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MagyarSamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G review: The fan edition smartphone goes into the next round
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (SM-G990B) succeeds the 2020 Galaxy S20 FE 5G model. The new smartphone was slightly delayed; instead of celebrating its own market launch in November as expected, it was deferred to mid-January, which brings it very close to the unveiling of the upcoming Galaxy S22 series.
The Galaxy S21 Fan Edition is exclusively available as a 5G version, and an LTE-only variant is no longer offered. Compared with the predecessor, the Samsung phone is a bit more compact, since the screen has become a bit smaller as well. The storage capacity remains the same, but there's no microSD support anymore.
Read on to learn more about the differences and similarities in this detailed review.
Possible contenders in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88.8 % | 02/2022 | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G SD 888 5G, Adreno 660 | 177 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.40" | 2340x1080 | |
| 87.6 % | 12/2021 | Xiaomi 11T Pro SD 888 5G, Adreno 660 | 204 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
| 87.4 % | 11/2021 | Google Pixel 6 Tensor, Mali-G78 MP20 | 207 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.40" | 2400x1080 | |
| 87 % | 08/2021 | Asus Zenfone 8 Flip SD 888 5G, Adreno 660 | 230 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
| 89.5 % | 02/2021 | Samsung Galaxy S21 Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14 | 169 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.20" | 2400x1080 | |
| 87.5 % | 07/2021 | Vivo X60 Pro SD 870, Adreno 650 | 177 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.56" | 2376x1080 |
Case - The Galaxy S21 FE comes in four colors
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G comes in fewer color variants than its predecessor, but it still manages to offer four options. Besides the traditional black (Graphite) and white, you can also select olive or lavender. The Samsung smartphone's frame is made of aluminum, the front is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, and the back is made of plastic.
All in all, the S21 FE has become slimmer and noticeably lighter. In addition, the camera hump is comparatively discreet, but with its height of 1.4 millimeters, the phone still wobbles back and forth when placed on a table.
The workmanship is very high quality. The gap dimensions are close-fitting and uniform, and we can only hear a slight creaking at most even during twisting attempts. The S21 FE is protected against dust and water according to the IP68 standard.
Connectivity - Goodbye, microSD!
Samsung only introduces minor modifications in terms of features. The microSD slot, for instance, has been removed from the list. In return, the Galaxy S21 FE is offered in an additional storage version with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage, which comes at a steep surcharge of 70 Euros (~$80). In the predecessor, this version was limited to the LTE model with an Exynos chipset.
The USB 3.2 port can transfer data at a speed of up to 5 Gb/s, it supports OTG, as well as the wired image output via HDMI and DisplayPort interfaces. The Samsung DeX desktop interface can also be used with the S21 FE.
Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC are also on board.
Software - Galaxy smartphone with Android 12
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G comes with Google Android 12 and the in-house user interface One UI 4.0. At the time of the test, the security updates are at the level of January 1, 2022 and therefore up to date. Furthermore, the update promise of four years and three Android updates applies to this smartphone, so even Android 15 should still be rolled out.
Besides Samsung's own apps and the Galaxy Store, other third-party apps are preinstalled, but most of them can be fully uninstalled. However, Microsoft OneDrive, which can only be deactivated, is an exception.
Communication and GNSS - 5G and accurate positioning
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G supports Wi-Fi 6 (IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax) with MIMO antenna technology, but only at 80 MHz. In the test with our Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 reference router, the S21 FE delivers stable data transmission, but it falls short of expectations in terms of speed.
Connecting to the mobile data network is done optimally over 5G, which is supported by the Galaxy smartphone with a wide frequency band coverage. The same applies to the LTE standard, which means that there shouldn't be any problems with Internet access around the world. The reception properties of the S21 FE are normal in the test.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Vivo X60 Pro | |
| Xiaomi 11T Pro | |
| Google Pixel 6 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (42.9 - 884, n=36, last 2 years) | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Google Pixel 6 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Vivo X60 Pro | |
| Xiaomi 11T Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (50.4 - 938, n=37, last 2 years) | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | |
| Average of class Smartphone (34.8 - 1875, n=191, last 2 years) | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | |
| Average of class Smartphone (40.5 - 1810, n=192, last 2 years) | |
The current position is determined very fast outdoors with the Fan Edition of the Galaxy S21, and even indoors, it only takes a few seconds. Although the Samsung smartphone only offers single-band connectivity, this adjusts quite accurately to the user's location.
