Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S20 FE: Which one should you buy?

Samsung has taken the wraps off its latest flagship smartphones with the Galaxy S21 series. Arriving much earlier than usual, the latest Galaxy S devices not only set the tone for 2021 but are primed to take on some late 2020 releases as well. With Samsung’s new pricing strategy, one of these competing devices is its own affordable flagship, the Galaxy S20 FE. How does Samsung’s fan-favorite phone compare to its latest flagship trio? Find out in this Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S20 FE comparison!

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Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S20 FE

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Specs

	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 421ppi Adaptive 120Hz refresh rate HDR10+ certified	6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED Flat FHD+ 2,400 x 1,080 at 394ppi Adaptive 120Hz refresh rate HDR10+ certified	6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED Curved WQHD+ 3,200 x 1,440 at 515ppi Adaptive 120Hz refresh rate HDR10+ certified
Processor	5G models: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 4G models: Samsung Exynos 990	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or Samsung Exynos 2100	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or Samsung Exynos 2100	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or Samsung Exynos 2100
RAM	6GB	8GB	8GB	12 or 16GB
Storage	128 or 256GB	128 or 256GB	128 or 256GB	128, 256, or 512GB
MicroSD	No	No	No	No
Battery	4,500mAh battery 15W wired charging (in-box adapter) 25W wired charging (add’l adapter needed) 15W wireless charging Wireless PowerShare	4,000mAh Fast wired and wireless charging Reverse wireless charging	4,800mAh Fast wired and wireless charging Reverse wireless charging	5,000mAh Fast wired and wireless charging Reverse wireless charging
Cameras	Rear: 12MP wide-angle Dual-Pixel, OIS ƒ1.8, 1/1.76in, 1.8μm 12MP ultra-wide ƒ2.2, 1/3.06in, 1.12μm 8MP telephoto 3x optical zoom, OIS 30x digital “Space Zoom” ƒ2.4, 1/4.4in, 1.0μm Front: 32MP (binned to 8MP) ƒ2.2, 1/2.8in, 0.8μm	Rear: – Wide-angle: 12MP, ƒ/1.8, 1.8µm with OIS and dual-pixel AF – Telephoto: 64MP, ƒ/2.0, 0.8µm with OIS and phase-detection AF – Ultra-wide: 12MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.4µm with 120-degree FoV 3x hybrid optical/digital zoom 30x “Space Zoom” Front: – 10MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.22µm, with dual-pixel AF	Rear: – Wide-angle: 12MP, ƒ/1.8, 1.8µm with OIS and dual-pixel AF – Telephoto: 64MP, ƒ/2.0, 0.8µm with OIS and phase-detection AF – Ultra-wide: 12MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.4µm with 120-degree FoV 3x hybrid optical/digital zoom 30x “Space Zoom” Front: – 10MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.22µm, with dual-pixel AF	Rear: – Wide-angle: 108MP, ƒ/1.8, 0.8µm with OIS and phase-detection AF – Telephoto: 10MP, ƒ/2.4, 1.22µm with OIS, dual-pixel AF, and 3x optical zoom – Telephoto: 10MP, ƒ/4.9, 1.22µm with OIS, dual-pixel AF, and 10x optical zoom – Ultra-wide: 12MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.4µm with dual-pixel AF and a 120-degree FoV – Laser AF sensor 10x optical zoom 100x “Space Zoom” Front: – 40MP, ƒ/2.2, 0.7µm, with phase-detection AF
Connectivity	4G LTE support 5G (sub-6GHz, SA and NSA, mmWave) Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	4G LTE support 5G (sub-6GHz, SA and NSA, mmWave) Wi-Fi 6E support	4G LTE support 5G (sub-6GHz, SA and NSA, mmWave) Wi-Fi 6E support	4G LTE support 5G (sub-6GHz, SA and NSA, mmWave) Wi-Fi 6E support
Operating System	Android 10	One UI 3.1 Android 11	One UI 3.1 Android 11	One UI 3.1 Android 11
Water resistance	IP68	IP68	IP68	IP68
Color	Cloud Navy, Cloud Red, Cloud Lavender, Cloud Mint, Cloud White, Cloud Orange	128GB in Phantom Violet, Phantom Gray, Phantom Pink, and Phantom White 256GB only in Phantom Gray Future colors: Phantom Gold and Phantom Red	128GB in Phantom Violet, Phantom Silver, and Phantom Black 256GB only in Phantom Black Future colors: Phantom Gold and Phantom Red	128 GB in Phantom Silver and Phantom Black 256 and 512GB in Phantom Black Future colors: Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy, and Phantom Brown
Dimensions and weight	159.8 x 74.5 x 8.4mm 190g	151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9mm 171g	161.5 x 75.6 x 7.8mm 202g	165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9mm 229g

Design

Samsung has kept the general design language of its recent flagships with the Galaxy S21 series. The camera housing has been overhauled, however, and the “Contour Cut” look is a much-needed improvement. There’s a noticeable camera bump, but it looks sleeker and seems to flow better. It stands out especially if you opt for an option that offers contrasting colors.

