Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G and the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G, 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 5G | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $349 | $137 |
| Our rating | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Battery | 4,500 mAh | 4,500 mAh |
| Wired charging | 25W | 25W |
| RAM (max) | 8 GB | 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 screen size. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is ahead on weight (lower is lighter).
★ Which should you buy? Specs are close to an even split here, so Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is the better buy — the extra cost of the other one isn't matched by a clear spec advantage.
Display
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+ | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (peak) |
| Size | 6.5 inches | 6.4 inches |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density) |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
Platform
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5.1 | Android 12, upgradable to Android 14 (One UI 6) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (USA/some regions) or Exynos 2100 (International) |
| 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) - Snapdragon 888 / Octa-core (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) - Exynos 2100 |
| GPU | Adreno 650 | Adreno 660 - Snapdragon 888 / Mali-G78 MP14 - Exynos 2100 |
Memory
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | |
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| Type | UFS 3.1 | — |
Main Camera
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | |
|---|---|---|
| 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, 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 5G | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 5G | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 4500 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | 25W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless | 25W wired (50% in 30 min advertised), 15W wireless, Reverse wireless charging |
Body
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 or Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| IP Rating | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
Comms
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 5G | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 5G?
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G — 190 g for the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G versus 177 g for the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G.
Which is newer, Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G or Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G?
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G — Oct 2020 for the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G versus Jan 2022 for the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G.
Is the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G or the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G rated higher?
We rate the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G 8/10 and the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G 8/10.