At the beginning of 2022, it turns out that Samsung has some surprise for its fans worldwide by releasing a flagship smartphone with the affordable Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G.
Unboxing Samsung S21 FE 5G
The name FE or Fan Edition in the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G indicates that this phone is designed for Samsung fans.
The concept is to present a smartphone with some Galaxy S21 flagship line features but a more affordable price tag to the Samsung fans. Like the other S series, the Galaxy S21 FE 5G box is very compact as there is no charger head in the box.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE packaging box is white with the "S" letter in silver on the front. The appearance of this packaging looks concise and unobtrusive. The inscription "Galaxy S21 FE" is on the bottom and left side.
This packaging box also has a motif that will only be visible if viewed carefully. The motif represents several icons of the features carried, such as macro camera, dark mode, etc.
As in the packaging of other Galaxy S21 variants, Samsung also removed the charger head for the Galaxy S21 FE 5G. That is, after buying the Galaxy S21 FE 5G, make sure you have the case and travel charger ready. There are also no earphones and other accessories such as soft cases.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G packaging box contents are a short guidebook, USB-C to USB-C charger cable, warranty card, and SIM ejector.
Lightweight and solid
There are volume and power buttons on the right side of the phone. The power button can also be a shortcut for Bixby virtual assistant.
The first impression we got from the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G was that it was comfortable holding and operating with one hand.
The weight of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G also feels light. Citing the GSM Arena page, this phone weighs only about 177 grams with dimensions of 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm, lighter than the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE released last year. Thus, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G feels comfortable when in your pocket.
Compared to other Samsung Galaxy S21 variants, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G screen size is between the regular Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is equipped with a 6.4 -inch screen. While the Samsung Galaxy S21 has a 6.2 -inch screen, and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus has a 6.7 -inch screen. However, although slightly larger, the Galaxy S21 FE has a rounded edge, so it feels fit and comfortable to hold.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G frame is made of solid aluminium, while the phone's back cover is polycarbonate plastic with a matte finish. The back of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is made of polycarbonate plastic. However, the plastic with a matte finish feels quite rough when held, so the phone does not easily fall out of hand. The finishing also makes fingerprints not easy to stick on the back.
A volume and power button on the right side of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G can be a shortcut for Bixby virtual assistant.
At the bottom, there is a SIM cards slot for two Nano type SIM cards. However, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G does not provide a MicroSD slot as additional storage. A USB type C port and a speaker grille can also be seen at the bottom. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G can produce stereo sound with one speaker at the bottom and another tucked in the top frame. While the phone's left side looks plain without buttons, a microphone and speakers are barely visible at the top.
AMOLED screen
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is equipped with a 6.4 -inch Full HD Plus Dynamic AMOLED screen, refresh rate 120 Hz, touch sampling rate 240 Hz, Eye Comfort Shield with AI-based blue light control.
There is a punch hole in the top centre of the screen that holds a 32 -megapixel camera. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G screen can display images with excellent brightness and colour. We also tried using the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G under the scorching sun. As a result, the screen display can still be seen with the colours staying sharp.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G supports a refresh rate of 120 Hz, making animated movements when scrolling the screen or moving applications look very smooth. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G screen has an aspect ratio of 19.5: 9. Slightly different from the size of the Galaxy S in general, which is 20: 9. If viewed, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G screen appears to fill the phone's body. However, the black frame around the screen looks quite thin, a little thicker at the bottom.
Beautiful and agile Android 12
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G already runs the Android 12 operating system coated with Samsung's special interface, OneUI 4.
Android 12 OS itself brings several new features and some improvements, especially in the design that now looks simpler. Google calls the new design language in Android 12 "Material You".
Matched with superb hardware, Android 12 feels very agile running on the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G. For information, the version we got is equipped with an Exynos 2100 chipset made with 5nm fabrication. The chipset is paired with 8 GB of RAM and two storage capacity options, 128 GB and 256 GB.
We will be releasing our in-depth review in a few weeks after using the phone ourselves. Till then, if you would like to have a new phone for a new year, S21 FE could be the one you are looking for!
