with the Galaxy Note 20 and the Galaxy S20 FE. At first glance, however, you can’t really tell the difference between the S21 and its more expensive siblings, and it may also be more durable. You have to get the Plus and Ultra iterations for an all-Gorilla Glass Victus build.
Our first impressions: Samsung Galaxy S21 Series – Cheaper, But Are They Better?
Unsurprisingly, the Galaxy S20 FE keeps the design of the S20 series. You get the same camera bump on the back and in the angular corners, but with the same glass body as the regular Galaxy S21. Although both the S20 FE and S21 have similar builds, the latter looks a bit more refined.
Samsung has introduced some interesting color variants to appeal to a younger generation with the S20 FE, such as: B. a bright red hue, lavender and orange. The Galaxy S21 series isn’t far behind though, with the Phantom Violet colorway playing a prominent role.
characteristics
Recognition: Adam Molina / Android Authority
With the Galaxy S20 FE, S21 and S21 Plus you get flat AMOLED displays with Full HD + and a refresh rate of 120 Hz. The only difference between the three on paper is the size of the screen. On the flip side, the Galaxy S21 Ultra has a much larger curved display with a QHD + resolution.
Every member of the Galaxy S21 family has the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor. In general, the Galaxy S21 and the S21 Plus offer very similar hardware across the board. Both have 8 GB of RAM, up to 256 GB of storage and identical camera settings. The Galaxy S21 Ultra offers even more with up to 16 GB RAM and 512 GB storage. The Ultra is also the first Galaxy S device to offer S Pen support. It doesn’t have a built-in slot for the pen and you will need to buy one separately, but it’s a significant addition nonetheless.
One of the biggest selling points of the Galaxy S20 FE is that it comes with the Snapdragon 865, the flagship processor of choice for 2020, with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. That’s a lot of power for a phone under $ 700. The Galaxy S20 FE also supports memory expansion via microSD. You don’t get that with any Galaxy S21 device.
See also: Which Samsung Galaxy S21 is right for you?
The Galaxy S21, S21 Plus and S21 Ultra are equipped with 4,000 mAh, 4,800 mAh and 5,000 mAh batteries. The Galaxy S20 FE is in the middle of the package with its 4,500 mAh unit. In his review, our own Eric Zeman had about seven hours of on-time with the FE, with the phone comfortably holding for more than a day. We can expect a similar, if not better, battery life with the S21 series.
In addition, all four devices come with high-end staples such as IP68 for dust and water resistance, fast charging and wireless charging. You can also use them to charge other phones and peripherals like smartwatches and wireless earbuds with their reverse wireless charging feature.
On the camera side, the Samsung Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus have a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle shooter and a 64-megapixel telephoto lens. The Galaxy S21 Ultra goes many steps further. It increases the primary telephoto lens to 108MP and also attacks a second 10MP telephoto lens.
The only area where the Galaxy S20 FE is less impressive is the camera. The 12-megapixel wide-angle lens, 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle shooter, and 8-megapixel telephoto setup all deliver great-looking photos in the right lighting, but struggle in other situations. It’s not a bad camera, but it’s not as good as Samsung’s flagships are.
price
- Samsung Galaxy S21: $ 799 / € 849 / £ 769
- Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus: $ 999 / € 1,049 / £ 949
- Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra: 1,199 USD / 1,249 EUR / 1,149 GBP
- Samsung Galaxy S20 FE: $ 699 / £ 699 / € 759
The Samsung Galaxy S21, Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus, and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra will start at $ 799, $ 999 and $ 1,199, respectively. You can pre-order the Galaxy S21 phones now and they will officially go on sale on January 29th. On the other hand, you can get the Galaxy S20 FE for $ 699. In Europe, you can also get a 4G-only version of the phone for £ 100 / EUR 100 less than the 5G variant.
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE All the best features of the Galaxy S20 series at a lower price
If you don’t mind cutting a few corners, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE (which stands for “Fan Edition”) might be the phone you’re looking for. It has most of the flagship specs and features of the Galaxy S20 family, but cuts costs to keep the price down.
Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S20 FE: Which Should You Buy?
Recognition: Adam Molina / Android Authority
If you want a real all-powerful flagship it doesn’t get much better than the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. The S21 Plus, on the other hand, is a great option for those who prefer a big screen. Otherwise, however, it is identical to its smaller sibling. The real competition here is between the regular Galaxy S21 and the S20 FE, and the price of the former could change radically.
The Galaxy S21 is $ 200 cheaper than the starting price of the S20 at launch, and costs just $ 100 more than the Galaxy S20 FE. The supplement gives you the latest processing package, more RAM, and better cameras. Granted, the Galaxy S20 FE is expected to see significant discounts in the coming weeks and months. For now, however, the Galaxy S21 is getting more bang for your buck until the inevitable Galaxy S21 FE hits the market.