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CES 2022: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE revealed with flagship features and affordable price
There will always be people like me that purchase the latest and greatest because we want to explore all that a company has to offer. However, millions don't want to pay $1000 or more for their phone and Samsung offers its FE (fan edition) series that brings most of the premium features from its flagships to a more affordable device.
CES 2022
The new Samsung Galaxy S21 FE will be available starting on 11 January from Samsung, other retailers, and wireless carriers starting at $699.99. It offers that cool S21 Contour-Cut frame around the cameras, four new color options, fabulous display with 120Hz refresh rate, triple rear camera system, and more. The S21 FE is powered by a Snapdragon 888 processor with Android 12 and Samsung UI 4.
A 32MP front-facing camera is present with AI face restoration features and dual recording so you can capture the action from the front-facing camera and rear camera at the same time. 5G is supported as well and when you set this down next to the S21, it's tough to see many differences.
Specifications
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
- Main display: 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X with 120Hz refresh rate
- Operating system: Android 12 with OneUI 4
- RAM: 6GB/8GB
- Storage: 128GB/256GB internal storage
- Dust/water resistance: IP68
- Cameras: 12MP wide, 12MP ultra-wide (123 degrees field of view), and 8MP telephoto with 30x Space Zoom. 32MP front-facing camera
- Battery: 4500mAh non-removable with wireless charging, wireless PowerShare, and fast charging support
- Dimensions: 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9mm and a weight of 177g
- Colors: Olive, Lavender, White, Graphite
See also: Best Samsung phone 2022: Explore a new Galaxy
Looking at the S21 Plus for comparison, differences can be seen in the amount of RAM, slightly smaller display, telephoto camera (8MP vs 64MP), and slightly smaller battery capacity. The S21 FE has a better front-facing camera, 32MP vs 10MP. The S21 Plus starts at $999.99 while the S21 FE starts at $699.99 for the 6GB RAM/128GB internal storage model. The 8GB/256GB model is priced at just $70 more, $769.99.
Due to snowfall in the area, UPS was unable to deliver the evaluation unit before we departed for CES in Vegas. Stay tuned for hands-on impressions and a review of the new phone in the weeks ahead.