Samsung Galaxy S21 FE first look - A solid $700 phone

Samsung is Starting the New Year with a New Phone: The Galaxy S21 FE

As the new year begins, Samsung has already released its latest offering: the Galaxy S21 FE. This new phone is a variation of the popular Galaxy S21 series, but with one key difference - it's priced lower at $700, making it an attractive option for those who want to upgrade without breaking the bank.

The Galaxy S21 FE is meant to be a cheaper alternative to Samsung's premium Galaxy phones, but not so cheap that it compromises on performance. It shares the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chip as the regular Galaxy S21, which provides a fast and snappy experience. Additionally, the phone can crank up its screen's refresh rate to 120Hz, making it feel responsive and smooth.

The Galaxy S21 FE has many features in common with Samsung's previous mid-range model, the Galaxy S20 FE. Both phones have a triple-lens camera setup, complete with a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera, 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, and 8-megapixel telephoto lens. They also both feature a 32-megapixel selfie camera on the front.

However, one key difference between the Galaxy S21 FE and its predecessor is its screen size. The Galaxy S21 FE boasts a larger 6.4-inch display, which is slightly bigger than the 6.2-inch screen on the regular Galaxy S21. Despite this increase in size, the phone still feels easy to use with one hand, thanks to its sleek and lightweight design.

Visually, the Galaxy S21 FE looks almost identical to the regular Galaxy S21, even when viewed from the front and back. The phone's matte texture gives it a subtle, premium feel that's hard to ignore. However, it's worth noting that the regular Galaxy S21 has a few design accents on its edges and camera bump that make it feel more luxurious.

In contrast, the Galaxy S21 FE's design is more understated, with a muted aesthetic that doesn't quite have the same wow factor as its premium counterpart. While this phone still feels sleek and lightweight in the hand, it's clear that Samsung prioritized functionality over flashy design.

One of the standout features of the Galaxy S21 FE is its battery life. The phone boasts a massive 4500mAh battery, which provides all-day use without needing to be recharged multiple times. We've been using the phone for almost a full day and still have around 70% of its capacity left, making it an excellent choice for those who want a phone that won't leave them scrambling to find a charger.

The Galaxy S21 FE also supports both 5G mmWave and sub-6GHz frequencies, providing fast data speeds wherever you go. It comes with 128GB of internal storage, although there's no headphone jack or expandable storage option available.

Interestingly, Samsung is offering two versions of the Galaxy S21 FE: one with 128GB of storage for $700, and another with twice that amount of storage (256GB) plus an additional 8GB of RAM for $770. This second version is clearly aimed at those who want a more premium experience without breaking the bank.

Of course, this raises the question - how will the Galaxy S21 FE compete in Samsung's crowded lineup of phones? Will it be able to stand out from its sibling devices, such as the regular Galaxy S21 and the newer Galaxy S22 series? The answer is uncertain, but one thing's for sure: the Galaxy S21 FE is a compelling option for those who want a new phone without spending top dollar.

It's worth noting that Samsung has already announced plans to release a new flagship model later this year, which will feature a 50-megapixel camera upgrade. If Samsung follows through on these rumors, it could potentially make the Galaxy S21 FE feel even more underpowered by comparison. However, until then, we can't say for certain how the Galaxy S21 FE will hold up against its competitors.

In the meantime, there's one other phone that's worth mentioning: the Google Pixel 6. Priced lower than the Galaxy S21 FE at $599, this Android device has garnered rave reviews for its camera design, processor, and overall user experience. If you're an Android fan who doesn't want to spend too much money on a new phone, the Pixel 6 is definitely worth considering.

