So… where does that leave the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. If you’re looking at the phone in a vacuum, it’s a pretty spectacular device. The issues really only come to light when the $699 sticker price comes into play.

Performance, Display, Cameras, Battery life

Price, Slow charging

You should probably buy the Pixel 6 instead

Big, high refresh rate screen, Good telephoto camera, Great software support policy

Fast charging brick costs extra, Arrives late in the S21-series product cycle

On paper, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is a fine mid-range phone, with adequate features like an attractive screen, powerful processor and capable cameras for those looking for a handy, less expensive mobile. However, the launch price is still far too high for what you get, not to mention issues like slow charging speed, laggy software and an unimpressive battery life.

Vibrant display; Lots of processing power; Slender design;

Far too expensive; Takes a long time to charge; Unimpressive battery life

The S21 FE is a phone out of time. It’s a pretty great, well-rounded hardware package and I doubt many people would come away disappointed, but it’s launched six months too late.

Under-stated, attractive design, Impressive triple rear camera, Updates through to Android 15

Expensive for the specs, Average battery & charging, Older tech

“The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is the capable successor to the S20 FE, but comes at a poor time with the S22 around the corner, making it tougher to justify its value.”

Powerful specifications, Solid cameras, Impressive 120Hz display, Priced well for a flagship

Touchscreen issues, Battery just OK, Too much competition at its price point

For a quick note on audio output from the Galaxy S21 FE's bottom and earpiece stereo speakers, we'd offer that there's not too much to get excited over acoustically. Though lately we've been hearing a trend of better audio output from on-board phone speaker systems, it's obviously a tertiary feature...

Solid Design And Build Quality, Gorgeous High Refresh Rate Display, Feature-Packed, Great Camera Performance, 32MP Selfie Cam, Solid General Performance

With the supply of standard S21 models starting to dry up, the S21 FE isn't really competing against the originals. It's a replacement that's sadly way past due. It's still a solid phone, but the standard Pixel 6 shoots better photos, has a more attractive design, and if you get the unlocked model...

Hannah Stryker / Review Geek The iPhone 14 is the latest iteration of Apple’s flagship device. Since its launch, the iPhone has set the standard of what a smartphone is, what it does, and how it looks. Fifteen years later, it’s still doing that.

Top-notch cameras, Amazing display, Snappy performance, Great battery life

It's just "this year's iPhone"

The iPhone 14 isn't much of an upgrade over the iPhone 13, but it's still a great device and an upgrade for anyone coming from the iPhone 11 or older.

Great camera, Good battery, Emergency features are cool, Still excellent performance

Display could use some upgrades