Samsung Releases New, Lower-Priced Galaxy S21 FE

Following on from 2020’s Galaxy S20 FE smartphone, the S21 FE incorporates ‘fan favourite’ aspects of the high-end S21 series in a more affordable package, including pro-grade cameras, 5G connectivity and all-day battery life.

The ‘fan edition’ S21 FE offers a lower-priced alternative to last year’s Galaxy S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra devices. Here’s what Samsung fans can expect from the newest Galaxy smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: camera, features, battery and more

Display and design

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE features a 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display — slightly larger than the Galaxy S21’s 6.2 inches, and with slim bezels and a Contour Cut frame to ensure users can enjoy viewing uninterrupted by camera cut-outs.

The screen itself includes a 120Hz refresh rate, making scrolling and gaming fast and responsive, plus a 240Hz Touch Sampling Rate in Game Mode, meaning your screen becomes aware of your touch faster and can execute a response in milliseconds with minimal lag.

The S21 FE also features tough Gorilla Glass Victus in front, includes IP68 water resistance, and apes the design of the S21 series in general by offering a top-left rear camera set-up, and four colour options in Graphite, White, Lavender, and the all-new Olive.

Camera

Samsung tends to market its FE phones towards a younger audience, meaning cameras continue to be a key feature. The S21 FE includes a three-camera line-up in back, consisting of a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera, 12-megapixel wide camera, and 8-megapixel telephoto camera with up to 30x space zoom.

This is similar to the set-up found in the S20 FE, but with improvements. Samsung says its S21 FE comes with an upgraded Night Mode and AI processing for enhanced low-light and after-dark shots.

For vloggers and content creators, the S21 FE features dual recording, so you can film through both front and back cameras at once, or switch between angles as needed.

Samsung has also included a 32-megapixel selfie camera in front, designed for high-quality self-portraits, boasting features including AI Face Restoration for studio-style, Instagram-ready pics.

→Related article: Best Vlogging Cameras

Internal specs

A serious camera set-up requires some major processing power, and the S21 FE sports some strong specs under the hood. As with other phones in the S21 range, the FE includes a 64-bit Octa-Core processor, although most likely with a slightly-slower CPU speed than the standard S21, S21+ or S21 Ultra.

However, Samsung is a pro at making multi-tasking smooth, particularly on its gaming-and-streaming focused Galaxy S devices, so you can expect a great performance that pairs perfectly with the S21 FE’s capabilities.

The S21 FE also features a big 4500mAh battery, along with 25W superfast charging compatibility for quick, easy top-ups.

Running Android 12 out of the box, the newest FE is available with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, or 8GB of RAM with 256GB storage, and features strong built-in privacy controls and customisation options thanks to Samsung’s One UI 4 interface.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: quick specs

• 6.4-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen
• 32MP front selfie camera
• Triple camera set-up in rear (12MP, 12MP, 8MP)
• Fingerprint sensor and facial recognition
• Android 12 operating system
• 4500mAh battery, Wireless Power Share, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0
• IP68 water and dust resistance
• 64-bit Octa-Core processor
• 5G connectivity

Compare broadband with Canstar Blue

To help you get a clearer picture of broadband providers in NZ, Canstar Blue rates all the big providers annually. We survey thousands of broadband customers and ask them to score their providers across categories including Value for Money, Network Performance and Customer Service.

Canstar Blue’s latest review of NZ internet providers compares NOW, 2degrees, Bigpipe, Contact, MyRepublic, Nova Energy, Orcon, Slingshot, Spark, Stuff Fibre, Trustpower and Vodafone, and awards the best our 5 Star rating:

See Our Ratings Methodology

The table above is an abridged version of our full research, so to find out more about NZ’s best broadband providers, just click on the big button at the bottom of this story.

Compare Broadband Providers

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: prices and plans

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is available to buy outright or on a plan from major telcos, including Spark, Vodafone, and 2 Degrees. You’ll also be able to buy the device from a range of retailers. The outright price for the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is:

• Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 128GB: $1099
• Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 256GB: $1199

With the standard Samsung Galaxy S21 5G priced from $1,399 for the 256GB size, the S21 FE comes in at $200 cheaper for the same storage option. This pricing is also similar to the recently-released Google Pixel 6, which offers similar features.

If you’re considering the 2021 Samsung Galaxy S21 FE you can see what payment plans are on offer below:

2 Degrees

With 2 Degrees, you can buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, interest-free, over 12, 24, or 36 months on a pay monthly plan. all plans have endless data, with varying max speed caps.

• 4GB max speed data cap – $40 p/m
• 12GB max speed data cap – $60 p/m
• 40GB max speed data cap – $80 p/m

Spark

With Spark, you can pay the phone off over 12, 18, 24, or 36 months on a selection of open term or prepaid plans.

Vodafone

With Vodafone, you can buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, interest-free, over 12, 24, or 36 months on a pay monthly plan. All plans have unlimited calling, texts, and data, with varying max speed data caps

• 5GB max speed data cap – $45 p/m
• 12GB max speed data cap – $60 p/m
• 40GB max speed data cap – $80 p/m
• 100GB max speed data cap – $100 p/m

→Related article: Unlimited Data: NZ’s Best Phone Data Deals

Compare Mobile Phone Plan Providers

About the author of this page

This report was written by Canstar Content Producer, Andrew Broadley. Andrew is an experienced writer with a wide range of industry experience. Starting out, he cut his teeth working as a writer for print and online magazines, and he has worked in both journalism and editorial roles. His content has covered lifestyle and culture, marketing and, more recently, finance for Canstar.