Skip to content

Mobile and web technologies

New technologies in everyday accessibility

  • Home
  • Mobile technologies
  • Web technologies
  • Contact
  • Home
  • 2022
  • June
  • 8
  • Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs Galaxy S20 FE

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs Galaxy S20 FE

Posted on 08.06.2022By MobiletechNo Comments on Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs Galaxy S20 FE
Mobile technologies

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs S20 FE in a nutshell:

  • Similar design styling, plastic construction
  • Slightly smaller screen on S21 FE 
  • Faster Snapdragon 888 chip
  • MicroSD card gone on the S21 FE
  • S21 FE features upgraded cameras
  • Starting price remains $700 on S21 FE

Also read:

Display and Design

The new S21 FE weighs less and is a bit more compact

It’s easy to tell these two apart: the newer S21 FE features a camera module that kind of blends with the back of the phone, much like the flagship S21 and S22 series, while the older S20 FE model features a separated camera island.

Apart from that, both phones are almost the same size, but interestingly, the newer S21 FE is actually a bit more compact (not quite as tall), and it also weighs quite a bit less at 170g vs 190g on the previous model.

Thankfully, both also come with water sealing and carry an official IP68 certification. There is no headphone jack on either one though, such are the modern times. 

You have a 6.4-inch display on the S21 FE versus the slightly bigger, 6.5-inch screen size on the S20 FE, and both use Samsung’s AMOLED technology with brilliant colors, excellent viewing angles, 1080p resolution and HDR support. 

Display measurements and quality

Both phones feature a non-dynamic 120Hz refresh rate, meaning that the screen is set at 120Hz by default for buttery smooth scrolling but will not scale down the refresh rate with static content like more premium Galaxy phones (and this results in higher power draw).

Our display tests above show nearly identical peak brightness levels, but those Delta E numbers that represent color accuracy have improved on the newer S21 FE, which speaks to better screen calibration.

Both phones also come with a discreet punch hole front camera, and both support image-based face recognition using that camera. The main biometrics, though, come in the form of an in-screen optical fingerprint scanner. It works fine on both phones, it’s not the fastest one out there, but not slow either and it gets the job done similarly well across the two.

Battery and Charging

Bigger battery gives the cheaper S21 FE the advantage

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs Galaxy S20 FE

Interestingly, there is no change in battery capacity: the S21 FE keeps the same 4,500mAh battery size as the previous model.

We do, however, expect a slight increase in battery life thanks to a more efficient processor, but also with the dynamic refresh rate feature that results in power savings.

We are yet to test in more detail, but in our tests, battery life takes a hit on the newer S21 FE and it actually scored lower on our YouTube video streaming test:

On the charging front, the Galaxy S20 FE was one of the last Samsung phones to ship with a charger in the box, even if it was a slower, 15W charging brick. The newer S21 FE drops the charger, so you’d need to buy one separately.

The maximum charging speeds on both, however, are the same at 25W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. This should translate into a charging time of around 1 hour and a half for wired charging, and 2 hours and a half for wireless charging.

Cameras

All about software changes

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs Galaxy S20 FE

Samsung is making some subtle changes to the image quality on the S21 FE and the S20 FE, but first, we should mention that leaks say the S21 FE and the S20 FE will have exactly the same camera specs, so no hardware upgrades are due:

Camera SpecsResolutionSensor SizePixel SizeLens
Main S21 FE / S20 FE12MP1/1.76″1.8µm26mm, f/1.8
Ultra S21 FE / S20 FE12MP1/3″1.12µm13mm, f/2.2
Tele S21 FE / S20 FE8MP1/4.4″1µm76mm (3X), f/2.4
This doesn’t mean that the software hasn’t improved with better processing for improved photos and video capture. 

Below, you can find photos we captured on the S21 FE and S20 FE in identical conditions and explore the differences:

Photos look great really on both phones both during the day and in low light.

You get those signature Samsung colors: vibrant and lively, and we love this look, even if it may skew reality a bit. The 3X zoom camera is present on both phones and is similarly good, but if you zoom in closer at 10X or the more extreme ranges, you’d notice the S21 FE is a bit more stable and it’s easier to capture a sharp picture with it.

Finally, the selfie shooter is also a big step forward from the older model with a less “artificial” look to selfie and more pleasing colors, plus better detail.

In terms of video quality, both the new S21 FE and the older S20 FE support 4K recording at up to 60fps. At that maximum 4K60 setting you cannot use the ultrawide or zoom cameras on either one, so you are left with a crop of the main sensor only. Switching over to 4K30 and lower resolutions, you can use all three cameras to zoom in and out while recording.

