The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE it is one of the many smartphones that manage to catch my attention even long before its launch, when the leaks start to appear on the net. In this case, not because it offered differential characteristics, but because of the problems that have had it between life and death for months. Samsung, specifically, proposed suspending the production of this terminal due to the shortage of semiconductors, as it did not have enough chips for three of the smartphones that it was going to launch in the summer; the folding Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3, and the aforementioned ‘Fan Edition’ model, which remained in the shadows until just a few days ago, when it was officially announced.
Its sudden launch in early January made me wonder if a new member of the Galaxy S21 family was really needed at this point. Above all, considering that The Galaxy S22 are just around the corner and that its older brothers can now be purchased at an attractive price. But Samsung doesn’t seem to care. For the company, the objective of the Galaxy S21 FE is not to dominate the high-end, but to battle against similar smartphones from manufacturers such as Xiaomi, Oppo or Realme. All of them have some model in their catalog that boasts powerful specifications at a price of less than 1,000 euros, like this Galaxy S21 FE.
Now, what are the strengths of the Galaxy S21 FE compared to its competition? Samsung repeats the strategy of the Galaxy S20 FE a bit; inherit the key features of their older siblings, but sacrificing some points to get a slightly lower price. If we take a look at the technical sheet, where its specifications are shown, it is difficult to know in which sections the company has cut. In fact, unless someone tells you about it, it is something that you can hardly know if you are not holding the smartphone in your hand.
Nothing is what it seems
Precisely, It is in the design section where the South Korean firm has used scissors. A somewhat different point compared to other manufacturers, where they tend to limit the photographic section or those extras that, although they enhance the user experience, are not always essential. In this case, the Galaxy S21 FE has a design that at first glance looks very elegant and a format that is very reminiscent of its older brothers.
The back, however, plays tricks. It seems that the Galaxy S21 FE sports a matte glass cover, but this is actually from polycarbonate. I would lie to you if I told you that the glass hits the hand. It is not like that, it shows that the cover is made of plastic. However, and although it hampers the “premium” experience that we see so much in devices with these characteristics, it is not something to worry about. Not only for the simple fact that it is something that a cover can fix, but because the rest of the materials manage to avoid the feeling of holding an entry-level mobile. Among them, the aluminum frames or the front glass, which has a slight curvature at the edges, without, however, making the screen curved.
In my opinion, that Samsung has decided to cut back on the design area to maintain a relatively cheap price is good news. Above all, taking into account several aspects. The first is that the material can be more resistant against shocks and falls. Many users also bet on putting a cover on their mobile, so the back with that not-so-elegant touch will be hidden under a much less premium silicone cover. The second is that sacrificing design may mean not cutting back on other key features, such as photography, performance, or display.
An excellent screen, power to spare and a battery with its pluses and minuses
And speaking of the screen, that of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is 6.4 inches. It is a Dynamic AMOLED panel with Full HD + resolution (2,340 x 1,080 pixels) and that also includes an adaptive refresh rate of 120 Hz. This is, without a doubt, one of the best sections of the Galaxy S21 FE and surpasses with outperform the rest of your competition.
The panel of the Galaxy S21 FE offers a complete balance between perfect size, amazing sharpness, amazing color calibration and brightness that shows even the smallest detail of an image or video. All this, with a screen refresh rate that considerably enhances the browsing experience. Watching a movie, playing games or even browsing the system is a joy.
The screen is also complemented by excellent performance thanks to the processor Snapdragon 888, same SoC that includes models such as the Realme GT, the Xiaomi Mi 11 or even the latest Samsung foldables. This time, moreover, there are not two different versions, as was the case with the Galaxy S20 FE, which came with two different processors in which one included support for 4G and the other was compatible with 5G networks. In this case, the base model comes with 5G connectivity.
We must take into account, yes, that the Snapdragon 888 was announced a little over a year ago and not as powerful as Qualcomm’s latest, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. However, it continues to do a good job, especially when combined with those 6 or 8 GB of RAM offered by the terminal. The experience when browsing applications is excellent, and when playing very good, as expected. The Galaxy S21 FE also has a in-display fingerprint scanner, as well as very good quality stereo sound.
Regarding the battery, that of this Galaxy S21 FE is 4,500 mAh. A capacity that a priori promises good results, and delivers. It is easy to get to the end of the day without worries, even with more intensive use (games, browsing with mobile data, etc). One drawback in this section is that the charger is not included in the box, so 25W fast charging is only an option if you buy the adapter separately or happen to have one of this power at home.
As a point in favor, yes, the terminal supports wireless charging, a feature that we rarely see in smartphones that are not of the Premium range. It can also supply battery to other accessories in reverse, like the rest of its older brothers.
Three cameras are enough, and more with this configuration
We come to one of the most important sections of the Galaxy S21 FE, its camera. Samsung does not play in the megapixel league, and this, of course, does not mean that its sensors are worse than the rest of its competition. The smartphone, in particular, has a triple camera of up to 12 megapixels. This resolution is maintained in two of its lenses, the wide angle and the ultra wide angle, which offers more panoramic photographs. The third camera, on the other hand, drops to 8 megapixels.
At the level of results, those of the primary sensor are what we could expect in a Galaxy S device. That is, photographs with very good sharpness and excellent detail, but with a processing that, in my opinion, tends to saturate colors when lighting conditions are extremely good. Eye, this is not bad, just a matter of taste. Personally, I prefer a more realistic calibration, not so bluish in skies or so green when shooting landscapes, but the photos are still excellent.
This high contrast in tones, moreover, help make night shots more clear, as can be seen in the examples. The results are very similar on the ultra wide-angle camera, which is also 12 megapixels. In this case it is inevitable to see some noise on the edges, especially when there is little light in the scene.
There is no depth-of-field sensor, nor is there a macro camera like in other smartphones from its competition. The company has preferred to do without these sensors to include, in my opinion, a much more useful one; the telephoto sensor. This allows us to take pictures with a zoom of three increases in optical format, and reaches 20 increases using a digital crop. The results, although not as surprising as those that can be obtained with the Galaxy S21 Ultra, meet the level of detail. Here, too, the tones are more realistic compared to the two main cameras, although in night scenes it makes the detail not as precise.
Is the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE worth it?
I’m not lying if I say that what has captivated me the most about the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is its screen. It is a ten out of ten, without a doubt. I have really enjoyed consuming multimedia content. All this, in addition, with a performance to match, a good autonomy that although it has some weak points, it performs well, and a photographic section that will not leave anyone indifferent. In conclusion, a round smartphone that I would not tire of recommending, if it were not for its price and because its older brothers still want some prominence.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE goes on sale at a price of 759 euros, well above mobiles like the Realme GT (450 euros) or the Xiaomi 11T Pro (now for about 540 euros). It is true that its competition falters in many more sections to offer a cheaper price, so the Galaxy S21 FE could be an alternative for those looking for a smartphone that stands out in all its features and offers very welcome extras, such as wireless charging. or stereo audio. But there is another problem.
The Samsung Galaxy S21+, which includes specifications that are very similar and even higher than those of this S21 FE, can be purchased for the same price – or even less on portals like Amazon. The Galaxy s21, a model much more similar to this ‘Fan Edition’, is for a lower price; of about 680 euros in some shops. Therefore, It makes no sense to bet on this option if its older brothers offer the same, or even more, for a lower price. The Galaxy S21+ is more recommended, and so is the Galaxy S21. At least, until the S21 FE lowers its price.