Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is a high-end phone with an interesting price-quality ratio. The device appeared in early 2022, but it is also very interesting in the spring and summer of 2023. The reason for this is somewhat surprising.
Buy Galaxy S21 FE in 2023: Still a long way to go
When Samsung released the Galaxy S21 FE in early 2022, it was one of the most anticipated smartphones at the time. Since it came out just before the Galaxy S22, it’s been a bit of an underdog for so long. However, many copies have sold out over the past year and a half, thanks in part to rapidly falling prices. But this is not the only reason.
In our Galaxy S21 FE review, we wrote that the Snapdragon-equipped hardware is nice and smooth, and the battery life is good. In addition, the cameras are at a high level, as is the 120Hz AMOLED display. So far it’s still much faster than the mid-range Galaxy A54, and it also has a telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom.
But what makes the S21 FE really interesting is the duration of the support. Samsung promised to give the device five years of updates from release. You’d think it would get updates until January 2027 — five years after release, or another 3.5 years from now. However, since Samsung ‘secretly’ released a slightly modified version of the device in the summer of 2022 – with the confusing title Galaxy S21 FE (2022) – this device will be supported until July 2027:
That’s already more than four years from now — not as long as a new S23 or A54. But longer than the S22, for example. From now on, you also have three Android upgrades to pay for. The S21 FE is currently running on Android 13, so you’ll still get upgrades to versions 14, 15, and 16. Fun fact: That’s about as far as Google’s new Pixel 7A!
Simply put: even though the Galaxy S21 FE came out a year and a half ago, you can still buy it with more than four years of support.
Offers: High discounts
Although the Galaxy S21 FE has an official suggested retail price of €749, you can buy it for much less than that. Although we assume Samsung will soon support all S21 FE models through July 2027, you can pick up one of the newer models to be sure. A small number of stores confirm that they sell exactly these: Samsung Store and Coolblue.
In other stores, it is not clear which model to buy. That being said: it probably won’t matter in the end, but if you want to be sure, it’s best to buy the newer alternative.
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More on the Galaxy S21 FE
The Galaxy S21 FE was essentially the “simplified” version of the S21. It is the only version of the device in Europe with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, which ensures that the device is at least as fast as its peers in the series. In addition, the optimization ensures excellent battery life.
The cameras are somewhat lower than those of the S22 generation, but they are still of an excellent high-end level. In addition, you have a telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. This is a feature you often miss in other devices in this price range – just like the IP certification for water resistance.
Due to the circumstances described above, the Galaxy S21 FE as it is now in stores will receive security updates through the summer of 2027. This is at least a year and a half shorter than the original S21 models. Add to this the fact that you can now buy it for around 500 euros, and you have a phone that also has a good price-quality ratio in 2023.
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