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InnoReviews

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G vs Xiaomi 18 Fold

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
45.2Inno Score
VS
WINNER
Xiaomi 18 Fold
79.3Inno Score
37.5Performance91.6
47.2Display67
41.7Camera71.9
41.7Battery76.6
78.7Features86.7
5 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G13 spec wins — Xiaomi 18 Fold

InnoReviews verdict

Xiaomi 18 Fold wins this phone face-off, 79.3 to 45.2, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+54) and battery (+35). 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

  • 100% higher Front camera: 32 MP vs 16 MP
  • 26% lower thickness: 7.9 mm vs 10.7 mm
  • 19% lower weight: 177 g vs 219 g
  • Has eSIM — the other doesn't

Reasons to pick the Xiaomi 18 Fold

  • Stronger performance score: 92 vs 38
  • Stronger display score: 67 vs 47
  • Stronger camera score: 72 vs 42
  • Stronger battery score: 77 vs 42
  • Stronger features score: 87 vs 79

Display

Display comparison: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G versus Xiaomi 18 Fold
SpecSamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5GXiaomi 18 Fold
Screen size6.4 ″7.58 ″+18%
Panel typeAMOLEDFoldable LTPO AMOLED
Resolution2340x10802364x1672
Pixel density401 ppi+5%382 ppi
Refresh rate120 Hz120 Hz
Peak brightness1,200 nits4,000 nits+233%
Screen-to-body—90.6 %

Performance

Performance comparison: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G versus Xiaomi 18 Fold
SpecSamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5GXiaomi 18 Fold
ChipsetSnapdragon 888Xiaomi XRing O3
AnTuTu1,040,3244,811,636+363%
Geekbench 6 (single)1,450Top 44%3,448+138%Top 7%
Geekbench 6 (multi)3,650Top 50%12,758+250%Top 1%
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 18 Fold
SpecSamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5GXiaomi 18 Fold
Main camera12 MP200 MP+1567%
Main aperturef/1.8f/1.7
Ultra-wide12 MP50 MP+317%
Telephoto8 MP50 MP+525%
Optical zoom3 x3.5 x+17%
Max video4K@60fps8K@24fps
Front camera32 MP+100%16 MP
OISYesYes

Battery

Battery comparison: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G versus Xiaomi 18 Fold
SpecSamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5GXiaomi 18 Fold
Capacity4,500 mAh6,000 mAh+33%
Wired charging25 W67 W+168%
Wireless charging15 W50 W+233%

Design

Design comparison: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G versus Xiaomi 18 Fold
SpecSamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5GXiaomi 18 Fold
Weight177 g+19%219 g
Thickness7.9 mm+26%10.7 mm
IP ratingIP68IP58/IP59
Frame materialAluminumAluminum

Connectivity

Connectivity comparison: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G versus Xiaomi 18 Fold
SpecSamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5GXiaomi 18 Fold
5GYesYes
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth5.06.0
NFCYesYes
USBUSB-C 3.2USB-C 3.2
eSIMYesNo

Software

Software comparison: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G versus Xiaomi 18 Fold
SpecSamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5GXiaomi 18 Fold
OS at launchAndroid 12 (One UI 4)Android 17 (HyperOS 4)
OS update pledge4 years—

Audio

Audio comparison: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G versus Xiaomi 18 Fold
SpecSamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5GXiaomi 18 Fold
Stereo speakersYesYes
3.5mm jackNoNo

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