The Galaxy S21 FE 6.4 inch display with OLED technology (up to 120 Hertz).
Galaxy S21 FE: design
Facts about the display: Smaller and even brighter?
The Galaxy S21 FE is available in four colors.
Samsung S21 FE: The processor question
A highlight of the Galaxy S21 FE is the processor. It was speculated that, depending on the region, the S21 FE would be equipped with either the Samsung Exynos 2100 or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (the Italian model came as a 128-gigabyte version with a storage capacity of 6 gigabytes (GB) of RAM, but it is possible also a 256 GB variant with 8 gigabytes of RAM). It is now clear: The German model also comes with the Snapdragon 888 – good news. Because the Snapdragon processor is considered to be more energy-efficient and was the fastest processor in the Android world by the end of 2021. It is therefore clear: The pace of work will be very high, the S21 FE may not only be faster than the S20 FE, but also than the Galaxy S21. And unlike last year, the S21 FE will only be available in one version: with 5G.
Galaxy S21 FE: long battery life, slow charging?
Camera in the S21 FE: Hope for good photos
When it comes to the camera equipment on its smartphones, Samsung is pursuing different strategies, especially when it comes to telephoto cameras. In the standard models of the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S21, Samsung built a 12-megapixel sensor with large pixels in the main camera and a 64-megapixel sensor without optical magnification in the telephoto camera. An optical telephoto was only available in the Ultra versions – and in the Fan Edition, in the Galaxy S20 FE with triple optical magnification. Initial rumors suggested that Samsung could do without the optical telephoto in the Galaxy S21 FE. But now the all-clear follows: Samsung has also installed a real telephoto camera with triple optical zoom in the S21 FE. Like the main camera, this comes with an optical image stabilizer. Samsung relies on the same concept here as in the predecessor: An ultra-wide-angle camera, a main camera (both with 12 megapixels) and a telephoto camera (8 megapixels) follow from top to bottom. The main camera should take the best pictures thanks to a sensor pixel size of 1.8 µm, a dual-pixel autofocus and an aperture of f / 1.8. As with the predecessor and the other S21 models, optical image stabilization is apparently integrated in both the telephoto and the main lens.
Dual recording of the main and front camera
The selfie camera works with 32 megapixels – and videos can be recorded in which two camera images can be seen at the same time. For example, that of the main camera is large and faded in small, or a video next to it with the comment of the end of the film.
The Galaxy S21 FE is difficult to operate with one hand, but the size is still suitable for everyday use.
No jack socket on board
As with the predecessor and all current S models, Samsung has dispensed with a 3.5 millimeter jack socket for classic headphones and headsets with a cable in the Galaxy S21 FE. These can only be connected via a USB-C adapter, which is available from Samsung for around 10 euros.
Galaxy S21 FE: More expensive than its predecessor
The Galaxy S21 FE was unveiled on January 4, 2022. The actual release of the Galaxy S21 FE, ie the start of sales, is January 11, 2022. The prices: 749 euros for the 128 GB version and 819 euros for the 256 GB version. That would be a significant price increase: The S20 FE was available in the LTE version with 128 GB / 6 GB for 633 euros, with 256/8 GB for 719 euros. The 5G version with 128 GB of storage and 6 GB of RAM cost 730 euros. There will be no pure LTE variant with the S21 FE. Important: It is not possible to expand the memory using a microSD card.
Android 12 from the factory
Assessment: is the Galaxy S21 FE worth it?
The S20 FE is still one of the best-selling Samsung smartphones in early 2022 – and rightly so. The successor, the Galaxy S21 FE, offers almost identical features. The main difference is the faster processor. The camera has the same technical data on paper. A final test will only show whether improvements such as artificial intelligence enable better image quality in practice. So there are no revolutionary innovations. If you are looking for an inexpensive S model, you can currently buy the Galaxy S20 FE, which is available from around 450 euros without 5G and from around 530 euros with 5G (as of January 3, 2022).