Galaxy S21 FE vs Galaxy S21+: Lower price or bigger screen? You decide

In essence, the Galaxy S21+, the Galaxy S21, and the Galaxy S21 FE are the same phone, save for the fact that the Plus model has a nicer Gorilla Glass finish rather than a plastic back. In addition, it has a slightly brighter (by 100 peak nits) and larger 6.7-inch display, as well as a more generous 4,800mAh battery.

Finally, the Galaxy S21+ has UWB (Ultra-Wideband) technology, which the other two models lack, so anyone that's planning to use the UWB Galaxy SmartTag variant or other technologies that rely on UWB — such as digital car keys — should lean more towards the Galaxy S21+.

The phones have the same chipsets (Snapdragon 888 and Exynos 2100), the same IP68 rating, and nearly identical memory options without expandable storage.

As for cameras, the Galaxy S21 FE has an 8MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom rather than a 64MP unit with 3x hybrid zoom, and a 32MP selfie camera with fixed-focus instead of a 10MP selfie sensor with autofocus. So, the Galaxy S21 FE is seemingly superior at capturing telephoto shots, while the Galaxy S21+ offers a better selfie experience.

Finally, the newer Galaxy S21 FE ships with Android 12 and One UI 4, which means it should benefit from an additional year of firmware support.

Galaxy S21 FE vs Galaxy S21+: In the end, it comes down to size and price

The Galaxy S21 FE is a much cheaper option than the Galaxy S21+. You could say that the price of a low-cost Galaxy A phone stands between these two S21 variants, which makes the Fan Edition device an interesting choice for customers who care less about the Plus model's few extra benefits.

The base Galaxy S21 model was always there to fill that space, but the Galaxy S21 FE is an even cheaper option that promises the same performance levels. Samsung's new Fan Edition device isn't a Galaxy S21+ replacement by any means, but it is a solid addition to the lineup and more of an affordable alternative to the Galaxy S21.

[modelcompare model1=”SM-G990B” model2=”SM-G996B”]

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