Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs S20 FE: Should you upgrade?

With more than 10 million units sold in its first 15 months, the Galaxy S20 FE is one of Samsung’s best-selling phones of 2020. A number of factors contributed to its strong sales, but that’s because the phone’s value continues to do well. Samsung now hopes to further this momentum in 2022 with the launch of the Galaxy S21 FE. So let’s take a look at what Samsung’s latest great-value flagship has to offer, and whether you should consider it on the S20 FE.

Galaxy S21 FE vs Galaxy S20 FE: Design and Display

Just as the Galaxy S20 FE mimics the design of the regular Galaxy S20 in 2020, the S21 FE is based on the Galaxy S21 series. That means you have a similar camera island on the back, which Samsung calls a contour cut. The shell blends into the sides for a seamless look that adds a lot of elegance to the S21 FE.

The Galaxy S21 FE retains the best design features of the S21 series and is even more comfortable to use.

You’ll also find large rings around the three camera sensors, the biggest visual difference between the S21 FE and the S20 FE. The older model looks good on its own, but lacks the kind of visual flair of Samsung’s latest great-value flagships.

As for the front, the two phones are almost indistinguishable. They designed the cutout for the front camera, and the cutout on the S21 FE is slightly smaller than its predecessor. What I like about the S21 FE is that it’s narrower — 155.7mm compared to 159.8mm for the S20 FE — which makes the device more comfortable to hold and use.

The S21 FE is also 0.5mm thinner and a full 13 grams lighter than the S20 FE, while still offering the same 4,500mAh battery. That’s quite a feat, and while I enjoyed using the S20 FE last year, I prefer the feel of the S21 FE. Both phones have polycarbonate backs, which is fine in my book. If anything, that means one less piece of glass to worry about.

Samsung isn’t showing off buyers in other areas. The S21 FE features a 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, which is almost identical to the regular Galaxy S21 in this regard. The S20 FE also has an AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, but the S21 FE just gives you more thanks to 240Hz touch polling and a brighter panel.

Both devices feature HDR10+ and a range of customization options, and the quality itself is the best in the category. The best Android phones use Samsung’s AMOLED panels, and the Korean manufacturer keeps the best of the best for its own devices.

You won’t find a 3.5mm jack here, but both phones come with stereos, and they work well for streaming video and playing games. To round things out, the S21 FE has Corning’s latest Gorilla Glass Victus — just like the regular S21 series — so it should be more drop-resistant than the Gorilla Glass 5-backed S20 FE.

Galaxy S21 FE vs Galaxy S20 FE: hardware

Hardware-wise, there aren’t many differences between the two devices. The Galaxy S21 FE, which apparently launched 15 months later, has an advantage in this regard, so it defaults to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 in North America. Samsung is using the Exynos 2100 in most global markets, and it’s a bigger deal because it’s so much better than the Exynos 990 in the global S20 FE.

Samsung didn’t miss any hardware features. You get all the extra stuff here.

Given the hardware on offer, it’s easy to see that the S21 FE can handle anything you throw at it. One of the reasons the S20 FE sold so well is that it didn’t miss out on any hardware features, and the S21 FE will continue to do so in 2022. The S20 FE is no slouch either, with the Snapdragon 865 doing just fine in 2022 without any noticeable slowdown. As for 5G, the S21 FE has a carrier version of mmWave in the US.

In terms of battery technology, both phones are identical. They have the same 4,500mAh battery with 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging. The only difference is that the S21 FE doesn’t come with a charger in the box, and Samsung decided its high-end phone doesn’t need a bundled wall charger.

One thing I have to mention about this: Like the S21 series, there is no microSD slot on the S21 FE. This is Samsung’s direction on high-end phones, so if you absolutely need the slot, you’ll have to go for the S20 FE or pick up a replacement.

