POCO M5 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
27Performance37.5
45.6Display47.2
29Camera41.7
38.8Battery41.7
28Features78.7
4 spec wins — POCO M514 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
InnoReviews verdict
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G wins this phone face-off, 45.2 to 33.6, pulling ahead mainly in features (+51) and camera (+13). POCO M5 still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the POCO M5
- 317% higher Main camera: 50 MP vs 12 MP
- 11% higher capacity: 5,000 mAh vs 4,500 mAh
- Has 3.5mm jack — the other doesn't
- Lower launch price: $189 vs $699
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
- Stronger performance score: 38 vs 27
- Stronger camera score: 42 vs 29
- Stronger features score: 79 vs 28
- 540% higher Front camera: 32 MP vs 5 MP
- 100% higher OS update pledge: 4 years vs 2 years
Display
| Spec | POCO M5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.58 ″+3% | 6.4 ″ |
| Panel type | IPS LCD | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 2408x1080 | 2340x1080 |
| Pixel density | 401 ppi | 401 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 90 Hz | 120 Hz+33% |
| Peak brightness | — | 1,200 nits |
Performance
| Spec | POCO M5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | MediaTek Helio G99 | Snapdragon 888 |
| AnTuTu 10 | 555,354Top 72% | 1,040,324+87%Top 46% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 730Top 83% | 1,450+99%Top 48% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 2,010Top 81% | 3,650+82%Top 53% |
| RAM (max) | 4 GB | 6 GB+50% |
| Storage options | 64GB / 128GB | 128GB / 256GB |
| Storage type | eMMC 5.1 | UFS 3.1 |
Camera
| Spec | POCO M5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 50 MP+317% | 12 MP |
| Main aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.8 |
| Ultra-wide | — | 12 MP |
| Telephoto | — | 8 MP |
| Optical zoom | — | 3 x |
| Max video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@60fps |
| Front camera | 5 MP | 32 MP+540% |
| OIS | No | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | POCO M5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh+11% | 4,500 mAh |
| Wired charging | 18 W | 25 W+39% |
| Wireless charging | — | 15 W |
Design
| Spec | POCO M5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 201 g | 177 g+12% |
| Thickness | 8.9 mm | 7.9 mm+11% |
| IP rating | — | IP68 |
| Frame material | Plastic | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | POCO M5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | No | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.0 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 2.0 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | No | Yes |
Software
| Spec | POCO M5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 12 (MIUI 13) | Android 12 (One UI 4) |
| OS update pledge | 2 years | 4 years+100% |
Audio
| Spec | POCO M5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | No | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |