In depth comparison and review of Samsung Galaxy S21 5G and Fairphone 5. Compare sizes, cameras, batteries, memory, and other important specifications and features to easily choose the right phone for you. Our goal is to help you uncover differences between the products and find the phone that will best fit your needs.
| DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Fairphone 5 |
|---|
| Product Type | Smartphone | Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer Model Number | SM-G991U1 | - | |
| Form Factor | Touch | Touch | |
| Height | 151.7 mm | 161.6 mm | Fairphone 5 has greater height than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Width | 71.2 mm | 75.83 mm | Fairphone 5 has greater width than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Depth | 7.9 mm | 9.6 mm | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is narrower than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Weight | 171 g | 212 g | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is lighter than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Body Colour | Phantom grey | Phantom white | Sky blue | Transparent | Matte black | |
| Body Material | - | 100% post-consumer recycled plastic | |
| Protection | Dustproof, splashproof, water-resistant | Splash-resistant, dust-resistant, shock-resistant | |
| Waterproof (Water-resistant) | Yes | - | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is waterproof. |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP55 | |
| SAR Value | 1.58 W/kg (simultaneous), 1.11 W/kg (wireless router), 1.08 W/kg (body), 0.74 W/kg (head) | - | |
| Connector Type | USB Type-C - 24 pin USB-C | USB Type-C - 24 pin USB-C | |
| SIM Card Type (Size) | Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM) | Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM) | |
| SIM Card Qty | Dual-SIM | Dual-SIM |
| DISPLAY | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Fairphone 5 |
|---|
| Display Type | OLED display | OLED display | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display Technology | Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X | OLED | |
| Screen Size (Display Size) | 6.2" | 6.46" | Fairphone 5 has larger screen size than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) | 2400 x 1080 pixels | 2700 x 1224 pixels | Fairphone 5 has better screen resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Display Format | Full HD+ | Full HD+ | |
| Pixel Density | 421 ppi | - | |
| Aspect Ratio | - | 20:9 | |
| Max Brightness | - | 880 cd/m² | |
| Colour Depth | 16.7 million colours | 1.07 billion colours | Fairphone 5 has better colour depth than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Contrast Ratio | - | 1000000:1 | |
| HDR | Yes | - | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has HDR. |
| HDR Technology | HDR10+ | - | |
| Display Enhancement Technology | Eye Comfort Shield | - | |
| Display Refresh Rate | 120 Hz | 90 Hz | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better refresh rate than Fairphone 5. |
| Touch Sampling Rate | - | 300 Hz | |
| Display Features | AOD(Always On Display), Video Wallpaper | Wide colour display (P3), Adaptive Tone, Pixelworks technology | |
| Display Protection (Screen Protector) | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus (scratch resistant glass) | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 (scratch resistant glass) |
| PROCESSOR | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Fairphone 5 |
|---|
| Processor Type (CPU) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 | Qualcomm | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor Number | - | QCM6490 | |
| Clock Speed | 2.84 GHz | 2.7 GHz | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has higher clock speed than Fairphone 5. |
| Processor Core Qty | 8-core | 8-core | Both phones have the same number of phone cores. |
| Graphics System (GPU) | - | Qualcomm ADRENO 643 |
| MEMORY | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Fairphone 5 |
|---|
| RAM | LPDDR5 SDRAM - 8 GB | 8 GB | Both phones have the same RAM size. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) | 128 GB | 256 GB | Fairphone 5 has more internal memory than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| User Memory | 101.2 GB | - | |
| Supported Flash Memory Cards (Expandable Memory) | - | microSDHC, microSD, microSDXC - up to 2 TB |
| CAMERA | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Fairphone 5 |
|---|
| MAIN CAMERA |
|---|
| Number of Main Cameras | 3 | 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Resolution | 12 Megapixel | 50 Megapixel | Fairphone 5 has better camera resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Sensor Size | 1/1.76" | 1/1.49" | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better camera sensor size than Fairphone 5. |
| Sensor Name | - | Sony IMX800 sensor | |
| Lens Type | Wide-angle lens | - | |
| Lens Aperture | F/1.8 | F/1.88 | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Lens Construction | - | 6-element | |
| Field of View (FoV) | 79 degree(s) | - | |
| Pixel Size | 1.8 μm | 1 μm | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has larger camera pixel size than Fairphone 5. |
| Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) | Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) | Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) | Both phones have optical image stabilization. |
