Samsung Galaxy S21
#123
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
#138Category Breakdown
Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
Performance
90.891.3
Camera
97.687.9
Display
94.795.3
Battery
88.791.2
Build
75.796.7
Connectivity
69.487.1
Audio
87.687.6
Overall
89.187.8
Summary
- The Samsung Galaxy S21 features a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels, while the Galaxy S23 FE has a slightly larger 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display at 1080 x 2340 pixels, both supporting HDR10+ and a 120Hz refresh rate.
- In terms of performance, the S21 is powered by the Exynos 2100 or Snapdragon 888, whereas the S23 FE utilizes the more advanced Exynos 2200 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, offering improved processing capabilities.
- The camera system on the S21 includes a 12 MP wide, 64 MP telephoto, and 12 MP ultrawide setup, while the S23 FE upgrades this to a 50 MP wide, 8 MP telephoto, and 12 MP ultrawide configuration, enhancing overall photographic quality.
- Battery capacity is also improved in the S23 FE with a 4500 mAh battery compared to the S21's 4000 mAh, both supporting 25W charging and wireless charging.
- Both devices run on One UI 6.1, but the S23 FE ships with Android 13, offering a more recent software experience.
- Build quality is also enhanced in the S23 FE, featuring Gorilla Glass 5 on both front and back, compared to the S21's Gorilla Glass Victus front and plastic back.
Side-by-side Specification Comparison
Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
General
Release Date
N/A
2023, October 04
Announced
N/A
2023, October 04
Description
Unofficial preliminary specificationsNot to be confused withSamsung Galaxy S21 5G. Samsung Galaxy S21 LTE only model has been cancelled.
N/A
Display
Size
6.2"
6.4"
Type
Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak)
Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1450 nits (peak)
Resolution
1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~421 ppi density)
1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density)
PPI
1080
1080
Refresh Rate
120Hz
120Hz
HDR Support
✓
✓
Protection
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Performance
Chipset
Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm)
Exynos 2200 (4 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) - USA
CPU
Octa-core (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) - InternationalOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55
Octa-core (1x2.8 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A510) - InternationalOcta-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) - USA
GPU
Mali-G78 MP14 - InternationalAdreno 660
Xclipse 920 - InternationalAdreno 730 - USA
Memory
128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM
128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM
Expandable Storage
✗
✗
Card Slot
No
No
Camera
Main Camera
12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS64 MP, f/2.0, 29mm (telephoto), 1/1.72", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 1.1x optical zoom, 3x hybrid zoom12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video
50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.57", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS8 MP, f/2.4, 76mm (telephoto), 1/4.5", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.0", 1.12µm
Main Camera Features
LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
LED flash, HDR, panorama
Front Camera
10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF
10 MP, f/2.4, 25mm (wide), 1/3.0", 1.22µm
Front Camera Features
HDR
N/A
Video Recording
8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps
Selfie Video
4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps; gyro-EIS
Optical Stabilization
✓
✓
Night Mode
✗
✗
Raw Photo Support
✗
✗
Battery
Capacity
4000 mAh
4500 mAh
Battery Details
Li-Ion 4000 mAh
Li-Ion 4500 mAh
Charging Details
25W wired, PD3.015W wireless (Qi)4.5W reverse wireless
25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min15W wirelessReverse wireless
Fast Charging
✗
✗
Wireless Charging
✓
✓
Build & Safety
Dimensions
151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm (5.97 x 2.80 x 0.31 in)
158 x 76.5 x 8.2 mm (6.22 x 3.01 x 0.32 in)
Weight
169 g
209 g
Materials
Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame
Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame
Colors
Phantom Gray, Phantom White, Phantom Violet, Phantom Pink
Mint, Cream, Graphite, Purple, Indigo, Tangerine
Foldable
✗
✗
SAR
N/A
0.80 W/kg (head) 0.72 W/kg (body)
Connectivity
SIM
· Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM
Nano-SIMNano-SIM + Nano-SIMNano-SIM + Nano-SIM +eSIM(max 2 at a time)
Network
GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE
GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G
Network Speed
HSPA, LTE
HSPA, LTE (CA), 5G
5G
✗
✓
4G
✓
✓
WiFi
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth
5.0, A2DP, LE
5.3, A2DP, LE
NFC
✓
✓
USB
USB Type-C 3.2, OTG
USB Type-C, OTG
IR Blaster
✗
✗
Headphone Jack
✗
✗
Radio
✗
✗
Positioning
GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
Audio
Stereo Speakers
✓
✓
Loudspeaker
Yes, with stereo speakers
Yes, with stereo speakers
Audio Jack
No
No
Software & Security
Operating System
Android 11, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1
Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1
Fingerprint
✓
✓
Face Unlock
✗
✗
Sensors
Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass