Summary

DesignScreenPerformancePhotoSoftwarePriceCommentsSee the product sheetAvailable at €759

We were able to try the S21 FE a few weeks before its official presentation. Here are our first impressions: it already looks like a light and pleasant smartphone serving a user experience worthy of 2022.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. // Source: Frandroid

Will come out, won't come out? The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE will have represented a beautiful Arlesian throughout the year for Samsung. So much so that the model is released on January 4, 2022, where its predecessor, Samsung's first "Fan Edition", was marketed on October 2, 2020.

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It is indeed there, and we were able to take it in hand for a few tens of minutes during a presentation before the CES, in Paris. Here is everything there is to know about this new entry-level Samsung premium.

A plain and light design

First difference with the S21, the Galaxy S21 FE offers a design with a solid color on the back. This makes it stand out quite a bit and gives it a lighter look.

But this is not the only difference with his model. The frame of the smartphone abandons aluminum to switch to plastic. Result: the entire smartphone apart from its screen is covered with it. We let you judge as to the qualities or defects of this material, but from what we have seen, the finishes looked impeccable and the grip rather pleasant. The smartphone has a rather soft coating, very slightly rounded when approaching the frame. We are far from low-end plastic.

In the foreground: an S21. On the second an S21 FE. // Source: Frandroid Comparison between the S21 FE (left) and the S21. // Source: Frandroid

Weight and dimensions level, if Samsung could not give us details apart from a rather thin thickness of 7.9 mm, we know however that it is a 6.4 inch panel. The S21 FE is therefore slightly larger than the S21 and slightly smaller than the S21 Plus. It is also a little smaller than the S20 FE and its 6.5 inches. In addition, the photo block seemed thinner to me than on the classic S21, but that does not prevent the phone from swinging a little when you put it on a table. However, it remains fairly stable.

Source: Frandroid

In hand, it's a smartphone that gives the impression of being small and light despite a nice medium-sized panel, which is always appreciable. Here is a comparison with the S21 to give you an idea.

Size comparison between the S21 FE (right) and the S21. // Source: Frandroid Size comparison between the S21 FE (left) and the S21. // Source: Frandroid

To finish on the back, let's talk about colors. There are four on the menu, and they correspond exactly to those of the Galaxy Buds 2 presented at the end of summer 2021. We can therefore set our sights on the colors graphite (black), olive (green), lavender (purple ) and white (White) .

The four colors of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. // Source: Frandroid The white color of the Galaxy S21 FE. // Source: FrandroidThe lavender color of the Galaxy S21 FE. // Source: FrandroidThe olive color of the Galaxy S21 FE. // Source: Frandroid The graphite color of the Galaxy S21 FE. // Source: Frandroid

A flat slab in 120 Hz

Let's move on to the front. The smartphone displays a flat slab without curvature protected by Gorilla Glass Victus. If we add its IP68 certification, we are on the best in terms of resistance.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. // Source: Frandroid The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. // Source: FrandroidThe Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. // Source: Frandroid

Where Samsung has certainly let go a little of the ballast to lower the price of its smartphone, it is in particular on the borders which are rather thick (all things considered of course) as well as the black area around the punch, located in the center, which is larger than on more premium models.

The screen itself is a 6.4-inch AMOLED in Full HD + (2340x1080px) and 120 Hz which seemed to us correct in all respects.

The Snapdragon 888 works overtime

For what is found under its shell, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE ignores the Exynos 2100 of the S21 and opts for a Snapdragon 888, namely the high-end chip par excellence of 2021. It will be helped by 6 to 8 GB of RAM depending on the configuration and from 128 to 256 GB of storage.

No Exynos 2200 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 here, but for an entry level in the S21 series, that's normal and the Snapdragon 888 remains an extremely powerful chip.

In terms of autonomy and charging, as we know, Samsung is not used to shining brightly. On paper, the Samsung S21 FE offers the same battery size as the S20 FE with 4500 mAh. On the charging side, on the other hand, there is better. The charging capacity is 25 W. Enough to save precious minutes in charge, even if we remain far from the leaders of fast charging represented by Chinese smartphone brands.

Wireless charging for its part is 15 W. Reverse charging is also included, including wireless. According to Samsung, sticking its Galaxy Buds 2 to the back of an S21 FE for 5 minutes would, for example, recover two hours of listening time.

3x optical zoom

On the photo side, the Galaxy S21 FE retains the configuration of the S20 FE by offering a main sensor of 12 megapixels in dual pixel, which should improve portrait mode and night photography, an ultra-wide-angle of 12 megapixels and a Zoom X3 8 megapixel optics.

The selfie sensor for its part again offers 32 megapixels.

The photo block of the Galaxy S21 FE. // Source: Frandroid The photo block of the Galaxy S21 FE. // Source: FrandroidThe punch of the selfie sensor is a little wider than on more expensive models. // Source: Frandroid

Let us add all the same that the S21 FE adds some software improvements compared to its predecessor. It thus benefits from Samsung's new portrait mode, which allows you to add textures and colors in the background. The video also includes a new feature: the director mode, which allows filming with the rear and front cameras at the same time.

The first Samsung to come out under One UI 4

It's a bit of the chef's surprise, even if some rumors suggested it. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE comes with One UI 4, namely the latest version of Google's operating system, Android 12. In addition, Samsung France has confirmed to us that the S21 FE will benefit from three years of updates. This therefore means that, in the S21 series, it will be entitled to an additional year of updating compared to its little comrades. Good news for a smartphone that comes out almost a year after the series from which it is inspired.

We gave this interface 8/10 during our test. The software part is undoubtedly one of Samsung's strong points, especially since its new version has gained in fluidity of animations and in customization and confidentiality options.

Prices and availability

This year, there will be no 4G version, unlike the S20 FE which offered both 4G and 5G. The 6+128 GB version is trading at 759 euros and the 8+256 GB version is sold at 829 euros. So we have smartphones around 100 euros cheaper than the S21. An introductory offer offers the Galaxy Buds 2 for free until February 8. All colors (lavender, olive, graphite and white) are available for sale.

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