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The PerfectRec phone team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you value a more compact phone and slightly better photo quality, the Apple iPhone 13 mini may be a better fit for you. On the other hand, if you prioritize a bigger screen, longer battery life, and a higher screen refresh rate which makes the display smoother, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE could be more to your liking. The iPhone uses iOS and has a glass back, whereas the Galaxy S21 FE uses Android and has a plastic back. Both offer 5G, wireless charging, and have similar storage options; your choice may also be influenced by your preference for either the Apple or Android ecosystem. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple iPhone 13 mini
- Good for taking photos
- Very good for recording videos
- Very good display quality
- Very good performance
Advantages of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
- The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has no clear advantages over the Apple iPhone 13 mini.
Key differences
Overall Camera Quality
7.7
7.0
The Apple iPhone 13 mini and Samsung Galaxy S21 FE both have good overall camera quality, though the Apple iPhone 13 mini has somewhat better overall camera quality.
The Apple iPhone 13 mini is noted for its excellent selfie capabilities owing to its high selfie quality score, along with solid photo software experience, dynamic range, and low light performance; however, it lags a bit in camera versatility.
Photo Quality
7.5
6.9
The Apple iPhone 13 mini takes good photos, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE takes only fair photos.
The Apple iPhone 13 mini takes better selfies than the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE because it is rated very good on selfie quality while the S21 FE is rated good. The iPhone's higher selfie quality indicates better resolution, software experience, dynamic range, and low light performance in this regard, even though the S21 FE also offers a good photos software experience and dynamic range.
Video Quality
8.0
5.9
The Apple iPhone 13 mini takes very good videos, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE takes poor videos.
The Apple iPhone 13 mini offers a superior video software experience and stabilization, which likely contributes to its very good video quality, especially in low light conditions and dynamic scenes, paired with an excellent score in microphone quality. In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, while still delivering good video quality, records with a lower video stabilization and software experience, and doesn't perform as well in low light and dynamic range, though it still has a substantial microphone quality.
Battery
5.6 Hours
6.7 Hours
The Apple iPhone 13 mini has 5.6 hours of battery life. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has 6.7 hours of battery life.
Screen Size
The Apple iPhone 13 mini has a screen size of 5.4 inches and the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is 6.4 inches.
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Key similarities
Cost
$600
$600
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
$900
The Apple iPhone 13 mini has a price of $600 and the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE costs $600.
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How the Apple iPhone 13 mini and the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE compare to other phones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple iPhone 13 mini | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$600 | $600 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Apple | Samsung | |
Operating System | |||
Operating System | iOS | Android | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 24, 2021 | January 29, 2022 | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Screen Size | |||
Screen Size | 5.4" | 6.4" | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2340 x 1080 | 2400 x 1080 | |
Variable refresh rate | |||
Variable refresh rate | No | No | |
Pixels Per Inch | |||
Pixels Per Inch | 476 | 401 | |
Display Type | |||
Display Type | OLED | OLED | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | A15 | SD888 | |
Internal Storage | |||
Internal Storage | 128 GB | 128 GB | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 6 GB | |
CAMERA | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Overall Camera Quality Score | |||
Overall Camera Quality Score | 7.7/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Photos Score | |||
Photos Score | 7.5/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Videos Score | |||
Videos Score | 8.1/10 | 5.9/10 | |
Rear Cameras | |||
Rear Cameras | Main, Ultrawide | Main, Ultrawide, Telephoto | |
Main Camera | |||
Main Camera | 12 megapixels + OIS | 12 megapixels + OIS | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5.6 Hours | 6.7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 2438 mAh | 4500 mAh | |
Wireless Charging | |||
Wireless Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Wireless charging Speed | |||
Wireless charging Speed | 12 W | 15 W | |
Reverse wireless charging | |||
Reverse wireless charging | No | Yes (4.5 watts) | |
PHYSICAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Size | |||
Size | 5.18" x 2.53" | 6.13" x 2.93" | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.97 oz | 6.24 oz | |
Back Material | |||
Back Material | Glass | Plastic | |
Stereo Speakers | |||
Stereo Speakers | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Dual SIM | |||
Dual SIM | Yes | Yes | |
Bluetooth Version | |||
Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | 5.0 | |
A2DP | |||
A2DP | Yes | Yes | |
WiFi Version | |||
WiFi Version | 6 | 6 | |
NFC | |||
NFC | Yes | Yes | |
US 5G Bands | |||
US 5G Bands | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 258, 260, 261 (SA/NSA/Sub6) 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)41, 66, 71, 260, 261 | |
OTHER FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Biometric unlock | |||
Biometric unlock | Face unlock | Face unlock, Fingerprint sensor: Under Display | |
Unlockable Bootloader | |||
Unlockable Bootloader | No | No | |
Color | |||
Color | Blue, Pink, Midnight, Starlight, Green, Red | Graphite, Lavender, Olive, White, Navy Blue | |
Stock Android | |||
Stock Android | N/A | No | |
SD Card | |||
SD Card | No | No | |
Shopping
Apple iPhone 13 mini
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Guide
Jordan Palmer | May 2022
"It’s the best small phone you can possibly buy, outpacing anything Android can offer. With the A15 Bionic system-on-chip, which includes a quad-core GPU, the iPhone 13 mini is a very powerful little phone. Fans of smaller handsets will love this phone, as it fits in many a pocket."
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Guide
Philip Michaels | March 2022
"The Galaxy S21 FE is a fine addition to Samsung's S21 lineup, retaining the very best features of those flagship phones for a more modest price. This is a solid phone, matching the performance of the top Android flagships from a year ago and delivering photos that hold their own against some of the best camera phones we've tested."
Get a great deal on the Apple iPhone 13 mini or the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
About Apple
The tech giant called Apple is synonymous with the most popular smartphone in the world: the iPhone. Known for their build quality and aesthetics, as well as for their excellent integration between hardware and software, iPhones have defined the smartphone industry ever since their conception and they continue to do so by setting new industry standards. Apple's own operating system, called iOS, is known for its simplicity and ease of use, and the company tends to complement it well by creating devices with some of the most powerful processing hardware available in the mobile world. The iPhone is also known for its robust ecosystem of accessories, as it facilitates a very seamless experience when interacting with other Apple products, more so than most of its competitors.
About Samsung
Samsung is one of the most recognizable names in the smartphone industry, standing as the undisputed best-selling brand of Android smartphones in the United States for many years now. Samsung is known for offering a variety of smartphones in all available price points, as well as for implementing cutting-edge technology and innovative features in their flagship devices, ones that often shape the market going forward. The company offers its own unique spin on Android, called One UI, which focuses on offering a multitude of features and is heavily customizable, according to user preference.
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Why trust us
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec phones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest phone information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
68
Phones evaluated
7,820
Phones stats compiled
8
Proprietary Phones ratings developed
144,600
Recommendations made
81,940
Consumer hours saved
About the phone team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Phones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Seth Peoples
Phones Expert
Seth is a US-based product expert focusing on smartphones and he is a moderator of one of the largest smartphone subreddits. His tailored recommendations have helped him earn over 87k comment karma, putting him in the top 1% of Redditors.
Efthimis Kotanidis
Phones Expert
Efthimis is a Greece-based product expert focusing on smartphones. He has been recommending phones for 4 years and his recommendations on Reddit have earned him over 35k karma.
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