The S21 FE has to face a comparison with the Garmin Venu 2 smartwatch during a short bike ride. The deviations on the almost ten-kilometer route amount to just 50 meters. Only a closer look at the detailed route reveals a poorer position determination by the smartphone. Therefore, it should be ideally equipped for all everyday tasks.
Telephone and call quality of the Galaxy S21 FE 5G
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G can handle two nano SIM cards, but it doesn't support an eSIM. Features like VoLTE and WLAN calls are on board, but there's no SIP implementation.
When held to the ear, call quality is pleasing, and the user's voice is reproduced intelligibly and naturally. Noise suppression works really well in busy places as well as loud main roads. Although background noise is occasionally audible, it doesn't interfere with the conversation. In such situations, the voice of the user of the S21 FE is only reproduced a bit more muffledly.
Speaker mode is solid as long as the Samsung smartphone isn't placed too far away. While the user's voice is captured intelligibly, it sounds hollow as well as reverberating. The speaker's voice is barely understandable at a distance of about one and a half meters.
Cameras - Triple-camera with 30x zoom
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G has the same camera setup as its predecessor on paper. A 32 MP lens is found at the front, which uses pixel-binning so that the photos are later 6.5 or approximately 10 megapixels, respectively, depending on whether a selfie or group selfie has been taken. The quality of the photos is compelling despite the lack of autofocus.
The rear-facing main camera has a lower resolution, but it can make use of autofocus and optical image stabilization (OIS). The Samsung smartphone's image composition is pleasing, and it only occasionally overdoes it with the post-sharpening. The somewhat low resolution is also noticeable when it comes to panoramic scenes, and details look a bit fuzzy. The ultra wide-angle lens also delivers good results, and it only shows weaknesses in terms of depth of field.
When zooming, the Galaxy S21 FE 5G can once again resort to a 3x optical zoom, which allows a digital magnification of 30x and is equipped with OIS. However, the maximum zoom level is no longer particularly appealing here, but lower levels are still definitely acceptable.
Videos can be recorded in Ultra HD at up to 60 frames per second on both sides.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Main cameraMain cameraUltra-wide angle5x zoomLow light
Under controlled lighting conditions, the Galaxy S21 FE 5G shows a vivid color reproduction that doesn't overdo it in most cases. Only the orange and green tones in particular could be a bit less saturated.
The test chart is very sharp up to the edges; only the borders of the colored areas look a bit washed out.
Accessories and warranty - Slim box
Samsung has further simplified the Galaxy S21 FE 5G's packaging, and the manufacturer has now completely dropped the inclusion of a charger. A USB-C cable and a SIM tool are still included.
There's a 24-month warranty, and it can be enhanced with the Care+ insurance package, which represents a one-time cost of 89 Euros (~$102).
Input devices and handling - In-display fingerprint reader
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G has a capacitive touchscreen with a sampling rate of 240 Hz, and it can recognize up to 10 simultaneous touches. The gliding properties of the Gorilla Glass surface are very good, and inputs are recognized very well and accurately handled. Samsung doesn't install a screen protector.
An optical fingerprint sensor is integrated into the display quite close to the screen's bottom edge. It recognizes stored fingerprints reliably and unlocks the smartphone quickly. Alternatively or additionally, a less secure facial recognition method is also available via the front-facing camera; although it also works well, it's a bit slower.
As with other Galaxy smartphones, the power button serves as the so-called function key, and it can instantly launch the Bixby voice assistant, the camera, or another app. A one-hand mode is also available, and the display can be woken up from standby by double-tapping it.
Display - 120 Hz AMOLED with extra dimming
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G has a slightly smaller panel with a lower resolution than its predecessor at 6.4 inches (16.26 cm), but it has an almost identical pixel density, so a sharp picture is guaranteed. The 120 Hz AMOLED display has a high refresh rate, but it's not controlled adaptively, although it can be reduced to 60 Hz.
The maximum brightness is higher than that of the S20 FE and is on a very good level. The S21 FE even reaches up to 1,044 cd/m² in the APL50 measurement. The minimum brightness is already a very good 1.66 cd/m² in normal use, but it can be further reduced and even lowered to 0.1 cd/m² via the so-called extra dimming.
In addition, the Samsung phone once again offers an eye-care mode as well as an always-on display. Displaying HDR content (HLG, HDR10, and HDR10+) is also supported.