Videos come out looking good thanks to a proper video stabilization and just an overall good clarity of detail. There are some slight differences in color during the day, but those are not huge. We noticed slightly bigger improvements in low light.

The S20 FE would capture orange-looking photos and videos indoors with incandescent lights, while the Galaxy S21 FE correctly recognizes the situation and produces natural looking tonalities in those situations.

Performance and Storage differences

Faster chip brings performance gains on the S21 FE

The Galaxy S21 FE being the newer phone also comes with a more powerful processor under the hood in the form of the Snapdragon 888 vs the Snapdragon 865 used on the Galaxy S21 FE. Both models come with 6GB RAM on board.

Below, we have performance benchmark results from both phones that draw an interesting picture.

The S21 FE beats its older sibling in single-core performance, but loses out in multi-core testing and the Jetstream benchmark, which shows some issues.

Interestingly, we have noticed some severe thermal throttling on the S21 FE especially in gaming that drops the scores way below what you’d expect to see out of the Snapdragon 888 chip inside this phone.

On the network side, you have 5G connectivity on the Galaxy S21 FE with mmWave support and a wider overall band support, including C-band support that will soon cover most major areas in the US (you don’t get C-band support on the S20 FE). 

The two also come with 128GB of storage (you can get a 256GB S21 FE model as well for an additional $70 dollars).

Software

One advantage of getting a newer phone is that it ships with the latest version of the operating system, and the Galaxy S21 FE is indeed coming with the latest Android 12 and Samsung One UI 4 pre-loaded. 

The S20 FE, on the other hand, originally shipped with Android 10 and One UI 2.5, and was updated to Android 11 in 2021, but at the current moment still hasn’t received Android 12 and expectations are that it will get it some time in early 2022. This is quite the delay, considering that Android 12 was publicly released in early October 2021.

Samsung has promised three years of major software updates for the S20 FE and the same likely applies to the S21 FE, it’s just that we have seen that after the first major update, there is quite a bit of delay for the next ones.   

Galaxy S21 FE vs S20 FE: Specs Comparison

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs Galaxy S20 FE

And here is a detailed specs comparison between the Galaxy S21 FE and S20 FE:

Galaxy S21 FEGalaxy S20 FE
Size and Weight155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm, 170g (6.0oz)159.8 x 74.5 x 8.4 mm, 190g
Colors & MaterialsOlive, Black, White, Purple
Plastic back, Aluminum frame
Various colors
Plastic back, Aluminum frame 
Display6.4″ OLED, 1080p, 120Hz Adaptive6.5″ OLED, 1080p, 120Hz Non-Adaptive 
ProcessorSnapdragon 888 in the US
Exynos 2100 ROW
Snapdragon 865
RAM6GB6GB
Storage128G, non expandable128GB, microSD support
Cameras12MP wide camera, f/1.8
12MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.2
12MP 3X zoom camera
12MP wide camera, f/1.8
12MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.2
12MP 3X zoom camera
Battery size4,500mAh4,500mAh
Charging speeds25W wired, 15W wireless25W wired, 15W wireless
Pricesstarting from $700starting from $700
*but commonly discounted to $500-$600

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE release date was set for January 11th, 2022, while the Galaxy S20 FE was announced more than a year prior to that, in early October, 2020.

Post navigation

❮ Previous Post: Razer Blade 15 (2022) Review: Still a Stylish Gaming Laptop for the Deep Pocketed
Next Post: Apple AR, VR Headset to Feature Content From Hollywood Directors, Report Says ❯

You may also like

Mobile technologies
iPhone 14 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: main differences
20.09.2022
Mobile technologies
Samsung Galaxy A72 5G vs Galaxy S20 5G
10.06.2022
Mobile technologies
Apple Watch Ultra vs Apple Watch Series 8
13.10.2022
Mobile technologies
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs iPhone 12 Pro Max: will the next iPhone get you to upgrade?
31.05.2023

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Fresh Records

  • iPhone 15 vs iPhone 11: how do four years of iPhone evolution look like?
  • iPhone 15 vs iPhone 12: might be time for an upgrade
  • iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Galaxy S21 Ultra: Can an aging Samsung flagship still be competitive?
  • iPhone 15 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5: to flip or not to flip?
  • iPhone 15 Pro Max vs OnePlus 11: Does the Android juggernaut stand a chance?

Fresh Comments

No comments to show.

Archives

  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022

Headings

  • Mobile technologies
  • Web technologies

Copyright © 2023 Mobile and web technologies.

Theme: Oceanly News by ScriptsTown

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT