iPhone SE (3rd gen) vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
44Performance37.5
21.3Display47.2
31.9Camera41.7
27.7Battery41.7
89.3Features78.7
5 spec wins — iPhone SE (3rd gen)11 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
InnoReviews verdict
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G wins this phone face-off, 45.2 to 38.3, pulling ahead mainly in display (+26) and battery (+14). iPhone SE (3rd gen) still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the iPhone SE (3rd gen)
- Stronger performance score: 44 vs 38
- Stronger features score: 89 vs 79
- 50% higher OS update pledge: 6 years vs 4 years
- 45% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 2,100 vs 1,450
- 42% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 5,200 vs 3,650
- Lower launch price: $429 vs $699
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
- Stronger display score: 47 vs 21
- Stronger camera score: 42 vs 32
- Stronger battery score: 42 vs 28
- 357% higher Front camera: 32 MP vs 7 MP
- 200% higher Optical zoom: 3 x vs 1 x
Display
| Spec | iPhone SE (3rd gen) | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 4.7 ″ | 6.4 ″+36% |
| Panel type | Retina IPS LCD | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 750x1334 | 2340x1080 |
| Pixel density | 326 ppi | 401 ppi+23% |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz+100% |
| Peak brightness | 625 nits | 1,200 nits+92% |
| Screen-to-body | 65.4 % | — |
Performance
| Spec | iPhone SE (3rd gen) | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple A15 Bionic | Snapdragon 888 |
| AnTuTu 10 | 890,000Top 59% | 1,040,324+17%Top 46% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,100+45%Top 27% | 1,450Top 48% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 5,200+42%Top 32% | 3,650Top 53% |
| RAM (max) | 4 GB | 6 GB+50% |
| Storage options | 64/128/256GB | 128GB / 256GB |
| Storage type | NVMe | UFS 3.1 |
Camera
| Spec | iPhone SE (3rd gen) | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Main aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.8 |
| Ultra-wide | — | 12 MP |
| Telephoto | — | 8 MP |
| Optical zoom | 1 x | 3 x+200% |
| Max video | 4K@60fps | 4K@60fps |
| Front camera | 7 MP | 32 MP+357% |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | iPhone SE (3rd gen) | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 2,018 mAh | 4,500 mAh+123% |
| Wired charging | 20 W | 25 W+25% |
| Wireless charging | 8 W | 15 W+100% |
| Active use endurance | 7 h | — |
Design
| Spec | iPhone SE (3rd gen) | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 144 g+19% | 177 g |
| Thickness | 7.3 mm+8% | 7.9 mm |
| IP rating | IP67 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | iPhone SE (3rd gen) | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | Lightning | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | Yes | Yes |
Software
| Spec | iPhone SE (3rd gen) | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | iOS 15 | Android 12 (One UI 4) |
| OS update pledge | 6 years+50% | 4 years |
Audio
| Spec | iPhone SE (3rd gen) | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
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