Samsung Galaxy S26 FE vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE scores 7.9 in our rating, and the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G scores 6.8. The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE leads in performance, camera, battery, design, software support and value for money, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is ahead in display. The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE is the newer phone, announced Aug 27, 2026.
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Key differences
Why choose the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE
- Bigger battery 4,900 mAh vs 4,500 mAh
- Faster wired charging 45 W vs 25 W
- Bigger screen 6.7 inches vs 6.4 inches
- Longer OS update support 7 years vs 4 years
- Newer model Aug 27, 2026 vs Jan 4, 2022
- More storage 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB vs 128 GB / 256 GB
Why choose the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
- Lighter 177 g vs 193 g
- Sharper display 403 ppi vs 385 ppi
PhoneRanked scores
Calculated from specs, relative to phones from the same year and price range. How we rate phones
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 FESamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Overall
7.9
6.8
Display
7.5
8.2
Performance
7.3
5.2
Camera
8.0
7.3
Battery
5.8
5.0
Design
8.6
8.2
Software support
9.2
6.9
Value for money
5.5
3.9
Display
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 FESamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Size
6.7 inches
6.4 inches
Type
OLED, Dynamic AMOLED 2X
OLED, Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Resolution
1080 × 2340 px
1080 × 2340 px
Pixel density
385 ppi
403 ppi
Refresh rate
120 Hz
120 Hz
Adaptive refresh
✕ No
✕ No
Peak brightness
1,900 nits
—
Protection
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+
Gorilla Glass Victus
Performance
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 FESamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Process
3 nm
5 nm
Max CPU clock
3.3 GHz
2.84 GHz
GPU
Xclipse 950
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 / 512 GB
128 GB / 256 GB
Storage type
—
UFS 3.1
microSD slot
✕ No
✕ No
Cameras
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 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@30
4K@60
Front camera
12 MP
32 MP
Front video
—
4K@60
Battery and charging
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 FESamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Capacity
4,900 mAh
4,500 mAh
Battery type
—
Li-Ion
Wired charging
45 W
25 W
Wireless charging
15 W
15 W
Reverse wireless
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Charger in box
✕ No
✕ No
Design and build
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 FESamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Dimensions
161.6 × 76.9 × 7.4 mm
155.7 × 74.5 × 7.9 mm
Thickness
7.4 mm
7.9 mm
Weight
193 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
Colors
Blueberry, Graphite, Pistachio
Olive, Lavender, White, Graphite, Navy
Connectivity and features
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 FESamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
5G
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6E
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth
5.4
5.0
USB
—
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 S26 FESamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
OS at launch
Android 17
Android 12
Interface
One UI 9
One UI 4
OS updates
7 years
4 years
Security updates
7 years
5 years
Launch and price
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 FESamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Announced
Aug 27, 2026
Jan 4, 2022
Released
Sep 3, 2026
Jan 11, 2022
Status
Released
Discontinued
US launch price
$699.99
$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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