The standard Galaxy S21 comes with the same “glasstic” body that you also get with the Galaxy Note 20 and the Galaxy S20 FE. However, you can’t really tell the difference between the S21 and its more expensive siblings at first glance, and it is potentially more durable as well. You’ll 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?

The Galaxy S20 FE, unsurprisingly, keeps the design of the S20 series. You get the same camera bump on the back and squared-off corners, but with the same glasstic body as the regular Galaxy S21. Even though both the S20 FE and S21 have similar builds, the latter looks a little more refined.

Samsung introduced a few interesting colorways to appeal to a younger generation with the S20 FE, such as a bright red shade, lavender, and orange. The Galaxy S21 series isn’t far behind though, with the Phantom Violet colorway a standout.

Features

You’ll get flat, Full HD+, AMOLED displays with 120Hz refresh rates with the Galaxy S20 FE, S21, and S21 Plus. The only difference between the three, on paper, is the size of the screen. On the other hand, the Galaxy S21 Ultra comes with a much larger curved display with a QHD+ resolution.

Each member of the Galaxy S21 family packs the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor. On a more general level, the Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus offer very similar hardware across the board. Both feature 8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, and identical camera setups. The Galaxy S21 Ultra kicks things up a notch though, with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage available. The Ultra is also the first Galaxy S device to offer S Pen support. It doesn’t have a built-in slot for the stylus and you’ll have to buy one separately, but it’s nevertheless a significant addition.

One of the biggest selling points of the Galaxy S20 FE is that it’s powered by the Snapdragon 865, the 2020 flagship processor of choice, backed by 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. That’s a lot of power for a sub-$700 phone. The Galaxy S20 FE also supports storage expansion via microSD. That’s something you don’t get with any Galaxy S21 device.

See also: Which Samsung Galaxy S21 phone is right for you?

The Galaxy S21, S21 Plus, and S21 Ultra come with 4,000mAh, 4,800mAh, and 5,000mAh batteries, respectively. The Galaxy S20 FE falls in the middle of the pack with its 4,500mAh unit. In his review, our own Eric Zeman enjoyed around seven hours of screen-on time with the FE, with the phone comfortably lasting more than a day. We can expect similar, if not better, battery life with the S21 series.

Additionally, all four devices come with high-end staples like an IP68 rating 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 of things, the Samsung Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus come with a 12MP wide-angle lens, a 12MP ultra-wide angle shooter, and a 64MP telephoto lens. The Galaxy S21 Ultra goes plenty of steps further once again. It bumps the primary telephoto to 108MP and tacks on a second 10MP telephoto as well.

The one area where the Galaxy S20 FE doesn’t impress as much is the camera. The 12MP wide-angle lens, 12MP ultra-wide angle shooter, and 8MP telephoto setup can deliver good-looking photos in the right lighting conditions but have issues in other situations. It’s not a bad camera by any stretch, but it’s not as good as Samsung’s flagships are known to be.

Price

• Samsung Galaxy S21: $799/€849/£769
• Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus: $999/€1,049/£949
• Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra: $1,199/€1,249/£1,149
• 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 from January 29. On the other hand, you can get the Galaxy S20 FE for $699. In Europe, you can also pick up a 4G-only version of the phone for £100/€100 less than the 5G variant.

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Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S20 FE: Which should you buy?

If you want a true, all-powerful flagship, it won’t get much better than the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. The S21 Plus, on the other hand, is a great option for anyone that prefers a large screen. However, it’s otherwise identical to its smaller sibling. The real competition here is between the regular Galaxy S21 and the S20 FE and the former’s price point might be a game-changer.

The Galaxy S21 is $200 cheaper than the starting price of the S20 at launch, and it costs only $100 more than the Galaxy S20 FE. The surcharge gives you the latest processing package, more RAM, and better cameras. Granted, the Galaxy S20 FE is likely to receive heavy discounts in the coming weeks and months. For now, however, the Galaxy S21 offers more bang for your buck until the inevitable Galaxy S21 FE hits the market.