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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Samsung Galaxy A53 is a budget-friendly option with a long battery life and a good overall camera quality, whereas the Galaxy S21 FE is priced higher with superior main camera quality and better performance. The A53 has a larger battery and screen, while the S21 FE has more RAM and a brighter display. Both have plastic backs, OLED screens with high refresh rates, and offer 5G connectivity. The S21 FE is also geared towards those who need higher video recording capabilities at 4K, offers wireless charging capabilities, and has higher water resistance. If cost is a major factor, the A53 provides many modern features for less; otherwise, the S21 FE offers premium features for a higher price. 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 Samsung Galaxy A53
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
- The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has no clear advantages over the Samsung Galaxy A53.
Key differences
Overall Camera Quality
5.9
7.0
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has good overall camera quality, while the Samsung Galaxy A53 has poor overall camera quality.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE boasts better overall camera performance than the Samsung Galaxy A53, with particularly higher selfie quality and more versatile photo features, such as superior software experience and dynamic range. While the Galaxy A53 offers a decent camera experience for its price, the Galaxy S21 FE delivers enhanced photo resolution, dynamic range, and low-light performance, justifying its higher cost for customers prioritizing camera quality.
Photo Quality
6.2
6.9
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE and Samsung Galaxy A53 both have only fair photos, though the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE takes somewhat better photos.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE delivers better selfies, excelling mainly due to its higher selfie quality score, as well as having a good overall photos software experience, making it adept at capturing photos with good dynamic range and low light performance. In contrast, while the Samsung Galaxy A53 takes very good photos overall, it falls short on the selfie quality and has a lower photos software experience, which impacts its ability to handle dynamic range and low light conditions compared to the S21 FE.
Video Quality
5.2
5.9
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE and Samsung Galaxy A53 both have poor videos, though the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE takes somewhat better videos.
The Samsung Galaxy A53 offers satisfactory video with its capabilities, but it can fall short in low light conditions and doesn't provide HDR support for video, which may result in less vibrant footage compared to phones with HDR video capabilities, like the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE delivers better video quality across various settings including dynamic range and low light, and it supports HDR10+ for videos, ensuring more detail and color accuracy in high-contrast scenes, alongside better microphone quality which is crucial for clear audio capture.
Battery
8.0 Hours
6.7 Hours
The Samsung Galaxy A53 has 8 hours of battery life. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has 6.7 hours of battery life.
Screen Size
The Samsung Galaxy A53 has a screen size of 6.5 inches and the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is 6.4 inches.
Cost
$200
$770
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Samsung Galaxy A53 has a price of $200 and the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE costs $770.
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How the Samsung Galaxy A53 and the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE compare to other phones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Samsung Galaxy A53 | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$200 | $770 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Samsung | Samsung | |
Operating System | |||
Operating System | Android | Android | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 24, 2022 | January 29, 2022 | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Screen Size | |||
Screen Size | 6.5" | 6.4" | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2400 x 1080 | 2400 x 1080 | |
Variable refresh rate | |||
Variable refresh rate | No | No | |
Pixels Per Inch | |||
Pixels Per Inch | 405 | 401 | |
Display Type | |||
Display Type | OLED | OLED | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | E1280 | SD888 | |
Internal Storage | |||
Internal Storage | 128 GB | 128 GB | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 6 GB | |
CAMERA | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Overall Camera Quality Score | |||
Overall Camera Quality Score | 6/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Photos Score | |||
Photos Score | 6.3/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Videos Score | |||
Videos Score | 5.3/10 | 5.9/10 | |
Rear Cameras | |||
Rear Cameras | Main, Ultrawide, Macro | Main, Ultrawide, Telephoto | |
Main Camera | |||
Main Camera | 64 megapixels + OIS | 12 megapixels + OIS | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 6.7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 5000 mAh | 4500 mAh | |
Wireless Charging | |||
Wireless Charging | No | Yes | |
Wireless charging Speed | |||
Wireless charging Speed | 0 W | 15 W | |
Reverse wireless charging | |||
Reverse wireless charging | No | Yes (4.5 watts) | |
PHYSICAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Size | |||
Size | 6.28" x 2.94" | 6.13" x 2.93" | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.67 oz | 6.24 oz | |
Back Material | |||
Back Material | Plastic | Plastic | |
Stereo Speakers | |||
Stereo Speakers | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Dual SIM | |||
Dual SIM | No | Yes | |
Bluetooth Version | |||
Bluetooth Version | 5.1 | 5.0 | |
A2DP | |||
A2DP | Yes | Yes | |
WiFi Version | |||
WiFi Version | 5 | 6 | |
NFC | |||
NFC | Yes | Yes | |
US 5G Bands | |||
US 5G Bands | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)2, 5, 48, 66, 77, 78, 260, 261 | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)41, 66, 71, 260, 261 | |
OTHER FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Biometric unlock | |||
Biometric unlock | Face unlock, Fingerprint sensor: Under Display | Face unlock, Fingerprint sensor: Under Display | |
Unlockable Bootloader | |||
Unlockable Bootloader | No | No | |
Color | |||
Color | Blue, White, Black | Graphite, Lavender, Olive, White, Navy Blue | |
Stock Android | |||
Stock Android | No | No | |
SD Card | |||
SD Card | Yes | No | |
Shopping
Samsung Galaxy A53
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Dig into reviews and images
Android Authority
Ryan Haines | May 2023
"Samsung’s quartet of rear cameras delivers the goods, both day and night, with the only blemish being the lack of 4K/60fps video recording. The large, 6.5-inch, 120Hz AMOLED display is crisp and smooth, making video streaming enjoyable. You should have no issues pushing the 5,000mAh battery to its limits and it’s not too slow to charge relative to its competitors in the US."
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 Samsung Galaxy A53 or the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
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
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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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