The OLED flickering is comparatively stable, fluctuating between 231 and 247.5 Hz at minimum brightness. The brighter the panel gets, the more uniform the frequency curve becomes; this should keep complaints within limits.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 99 %
Center on Battery: 758 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.5 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.1
ΔE Greyscale 2.3 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
97% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.06
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 2340x1080, 6.40 | Samsung Galaxy S21 Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 2400x1080, 6.20 | Xiaomi 11T Pro AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.67 | Google Pixel 6 OLED, 2400x1080, 6.40 | Asus Zenfone 8 Flip Super AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.67 | Vivo X60 Pro AMOLED, 2376x1080, 6.56 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | -8% | -13% | 4% | -35% | 20% | |
| Brightness middle | 758 | 790 4% | 778 3% | 805 6% | 689 -9% | 792 4% |
| Brightness | 758 | 793 5% | 782 3% | 805 6% | 686 -9% | 796 5% |
| Brightness Distribution | 99 | 97 -2% | 96 -3% | 98 -1% | 96 -3% | 98 -1% |
| Black Level * | ||||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.5 | 2.2 -47% | 1.6 -7% | 1.4 7% | 3.1 -107% | 0.7 53% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 3.1 | 4.2 -35% | 4.5 -45% | 3.7 -19% | 5.7 -84% | 2.8 10% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2.3 | 1.6 30% | 2.9 -26% | 1.8 22% | 2.2 4% | 1.2 48% |
| Gamma | 2.06 107% | 2.13 103% | 2.2 100% | 2.29 96% | 2.25 98% | 2.25 98% |
| CCT | 6378 102% | 6497 100% | 6537 99% | 6507 100% | 6684 97% | 6504 100% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 247.5 Hz |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 247.5 Hz (Likely utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 247.5 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below. In comparison: 54 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18982 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
The measurements taken with the spectrophotometer and the CalMAN analysis software show that the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G has a very natural color reproduction when the Natural profile is selected in the settings. Although the white balance is a bit too warm, this didn't bother us in everyday use.
If you want to use the larger DCI-P3 color space, you will have to stick to the Vivid profile, but you can improve the white balance by adjusting the color temperature setting, since the reproduction is otherwise too cool. Furthermore, this profile stands out due to its stronger saturation.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 1.2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1.2 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 5 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 10.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 5.2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 5.2 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 17 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (34.5 ms). | ||
The Galaxy S21 FE makes a very good impression outdoors, and it should also have plenty of brightness in reserve for sunnier days. Furthermore, the panel reflections are quite low, and the ambient light sensor adjusts quickly to the respective situation.
As expected, the viewing-angle stability of the OLED panel is very good, and it doesn't show any color inversions at flat viewing angles, although there's a slight brightness drop. In addition, the image is covered by a thin veil, where a subtle greenish tint is noticeable.
Performance - Snapdragon 888 for the Fan Edition
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G isn't equipped with the Exynos 2100, but with Qualcomm's strongest SoC from 2021, the Snapdragon 888. Our review sample comes with 6 GB of RAM, while the more powerful version even has eight.
The CPU performance is on the expected level in single-core operation, but it's slightly slower on all cores than other smartphones with the same SoC. The S21 FE performs surprisingly weak in the GFXBench offscreen benchmarks, although this doesn't translate to 3DMark. It even performs really well in the system benchmarks, which also coincides with our subjective impression of a smooth system.
