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InnoReviews

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G vs Xiaomi 17

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
45.2Inno Score
VS
WINNER
Xiaomi 17

Xiaomi

Xiaomi 17
80.2Inno Score
37.5Performance87
47.2Display68.8
41.7Camera68.6
41.7Battery91
78.7Features84
4 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G13 spec wins — Xiaomi 17

InnoReviews verdict

Xiaomi 17 wins this phone face-off, 80.2 to 45.2, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+50) and battery (+49). 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

  • 15% higher Optical zoom: 3 x vs 2.6 x

Reasons to pick the Xiaomi 17

  • Stronger performance score: 87 vs 38
  • Stronger display score: 69 vs 47
  • Stronger camera score: 69 vs 42
  • Stronger battery score: 91 vs 42
  • Stronger features score: 84 vs 79

Display

Display comparison: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G versus Xiaomi 17
SpecSamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5GXiaomi 17
Screen size6.4 ″+2%6.3 ″
Panel typeAMOLEDLTPO AMOLED
Resolution2340x10801220x2656
Pixel density401 ppi464 ppi+16%
Refresh rate120 Hz120 Hz
Peak brightness1,200 nits3,500 nits+192%
Screen-to-body—91.1 %

Performance

Performance comparison: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G versus Xiaomi 17
SpecSamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5GXiaomi 17
ChipsetSnapdragon 888Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
AnTuTuDifferent AnTuTu versions — not compared1,040,3243,248,535Top 9%
AnTuTu 11 (CPU)—921,447Top 9%
AnTuTu 11 (GPU)—1,191,470Top 11%
AnTuTu 11 (Memory)—473,607Top 5%
AnTuTu 11 (UX)—662,011Top 9%
Geekbench 6 (single)1,450Top 44%3,559+145%Top 5%
Geekbench 6 (multi)3,650Top 50%10,459+187%Top 6%
RAM (max)6 GB16 GB+167%
Storage options128GB / 256GB256/512GB/1TB
Storage typeUFS 3.1UFS 4.1

Camera

Camera comparison: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G versus Xiaomi 17
SpecSamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5GXiaomi 17
Main camera12 MP50 MP+317%
Main aperturef/1.8f/1.67
Ultra-wide12 MP50 MP+317%
Telephoto8 MP50 MP+525%
Optical zoom3 x+15%2.6 x
Max video4K@60fps8K@30fps
Front camera32 MP50 MP+56%
OISYesYes

Battery

Battery comparison: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G versus Xiaomi 17
SpecSamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5GXiaomi 17
Capacity4,500 mAh6,330 mAh+41%
Wired charging25 W100 W+300%
Wireless charging15 W50 W+233%
Active use endurance—21.3 h

Design

Design comparison: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G versus Xiaomi 17
SpecSamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5GXiaomi 17
Weight177 g+7%191 g
Thickness7.9 mm+2%8.1 mm
IP ratingIP68IP68
Frame materialAluminumAluminum

Connectivity

Connectivity comparison: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G versus Xiaomi 17
SpecSamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5GXiaomi 17
5GYesYes
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth5.05.4
NFCYesYes
USBUSB-C 3.2USB-C 3.2
eSIMYesYes

Software

Software comparison: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G versus Xiaomi 17
SpecSamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5GXiaomi 17
OS at launchAndroid 12 (One UI 4)Android 16 (HyperOS 3)
OS update pledge4 years5 years+25%

Audio

Audio comparison: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G versus Xiaomi 17
SpecSamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5GXiaomi 17
Stereo speakersYesYes
3.5mm jackNoNo

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