Test of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Fe 5G: a fan phone that is worth it?

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(Pocket -Lint) - Samsung seems to have adopted the FE - "Fan Edition" - as a good thing, using it as a method to put another device on the market with more aggressive prices, once the flagship models areapart.

As for the Samsung Galaxy S20 Fe, the Galaxy S21 Fe arrives as if it had come out of the S21 mold, with a cheaper price, some adjustments here and there, but almost the same experience.

The fact is that the time of the arrival of the Fan of 2022 edition raises a few questions: the S21 models are not much more expensive, while the Galaxy S22 must be launched in February, so this delayed handsetIs there a value?

Design and build

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Fe has the same global design as the Samsung Galaxy S21 models, in particular the Galaxy S21 and the Galaxy S21+.The size of this phone means that it is between these two devices and that the design differences are minor.

However, there is a slight difference: the frame of the Galaxy S21 Fe short straight on the edges of the phone, while on the S21 and S21+, it also extends on the edges of the bump of the cameraangle.On the FE, the camera bump is molded from the same room as the rear plate, more like the Galaxy models in 2021.

The other minor difference is that the Galaxy S21 FE is almost flat on the back, while the S21 models curve slightly in the frame on the edge of leakage.Given the size of the S21 FE, that does not make much difference - indeed, we like the symmetry of its design.

The S21 Fe will be available in four color options - olive, graphite, lavender, white - there is therefore not the same massive variety as there was for S20 Fe, but we suspect that the graphite (which is reallyjust 'black') shown here will be the most popular.

It is a beautiful phone, despite a plastic back, but it always seems solid and the matt finish is welcome.

To give a certain protection, there is an IP68 sealing index - it can therefore be completely submerged in up to 1.5 m of water - while the screen is covered with Gorilla Glass Victus, which is the bestcorning quality and should help avoid scratches.There is no screen protector installed in the factory and after a few weeks of use, we have seen a scratch on the screen, so a case is worth planning to keep it under its best light.

Display

With a 6.4 -inch screen, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Fe is between the two Galaxy S21 models smaller.It is a flat screen, with a single perforated camera aligned in the center at the top of the panel.

As usual at Samsung, it is an AMOLED panel - or "Dynamic Amoled 2x" as Samsung calls it - with the choice of refresh rate of 60 Hz or 120 Hz.This does not offer the same adaptive refresh rates offered by the Galaxy S21 models, not that it seems to make a huge difference in use.

But he wears this amoled look which is so appreciated in smartphones, with deep blacks and vibrant colors.On the other hand, it can increase the brightness to cut the reflections, so it looks good all the time.

One of the changes compared to the previous version of this phone is a slight reduction in the width of the upper telescope.

Another interesting things is that Samsung provides FE with the default screen navigation, which means that you need to go to Android gesture navigation in the settings if you prefer to use it.The narrow telescope at the bottom of the phone makes gesture navigation a little more complicated than certain devices that we have used - and sometimes we found ourselves scratching to get out of an application with the S21 FE not register what we do aftersome attempts.

There is also a fingerprint scanner on the screen, which is generally a good interpreter, quick to record prints and quick to unlock, so we have nothing to complain about this forehead.

Equipment and performance

True to himself, Samsung launched the Samsung Galaxy S21 Fe saying that it was fueled by an octo-core processor of 5 Nm, rather than specifying the details.Again, it is a device that could have Qualcomm Snapdragon in a region of the world, but exynos in another.

For the Galaxy S20 Fe, it was simple - the 5G version was snapdragon and the 4G version was exynos.For the Galaxy S21 Fe, this distinction is not so obvious and it seems that there will be both Snapdragon and Exynos - Snapdragon 888 versions in Europe and the United States, but with Exynos 2100 listed in some othersregions, like Australia, and we expect it in certain Asian versions.

Anyway, the S21 FE works like a flagship device.It is quick to open applications and move smoothly in the user interface.In this size, it is also compact enough for a flagship device.

We do not think that is the best for games, because the additions of Samsung games do not seem to be as well considered as some competitors.Despite the deactivation of navigation gestures in the Game Booster settings, a scan from the edge will see the system bar (the bar at the top) reappear.In a game like Call of Duty Mobile, it appears constantly at the top when you do not wish - and it is a distraction.But, in general, this device has no problem providing a premium experience in the most demanding applications.

