Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Olive, 8GB, 128GB Storage)
Model Name (☞ ಠ_ಠ)☞ Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Olive, 8GB, 128GB Storage)
Wireless Carrier (☞ ಠ_ಠ)☞ Unlocked for All Carriers
Brand (☞ ಠ_ಠ)☞ Samsung
Form factor (☞ ಠ_ಠ)☞ Bar
Memory Storage Capacity (☞ ಠ_ಠ)☞ 128 GB
♥About this item( ˶ ❛ ꁞ ❛ ˶ )
Pro-grade Camera with AI Single Take, Portrait Mode, Night Mode and 30X Space zoom. Dual Recording: Film in both wide and selfie angles at the same time | 12MP F1.8 Main Camera (Dual Pixel AF & OIS) + 12MP UltraWide Camera (123° FOV) + 8MP Telephoto Camera (3x Optic Zoom, 30X Space Zoom, OIS) | 32 MP F2.2 Front Camera
16.28cm (6.4-inch) Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display with120Hz Refresh rate for Smooth scrolling. Intelligent Eye Comfort Shield, New 19.5:9 Screen Ratio with thinner bezel, 1080x2340 (FHD+) Resolution
5G Ready with Octa-core Exynos 2100 (5nm) Processor. Android 12 operating system. Dual Sim.
Iconic Contour Cut Design with 7.9 mm thickness. Gorilla Glass Victus and IP68 Water Resistant .
4500 mAh battery with Super Fast Charging & Fast Wireless Charging. Wireless PowerShare to charge your compatible devices using your phone. Samsung DeX connectivity. Stereo Speakers sound by AKG. Dolby Atmos.
*Pro*
Display
Nice refresh rate
Decent camera
Plastic back so it'll not break after falling and also it sticks to your hand unlike glass back
You can use it without cover
*Cons*
Overpriced as it is Fan Edition
Updates will definitely downgrade camera as S22 is launch is near
No SD card slot
No charger
25W charger is fast but samsung should upgrade to 45W charging
4500 MAh battery but it drains fast if you use on full capacity i.e AOD, 120Hz, Vivid and FHD+
Note - I have been using UAE varient though samsung launched same varient in UAE and INDIA.
Saying this at the outset: not uploading pics because I've just recovered from COVID and didn't have the chance to step outside and click outdoors photos. But the few pics I've clicked of myself and my flatmate are lovely, and just what you'd expect of a Samsung flagship.
I bought this phone because I've had the Nokia 7 Plus for almost four years now, and even though I LOVE that phone, its camera isn't great. I wanted a phone with a good camera (especially for night shots). I was eyeing the S20 FE, but with the S22 around the corner and the S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra too far beyond my budget, I opted for the S21 FE.
It's a choice I do not regret despite the Exynos 2100 processor.
Caveats here: I'm not a gamer/heavy user. I use my phone for work+emails, social media, and streaming (Netflix, Prime Video, Hotstar, Spotify). And this is where the phone shines. The display is amazing, and so is the sound and call quality. In short, audio and video is 10/10.
Battery life: I've limited my battery charging capacity to 85% to extend battery life in the long term (I'm someone who holds onto a phone for 3-4 years or more, so battery longevity is very important to me). I charged my phone yesterday afternoon, and it's 29% now, after about 28 hours. So I'm more than content with battery life.
As for the processor- this is what people have been complaining about. Yes, it does suck that the S21 FE doesn't come with the SD 888 processor here, but the other S21 variants *also* have Exynos. If you see the Exynos 2100 benchmarks (which I made sure to look up before buying the phone), they're very, very close to the SD 888. And as far as the comparisons to the S20 FE go: I know that phone was a gamechanger and rightly so, but it will also be left out of software updates sooner than this one. Also consider that the S21 FE has a better, lighter form factor. If these two points matter to you, then the S21 FE is a great choice.
My only pet peeves with Samsung is that it's doing away with the very things that made people choose it over Apple (microSD slot, headphone jack, charger in the box). The lack of an SD slot is why I chose the 256GB variant. I wish this phone came with a headphone jack and charger. Because if it did, I know people (including me) would be over the moon over what is otherwise a good flagship at an affordable price.
PS: as for those complaining about the price- do not forget that the S20 FE was also launched around the Rs 50,000 mark. People have short memories, clearly.
All in all, I'm happy in the four days I've had with this phone. Hope it won't let me down.
Initial review:
1. The phone is totally worth the buck(of course). Wireless charging, DeX support, reverse wireless charging etc. for 49k is a good deal. In comparison, Oneplus 9 pro offers these features at a high of 60k and S21 has a poor battery
2. The phone offers 4k recording and other premium features for the buck. The camera quality is on par with other premium phones. I agree the charging speed could be better but 25W is reasonable and it takes a little over 60 minutes to full charge.
3. For already samsung users like me, this phone is totally a cherry on the topping.
Points for improvement:
1. Some might agree that this phone could have offered a SD card slot alongwith 8k recording for the price but 4k and 8k are not very different and one can use cloud storage if want excess storage.
2. The phone does heat up a little at times but nothing severe and it is almost negligible. Even snapdragon 888 models have reported some heating issues.
3. The charging adapter could have been provided but hey, you are already paying 49k for the phone, what problem in shelling out just another 1k to buy an adapter.
P.S: Will update this review over the coming days if learn more.
Also after 3 days of usage the heating issues are almost nil and battery life better. My earlier s20 fe 5g had snapdragon and yet faced heating issues over last two weeks. This shows Exynos 2100 probably beats Snapdragon 888.
Also very inportant: even though the phone has a plastic cover it is brittle and can easily dent. Better to use cover. I made same mistake and it slipped and developed a minor dent. Physical damage not covered by warranty one will have to expend to get display replaced. Beware!
I had been planning to get this phone for a long. Like everyone, I was also disappointed as they launched with Exynos. But does it matter in our day to day life?
The device looks premium, and the one UI 4 is excellent. If you want to get the overall performer, go with it.
There are better alternatives like Vivo X70+, Oneplus 9 series etc. But none of them giving 3 years of major OS upgrades and 5 years of security updates.
Pros:
• Build Quality (even though it's polycarbonate, it is built well and IP68 dust and water proof)
• Display (WOW)
• Form factor is good to hold
• Cameras
• OneUI 4
• Flagship features like reverse wireless charging etc
Cons
• No additional accessories like charger or case.
• Slight heating issues but not a deal-breaker
Tags:
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
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