| Focus Adjustment | Automatic | Automatic | |
| Laser Auto Focus | Yes | - | |
| Minimum Focal Length (Focal Distance) | - | 10 cm | |
| Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera | - | 26mm | |
| Optical Zoom | 3x | - | |
| Digital Zoom | 30x | 8x | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better digital zoom than Fairphone 5. |
| Self-Timer Delay | Yes | - | |
| Special Effects | Face retouch, Grid Line | - | |
| HDR Mode | Auto HDR mode | - | |
| Camera Modes | Panorama, Slow motion mode, Pro mode, HYPERLAPSE, Super Slow-mo, Flowers, Greenery, Trees, Sky, Beaches, Watersides, Snow, Backlit, Text, Food, Face, Baby, Person, Dog, Cat, People, Sunset, Sunrise, City, Waterfall, Scenery, Stage, Vehicles, Drinks, Animal, Shoes, Indoor, Clothes, Night view, Portrait, Night, Motion Photo, Mountain, Single Take, Pro Video, Portrait video, Director's View | Panorama, Slow motion mode, Pro mode, Portrait, Super Night mode, Stop-Motion Video Mode, High-Pixel Mode | |
| Light Source | High CRI LED flash | LED flash | |
| Video Resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, Super slow motion video 1280 x 720 (720p) at 960 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 240 fps, 7680 x 4320 (8K) at 24 fps, Hyperlapse 4K video support at 30 fps, Super Steady 1080p video support at 60 fps | 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps, Slo-mo video 1280 x 720 (720p) at 240 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps | |
| Camera Features (Functions) | Playback zoom, Motion photo, blink detection, QR-code scanner, VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilisation), Tracking AF, Video location tags, Scene Optimiser, Lens smudge, Flaw detection, Shot suggestions, blur detection, HDR10+ recording, Super steady, Super Speed Dual Pixel AF, Quick Measure, Zoom-In Mic, HEIF image capture, Space Zoom, Take 33MP still photos while playing 8K video, Hybrid Optic Zoom 3x, Super Resolution Zoom up to 30x, Digital zoom up to 12x for video, AR Doodle, HEVC (High Efficiency Video coding) support, Microphone Control (Pro Video only) | 4-in-1 pixel binning, OIS+EIS dual stabilisation |
| SECOND CAMERA |
|---|
| Sensor Resolution (2nd Camera) | 12 Megapixel | 50 Megapixel | Fairphone 5 has better second camera resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Size (2nd Camera) | - | 1/2.51" | |
| Sensor Name (2nd Camera) | - | Sony IMX858 Sensor | |
| Lens Type (2nd Camera) | Ultra wide-angle lens | Ultra wide-angle lens | |
| Lens Aperture (2nd Camera) | F/2.2 | F/2.2 | Both phones have the same second camera lens aperture. |
| Lens Element Qty (2nd Camera) | - | 6-element | |
| Field of View (2nd Camera) | 120 degree(s) | - | |
| Pixel Size (2nd Camera) | 1.4 μm | 0.7 μm | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has larger second camera pixel size than Fairphone 5. |
| Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera | - | 13mm | |
| Camera Functions (2nd Camera) | - | Autofocus | |
| Camera Modes (2nd Camera) | - | Macro mode | |
| Camera Features (2nd Camera) | - | Electronic Image Stabiliser (EIS), 2.5cm macro photography, 4-in-1 pixel binning |
| THIRD CAMERA |
|---|
| Sensor Resolution (3rd Camera) | 64 Megapixel | - | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Size (3rd Camera) | 1/1.72" | - | |
| Lens Type (3rd Camera) | Telephoto lens | - | |
| Lens Aperture (3rd Camera) | F/2.0 | - | |
| Field of View (3rd Camera) | 76 degree(s) | - | |
| Pixel Size (3rd Camera) | 0.8 μm | - | |
| Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) | Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) | - | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has optical stabilisation of the third camera. |
| FRONT CAMERA |
|---|
| Number of Front Cameras | 1 | 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Resolution (Front) | 10 Megapixel | 50 Megapixel | Fairphone 5 has better front camera resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Sensor Size (Front) | - | 1/2.76" | |
| Sensor Name (Front) | - | Samsung JN1 | |
| Lens Aperture (Front) | F/2.2 | F/2.45 | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better front lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Field of View (Front) | 80 degree(s) | - | |
| Pixel Size (Front) | 1.22 μm | 0.64 μm | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has larger front camera pixel size than Fairphone 5. |
| Focus Adjustment | Automatic | Focus free | |
| Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera | - | 22mm | |
| Light Source (Front) | - | Display flash | |
| Camera Features (Front) | Dual Pixel AF | Electronic Image Stabiliser (EIS), 4-in-1 Pixel technology, up to 1.5x digital zoom |
| BATTERY AND CHARGING | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Fairphone 5 |
|---|
| Battery Capacity (Battery Size) | 4000 mAh | 4200 mAh | Fairphone 5 has larger battery capacity than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Charging Technology | Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, Adaptive Fast Charging, Power Delivery 3.0 | - | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has fast charging technology. |
| Wireless Charging | Yes | - | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G can be charged wirelessly. |
| Wireless Charging Standards | WPC, Qi, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare | - | |
| Standby Time | - | 459 hours | |