There are choices to make for RAM and storage - 6/128 GB or 8/256 GB - although it increases the price, making it very close to S21 proper.There is also no option for the microSD storage extension, which was the case on the previous device is therefore a loss that you will feel on the storage front.

The battery is a 4,500 mAh cell taking charge of a wired load of 25 W and a wireless load of 15 W.These are not the fastest rates and there is no charger in the box, so if you want a faster load, you will have to buy a compatible charger.

The battery life has generally been quite good.Samsung is not known for the longevity of its devices (the brightness of the screen often has a fairly important impact on the battery), but this phone will accompany you throughout a typical day.That said, competitors are not lacking in larger batteries at lower prices.

Cameras

There is a fairly predictable collection of cameras on the Galaxy S21 FE: The main camera is the Dual Pixel Pixel 12 megapixel sensor from Samsung with an F/1 lens.8, which we have seen on many Samsung phones and it is similar to the Galaxy S21 and S21+

A change is the telephoto lens, which here uses a 12 megapixel sensor rather than the 64 megapixel sensor of the Galaxy S21.One of the details you miss with this switch is that there is no option to film an 8K video here, not that it really counts at the moment.

Depending on, the Galaxy S21 FE is a complete range of cameras with enough to satisfy photographers on smartphone.There are no unwanted goals here - no depth or nonsense macro low resolution - they all get their weight.The zoom is useful, but with the 30x digital option, you end up with a fairly pasty image, so it is better to stick to much less than the maximum to obtain the best results.

Through the cameras, you can see Samsung user interface (IU) work hard to give you a better photo.Whether it is stabilization options at the end of the zoom or HDR (high dynamic range) on the front camera - which will take a photo of you, then take this overexposed white sky and bring it back to blue - the goalbeing to give you photos that make it good.

Sometimes things are a little richer than in real life, but that means that what could have been a dull photo becomes a little pop - and we cannot complain about it too much.Regarding overall performance, the Galaxy S21 Fe is close to the S21 models that we saw earlier in the year, with things like Portrait mode offering a solid performance.The same goes for photos in low light: although we choose the Google Pixel 6 rather than the S21 FE for such situations, you can always get excellent results with this Samsung.

The front camera has a resolution of 32 megapixels.We don't really understand why Samsung opts for more megapixels on the front camera.There is even the possibility of filming in full resolution and we do not see why someone would seriously want to do it.But the front camera will give you a decent selfie - and to the lower resolution outlet, by default - and is intelligent enough with the detection of contours to give you this Bokeh portrait effect if that's what you are looking for.

Software

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE software loading is up to date and arrives with Android 12 ready to use.Samsung has also done well with updates of the latest generation of phones, which augurs well for the future of this device in the years to come.

It comes with One UI 4.0 of Samsung, combining some of the latest Android features with the latest Samsung settings.

We have long been fans of the Samsung software offer, because it offers many personalization options, including certain extracts from the new Android Material You offer, where you can easily modify the color palette to match the background'screen.

You can get all kinds of styles and protection levels from Pitaka cases.

One of the most complete overhangs of Android and years of Samsung phones have led to this point.While other brands talk about the options and the personalization they offer, Samsung has often put something in place for some time - with a wide range of integrated features strengthening the offer for those who remain faithful to theSamsung ecosystem.This means an even more transparent operation with things like the Samsung Galaxy Buds headphones or its televisions.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Fe is almost anything you expect.It takes up most of the important features of the Galaxy S21 models and presents them in a slightly reformed and cheaper form.

It would have made much more sense if the fan edition had been launched in September 2021, and it is inevitable that you can probably get the Galaxy S21 (slightly smaller) for almost the same price.With the imminent launch of the Galaxy S22, scheduled for February 2022, some may want to wait and see what Samsung has in reserve instead.

But for those looking for a Samsung phone at the moment, the Galaxy S21 FE still reaches most of the experiences they want, regardless of the poorly timed exit and the inevitable and extended competition.

Alternatives to consider

Google Pixel 6

Google's phone is a little smaller, but has the advantage of a cleaner software version and a widely greeted camera, although the zoom option is missing.It is however cheaper than the FE, which adds additional call points.

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