Samsung Galaxy S23 FE vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE and the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G share the same PhoneRanked score of 6.8. The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE leads in performance, camera, design and value for money, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is ahead in display and battery. At launch in the US, the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE cost $100 less ($599.99 vs $699.99). The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE is the newer phone, announced Oct 3, 2023.
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Key differences
Why choose the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
- Lower launch price $599.99 vs $699.99
- Newer model Oct 3, 2023 vs Jan 4, 2022
- Higher-resolution video 8K@24 vs 4K@60
- Newer Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 6E vs Wi-Fi 6
Why choose the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
- Lighter 177 g vs 209 g
- Thinner 7.9 mm vs 8.2 mm
PhoneRanked scores
Calculated from specs, relative to phones from the same year and price range. How we rate phones
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S23 FESamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Overall
6.8
6.8
Display
7.3
8.2
Performance
5.8
5.2
Camera
8.0
7.3
Battery
4.3
5.0
Design
8.4
8.2
Software support
6.9
6.9
Value for money
4.4
3.9
Display
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S23 FESamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Size
6.4 inches
6.4 inches
Type
OLED, Dynamic AMOLED 2X
OLED, Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Resolution
1080 × 2340 px
1080 × 2340 px
Pixel density
403 ppi
403 ppi
Refresh rate
120 Hz
120 Hz
Adaptive refresh
✕ No
✕ No
Peak brightness
1,450 nits
—
HDR
HDR10, HDR10+
—
Protection
Gorilla Glass 5
Gorilla Glass Victus
Performance
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S23 FESamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Process
4 nm
5 nm
Max CPU clock
3 GHz
2.84 GHz
GPU
Adreno 730
Adreno 660
Geekbench 6 single-core
—
1,200
Geekbench 6 multi-core
—
3,450
RAM
8 GB
6 GB / 8 GB
Storage
128 GB / 256 GB
128 GB / 256 GB
Storage type
UFS 3.1
UFS 3.1
microSD slot
✕ No
✕ No
Cameras
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S23 FESamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Main camera
50 MP, f/1.8
12 MP, f/1.8, 1/1.76"
Optical stabilization
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Ultrawide
12 MP
12 MP
Telephoto
8 MP, 3× optical
8 MP, 3× optical
Optical zoom
3×
3×
Rear cameras
3
3
Rear video
8K@24
4K@60
Front camera
10 MP
32 MP
Front video
4K@60
4K@60
Battery and charging
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S23 FESamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Capacity
4,500 mAh
4,500 mAh
Battery type
Li-Ion
Li-Ion
Wired charging
25 W
25 W
Wireless charging
—
15 W
Reverse wireless
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Charger in box
✕ No
✕ No
Design and build
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S23 FESamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Dimensions
158 × 76.5 × 8.2 mm
155.7 × 74.5 × 7.9 mm
Thickness
8.2 mm
7.9 mm
Weight
209 g
177 g
Form factor
Bar
Bar
Frame
Aluminum
Aluminum
Back
Glass
Plastic
Water resistance
IP68
IP68
Fingerprint
Under-display optical
Under-display optical
3D face unlock
✕ No
✕ No
SIM
Nano-SIM + eSIM
—
Colors
Mint, Cream, Graphite, Purple, Indigo, Tangerine
Olive, Lavender, White, Graphite, Navy
Connectivity and features
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S23 FESamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
5G
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6E
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth
5.3
5.0
USB
USB-C 3.x
USB-C 3.x
NFC
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
3.5 mm jack
✕ No
✕ No
Stereo speakers
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Satellite
✕ No
✕ No
IR blaster
✕ No
✕ No
Software
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S23 FESamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
OS at launch
Android 13
Android 12
Interface
One UI 5.1
One UI 4
OS updates
4 years
4 years
Security updates
5 years
5 years
Launch and price
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S23 FESamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Announced
Oct 3, 2023
Jan 4, 2022
Released
Oct 26, 2023
Jan 11, 2022
Status
Discontinued
Discontinued
US launch price
$599.99
$699.99
Green marks the stronger value in a row. Specs come from official manufacturer data, cross-checked with established tech media; each phone page lists its sources. Report an error
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