The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is the Fan Edition of the Galaxy S21 series. Samsung announced it on January 4, 2022, at CES, and sales started on January 11, 2022. In the US, it launched at $699.99 with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. In Germany, it cost €749. It sat between Samsung’s mid-range A series and the Galaxy S22 flagships. The phone is now discontinued, and the Galaxy S23 FE is its successor.
Design and display
The S21 FE 5G keeps the Contour-Cut camera housing of the Galaxy S21. It measures 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm and weighs 177 g. The frame is aluminum, the back is matte plastic, and Gorilla Glass Victus covers the screen. The phone is rated IP68 for dust and water.
The 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel has a 2340 x 1080 resolution and a 120 Hz refresh rate. In Game Mode, touch sampling reaches 240 Hz. An optical fingerprint reader sits under the display. Samsung sold it in Olive, Lavender, White and Graphite. A Navy color was first a US exclusive, and Samsung Indonesia added it as Navy Blue in 2023.
Performance
The US model uses the Snapdragon 888, a 5 nm chip with an Adreno 660 GPU. Some regions got the Exynos 2100 instead. It comes with 6 or 8 GB of RAM and 128 or 256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage. There is no microSD slot. Connectivity includes 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC and a USB-C port with USB 3.2 speeds.
Cameras
The rear camera system has three lenses. The 12 MP main camera has an f/1.8 aperture, Dual Pixel autofocus and optical stabilization. A 12 MP ultrawide camera covers a 123-degree view. The 8 MP telephoto camera offers 3x optical zoom and up to 30x Space Zoom. On the front, a 32 MP selfie camera sits in a punch-hole cutout. Both sides record 4K video at up to 60 fps. 8K recording is not available.
Battery and charging
The battery has a typical capacity of 4,500 mAh. Wired charging reaches 25 W, and Samsung says it fills more than half the battery in 30 minutes. The phone also supports 15 W wireless charging. With Wireless PowerShare, it can charge earbuds or a watch on its back. Samsung does not include a charger in the box.
Software and updates
The S21 FE 5G shipped with Android 12 and One UI 4. At launch, Samsung promised three OS upgrades and four years of security patches. It later extended this to four Android upgrades and five years of security updates. In late 2025, the phone received One UI 8 based on Android 16, its final major upgrade. Security patches continue into early 2027.
Should you buy the Galaxy S21 FE 5G?
It suits buyers who want a compact phone with a 120 Hz screen, IP68 and a telephoto camera. However, Samsung no longer produces it, and it will not get new Android versions. Buying one now? Check that it is new or certified. Security updates end in early 2027. Buyers who want longer support should look at the Galaxy S23 FE or a newer model.
