Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G and the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
VS
Head to head
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Battery | 4,500 mAh | 4,500 mAh |
| Wired charging | 25W | 25W |
| RAM (max) | 8 GB | — |
| Storage (max) | 256 GB | 256 GB |
| Screen size | 6.5 in | 6.4 in |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Main camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 190 g | 177 g |
| Released | Oct 2020 | Jan 2022 |
Summary: Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G is ahead on our rating, screen size. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is ahead on weight (lower is lighter).
★ Which should you buy? Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs.
Display
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+ | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| Size | 6.5 inches | 6.4 inches |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~401 ppi density) |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
Platform
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5.1 | Android 12, upgradable to Android 16 (One UI 8) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - Version 1 or Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - Version 2 |
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 585 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 585 & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 585) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - Version 1 or Octa-core (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) - Version 2 |
| GPU | Adreno 650 | Adreno 660 - Version 1 or Mali-G78 MP14 - Version 2 |
Memory
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE | |
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | — |
| Type | UFS 3.1 | — |
| RAM | — | 6GB, 8GB |
| Storage | — | 128GB, 256GB |
Main Camera
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE | |
|---|---|---|
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS; 8 MP, f/2.4, 73mm (telephoto), 1/4.5", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom; 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.0", 1.12µm | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS; 8 MP, f/2.4, 76mm (telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom; 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 123˚ (ultrawide) |
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
Selfie Camera
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE | |
|---|---|---|
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide) |
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps (gyro-EIS) | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps |
Battery
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 4500 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | 25W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless | 25W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless |
Body
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 159.8 x 74.5 x 8.4 mm (6.29 x 2.93 x 0.33 in) | 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm |
| Weight | 190 g (6.70 oz) | 177 g |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), plastic back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame |
| SIM | Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) or eSIM | Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| IP Rating | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | — |
| Colors | — | White, Graphite, Lavender, Olive |
| Durability | — | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
Comms
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE | |
|---|---|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
Launch
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE | |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, September 23 | 2022, January 04 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, October 02 | Available. Released 2022, January 07 |
Frequently asked questions
Which is lighter, Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G or Samsung Galaxy S21 FE?
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE — 190 g for the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G versus 177 g for the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE.
Which is newer, Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G or Samsung Galaxy S21 FE?
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE — Oct 2020 for the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G versus Jan 2022 for the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE.
Is the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G or the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE rated higher?
We rate the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G 8/10 and the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 7/10.