| Talk Time | 1800 minutes | 2280 minutes | Fairphone 5 has longer battery life when making calls than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Run Time Details | Talk (LTE): up to 1800 min Active online usage (LTE): up to 14 hrs Active online usage (Wi-Fi): up to 15 hrs Playback (wireless video): up to 19 hrs Playback (wireless audio): up to 72 hrs |
Talk: up to 2280 min Standby: up to 459 hrs Continuous browsing: up to 18 hrs |
|
| Battery Technology | - | Lithium Ion |
| CELLULAR | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Fairphone 5 |
|---|
| Technology | CDMA2000 1X / GSM / WCDMA (UMTS) | WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Broadband Generation | 5G | 5G | Both phones have the same mobile network generation. |
| Operating System | Android 11 | Android 13 | |
| Intelligent Assistant | Bixby | - | |
| Payment Technology | Samsung Pay | - | |
| Navigation | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo |
| COMMUNICATIONS | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Fairphone 5 |
|---|
| Data Transmission | FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, 5G NR FR1, 5G NR FR2 | LTE, 5G NR, HSDPA+ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2G Band | 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM, 800 CDMA2000 1X, 1900 CDMA2000 1X | 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM | |
| 3G UMTS Band | Band 1, Band 2, Band 4, Band 5, Band 8 | Band 1, Band 2, Band 5, Band 8 | |
| 3G UMTS Frequency | 2100, 1900, 1700, 850, 900 | 2100, 1900, 850, 900 | |
| 4G LTE Band | Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 13, Band 14, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 30, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 46, Band 48, Band 66, Band 71 | Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 20, Band 28, Band 32, Band 38, Band 40, Band 41, Band 42, Band 48, Band 66, Band 71 | |
| 4G LTE Frequency | FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 700c, FDD 700 PS, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 2300 WCS, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, TDD 5150, TDD 3600, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3, FDD 600 | FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 800 DD, FDD 700 APT, FDD 1500 L, TDD 2600, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, TDD 3500, TDD 3600, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3, FDD 600 | |
| 5G NR Band | N41, n71, n260, n261 | N1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n71, n77, n78, n48 | |
| 5G NR Frequency | TDD TD 2500, FDD 600, TDD 39GHz, TDD 28GHz | FDD 2100, FDD 1900PCS, FDD 1800, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 800, FDD 700APT, TDD TD 2600, TDD TD 2500, FDD AWS-3, FDD 600, TDD TD 3700, TDD TD 3500, TDD 3500 | |
| Wireless Interface | IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax | Wi-Fi 6E | |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.2 LE | |
| NFC | Yes | Yes | Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments. |
| MEDIA | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Fairphone 5 |
|---|
| Supported Digital Audio Standards | WAV, AAC, PCM, AMR, MP3, FLAC, XMF, OGG, MIDI, APE (Monkey's Audio), M4A, DSF, MXMF, OGA, 3GA, AWB, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DFF, MID, DSD64, DSD128 | AAC, apt-X, LDAC, SBC, apt-X HD | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supported Digital Video Standards | MKV, FLV, AVI, 3GP, M4V, WebM, 3G2, MP4 | - | |
| Sound Enhancements | Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Surround sound, stereo speakers tuned by AKG, Dolby Digital sound | - |
| FEATURES | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Fairphone 5 |
|---|
| Phone Functions | Speakerphone, voice control, call timer, conference call, flight mode, voice dialing, vibrating alert | - | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, barometer, gyro sensor, hall sensor, geomagnetic sensor | Accelerometer, proximity sensor, magnetometer, Time of Flight (ToF), light sensor, gyroscope, compass | |
| Security Devices | Fingerprint reader (under display), face recognition | Face recognition, fingerprint reader (side) | |
| Security Technology | - | Face Unlock | |
| Additional Phone Features | MIMO technology, Screen Write, notification flashlight, Smart Select, Fast Charging, Samsung KNOX, Smart View, Live message, Screen off memo, Samsung DeX support, Bixby Vision, TalkBack, Dual Audio, Bixby Routines, Intelligent Performance Enhancer, Bixby key, Bluetooth Scalable Codec, Samsung Knox Vault, Private Share function, Enhanced Game Booster, Air Command | OTG Reverse Charge, modular and repairable design, recycled and fair materials, DisplayPort over USB Type-C, 8 years of software upgrades | |
| Android Enterprise Recommended | - | Yes |
| OTHERS | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Fairphone 5 |
|---|
| Included Accessories | SIM card removal tool, USB-C to USB-C cable | - | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliant Standards | VDE, IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible), SGS Eye Care Display Certification | IP55, MIL-STD-810H, ICE 60058-2-31 | |
| Product Recycled Content | - | 70 % - fair focus or recycled materials | |
| Max Depth of Water Resistance | 1.5 m | - | |
| Max Height of Shock Resistance | - | 1.8 m |
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