Ultimately, we'll need to spend more time testing the Galaxy S21 FE before we can truly assess its merits. But for now, it's clear that this phone has the potential to be a solid option for those who want a new device without breaking the bank.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: ensamsung is starting the new year with a new phone the galaxy s21 fe it's a new version of the galaxy s21 that comes with the same processor and a bigger screen but for a hundred dollars less you can buy it starting january 11 for 700 i know what you're probably thinking another new samsung phone between the galaxy s21 series and the galaxy a series samsung already has a lot of phones to choose from plus we're also expecting to see the galaxy s22 soon so you might be wondering who is this phone for like the galaxy s20 fe that came before it the s21 fe is meant to be a cheaper alternative to samsung's premium galaxy s phones but not too cheap like the galaxy a series in other words if you're the type of person that would rather buy last year's phone at a discount than buy the latest and greatest model then the galaxy s21 fe is probably for you in a way you can think of the galaxy s21 fe as a combination of the regular galaxy s21 and the s20 fe it has the same qualcomm snapdragon 888 chip as the s21 and like the s21 and s20 fe you can also crank up the screen's refresh rate to 120 hertz both of these things make the s21 fe feel pretty fast and snappy so far but otherwise the s21 fe really has a lot in common with the s20 fe samsung's previous generation mid-range phone for example both phones have a triple lens camera with a 12 megapixel wide camera 12 megapixel ultra wide camera and 8 megapixel telephoto lens there's also a 32 megapixel selfie camera on both phones but on the s21 fe you can also record video with the front and rear cameras at the same time similar to the regular s21's director's view feature but this works a little differently on the s21 fe you can't switch between the three rear lenses like you can on the s21 one of the few things that's actually different about the s21 fe compared to the regular s21 and s20 fe is its screen size at 6.4 inches it's definitely larger than the s21 but slightly smaller than the s20 fe it's definitely larger than the s21 but it still feels really easy to use with one hand the galaxy s21 fe looks almost exactly like the regular s21 from the front and even on the back they both have a very similar matte texture but the regular s21 does have a few design accents that make it feel like a more premium expensive phone you'll notice the regular s21's edges and camera bump both have a glossy metallic finish while the s21 fe just feels more muted all around the galaxy s21 fe definitely feels sleek and lightweight but it also doesn't necessarily wow me like the pixel 6 which is a hundred dollars cheaper and is made of gorilla glass we were impressed with the galaxy s20 fes battery when we reviewed it and i'm hoping that the same will be true for the s21 fe just like the s20 fe the s21 fe has a 4500 milliamp battery which is certainly much bigger than the s21's battery i've been using the s21 fe for almost a full day and i still have around 70 of my battery left samsung's new phone also supports both types of 5g millimeter wave and sub 6 and it also comes with 128 gigs of storage there's no headphone jack or expandable storage but samsung is also selling another version that comes with twice the storage and eight gigs of ram for 770 dollars overall the galaxy s21 fe feels like a promising option for those who want a new phone but don't want to spend nearly 1 000 but i'm also wondering if it'll be enough to stand out in samsung's crowded lineup and against other similarly priced android phones and don't forget the galaxy s22 is probably right around the corner and rumors suggest it'll come with a big 50 megapixel camera upgrade if samsung's pricing for the s22 is the same as the s21s it might also only be a hundred dollars more expensive than the s21 fe that could possibly make the s21 fe a tough sell but of course that all depends on what the galaxy s22 actually has to offer then of course there's also the pixel 6 which is a little cheaper than the s21 fe and has a lot to offer for the price we really love the pixel 6's camera design and processor and other features and it's a really compelling choice for android fans that don't want to spend too much money we'll have to spend more time testing the s21 fe before we really know where it stands thanks for watching and check back for our full review soonsamsung is starting the new year with a new phone the galaxy s21 fe it's a new version of the galaxy s21 that comes with the same processor and a bigger screen but for a hundred dollars less you can buy it starting january 11 for 700 i know what you're probably thinking another new samsung phone between the galaxy s21 series and the galaxy a series samsung already has a lot of phones to choose from plus we're also expecting to see the galaxy s22 soon so you might be wondering who is this phone for like the galaxy s20 fe that came before it the s21 fe is meant to be a cheaper alternative to samsung's premium galaxy s phones but not too cheap like the galaxy a series in other words if you're the type of person that would rather buy last year's phone at a discount than buy the latest and greatest model then the galaxy s21 fe is probably for you in a way you can think of the galaxy s21 fe as a combination of the regular galaxy s21 and the s20 fe it has the same qualcomm snapdragon 888 chip as the s21 and like the s21 and s20 fe you can also crank up the screen's refresh rate to 120 hertz both of these things make the s21 fe feel pretty fast and snappy so far but otherwise the s21 fe really has a lot in common with the s20 fe samsung's previous generation mid-range phone for example both phones have a triple lens camera with a 12 megapixel wide camera 12 megapixel ultra wide camera and 8 megapixel telephoto lens there's also a 32 megapixel selfie camera on both phones but on the s21 fe you can also record video with the front and rear cameras at the same time similar to the regular s21's director's view feature but this works a little differently on the s21 fe you can't switch between the three rear lenses like you can on the s21 one of the few things that's actually different about the s21 fe compared to the regular s21 and s20 fe is its screen size at 6.4 inches it's definitely larger than the s21 but slightly smaller than the s20 fe it's definitely larger than the s21 but it still feels really easy to use with one hand the galaxy s21 fe looks almost exactly like the regular s21 from the front and even on the back they both have a very similar matte texture but the regular s21 does have a few design accents that make it feel like a more premium expensive phone you'll notice the regular s21's edges and camera bump both have a glossy metallic finish while the s21 fe just feels more muted all around the galaxy s21 fe definitely feels sleek and lightweight but it also doesn't necessarily wow me like the pixel 6 which is a hundred dollars cheaper and is made of gorilla glass we were impressed with the galaxy s20 fes battery when we reviewed it and i'm hoping that the same will be true for the s21 fe just like the s20 fe the s21 fe has a 4500 milliamp battery which is certainly much bigger than the s21's battery i've been using the s21 fe for almost a full day and i still have around 70 of my battery left samsung's new phone also supports both types of 5g millimeter wave and sub 6 and it also comes with 128 gigs of storage there's no headphone jack or expandable storage but samsung is also selling another version that comes with twice the storage and eight gigs of ram for 770 dollars overall the galaxy s21 fe feels like a promising option for those who want a new phone but don't want to spend nearly 1 000 but i'm also wondering if it'll be enough to stand out in samsung's crowded lineup and against other similarly priced android phones and don't forget the galaxy s22 is probably right around the corner and rumors suggest it'll come with a big 50 megapixel camera upgrade if samsung's pricing for the s22 is the same as the s21s it might also only be a hundred dollars more expensive than the s21 fe that could possibly make the s21 fe a tough sell but of course that all depends on what the galaxy s22 actually has to offer then of course there's also the pixel 6 which is a little cheaper than the s21 fe and has a lot to offer for the price we really love the pixel 6's camera design and processor and other features and it's a really compelling choice for android fans that don't want to spend too much money we'll have to spend more time testing the s21 fe before we really know where it stands thanks for watching and check back for our full review soon\n"