Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G vs Samsung Galaxy S26
37.5Performance81
47.2Display60
41.7Camera47.3
41.7Battery62.1
78.7Features94.7
3 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G11 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S26
InnoReviews verdict
Samsung Galaxy S26 wins this phone face-off, 67.7 to 45.2, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+44) and battery (+20). 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 Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
- 167% higher Front camera: 32 MP vs 12 MP
- Lower launch price: $699 vs $900
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S26
- Stronger performance score: 81 vs 38
- Stronger display score: 60 vs 47
- Stronger camera score: 47 vs 42
- Stronger battery score: 62 vs 42
- Stronger features score: 95 vs 79
Display
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.4 ″+2% | 6.3 ″ |
| Panel type | AMOLED | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X |
| Resolution | 2340x1080 | 1080x2340 |
| Pixel density | 401 ppi | 411 ppi+2% |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 1,200 nits | 2,600 nits+117% |
| Screen-to-body | — | 90 % |
Performance
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Snapdragon 888 | Samsung Exynos 2600 (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy in the US, China and Japan) |
| AnTuTu | 1,040,324 | 3,064,672+195% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 1,450Top 44% | 2,995+107%Top 14% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 3,650Top 50% | 10,824+197%Top 4% |
| RAM (max) | 6 GB | 12 GB+100% |
| Storage options | 128GB / 256GB | 256GB/512GB |
| Storage type | UFS 3.1 | UFS 4.0 |
Camera
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 12 MP | 50 MP+317% |
| Main aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.8 |
| Ultra-wide | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Telephoto | 8 MP | 10 MP+25% |
| Optical zoom | 3 x | 3 x |
| Max video | 4K@60fps | 8K@30fps |
| Front camera | 32 MP+167% | 12 MP |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 4,500 mAh+5% | 4,300 mAh |
| Wired charging | 25 W | 25 W |
| Wireless charging | 15 W | 15 W |
| Active use endurance | — | 15.3 h |
Design
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 177 g | 167 g+6% |
| Thickness | 7.9 mm | 7.2 mm+9% |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Aluminum | Armor Aluminum 2 |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.4 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 3.2 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | Yes | Yes |
Software
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 12 (One UI 4) | Android 16 (One UI 8.5) |
| OS update pledge | 4 years | 7 years+75% |
Audio
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
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