Samsung Galaxy S21 FE review

We’ve had to wait a while for it (nearly 5 months later than expected!), but the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has finally launched. With the S22 phones having already been released, was the S21 FE worth the wait, or is it better to go with the latest generation? We’re here to give you a full breakdown of the S21 FE, so you can decide whether or not this is the right phone for you.

For those who are unaware, the “FE” in the name of the phone stands for “Fan Edition”, a model that started with the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE. It’s meant to be a budget version of other phones in the same range with a few minor technical downgrades. However, part of the problem with this phone is that for a budget model, it’s pretty expensive! Retailing at $699, it’s not exactly cheap – especially since we can now find the fully loaded Galaxy S21 for $549!

The FE21 has a very similar design to the other phones in the S21 range – if it weren’t for its size, it would be nearly impossible to tell them apart! A slight difference between the two is that the FE uses a plastic material around the edge of its rear cameras, whereas the S21 uses metal.

One of the great features of this phone is its screen size. It has a 6.4-inch screen, which sits nicely in between the S21’s 6.1-inch screen and the S21 Plus’ 6.7-inch screen, but it manages to keep the same thickness as the S21, so it feels comfortable in your hand.

The display itself has a 1080 x 2400 resolution, as well as a 120Hz refresh rate. Its dynamic AMOLED screen makes its images bright and vibrant, and its colors and contrast make it perfect for playing games. If you’re an avid gamer, whether it be racing games, sports games, or online casino games, it’s guaranteed to pop off the screen.

The best online casinos have plenty of games on offer for you to try, whether it be traditional table games like blackjack and baccarat or amazing online slots that feature fantastic animations. There are even welcome offers if it’s your first time playing, so you can get even more value for money. Whether you’re gambling in India, the US, or, the UK, it’s a big market, so it pays to compare sites to make sure you find the one that’s right for you. No matter what games you end up playing, they’ll look amazing on the S21 FE.

You start to see a few more differences between the S21 and the S21 FE when we take a look at their cameras. Both phones have a 12MP main camera and a 12MP ultrawide camera, but the S21 has a 64MP telephoto camera, whereas the S21 FE’s telephoto camera is only 8MP. However, both are blown out of the water by the Samsung Galaxy Ultra (one of our top 2022 mobile phones) and its 108MP camera! At the front of the phone, the S21 FE has an upgraded 32MP camera compared to the 10MP camera on most other S21 models – if you’re an avid selfie-taker this may be the better model!

Inside the phone, it runs on a Snapdragon 888 chipset and is likely going to be the last phone to use this model after the release of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. However, despite it not being the latest or most powerful chipset on the market, it still has plenty of power to run even the most demanding apps without sacrificing much performance. The chipset is 5G enabled and comes paired with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM, depending on the model you choose.

If you’re looking for a phone with a strong battery that is guaranteed to last you all day, the S21 FE may let you down in that regard. It has a 4500mAh power pack which is fairly standard on a phone these days but even with that, we found the battery life lacking. If you’re a heavy phone user, you’re going to have to keep a charger close to hand, but if you’re only a light user then it should have enough power to meet your needs.

To sum up, while it would have been a good budget phone a few months ago (when it was supposed to be released), the fact that the superior S21 model is now on offer for a lower price, it just makes more sense to go for that over the S21 FE.

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