The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE just isn't the one

Eric Zeman / Android Authority

After a lengthy delay, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE made its official debut early this month. The phone doesn’t push the industry forward, but it does give fans a relatively affordable device option ahead of the Galaxy S22 series launch. But is that enough? Is the Galaxy S21 FE hot or not? We posed this question to readers in a recent poll, and the results are now in.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: Hot or not?

Results

This poll saw plenty of votes, gaining over 3,500 responses since its January 4 publishing date. Unfortunately for Samsung, the results aren’t favorable towards its new challenger. Well over half of the respondents (58%) feel the S21 FE just isn’t the one. Conversely, 42% believe the phone is the next big thing.

Our verdict: Hands-on with the Galaxy S21 FE

Of course, the phone’s late launch doesn’t help Samsung’s case. With the Galaxy S22 series apparently due in the coming weeks, it doesn’t give potential buyers much reason to pick up the FE. Sure, it might be worth a shout for those not considering the forthcoming flagships. It packs a larger battery than the base Galaxy S21, with a 4,500mAh cell. However, it lacks the Galaxy S20 FE‘s microSD card slot, which will likely be a big sore point for several readers.

But what do our readers have to say? Well, the comments aren’t heaping much praise on Samsung either. Peruse a few picks below.

Your comments

• PhoenixWitti: This thing isn’t based on fan desires; it’s just marketing. In fact, it’s an insult to fans.
• mxxcon: Lack of SD card was the last straw that killed it for me. It’s nothing more than just another Galaxy S phone.
  And horrible timing for the S22 line. Guess I’ll be looking at Galaxy A or XCover series now.
• RichSPK: I hate to say it’s not hot. It’s a pretty cool phone, but it’s not the phone I want from the S21 line, and it’s not the phone I want at that price point (at that price, I’d probably choose one of several Chinese gaming phones, or a Pixel 6).
• ScubaMntMonkey: The price and removing the MicroSD are both bad moves on Samsung’s part.
• Mura Eriobuna: The only reason the S20 FE was relevant and made a splash in the market was because the S20 series started at $999. Having the s21 series starting at $799 with an occasional sales drop to $699 makes its FE counterpart a bad deal for anyone buying. Not to mention the S22 series being around the corner👨🏽‍🦯
• Randy: I think people are misunderstanding this phone. The FE is not an alternative to last year’s flagship. The S21 FE is not really a cheaper S21, it’s an alternative to the upcoming S22. It’s like a refresh midterm, not like the iPhones were with the S versions (better version of the previous), not like the A variants of the pixels (cheaper version of the last flagship), it’s a cheaper alternative to the current/upcoming flagship, based on the last one. The problem is the branding. They should jump up a number, and it would make more sense. Then you can get the S22 Ultra, S22+, S22, or the S22 FE (really the S21 FE here). So you have the high-end lineup with every price point.

That’s it for this Samsung Galaxy S21 FE poll. Thanks for your votes and comments. If you have any thoughts about the poll results or Samsung’s latest device, drop a comment below.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7orrDq6ainJGqwam70aKrsmaTpLpwv8Cmqq6ml2K0orjAsbBmq2JmeqexjKmmpaRdp7K0wcutqmZrYG2CdIWRaA%3D%3D