
Sitting at the budget end of the S21 range, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE offers most of the best features of its pricier stablemates but at a mid-range price. But what are you missing out on by opting for the low-cost option? We take a look.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE at a glance

Image credit: Samsung
Released on 11 January 2022, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Fan Edition (or FE, for short) is designed to be the mid-range alternative to the previous year’s Samsung Galaxy S21 flagship handset.
Even though it’s the slimmed-down version of a flagship phone, it’s got plenty of things going for it. With the same Snapdragon 888 chipset as the higher-end S21 models, the powerful processor can smoothly handle resource-hungry apps and multitasking. Additionally, the S21 FE is 5G compatible, so you can enjoy top speeds.
The triple camera system produces bright and pleasing snaps, while the fantastic screen is bright, vibrant and enjoyable to use.
Specs
- Dimensions: 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9mm
- Weight: 177g
- 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels
- Triple lens rear camera system and 32MP selfie camera
- 128GB or 256GB of storage
- 6GB or 8GB of RAM
- 5G compatible
- Snapdragon 888 processor
- Ships with Android 12 operating system
Availability and price
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE launched on 11 January 2022 with a price of £699 for the 128GB option, or £749 for 256GB.
See the table above for places where you can pick up one up.
Design
The sleek design of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is largely similar to that of its higher-end predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S21.
While the screen is made from a tough Gorilla Glass, the back is constructed with a matte-finish premium plastic, or ‘Glasstic’ as coined by Samsung. Compared with phones made from glass, it feels reassuringly durable and less slippery. Plus, weighing in at a mere 177g, the S21 FE is very lightweight for its size. It’s also water-resistant, with an officially recognised IP68 rating.
It has the same ‘Contour Cut’ camera bump housing the triple lens system – the main difference is that the FE uses plastic here, in contrast to the metal camera bump of the S21. And instead of the S21’s two-tone contrast design, the FE opts for a uniform colour. It comes in four colourways: graphite, white, olive green and lavender.
Measuring 6.4 inches diagonally, compared to the S21’s 6.2 inches, there’s slightly more screen real estate. Even with its larger size, it’s a slim phone that’s comfortable to hold and use.
Display and screen
Samsung excels when it comes to displays, and the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is no different.
The sizeable 6.4-inch screen uses Dynamic AMOLED technology to deliver a stunning and vibrant display with 1080 x 2340 resolution. Colours, contrast and brightness look great, making it a joy to watch videos and play games.
It supports refresh rates of either 60Hz or 120Hz, which means scrolling is a smooth and seamless experience.
In a departure from Samsung’s typically curved screens, the Galaxy S21 FE has the same flat-edge screen as the S21. With its extremely thin bezels and tiny hole-punch selfie camera, your viewing experience won’t be obstructed.
Battery life
The Samsung S21 FE packs a 4,500mAh battery in its slim frame. As well as charging speeds of up to 25W, it supports wireless charging at speeds of up to 15W.
However, there are some caveats. Despite the 4,500mAh battery – which is pretty standard across most smartphones – the battery isn’t the most long-lasting. It can last a day of light-to-average use, but only just. This should suffice for casual phone users, but power users may find the battery life a little limited.
Plus, the phone is a little slow to charge, taking around an hour and a half to charge from 0 to 100%.
Camera
The rear camera system features three lenses: a 12MP ultra-wide camera, a 12MP wide camera and an 8MP telephoto camera with 3x hybrid zoom. On the front, you’ll find a 32MP selfie camera.
It’s a very capable shooter, and most users will find it great for casual snaps. Photos taken with the main camera are vibrant and colourful. If anything, Samsung’s image processing tends to err on the oversaturated side, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing – in fact, many people may find the resulting punchier pictures more pleasing.
Both rear and front cameras can film with 4K resolution at 60fps.
Can I get the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE with no upfront cost?
A Samsung Galaxy S21 FE deal with no upfront cost will typically mean a more expensive bill each month. Still, quite a few networks do offer plans with no upfront cost.
Select ‘free’ in the phone cost filter on the comparison grid to compare deals. You can also sort the deals by upfront cost, which shows you the ones with the cheapest or no upfront cost.
