Here’s a detailed comparison between the just-launched Samsung Galaxy S21 FE and its predecessor, the Galaxy S20 FE.
When Samsung announced the affordable Samsung Galaxy S20 FE back in September 2020, there were apprehensions about the viability of this phone, which found itself slotted between Samsung’s mid-range A series and flagship-grade S series smartphones. Apart from being a completely new product line, its naming scheme was new for most Samsung users. But apparently none of these things mattered to the people who eventually ended up buying the Galaxy S20 FE in hordes. With more than 10 million units sold, the Galaxy S20 FE was among Samsung’s best-selling phones from 2020-21. Buoyed by this response, Samsung is really keen on replicating the same formula with the recently launched Samsung Galaxy S21 FE — the much-awaited successor to the Galaxy S20 FE. In this article, we compare the Galaxy S21 FE and the Galaxy S20 FE and see if the improvements on the newer phone are significant enough to warrant an upgrade from the Galaxy S20 FE. Or, if you’re wrestling between the two, which one you should buy. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is noticeably smaller and lighter than its predecessor. It weighs 177g, compared to the 190g heavyweight the S20 FE was. The newer phone also shares the same design language as the rest of the Galaxy S21 lineup. This becomes evident when you observe the camera bump — which looks like a lift from the Galaxy S21 — albeit with slight modifications. The S20 FE’s camera array looks a bit more mainstream in comparison. Save for the size difference, both phones look the same when seen from the front. The display on the Galaxy S21 FE is a 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel which, on paper, claims better color accuracy compared to the older 6.5-inch Super AMOLED on the S20 FE. Both devices get a display hole punch for the selfie camera. The handsets also share the same display resolution numbers (2400 x 1920 pixels) and support a 120Hz refresh rate. Samsung has also decided not to meddle with the optical under-display fingerprint scanner arrangement we saw on the S20 FE, so the S21 FE uses the same technology. Both phones are IP68 rated for dust and water resistance, making them even in durability.