| Geekbench 5.2 - 5.5 | |
| Single-Core (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | |
| Xiaomi 11T Pro | |
| Google Pixel 6 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Vivo X60 Pro | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (976 - 1198, n=27) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (119 - 1885, n=240, last 2 years) | |
| Multi-Core (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | |
| Xiaomi 11T Pro | |
| Google Pixel 6 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Vivo X60 Pro | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (3204 - 3810, n=27) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (473 - 5538, n=240, last 2 years) | |
| Vulkan Score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | |
| Xiaomi 11T Pro | |
| Google Pixel 6 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Vivo X60 Pro | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (3894 - 6176, n=26) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (79 - 9992, n=146, last 2 years) | |
| OpenCL Score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | |
| Xiaomi 11T Pro | |
| Google Pixel 6 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Vivo X60 Pro | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (3100 - 4786, n=26) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (376 - 10711, n=136, last 2 years) | |
| PCMark for Android - Work 3.0 (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | |
| Xiaomi 11T Pro | |
| Google Pixel 6 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Vivo X60 Pro | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (11435 - 17085, n=21) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (4761 - 28378, n=231, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 | |
| T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | |
| Xiaomi 11T Pro | |
| Google Pixel 6 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Vivo X60 Pro | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (60 - 143, n=20) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=193, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | |
| Xiaomi 11T Pro | |
| Google Pixel 6 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Vivo X60 Pro | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (173 - 294, n=20) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (19 - 497, n=193, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench 3.0 | |
| on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | |
| Xiaomi 11T Pro | |
| Google Pixel 6 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Vivo X60 Pro | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (55 - 121, n=20) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 161, n=193, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | |
| Xiaomi 11T Pro | |
| Google Pixel 6 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Vivo X60 Pro | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (101 - 180, n=20) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 331, n=194, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench 3.1 | |
| on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | |
| Xiaomi 11T Pro | |
| Google Pixel 6 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Vivo X60 Pro | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (36 - 105, n=20) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 143, n=194, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | |
| Xiaomi 11T Pro | |
| Google Pixel 6 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Vivo X60 Pro | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (69 - 126, n=20) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 223, n=194, last 2 years) | |
| Antutu v9 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | |
| Xiaomi 11T Pro | |
| Google Pixel 6 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Vivo X60 Pro | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (636471 - 824694, n=17) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (102602 - 1322448, n=166, last 2 years) | |
| CrossMark - Overall (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | |
| Xiaomi 11T Pro | |
| Google Pixel 6 | |
| Vivo X60 Pro | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (818 - 1042, n=8) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (200 - 1356, n=156, last 2 years) | |
| AImark - Score v2.x (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | |
| Xiaomi 11T Pro | |
| Google Pixel 6 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Vivo X60 Pro | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (171404 - 264766, n=15) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (1043 - 286905, n=98, last 2 years) | |
The Galaxy S21 FE 5G often performs below expectations in the browser benchmarks. Only WebXPRT comes close to the expected result. However, the browser runs very smoothly in everyday use, without us becoming aware of any performance issues.
| Jetstream 2 - Total Score | |
| Xiaomi 11T Pro (MS Edge) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (61.3 - 125.1, n=13) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (17.3 - 282, n=171, last 2 years) | |
| Google Pixel 6 (Chrome 96) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 (Chrome 88.0.4324.152) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Chrome 96) | |
| Vivo X60 Pro (Chrome91) | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip (Chrome 92) | |
| Xiaomi 11T Pro (Chrome96) | |
| Google Pixel 6 (Chrome 96) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (77 - 223, n=19) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (31.3 - 414, n=52, last 2 years) | |
| Vivo X60 Pro (Chrome91) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 (Chrome 88.0.4324.152) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Chrome 96) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
| Google Pixel 6 (Chrome 96) | |
| Xiaomi 11T Pro (MS Edge) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (14.4 - 375, n=157, last 2 years) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (46.9 - 121, n=12) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 (Chrome 88.0.4324.152) | |
| Vivo X60 Pro (Chrome91) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Chrome 96) | |
| WebXPRT 3 - --- | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip (Chrome 92) | |
| Xiaomi 11T Pro (MS Edge) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (103 - 182, n=18) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Chrome 96) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (36 - 292, n=138, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 (Chrome 88.0.4324.152) | |
| Google Pixel 6 (Chrome 96) | |
| Vivo X60 Pro (Chrome91) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip (Chrome 92) | |
| Google Pixel 6 (Chrome 96) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (23491 - 47543, n=20) | |
| Xiaomi 11T Pro (MS Edge) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Chrome 96) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 74261, n=205, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 (Chrome 88.0.4324.152) | |
| Vivo X60 Pro (Chrome91) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (414 - 9999, n=171, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 (Chrome 88.0.4324.152) | |
| Vivo X60 Pro (Chrome91) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Chrome 96) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (891 - 1841, n=20) | |
| Xiaomi 11T Pro (MS Edge) | |
| Google Pixel 6 (Chrome 96) | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip (Chrome 92) | |
* ... smaller is better
The UFS 3.1 storage is within the expected range, and it offers a high performance, even if it's not among the top players in its field.