category	Samsung Galaxy S21 FE	Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
operating system	Android 12 a user interface 4	Android 11 A User Interface 3.1
exhibit	6.4-inch 120Hz AMOLED 2400×1080 (20:9) HDR10+ gorilla glass winner	6.5-inch 120Hz AMOLED 2400×1080 (20:9) HDR10+ Gorilla Glass 5
chipset	Snapdragon 888 1 x 2.84GHz X1 3 x 2.42GHz A78 4 x 1.80GHz A55 5nm	Snapdragon 865 1 x 2.84GHz A77 3 x 2.42GHz A77 4 x 1.80GHz A55 7nm
RAM	6GB/8GB	6GB/8GB
storage	128GB/256GB UFS3.1	128GB/256GB UFS3.1
MicroSD slot	❌	Yes (up to 1TB)
rear camera 1	12MP f/1.8 1.8 micron, optical image stabilization 8K 24fps	12MP f/1.8 1.8 micron, optical image stabilization 8K 24fps
rear camera 2	12MP, f/2.2 1.12um, 123 degree wide angle	12MP, f/2.2 1.12um, 123 degree wide angle
rear camera 3	8MP, f/2.4 1um, OIS, telephoto 3x optical zoom	8MP, f/2.4 1um, OIS, telephoto 3x optical zoom
Front camera	32MP, f/2.2 4K 60fps, autofocus	32MP, f/2.2 4K 60fps, autofocus
connectivity	5G Sub-6/mmWave, SA and NSA Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 NFC, A-GPS	5G Sub-6, SA and NSA Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 NFC, A-GPS
vocal	USB-C stereo speakers	USB-C stereo speakers
Battery	4500 mA Not removable	4500 mA Not removable
toll	USB-C PD 3.0 25W fast charging 15W wireless charging	USB-C PD 3.0 25W fast charging 15W wireless charging
water resistance	IP68	IP68
Safety	In-display fingerprint (optical)	In-display fingerprint (optical)
aspect	155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm 177 grams	159.8 x 74.5 x 8.4 mm 190 grams
color	white, olive, lavender	Cloud Mint, Cloud Lavender, Cloud Red, Cloud Orange, Cloud Navy, Cloud White

Galaxy S21 FE vs Galaxy S20 FE: camera

Since the S21 FE has the same camera sensor as the S20 FE, there’s not much to talk about on the camera front. Samsung uses the same hardware in the same configuration: a 12MP main lens with OIS, a 12MP wide-angle lens with a 123-degree field of view, and an 8MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom and OIS. The front-facing 32MP camera is also unchanged.

While the hardware itself is the same, the S21 FE should be able to take better photos — after all, we’ve seen Samsung achieve something similar with the Galaxy Z Fold 3. That said, I’ll share my findings with the S21 FE after a little more time.

Galaxy S21 FE vs Galaxy S20 FE: software

Samsung has turned things around on the software front, and it now offers three years of platform updates and monthly security patches for its high-end phones. Both the S21 FE and S20 FE qualify for this distinction, and Samsung has done an excellent job updating the S20 FE over the past 15 months.

Of course, the S21 FE gets all the attention here, as it’s the first Samsung phone to ship with Android 12-based One UI 4 out of the box. There’s a lot to like about One UI 4, with Samsung adding all the latest features that Google introduced in Android 12, while retaining its own visual identity.

The biggest advantage of the S21 FE is that it will be updated to Android 15 after three years. Meanwhile, the S20 FE ships with Android 10, so its last platform update will be Android 13 due later this year.

Galaxy S21 FE vs Galaxy S20 FE: It’s an easy choice

From an internal hardware standpoint, the two phones are virtually indistinguishable. The Galaxy S20 FE still looks good in 2022, and the S21 FE builds on it with a more modern design, a faster Snapdragon 888 chipset, and Android 12 out of the box.

The Galaxy S21 FE comes at a premium price, but for software, it’s ultimately worth it.

If you’re looking to get your hands on a phone now, the Galaxy S20 FE is still a good overall choice. But one thing to consider is software updates. The S20 FE launched with Android 10, so it will only get one more platform update. So even though the S21 FE costs a little more, the fact that it ships with Android 12 out of the box gives it a distinct advantage.

As for the sticker price, there may be some relief soon. Samsung is gearing up to launch the Galaxy S22 series later this quarter, and the regular model in the series should cost roughly the same $800 as the Galaxy S21, putting the S21 FE at a disadvantage.

So once the S22 series actually goes on sale, it’s entirely plausible that Samsung will launch an enticing discount on the S21 FE. But as of right now, there’s no telling when that’s going to happen, so if you need a phone right now, you’ll have to shell out $700 for the S21 FE.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE

2022 update

Samsung $700

Everything you need, everything you don’t need

With the Galaxy S21 FE, Samsung aims to continue the momentum in the value flagship category. The phone has the same level of hardware as the regular Galaxy S21 series and comes with a gorgeous design with a superb 120Hz AMOLED screen, all-day battery and Android 12 out of the box. It’s more expensive than the S20 FE, but you get a lot of phone calls.

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE

Still a good choice

Amazon $580 Best Buy $600 Samsung $700

Higher value in 2022

The Galaxy S20 FE remains a solid option in 2022. The hardware is well maintained, it will update to Android 13, the 120Hz AMOLED screen is fun to use, and the battery lasts all day. There’s not much left out here, and if you’re looking to save some cash, the S20 FE is the smart choice for 2022.