Samsung Galaxy S21 FE Versus S20 FE

After a period of uncertainty, Samsung's Galaxy S21 FE has now arrived. It is the standard “Fan Edition” model of the Samsung Galaxy S21, a successor to the older Galaxy S20 FE.

Samsung's Fan Edition devices, like the Galaxy Tab S7 FE, are designed to respond to customers' wants and wishes. With that, there's a focus on things like larger screens and longer-lasting batteries. That's precisely how the Galaxy S21 FE differs from the standard S21, in fact.

But what about the differences between the two Fan Edition phones to date themselves? In this case, that's the 2020 Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and the slightly delayed 2022 model S21 FE.

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE originally arrived back in October 2020. The first Fan Edition smartphone to be released by Samsung, it made a number of promises. These promises included a high-resolution selfie camera, a larger screen, six color choices, expandable storage up to 1TB, and more.

The Galaxy S20 FE and its 6.5-inch display have gone down well, winning legions of fans in the process. All told, it's a testament to Samsung's desire to design and build devices specifically for fans of the brand.

Meanwhile, the newly unveiled Samsung Galaxy S21 FE improves upon the Galaxy S20 FE in several areas. At the same time, it also takes a backward step regarding display size and storage. As such, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE's screen is a fraction smaller than the one found on the Galaxy S20 FE at 6.4 inches.

There's no expandable storage either, as was the case with the original Fan Edition handset. Instead, the Galaxy S21 FE is available exclusively as a 128GB or 256GB device.

Elsewhere, however, it packs in a current-generation processor and gets a slightly revised appearance along with numerous other improvements. There's the addition of a Gorilla Glass Victus panel on the Galaxy S21 FE, for example. That's as opposed to the less-tough Gorilla Glass 3 panel on the older model.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is available to order now at the cost of $699. That's $100 less than the standard Galaxy S21, which costs $799, and the same price as the S20 FE at launch.

For a while already, fantastic deals have been available on Samsung's outgoing Galaxy S20 FE. Yet, with the all-new Galaxy S22 on the horizon, the S20 FE is no longer just a last-generation phone. Instead, it's now two generations out of date. Accordingly, getting your hands on a brand-new Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is likely to become tougher and tougher in the coming weeks and months.

Used and reconditioned devices will remain available for the foreseeable future, of course. For those looking for a second-hand device, there's little doubt that the Galaxy S20 FE is just as good as most other used smartphones. That includes any number of past and present Apple iPhones, Google Pixels, and handsets from the ever-popular OnePlus series.

Unsurprisingly, people can be wary of splashing out on used and reconditioned devices. But with Upsie, there's little reason to worry.

Upsie's smartphone subscription warranty solutions are available for both new and used handsets. That means buyers can lock in comprehensive extended warranty protection with accidental damage coverage included even on older smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE. Protection is affordable, too, and costs just $9.99 for a Samsung Galaxy warranty.

Unfortunately, like many pieces of tech right now, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has been delayed by chip shortages and other issues. As a result, it comes to market only weeks before the launch of the follow-up Samsung Galaxy S22 range.

The arrival of the S22 means that the S21 FE almost immediately becomes a last-generation model. Still, priced at significantly less than either the standard S21 or anything that the S22 lineup will have to offer, that should do nothing to detract from Samsung's latest S21-era Fan Edition smartphone.

Ultimately, though, for those eager to get their hands on the very latest tech, it may make sense to wait for the Galaxy S22 lineup to arrive before deciding one way or the other.

Don't expect to see any sign of a Samsung Galaxy S22 FE until much later in 2022.

In fact, based on current timelines, the next Fan Edition phone from Samsung may not hit the market until later in 2023. With the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE itself almost not seeing the light of day, it's entirely possible that there may never even be a Fan Edition model of the next-generation Galaxy smartphone.

Whether that would make the Galaxy S21 FE the last of its kind remains to be seen. For the most part, it's something that's likely to hinge on how successful the newly unveiled Fan Edition handset is during 2022.