Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G vs. Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)

Phone Comparison, Reviews and Tests

In depth comparison and review of Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G and Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation). 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.

Phone Specifications Comparison

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G vs. Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Product Type Smartphone Smartphone
Manufacturer Model Number SM-G990B/DS A2783
Form Factor Touch Touch
Height 155.7 mm 138.4 mm Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G has greater height than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Width 74.5 mm 67.3 mm Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G has greater width than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Depth 7.9 mm 7.3 mm Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) is narrower than Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G.
Weight 177 g 144 g Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) is lighter than Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G.
Body Colour Olive | Graphite | White | Lavender Starlight | Midnight | Red
Body Material - Aluminium, glass
Protection Dustproof, splashproof, water-resistant Dustproof, water-resistant, splash-resistant
Waterproof (Water-resistant) - Yes Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) is waterproof.
IP rating IP68 IEC 60529 IP67
SAR Value 1.48 W/kg (body), 0.952 W/kg (head), 2.91 W/kg (limb) 0.99 W/kg (body), 0.98 W/kg (head)
Connector Type USB Type-C - 24 pin USB-C Lightning
SIM Card Type (Size) Nano SIM Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM)
SIM Card Qty Dual-SIM Dual-SIM
DISPLAY Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Display Type OLED display LCD display
Display Technology Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X Retina HD display with IPS technology
Screen Size (Display Size) 6.4" 4.7" Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G has larger screen size than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) 2340 x 1080 pixels 1334 x 750 pixels Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G has better screen resolution than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Display Format Full HD+ -
Pixel Density 401 ppi 326 ppi Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G has better pixel density than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Max Brightness - 625 cd/m²
Colour Depth 16.7 million colours -
Contrast Ratio - 1400:1
HDR Technology HDR10+ -
Display Enhancement Technology Eye Comfort Shield Dolby Vision
Display Refresh Rate 120 Hz -
Display Features AOD(Always On Display), Infinity O display, Video Wallpaper Display Zoom, Reachability (screen shifting), True Tone display, Wide colour display (P3), Dark mode, Haptic touch, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG)
Display Protection (Screen Protector) Corning Gorilla Glass Victus (scratch resistant glass) Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
PROCESSOR Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Processor Type (CPU) - Apple A15 Bionic
Clock Speed 2.84 GHz -
Processor Core Qty 8-core -
MEMORY Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
RAM 6 GB -
Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) 128 GB 64 GB Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G has more internal memory than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
User Memory 101.1 GB -
CAMERA Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
MAIN CAMERA
Number of Main Cameras 3 1
Sensor Resolution 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same camera resolution.
Sensor Size 1/1.76" -
Lens Type Wide-angle lens -
Lens Aperture F/1.8 F/1.8 Both phones have the same camera lens aperture.
Lens Construction - 6-element
Field of View (FoV) 79 degree(s) -
Pixel Size 1.8 μm -
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Both phones have optical image stabilization.
Focus Adjustment Automatic Automatic
Optical Zoom 3x -
Digital Zoom 30x 5x Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G has better digital zoom than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Special Effects Face retouch, Grid Line Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono
HDR Mode Auto HDR mode Smart HDR
Camera Modes Night mode, portrait mode Burst mode, Panorama, Live Photos, Timelapse video, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos
Light Source LED flash True Tone LED flash
Video Resolutions Slo-mo video 1280 x 720 (720p) at 240 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, Slo-mo video 1280 x 720 (720p) at 960 fps 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 30 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 24 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 240 fps
Camera Features (Functions) Dual recording Sapphire crystal lens cover, Cinematic video stabilisation, Focus Pixels, Cinematic video stabilisation, Playback zoom, geotagging, Stereo Recording, Continuous autofocus video, 8MP still photos recording 4K video, Time‑lapse video with stabilisation, Slow Sync, Advanced red-eye correction, Optical image stabilization for video, Extended dynamic range for video, HEIF image capture, Digital zoom up to 3x for video, QuickTake video, Deep Fusion, Photographic Styles
SECOND CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (2nd Camera) 12 Megapixel -
Lens Type (2nd Camera) Ultra wide-angle lens -
Lens Aperture (2nd Camera) F/2.2 -
Field of View (2nd Camera) 123 degree(s) -
Pixel Size (2nd Camera) 1.12 μm -
THIRD CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (3rd Camera) 8 Megapixel -
Lens Type (3rd Camera) Telephoto lens -
Lens Aperture (3rd Camera) F/2.4 -
Field of View (3rd Camera) 32 degree(s) -
Pixel Size (3rd Camera) 1 μm -
