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The test device at the photo shoot: Nice to look at, with no special features
Photo: Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
To get that straight: Samsung also offers the Galaxy S21 FE 5G in more optimistic colors such as white, green and lilac.
But for the test I got the black version, of course.
Apparently it is particularly popular in Germany.
Samsung, on the other hand, is also the most popular mobile phone brand in this country.
And for the record: For the remainder of this article, I will omit the “5G” in the name.
It just has a 5G cellular module, like almost all new smartphones.
That's nice, but no longer a specialty.
In addition, the Galaxy S21 FE is the second of its kind. In 2020, Samsung added the S20 FE seven months after the S20 series and apparently hit a nerve with it.
The concept of the Galaxy S21 FE is very similar to that of its predecessor: It takes over many of the features of the Galaxy S21, but not all, and is therefore offered at a lower price.
With a price of 749 euros, it costs 150 euros less than a similarly equipped Galaxy S21.
At least in theory.
But more on that later.
You don't have to wait for Android 12
A highlight of the Galaxy S21 FE is the screen. At 6.4 inches, it is a touch larger than that of the Galaxy S21, has almost the same resolution with 2340 × 1080 pixels and is always bright enough for indoors and outdoors, at least in winter. The color rendering looks realistic, especially in the "Natural" mode, and even if you look at it at an angle, the brightness and colors remain unchanged. The refresh rate can be set to either eye-friendly 120 Hertz (Hz) or battery-saving 60 Hz. There is no automatic system that regulates this depending on the image content.
The plastic back is less exciting than the very good display.
This has advantages over the glass backs used in the more expensive S21 + and S21 Ultra: It is lighter, does not break as easily and costs less.
However, finger dirt sticks here too.
The technology installed between the display and the back fulfills many, but not all, wishes.
No other chip for Android smartphones is currently faster than the Snapdragon 888 that Samsung is installing here.
This ensures lightning-fast reactions in everyday life, short app loading times and, in the long term, power reserves that future Android versions might need.
Speaking of Android: The S21 FE is one of the few smartphones that are already shipped with the new Android 12.
Select sufficient storage space
The 128 GB storage space of the standard version could be difficult for me in everyday life. I would prefer to accept the 70 euros surcharge for the 256 GB model that Samsung has asked for, which offers more space for photos, films and videos. That would also be worthwhile because the S21 FE does not have a slot for memory cards.
I already mentioned that the Galaxy S21 FE enables 5G cellular communications.
But not that it also works with Wifi 6 and has a very nimble fingerprint sensor in the display.
In spite of all this, its battery is frugal.
During the test it always got through the day without any problems, it even forgave if I forgot to charge it in the evening, and went into the next day with enough energy left before I could put it on my wireless charging station.
You can fill it up with up to 25 watts via cable, but there is no charger in the box.
It can snap
The camera trio on the back of the Galaxy S21 FE looks as if it had been cut straight out of a Galaxy S21.
In fact, the wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle cameras have the same 12-megapixel resolution as in the S21, only the telephoto camera in the Fan Edition is equipped with an 8-megapixel sensor instead of the 64-megapixel sensor of the older models.
As long as you limit yourself to the optical triple zoom of the telephoto camera, this is hardly noticeable.
In the further digital enlargements of up to 30 times, however, the detail resolution drops significantly.
So many Samsung apps
While Android 12 is a joy, the many apps that Samsung wants to impose on its customers are not.
Photos are saved in Samsung's »gallery«, appointments in Samsung's calendar, Samsung's browser opens for surfing, apps should be downloaded from the Galaxy Store, voice commands should be communicated to Samsung's Bixby.
The S21 FE really becomes a fan-phone for people who are completely absorbed in Samsung's ecosystem.
Everyone else has to get Samsung's apps out of the way and replace them with Google's originals or alternatives.
Conclusion
👍 Very good screen 👍Very high performance 👍 Good cameras | 👎 Samsung apps 👎 No memory card slot |
The Galaxy S21 FE is certainly not a flagship, as Samsung calls it.
There is too much middle class for that between its upper class parts.
The screen is great, so is the processor, and the cameras are good enough.
But to round off the S21 range at the bottom, the price is just too high.
A Galaxy S21 5G is available online from 649 euros, i.e. 100 euros less than the new Fan Edition.
A cheap alternative with at least as good camera and performance data is Google's Pixel 6.
Background: Product tests in the Netzwelt department
Which products are reported on in the Netzwelt section? Expand
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