Unlimited data Samsung Galaxy S21 FE deals
-
Galaxy S21 FE 5G (128GB White)
- Unlimited 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- £25.00 device cost
- download speed limit
- Three+ rewards
- £40.81 per month
36 month contract From Three Mobile -
Galaxy S21 FE 5G (128GB White)
- Unlimited 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- £25.00 device cost
- download speed limit
- Three+ rewards
- £40.81 per month
36 month contract From Three Mobile -
Galaxy S21 FE 5G (128GB White)
- Unlimited 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- £25.00 device cost
- download speed limit
- Three+ rewards
- £40.81 per month
36 month contract From Three Mobile -
Galaxy S21 FE 5G (128GB White)
- Unlimited 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- £25.00 device cost
- download speed limit
- Three+ rewards
- £40.81 per month
36 month contract From Three Mobile
Cheap Samsung Galaxy S21 deals
-
Galaxy S21 FE 5G (128GB White)
- 150GB of 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- £25.00 device cost
- download speed limit
- Three+ rewards
- £19.81 per month
36 month contract From Three Mobile -
Galaxy S21 FE 5G (128GB White)
- 150GB of 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- £25.00 device cost
- download speed limit
- Three+ rewards
- £19.81 per month
36 month contract From Three Mobile -
Galaxy S21 FE 5G (128GB White)
- 150GB of 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- £25.00 device cost
- download speed limit
- Three+ rewards
- £19.81 per month
36 month contract From Three Mobile -
Galaxy S21 FE 5G (128GB White)
- 150GB of 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- £25.00 device cost
- download speed limit
- Three+ rewards
- £19.81 per month
36 month contract From Three Mobile
Is the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE worth buying in 2025?
As a standalone phone, the Galaxy S21 FE is a solid phone with a lot of great features, like its dazzling display and solid camera performance.
However, at the time of writing (January 2022), it sits between the previous year’s Galaxy S21 and the upcoming Galaxy S22. So, it might be worth checking out good deals for the Galaxy S21, or waiting to see what the Galaxy S22 has to offer. Still, with the release of the S22, prices for the Galaxy S21 FE may drop, making it better value for money.
What’s the difference between the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE and the Samsung Galaxy S21?
The FE acts as the mid-priced, mid-tier sibling to the S21. Some key differences include a slightly stripped-back camera system, a uniform colour scheme and different battery capacity.
What’s the cheapest way to get a Samsung Galaxy S21 FE?
If you don’t want to pay all the cash upfront, you can get a phone contract to spread the cost over a series of monthly payments.
Scroll back up to the table at the top of the page to find deals.
Can I get the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE contract with poor credit?
These days, you typically need to pass a credit check before getting a contract with a mobile network, especially if it’s a newer phone. So, if you have a bad credit score, this can be a problem. But this isn’t always necessarily the case – there are still deals you can sign up to.
Galaxy S21 FE 5G specs
Manufacturer | Samsung |
---|---|
Operating System | Android |
Sim Card Type | Nano |
Accelerometer | Yes |
---|---|
Proximity | Yes |
Compass | Yes |
Barometer | Yes |
Gyroscope | Yes |
GPS | No |
Form Factor | Candy Bar |
---|---|
Thickness | 7.9 mm |
Size | 74.5mm x 7.9mm x 155.7mm |
Weight | 177 g |
Battery Type | Lithium Ion |
---|---|
Capacity | 4500 mah |
Standby | hours |
Talktime | hours |
Display Size | 6.4 inches |
---|---|
Screen Type | AMOLED |
Resolution | 1080 x 2400 inches |
Pixels Per Inch | 411 ppi |
Touch Screen Type | Capacitive |
CPU | 0 mhz |
---|---|
Processor Cores | Octa Core Cores |
Memory | 6000 MB |
Internal Storage | 128, 256 |
---|---|
External Storage | No |
Primary Camera | 12 MP |
---|---|
Flash | Yes |
LED Flash | |
GEO Tagging | Yes |
Auto Focus | Yes |
Fixed Focus | Yes |
Touch Focus | |
Face Detection | Yes |
Smile Detection | |
Image Stabilisation | Yes |
Video Quality | 2160 |
2nd Camera | 32 MP |
Generation | 5G |
---|---|
Frequency | |
NFC | No |
Wi-Fi | No |
Wi-Fi Hotspot | No |
Wi-Fi Direct | No |
Bluetooth | No |
USB | No |
Loudspeaker | Yes |
---|