Camera Features (3rd Camera) Space Zoom x30 -
FRONT CAMERA
Number of Front Cameras 1 1
Sensor Resolution (Front) 32 Megapixel 7 Megapixel Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G has better front camera resolution than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Lens Aperture (Front) F/2.2 F/2.2 Both phones have the same front camera lens aperture.
Field of View (Front) 81 degree(s) -
Pixel Size (Front) 0.8 μm -
Focus Adjustment Focus free -
Special Effects (Front) - Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono
HDR Mode (Front) - Auto HDR mode
Camera Modes (Front) - Burst mode, Live Photos, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos
Light Source (Front) - Retina Flash
Video Resolutions (Front) - 1280 x 720 (720p), 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps
Camera Features (Front) - Auto image stabilisation, Cinematic video stabilisation, QuickTake video, Deep Fusion
BATTERY AND CHARGING Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Battery Capacity (Battery Size) 4500 mAh -
Fast Charging Technology Samsung Fast Charging - Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G has fast charging technology.
Wireless Charging Yes Yes Both phones can be charged wirelessly.
Wireless Charging Standards Wireless PowerShare Qi
Talk Time 2220 minutes -
Run Time Details Talk (LTE): up to 2220 min
Active online usage (LTE): up to 13 hrs
Active online usage (Wi-Fi): up to 13 hrs
Playback (video): up to 16 hrs
Playback (audio): up to 79 hrs
Playback (audio): up to 50 hrs
Playback (video): up to 15 hrs
Playback (streamed video): up to 10 hrs
Battery Technology - Lithium Ion
CELLULAR Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Technology WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM
Mobile Broadband Generation 5G 5G Both phones have the same mobile network generation.
Operating System Android 12 iOS 15
Intelligent Assistant Bixby Siri
Payment Technology Samsung Pay Apple Pay
Navigation GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS
COMMUNICATIONS Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Data Transmission FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, 5G NR FR1 EDGE, HSPA+, LTE, DC-HSDPA, LTE Advanced, VoLTE, FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, VoWiFi, LAA, 5G NR FR1
2G Band 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM 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, Band 10
3G UMTS Frequency 2100, 1900, 1700, 850, 900 2100, 1900, 850, 900, 1700 EAWS
4G LTE Band Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 17, Band 20, Band 26, Band 28, Band 32, Band 38, Band 40, Band 41, Band 66 Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 13, Band 17, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 30, Band 32, Band 34, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 42, Band 46, Band 48, Band 66
4G LTE Frequency FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 700b, FDD 800 DD, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 1500 L, TDD 2600, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3 FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 700c, FDD 700b, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 2300 WCS, FDD 1500 L, TDD 2000, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, TDD 3500, TDD 5150, TDD 3600, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3
5G NR Band N1, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n78, n40 N1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n77, n78, n79, n40, n25, n12, n48, n30
5G NR Frequency FDD 2100, FDD 1800, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 800, FDD 700APT, TDD TD 2600, TDD TD 2500, FDD AWS-3, TDD TD 3500, TDD 2300 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, TDD TD 3700, TDD TD 3500, TDD TD 4500, TDD 2300, FDD 1900, n12, TDD 3500, FDD 2300
Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac IEEE 802.11ax
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth 5.0
NFC Yes Yes Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments.
MEDIA Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Supported Digital Audio Standards WAV, AAC, AMR, MP3, FLAC, XMF, OGG, MIDI, APE (Monkey's Audio), M4A, DSF, MXMF, OGA, 3GA, AWB, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DFF, MID Audible, MP3, FLAC, Apple Lossless, AC-3, AAC-LC, LPCM, HE-AAC, Audible AAX, Audible AAX+, protected AAC, EAC3, HE-AAC v2
Supported Digital Video Standards MKV, FLV, AVI, 3GP, M4V, WebM, 3G2, MP4 M-JPEG, H.264, HEVC, MPEG-4 Part 2, HEIF
Sound Enhancements Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Surround sound, stereo speakers tuned by AKG, Dolby Digital sound Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Digital sound
Video Enhancements - HDR10, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG)
FEATURES Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Sensors Accelerometer, proximity sensor, barometer, gyro sensor, hall sensor, geomagnetic sensor, light sensor Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, 3-axis gyro sensor, digital compass, barometer
Security Devices Fingerprint reader Fingerprint reader
Additional Phone Features MIMO technology, Fast Charging, Samsung KNOX, Samsung DeX support, Samsung Smart Switch, Game mode MIMO technology, Apple TV support (2nd or later), AirPlay Mirroring, Third‑generation Neural Engine, Express Transit cards with power reserve, 4K HDR AirPlay Mirroring, FaceTime HD (1080p), 16‑core Neural Engine
OTHERS Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Included Accessories SIM card removal tool, USB-C cable Lightning to USB-C cable
Compliant Standards IP68 IEC 60529 IP67, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible)
Max Depth of Water Resistance 1.5 m 1 m
Max Operating Temperature - 35 °C
Min Operating Temperature - 0 °C
Humidity Range Operating - 5 - 95% (non-condensing)
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