Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
37.5Performance90
47.2Display62.7
41.7Camera74
41.7Battery61.2
78.7Features94.7
2 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G15 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
InnoReviews verdict
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra wins this phone face-off, 76 to 45.2, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+53) and camera (+32). 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
- 17% lower weight: 177 g vs 214 g
- Lower launch price: $699 vs $1,299
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
- Stronger performance score: 90 vs 38
- Stronger display score: 63 vs 47
- Stronger camera score: 74 vs 42
- Stronger battery score: 61 vs 42
- Stronger features score: 95 vs 79
Display
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.4 ″ | 6.9 ″+8% |
| Panel type | AMOLED | LTPO AMOLED |
| Resolution | 2340x1080 | 3120x1440 |
| Pixel density | 401 ppi | 498 ppi+24% |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 1,200 nits | 2,600 nits+117% |
| AnTuTu 10 (CPU) | — | 1,017,509Top 7% |
| AnTuTu 10 (GPU) | — | 1,344,505Top 4% |
| AnTuTu 10 (Memory) | — | 390,717Top 7% |
| AnTuTu 10 (UX) | — | 685,076Top 7% |
Performance
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Snapdragon 888 | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy |
| AnTuTu 10 | 1,040,324Top 46% | 3,437,807+230%Top 2% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 1,450Top 48% | 3,850+166%Top 1% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 3,650Top 53% | 11,900+226%Top 1% |
| RAM (max) | 6 GB | 12 GB+100% |
| Storage options | 128GB / 256GB | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB |
| Storage type | UFS 3.1 | UFS 4.1 |
Camera
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 12 MP | 200 MP+1567% |
| Main aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.7 |
| Ultra-wide | 12 MP | 50 MP+317% |
| Telephoto | 8 MP | 50 MP+525% |
| Optical zoom | 3 x | 5 x+67% |
| 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 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 4,500 mAh | 5,000 mAh+11% |
| Wired charging | 25 W | 60 W+140% |
| Wireless charging | 15 W | 25 W+67% |
Design
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 177 g+17% | 214 g |
| Thickness | 7.9 mm | 7.9 mm |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Aluminum | Titanium |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
Related comparisons
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5Gvs Samsung Galaxy A35VSSamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5Gvs Redmi 15 5GVSSamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5Gvs Nothing Phone (1)VSSamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5Gvs Huawei P40 ProVSSamsung Galaxy S26 Ultravs Xiaomi 15 UltraVSSamsung Galaxy S26 Ultravs Vivo X200 ProVSSamsung Galaxy S26 Ultravs OnePlus 13VSSamsung Galaxy S26 Ultravs Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraVS