Nothing Phone (3a) vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
35.1Performance37.5
58.8Display47.2
54.7Camera41.7
59.2Battery41.7
73.3Features78.7
7 spec wins — Nothing Phone (3a)10 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
InnoReviews verdict
Nothing Phone (3a) wins this phone face-off, 52.4 to 45.2, pulling ahead mainly in battery (+18) and camera (+13). Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Nothing Phone (3a)
- Stronger display score: 59 vs 47
- Stronger camera score: 55 vs 42
- Stronger battery score: 59 vs 42
- 525% higher telephoto: 50 MP vs 8 MP
- 317% higher Main camera: 50 MP vs 12 MP
- Lower launch price: $379 vs $699
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
- Stronger features score: 79 vs 73
- 50% higher Ultra-wide: 12 MP vs 8 MP
- 50% higher Optical zoom: 3 x vs 2 x
- 33% higher OS update pledge: 4 years vs 3 years
- 30% higher AnTuTu 10: 1,040,324 vs 800,000
Display
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.77 ″+6% | 6.4 ″ |
| Panel type | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1080x2392 | 2340x1080 |
| Pixel density | 387 ppi | 401 ppi+4% |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 3,000 nits+150% | 1,200 nits |
| Screen-to-body | 87.4 % | — |
Performance
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 | Snapdragon 888 |
| AnTuTu 10 | 800,000Top 61% | 1,040,324+30%Top 46% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 1,150Top 61% | 1,450+26%Top 48% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 3,250Top 61% | 3,650+12%Top 53% |
| RAM (max) | 12 GB+100% | 6 GB |
| Storage options | 128/256GB | 128GB / 256GB |
| Storage type | UFS 2.2 | UFS 3.1 |
Camera
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 50 MP+317% | 12 MP |
| Main aperture | f/1.88 | f/1.8 |
| Ultra-wide | 8 MP | 12 MP+50% |
| Telephoto | 50 MP+525% | 8 MP |
| Optical zoom | 2 x | 3 x+50% |
| Max video | 4K@30fps | 4K@60fps |
| Front camera | 32 MP | 32 MP |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh+11% | 4,500 mAh |
| Wired charging | 50 W+100% | 25 W |
| Wireless charging | 0 W | 15 W |
| Active use endurance | 11 h | — |
Design
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 201 g | 177 g+12% |
| Thickness | 8.4 mm | 7.9 mm+6% |
| IP rating | IP64 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.0 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 2.0 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | Yes | Yes |
Software
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 15 (Nothing OS 3.1) | Android 12 (One UI 4) |
| OS update pledge | 3 years | 4 years+33% |
Audio
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
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