If you value having a top-of-the-line camera and are willing to pay more, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra offers an 'excellent' camera compared to the 'good' camera of the Galaxy S21 FE. The S24 Ultra also has a larger, higher resolution display with a glass back, more storage, and a more powerful processor. It features a longer battery life and comes with an integrated stylus. However, if cost is a major concern and you still want a decent camera, a good screen, and satisfactory overall performance, the Galaxy S21 FE is a great choice at a more midrange price with a plastic back, it's lighter, and still has features like wireless charging and an under-display fingerprint sensor. 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 S21 FE
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has no clear advantages over the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Advantages of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Best in class for taking photos
Very good for recording videos
Excellent battery life
Best in class display quality
Best in class performance
Key differences
Overall Camera Quality
7.0/10
9.3/10
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has excellent overall camera quality, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has good overall camera quality.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE offers a good selfie camera experience but falls short compared to the very good selfie quality of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, which also provides a more versatile camera system with excellent ratings in other important photo and video aspects. If a high-quality selfie camera and overall camera versatility are crucial to you, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is a superior option, although it may come at a higher price point.
Photo Quality
6.9/10
9.7/10
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra takes best in class photos, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE takes only fair photos.
The Galaxy S21 FE has a good selfie camera quality, which means its front-facing camera takes nice pictures, thus providing a satisfactory experience for selfies. On the other hand, the Galaxy S24 Ultra offers very good selfie camera quality, indicating a superior performance when capturing selfies, but this comes with a higher price tag due to its recent release and advanced features.
Video Quality
5.9/10
8.3/10
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra takes very good videos, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE takes poor videos.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE generally provides a good video experience across resolution, stabilization, and microphone quality, making it strong for video recording. In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, despite its advanced technology, falls short in delivering satisfying video stabilization and dynamic range, which might lead to less impressive video performance in certain situations.
Battery
6.7 Hours
10.4 Hours
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has 6.7 hours of battery life. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has 10.4 hours of battery life.
Screen Size
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has a screen size of 6.4 inches and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is 6.8 inches.
Cost
$770
$1,300
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has a price of $770 and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra costs $1,300.
"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 S21 FE or the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
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.
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
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Phones stats compiled
8
Proprietary Phones ratings developed
151,800
Recommendations made
86,020
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
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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.
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Phones Expert
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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.