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | Xiaomi 11T Pro | Google Pixel 6 | Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | Vivo X60 Pro | Average 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 1% | -34% | 16% | 18% | 5% | -6% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 1639 | 1787 9% | 1546 -6% | 1798 10% | 1757 7% | 1604 ? -2% | 1230 ? -25% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 760 | 787 4% | 233.4 -69% | 797 5% | 791 4% | 791 ? 4% | 819 ? 8% |
| Random Read 4KB | 245.1 | 231.6 -6% | 126.2 -49% | 288.4 18% | 298.5 22% | 246 ? 0% | 215 ? -12% |
| Random Write 4KB | 211.2 | 207.2 -2% | 190.3 -10% | 277.7 31% | 288.5 37% | 245 ? 16% | 226 ? 7% |
Games - Wild Rift at up to 120 FPS
The Adreno 660 in the Galaxy S21 FE 5G offers a very strong gaming performance without having to compromise on frame rates or detail levels. As a result, the Samsung smartphone is one of the few that can run the popular title League of Legends: Wild Rift at 120 FPS. Our tests with GameBench showed drops down to 90 FPS, but this doesn't affect the gaming experience. Smooth gaming is possible in all settings of the hardware-hungry PUBG Mobile.
Emissions - Cool on the outside, hot on the inside
Temperature
The surface temperatures of the Samsung phone remain within a pleasant range at all times. While it only partially scratches the 30 °C mark in idle usage (~86 °F), it doesn't even get lukewarm under continuous load.
The situation is different on the inside. While the older GFXBench battery test, in which the respective scenario is executed 30 times in a row and both the battery status and the frame rates are logged, still runs stably, the S21 FE plummets by up to 35% quite early in the demanding Manhattan test. The performance losses are even higher in 3DMark.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 35.4 °C / 96 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 35.3 °C / 96 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.5 °C / 85 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
3DMark Wild Life Stress Test
| 3DMark | |
| Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| Vivo X60 Pro | |
| Xiaomi 11T Pro | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Google Pixel 6 | |
| Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | |
| Vivo X60 Pro | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Xiaomi 11T Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | |
| Google Pixel 6 | |
Speakers
The two speakers in the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G aren't among the best, and they don't have as much volume as those of a Galaxy S21 Ultra, but they're still compelling with a good playback quality in the medium volume range in particular, but they tend to distort at high volume levels and sound quite flat in that case.
Sound output via the USB-C port or wirelessly via Bluetooth is better. Samsung only has a limited codec selection (SBC, AAC, aptX, and LDAC) for the Fan Edition as well, but it allows controlling two Bluetooth receivers simultaneously.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 25.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 6.3% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 18% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 74% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 39%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 40% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 53% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 26%, worst was 134%
Xiaomi 11T Pro audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 26.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (1.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 91% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 39%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 23% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 71% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 26%, worst was 134%
Battery life - 4,500 mAh in the Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Energy consumption
The Fan Edition of the Galaxy S21 isn't particularly frugal in terms of power consumption, which is mainly due to the lack of an adaptive refresh rate control.
The smartphone's 4,500 mAh battery can be charged by cable at up to 25 watts and inductively at up to 15 watts. Using a suitable charger from Samsung, it can be fully charged within 74 minutes, with the 50% mark being reached after 27 minutes and the 80% mark after 48 minutes.
| Off / Standby |   0.02 / 0.26 Watt |
| Idle |  1.01 / 1.5 / 1.6 Watt |
| Load |
5.54 / 9.16 Watt |
    
| |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G 4500 mAh | Xiaomi 11T Pro 5000 mAh | Google Pixel 6 4614 mAh | Asus Zenfone 8 Flip 5000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy S21 4000 mAh | Vivo X60 Pro 4200 mAh | Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -3% | 21% | -8% | -11% | 8% | -5% | 9% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 1.01 | 0.81 20% | 0.68 33% | 1.05 -4% | 1.1 -9% | 0.93 8% | 1.066 ? -6% | 0.876 ? 13% |
| Idle Average * | 1.5 | 1.92 -28% | 1 33% | 1.41 6% | 1.61 -7% | 1.52 -1% | 1.58 ? -5% | 1.491 ? 1% |
| Idle Maximum * | 1.6 | 1.96 -23% | 1.02 36% | 1.81 -13% | 1.78 -11% | 1.55 3% | 1.733 ? -8% | 1.699 ? -6% |
| Load Average * | 5.54 | 4.29 23% | 5.39 3% | 6.44 -16% | 6.47 -17% | 4.69 15% | 5.46 ? 1% | 4.55 ? 18% |
| Load Maximum * | 9.16 | 9.93 -8% | 9 2% | 10.23 -12% | 10.12 -10% | 7.92 14% | 9.79 ? -7% | 7.4 ? 19% |
* ... smaller is better