Samsung’s second attempt at tinkering with the latest Galaxy S-series model has taken a couple of extra months this time around, launching at the start of 2022 when rumors on the upcoming S22 Ultra have already started surfacing. This fan-focused variant of the regular S21 packs nearly identical specs and design but wraps them under new color finishes at a lower $699 starting price tag. With a slightly larger overall profile, the S21 FE 5G comes with a bigger 6.4-inch AMOLED display (vs. 6.2-inch on the S21) with an identical 2,400 x 1,080 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It’s powered by the same SD 888 5G chip, albeit paired with 6GB/128GB of RAM (vs. the S21’s 8GB/128GB combo) on the base model.
Another slight downgrade is the Fan Edition’s 8MP telephoto lens in its triple-camera array, which replaces the 64MP sensor of the regular S21. The front camera, however, has been bumped up to a 32MP unit from 10MP. What Samsung fans are more likely to notice, though, is the lack of microSD expansion. Samsung dropped this feature altogether with the S21 series, but a fan-focused version should have ideally brought it back. Nevertheless, the S21 FE’s bigger 4,500mAh battery, Android 12 with One UI 4 out of the box, and same refined design as the standard flagship are certainly plus points.
Other carried-over features include NFC, IP68 protection and an optical fingerprint scanner. Samsung is launching the S21 FE 5G on January 11 in Olive, Lavender, White and Graphite color finishes.
