Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs Galaxy S23 FE: Should you upgrade?

Samsung is back with the 2023 refresh of the crowd-favorite, the Galaxy FE series. The Galaxy S23 FE succeeds the Galaxy S21 FE, which was launched in early 2022. The FE philosophy is only to make a few changes while delivering a close-to-flagship experience. To that end, the Galaxy S21 FE won a lot of hearts, though many found its launch pricing funny. Can the Galaxy S23 FE do the same? Should Galaxy S21 FE owners consider the S23 FE a worthy upgrade? Let’s find out in this Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs Galaxy S23 FE specs comparison!

Zooming out and comparing the two phones, the Galaxy S23 FE is just about a camera and processor refresh over the Galaxy S21 FE. And that’s not a bad thing per se since the Galaxy S21 FE came with a well-appreciated spec sheet.

The most significant point of difference is the switch over to the newer Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC over the Snapdragon 888 SoC in the US and the Exynos 2200 over the Exynos 2100 globally.

While the processor refresh is appreciated, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is a difficult recommendation in late 2023 when the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and 8 Gen 2 exist, and even their successor is around the corner. The jump from the 8 Gen 1 to the 8 Plus Gen 1 is significant, so this looks like a missed opportunity from Samsung, even at the reduced price. It’s a fine enough processor in terms of performance, but we’ve seen it hog battery and heat up too quickly in previous devices. We’ll have to wait and see if the same is true of the S23 FE.

The Galaxy S21 FE came in 6GB and 8GB RAM variants, while the Galaxy S23 FE comes in an 8GB RAM variant only. There are 128GB and 256GB internal storage options on both phones, though neither offers microSD card expandability.

The next noticeable difference between the two phones is the design. The Galaxy S21 inspired the Galaxy S21 FE, while the Galaxy S23 inspired the Galaxy S23 FE. But since the evolutionary S22 is missing between the two FE generations, we get two FE phones that look very different.

The Galaxy S23 FE retains the iconic separate camera lens from the Galaxy S23, skipping over its predecessor’s combined camera island design. It also has a similar aluminum mid-frame and glass back (albeit downgraded from Gorilla Glass Victus 2 to a more modest Gorilla Glass 5. That said, it bests the S21 FE’s glass-metal-plastic combination. Gorilla Glass Victus protects the front of both devices.

Other minor changes on the Galaxy S23 FE include support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. In comparison, the Galaxy S21 FE supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0. Both support NFC.

Beyond that, the Galaxy S23 FE is quite similar to the Galaxy S21 FE. You get a 6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate on both phones. Both phones have noticeable bezels around the display, though you get used to it after a few days.

One point of difference would be the software. The Galaxy S21 FE launched with One UI 4 based on Android 12 in 2022 and is promised four major Android OS updates and five years of security updates. Samsung’s excellent update promise has not changed with the Galaxy S23 FE, but since this is a new device, it is launching with One UI 5.1 based on Android 13 in 2023. It will be supported longer than the older device, thanks to its age.

Despite the similarities in specifications, the Galaxy S21 FE is a lighter and marginally smaller phone than the Galaxy S23 FE, perhaps due to the plastic rear.

The Galaxy S21 FE measures 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm. The Galaxy S23 FE is taller at 157.9mm, wider at 76.5mm, and marginally thicker at 8.1mm.

These differences add to a good 32g weight difference between the two phones, with the S21 FE weighing 177g while the S23 FE weighs 209g.

One of the few differences between the two phones is in the primary rear camera. The Galaxy S21 FE has a 12MP primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture and OIS. On the other hand, the Galaxy S23 FE upgrades this to a 50MP primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture and OIS. We’ll be running in-depth camera tests to see where it ranks among the best camera phones.

The ultrawide and telephoto camera on both phones is the same. You get a 12MP ultrawide with f/2.2 aperture and an 8MP telephoto with f/2.4 aperture and 3x optical zoom capabilities.

The selfie camera on the Galaxy S23 FE sees a resolution downgrade, going down to 10MP with f/2.4 aperture and Dual Pixel tech from the 32MP with f/2.2 aperture on the Galaxy S21 FE.

The Galaxy S21 FE and the Galaxy S23 FE have the same specifications for battery and charging. The 4,500mAh battery on the Galaxy S21 FE lasts for a day and a half of regular use, and you can expect some efficiency gains on the Galaxy S23 FE from the new processor, but nothing too drastically different.

As for charging, the Galaxy S21 FE and Galaxy S23 FE both support 25W fast wired charging and 15W wireless charging, as well as 4.5W reverse wireless charging. With a good charger, you will need about 90 minutes to fully charge either device, while wireless charging will take upwards of two hours for a full charge.

Perhaps the most significant change between the two phones is the price. The Galaxy S21 FE was launched with a starting price of $699, which pits it close to the Galaxy S22 and other top Android phones. As a result, many did not properly appreciate the value that the Galaxy S21 FE brought to the table despite its decent spec sheet.

Samsung is fixing some of the mistakes with the Galaxy S23 FE, which has a significantly lower starting price of $599 despite the improved specifications. This puts a reasonable $200 price gap between the FE and the Galaxy S23, giving users a more substantial value for money than its predecessor.

The Galaxy S23 FE is a decent upgrade over the Galaxy S21 FE, especially since it brings the price down. This lower launch price on the S23 FE adds back the value quotient missing from the S21 FE. The price difference between the FE and the current flagship Galaxy S23 will push many more people to consider the Galaxy S23 FE, which is excellent news.

However, there is no getting around the fact that the Galaxy S23 FE uses an old, problematic processor. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 lags behind the 8 Plus Gen 1 by a significant margin, and the performance and efficiency gains are too strong to continue recommending the 8 Gen 1 in late 2023. We’ll even see the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in a few weeks after the phone hits shelves!

Unless you absolutely need to buy a Samsung device only, there are other options you should explore. Samsung’s own Galaxy A54 5G ($449.99 at Samsung) lets you save some more money and makes fair compromises, while Google’s upcoming Pixel 8 is worth watching for if your budget is flexible. And if your budget is relaxed, the Galaxy S23 ($799 at Amazon) should be on your radar for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor alone, and especially if you can find it on sale.

If you are an existing Galaxy S21 FE user who wants to upgrade to a Samsung device, the Galaxy S23 FE is a good choice. But be aware of the generational upgrades of performance and efficiency that you are missing out on due to the older processor. The Galaxy S23 FE is a good device, but it’s not quite a home run.