Another day, another smartphone. 2022 is already in full swing for an industry ravaged by a global chip shortage with multiple launches taking place every week. We’ve seen Xiaomi launch two value-for-money ‘flagship killers’, Vivo has come with an overpriced contender, Oppo has launched yet another Reno device and now we have Samsung with a less expensive version of its 2021 flagship Galaxy S series smartphone.
The Galaxy S21 FE may be late to the party thanks to external factors but it’s better late than never. A smartphone that should have been launched in September/October of 2021, has launched in January of 2022. The FE in the name stands for “Fan Edition”. It’s a smartphone that adopts some of the best Galaxy S21 features and brings it at a lower price point thanks to some cost-cutting measures.
The Galaxy S21 FE isn’t a bad phone by any means. In fact, it’s fantastic. Just don’t buy it at its MRP. With the Galaxy S22 series right around the corner - Samsung has announced a Galaxy Unpacked event for February 9th - who would want to buy a phone from 2021?
I’ve been using the Galaxy S21 FE for over a week now and I’m here to answer that question.
The successor to the Galaxy S20 FE is here!
The Galaxy S21 FE landed in India at a price of Rs 54,999 for the 8GB + 128GB variant. It’s got a 6.4-inch AMOLED screen (slightly bigger than the Galaxy S21) with a 120Hz refresh rate. It comes with the updated Exynos 2100, a 4,000 mAh battery, and the same great cameras as the Galaxy S21 (albeit with a lower resolution telephoto lens) - 12-megapixel wide, 12-megapixel ultrawide and 8-megapixel telephoto (The Galaxy S21 has a 64-megapixel telephoto). The selfie camera has been bumped up from the Galaxy S21’s 10-megapixel to a 32-megapixel lens.
Unbox the smartphone, turn it on and it’ll delight you from that very second. That’s because the Galaxy S21 FE is the first smartphone from the house of Samsung to come with One UI 4 (based on Android 12) out-of-the-box. Samsung has been the forerunner in providing timely software updates and that’s kept its loyal customer base from switching over to any of the competitors. Furthermore, Samsung has promised three Android version updates for the Galaxy S21 FE!
The elegant looking Galaxy S21 FE
The seamless design is something that stands out for me. The triple-camera setup on the rear of the smartphone seamlessly blends into the design. Samsung, as of late, has been going for a minimalist approach and the Galaxy S20 FE looks premium through and through.
The rear panel is made of composite plastic and this should allay any fears of it cracking if you’re one of those that frequently let their smartphones slip out of their hands. The matte finish on the back does pick up many a fingerprint, which I was thoroughly annoyed with, and the accented colour design is missing on the camera module.
I’d suggest not getting the black variant of the Galaxy S21 FE. It looks and feels fantastic but you can get it in white, oliver or even lavender, which will stand out each and every day.
A sharp display, a bigger battery and impressive performance
The front of the smartphone is eye-catching. The sharp AMOLED display is captivating and one with which you can watch hours of YouTube/Netflix/Amazon Prime videos without being distracted from the outside world. The colours are punchy, and it gets very bright in the harsh outdoor sunlight. It doesn’t have a variable refresh rate like its older sibling, but that isn’t a deterrent by any means.
To make up for the lack of a variable refresh rate, Samsung has included a bigger battery - 4,500 mAh vs Galaxy S21’s 4,000 mAh battery - and this helps the smartphone last a full day even when the 120Hz refresh rate is selected. It even lasts into the morning sometimes when my usage didn’t include excessive hours watching food videos on YouTube or playing too much Fortnite/Battlegrounds Mobile India.
Unless I was excessively gaming, the smartphone never got hot enough to touch and I never noticed it slowing down or lagging. There was a stutter here or there with graphics-intensive games, but that’s something to be expected.
On a day-to-day basis, the combo of Exynos 2100 and One UI 4.0 provided a smooth experience. Apps were snappy and doomscrolling was a pleasure. I even attended a couple of work calls from the Galaxy S21 FE and got good feedback on my video quality and clarity of voice.
One wishes that Samsung released the Snapdragon variant of the Galaxy S21 FE, like they did last year, but alas.
How about that camera?
A measure of a good smartphone camera is when dozens of snaps are taken and many are shared on the interwebs. When you trust the camera without hesitation is when it has truly passed the test. Safe to say that the Galaxy S21 FE (just like the Galaxy S21) provides great snaps no matter what time of the day. Just open the camera app and click away without worry.
Daylight photos are absolutely brilliant. With HDR turned on, you get good colours (saturated) and great amounts of detail. I didn’t notice any dip in quality from the wide-angle lens.
Low-light photography is another area where Samsung excels. It may not come close to the Pixel’s of the world (or even Vivo’s X70 Pro+) but it provides plenty of detail with minimal noise for shots that are very much shareable across Instagram feeds. There’s a dedicated NIght mode that works very well unless it is absolutely pitch dark. That’s when it starts to sacrifice details for a brighter photo.
I didn’t bother much with the 8-megapixel lens as during low-light situations, it failed to produce enough details. The selfie camera though is much better than the Galaxy S21. More contrast and better skin tones are what the smartphone delivers.
Is the Galaxy S21 FE worth it in 2021?
Overall, I’ve had quite a good experience with my Galaxy S21 FE review unit. It’s treated me well these past two weeks. It’s just a smartphone that has come past its due date and at a price point, one cannot swallow. Fortunately for us consumers, Samsung devices are frequently on sale/discount and I’ve already seen it as low as Rs 49,999. A little bit lower and it’ll be my go-to recommendation for a mid-range smartphone with a good track record.
One could compare the Galaxy S21 FE to Google’s ultra value-for-money Pixel 6 but that was never released in India only.
For less than Rs 50,000, you’re getting a smartphone with a great software update policy, an A+ display, good cameras and a striking design along with all-day battery life. For a value flagship, that’s as good as it gets.
It’s just that all eyes will be on the Galaxy S22 series that is launching within a week. The Galaxy S21 FE arrived a couple of months later than it should have and that made sure the marketing team and sales personnel had a tough job on their hands selling the smartphone.
What I stated at the beginning of this review, “the Galaxy S21 FE isn’t a bad phone by any means. In fact, it’s fantastic. Just don’t buy it at its MRP” is what stands out the most. If you want a value flagship in 2022, then get the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, whenever it is on sale (which, going by the history books, is quite frequent).
Just don’t be jealous when the Galaxy S22 series launches in a few days enthralling consumers around the globe. If the leaks are anything to go by, that’ll be one fantastic device, and I can’t wait to test it out and tell you my thoughts.
