Exploring the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE (18 months of usage): A Comprehensive Review
In the ever-evolving landscape of smartphones, Samsung has consistently been a front-runner, known for pushing the boundaries of innovation and design. With the release of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G, the tech giant aims to deliver a premium smartphone experience at a more accessible price point. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is a compelling addition to Samsung’s lineup, offering a blend of flagship features at a more accessible price point. With its impressive specifications and versatile camera system, it aims to cater to a broad audience seeking high performance without breaking the bank., I’ll delve into its design, performance, camera capabilities, battery life, software experience, and overall value proposition.
Design and Display:
The S21 FE 5G boasts a sleek and modern design that is reminiscent of its premium counterparts in the Galaxy series. Its 6.4-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of, 2340 x 1080 pixels delivers vibrant colors and sharp details, making it ideal for multimedia consumption and gaming. The adaptive refresh rate ranging from 60 to 120 Hz ensures smooth scrolling and responsiveness, enhancing the overall user experience. The device features a polycarbonate back panel with a matte finish, which not only looks sophisticated but also feels comfortable to hold. The contoured edges and slim profile, 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm (6.13 x 2.93 x 0.31 in) further enhance the ergonomics, making it easy to grip and use one-handed. The display (AMOLED display with a Full HD+ resolution) is sharp, and vibrant, and offers excellent color reproduction and viewing angles. The Infinity-O punch-hole design minimizes bezels and maximizes screen real estate, providing an immersive viewing experience for multimedia content and gaming.
Performance:
Under the hood, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is powered by the Samsung Exynos 2100 chipset (or Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 chipset) with 6GB or 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM, the S21 FE handles multitasking and demanding tasks with ease. Whether you’re gaming, streaming, or navigating through multiple apps, this device delivers snappy performance and fluid transitions. The Mali-G78 GPU ensures smooth graphics rendering, contributing to an immersive gaming experience, although not intense gaming. This hardware configuration ensures snappy performance and seamless multitasking, whether you’re browsing the web, streaming videos, or playing graphically demanding games. Geekbench 6 scores are 1366 (Single-Core Score) and 3236 (Multi-Core Score) for Exynos 2100 chipset, respectively.
See more detailed scores here.
In my testing, the Galaxy S21 FE handled everyday tasks with ease, with smooth app launches, fluid navigation, and minimal lag or stuttering. The combination of powerful hardware and Samsung’s optimized software contributes to a responsive and lag-free user experience, even with intensive multitasking or gaming sessions.
Camera Capabilities:
One of the standout features of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is its versatile camera setup, which includes a triple rear camera array comprising a 12MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide sensor, and an 8MP telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom. The device also boasts a 32MP front-facing camera for selfies and video calls. The Galaxy S21 FE features a versatile camera system that caters to photography enthusiasts and selfie lovers alike. With its dual rear cameras—a 12MP main sensor and a 12MP ultra-wide sensor—you can capture stunning landscapes and detailed close-up shots. The front-facing camera delivers crisp and vibrant selfies, while the inclusion of features like face detection enhances the overall photography experience.
In real-world usage, the Galaxy S21 FE’s camera system delivers impressive results across a wide range of shooting scenarios. The main sensor captures detailed and well-exposed photos with accurate colors and dynamic range, while the ultra-wide sensor enables creative wide-angle shots with a broader perspective. The telephoto lens offers optical zoom capabilities, allowing you to get closer to your subject without compromising image quality. Some of the stunning photos with the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE are shown below.
Battery Life:
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is equipped with a 4,500mAh battery, which provides ample power to get you through a full day of moderate to heavy usage. In my experience, the device consistently lasted a full day on a single charge, with around 5–6 hours of screen-on time. With more conservative usage, such as light web browsing and occasional video streaming, the battery life could stretch even further. It has been observed that always on display consumes more battery.
The device also supports fast charging up to 25W, allowing you to quickly top up the battery when needed. Additionally, wireless charging and reverse wireless charging are supported, providing convenient charging options for users who prefer a cable-free experience.
Software Experience:
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE runs on Samsung’s One UI 4.0, which is based on Android 12. One UI offers a clean and intuitive user interface, with a host of customization options and features to tailor the user experience to your preferences.
Samsung’s software optimizations ensure smooth performance and enhanced battery efficiency, while features like Samsung DeX allow you to transform your smartphone into a desktop-like computing experience when connected to a monitor or TV. The inclusion of NFC support enables convenient contactless payments, adding to the device’s versatility as a daily driver. Overall, One UI 4.0 provides a polished and user-friendly software experience that enhances the overall usability of the Galaxy S21 FE.
Value Proposition:
With its premium design, powerful performance, versatile camera system, long-lasting battery life, and feature-rich software experience, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G at ~30000 INR (360 USD) offers exceptional value for money. It strikes a perfect balance between affordability and flagship-level features, making it an attractive option for consumers looking for a high-quality smartphone without breaking the bank.
Whether you’re a casual user, a photography enthusiast, or a power user who demands top-notch performance, the Galaxy S21 FE delivers on all fronts. Its combination of premium design, powerful performance, and feature-rich software experience makes it one of the best smartphones in its price range, solidifying Samsung’s position as a leader in the competitive smartphone market.
In conclusion, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is a worthy addition to Samsung’s Galaxy lineup, offering a compelling combination of design, performance, camera capabilities, battery life, and software experience. It’s a smartphone that punches above its weight class, delivering flagship-level features at a more affordable price point. Whether you’re upgrading from a previous Galaxy device or switching from another brand, the Galaxy S21 FE is sure to impress with its exceptional value proposition and all-around excellence.
