OPPO Enco M32 Review: Two steps forward, one step back

When we reviewed the OPPO Enco M31 in 2020, we called it the champion of budget Bluetooth earphones. The audio quality that the Enco M31 offered was miles ahead of competitors and together with features like LDAC support, they punched well above their weight. So naturally, when OPPO refreshed its neckband lineup with the Enco M32 last month, we were intrigued. The Enco M32 boasts some notable improvements over the Enco M31 including improved build quality, much better battery life, fast charging support, and bigger audio drivers. But how do they stack up against the Enco M31’s legacy? I have been using OPPO’s new earphones for over two weeks and here’s what I think about them.

OPPO Enco M32: Specifications

Specification	Enco M32
Build and Weight	Plastic earcups and rubber collar IP55 water & dust resistance 26.8g
Driver & Frequency response	Single 10mm dynamic driver Driver sensitivity: 106.5dB @1kHz Frequency response: 20Hz-20KHz (44.1kHz)
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.0 Codecs: AAC, SBC Range: 10 m
Battery & Charging	220 mAh 28 hours of standard audio playback (SBC) USB Type C port 10-minute quick charge for 20 hours of playback
In The Box	Pair of Enco M32 2x silicon ear tips USB Charging cable User guide Safety and Warranty card

About this review: OPPO India sent me a pair of Enco M32 on December 31. OPPO had no input in the content of this review. Unless otherwise specified, the observations stated in the review are with regard to Android smartphones.

Design & Comfort

As far as the design is concerned, the OPPO Enco M32 is a pretty basic-looking neckband. The design is all too familiar: there’s a flexible rubber collar that has plastic modules attached to it on either side from which wires emerge and connect to the earcups. Earcups have magnets on the back which acts as an on and off switch. The right plastic module houses volume buttons, a multi-function key, a microphone, and a USB C port. The left module has the understated OPPO logo inscribed on the outer side. Since buttons reside on the inner side of the plastic module, they’re not easy to reach. I would rather OPPO placed them on the outside. But in any case, they’re better than the mushy buttons of the Enco M31.

The build quality is a marked improvement over the last year’s model. The Enco M32 feels more robust and solid compared to the rather minuscule Enco M31. It also helps that they have IP57 dust and water protection, making them a good choice for outdoor activities, gym-goers, and commuters. But still, I feel the OnePlus Bullets Z Wireless has an edge over the Enco M32 as it has thicker wires.

Like their predecessor, the Enco M32 are quite comfy and can be worn for long periods, making them great for commutes and workout sessions. They come with silicone tips and this time OPPO has also added tiny wings for better grip and fitting.

Audio Quality

The Enco M32 are good-sounding earphones for casual listeners but lack the refinement and smoothness of their predecessors.

The OPPO Enco M32 packs a 10mm, composite titanium-plated dynamic driver into each earcup. Similar to the Enco M31, the earphones also have independent bass chambers for better bass response. In terms of codec support, the Enco M32 is a step down from its predecessor as it misses out on Sony’s proprietary Hi-Res LDAC codec. LDAC was one of the major highlights of the Enco M31 as made it possible to listen to high resolution, lossless files over Bluetooth. Here though, you’re limited to lossy SBC and AAC codecs. The lack of LDAC support also means the Enco M32 exhibits high latency and audio delay issues in games.

In terms of the audio quality, the OPPO Enco M32 feels like a mixed bag. While the Enco M31 delivered a balanced sound that went well with just about any type of music, the Enco M32 tries to appeal to the mainstream audience with a bass-driven sound.

If you’re the kind of person who listens to a lot of EDM, hip hop, and rap music, you’ll like the extra thump offered by the Enco M32. But if you consider yourself an audiophile, care for little details, or prefer balanced audio, you might not be pleased with the OPPO Enco M32’s sound signature. The Enco M31 had a smart trick up its sleeve to placate both bass lovers and audiophiles; it let you switch between the Balanced mode and Bass mode by double-pressing the multi-function button. That feature is gone on the Enco M32 and together with the fact that OPPO doesn’t offer a companion app or equalizer to let you customize the sound, you’re kind of stuck with what’s come out of the box, for better or worse.

Mids are clean but overemphasized lower frequencies mean vocals and instruments occupying the mid-range sometimes get overshadowed by lingering bass notes. I observed this while listening to John Lenon’s version of Stand by Me in which John’s voice didn’t sound as forward as it should, with the bass guitar and kick drums overpowering other instruments and making the overall sound a bit muddy. The Treble is clear and bright which is good as it helps to balance out the lower-end rumble and eliminate muddiness in midrange to some extent. However, there are some sharp peaks in the upper range which causes excessive sibilance on overly bright tracks.

The Enco M32 are good-sounding earphones for casual listeners but lack the refinement and smoothness of their predecessors. These aren’t bad-sounding earphones by any means; it’s just that the Enco M31 had set the bar so high, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed. Still, to me, they sound better than the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z and Mi Neckband Pro.

Call Quality

The Enco M32 comes equipped with a single omnidirectional microphone which is embedded in the right plastic module. The call quality is decent and I was able to hear recipients quite clearly on both voice and video calls. The microphone doesn’t do a great job of cutting down background noise and wind noise when you’re outdoors. This is to be expected from earphones with a single microphone and something we have also seen on other neckbands such as the OnePlus Bullets Z Wireless and Mi Neckband Pro ANC.

Battery life

In the battery department, the Enco M32 totally blows the Enco M31 out of the water

This is the area where the Enco M32 totally blows the Enco M31 out of the water. OPPO promises up to 28 hours of battery life on a single charge, a huge improvement over the Enco M31’s measly 8-9 hours of runtime. In this price range, the Enco M32’s battery life is bested only by the Boat Rockerz 330 Pro (60 hours) and Boat Rockerz 330 (30 hours).

And the claim does hold true. In my loop test, the earphones lasted a tad over 26 hours. With average daily usage of 3-4 hours, the Enco M32 should easily get you through the week. And if you do need to charge them in the middle of the week, the fast charging support is there. The company says a 10-minute charge offers up to 20 hours of music playback. A full charge takes 35 minutes according to the company claim but in my test, it took about 45-50 minutes to go from 0 to 100%.

Final thoughts

The OPPO Enco M31 was special in that it tried to do something different than the crowd. It was by no means a perfect product, but the amazing sound quality and LDAC support were more than enough to live with its inferior build quality and mediocre battery life. The Enco M32 addresses most of the shortcomings of the Enco M31, but in the process, it also takes away the best traits that helped the Enco M31 stand out from the crowd: the amazing sound quality and LDAC codec support. Even with all its improvements and upgrades, the OPPO Enco M32 still comes across as a good but ordinary product. It doesn’t have an X factor like its predecessor.

The OPPO Enco M32 are a great pair of Bluetooth earphones that offer insane battery life and bass-driven sound.

Features:

Pros: Cons:

Buy from Amazon India

If you don’t care for balanced audio, however, the Enco M32 are solid, all-around neckband earphones that have plenty to offer. The minimal, understated design allows the Enco M32 to easily blend in with any outfit. Meanwhile, their ergonomic design coupled with soft ear wings ensure earphones remain comfortable to wear for a long time and don’t fall out during workouts or running.  On the audio quality front, your mileage may vary. For me, they’re a regression over the Enco M31 as I prefer a balanced sound signature. However, I’m sure the average user will definitely enjoy the extra kick of bass and warmth offered by the Enco M32.

The Enco M32 addresses most of the shortcomings of the Enco M31, but it also takes away the best traits that helped the Enco M31 stand out from the crowd.

At ₹1,800, the OPPO Enco M32 cost less than their predecessor, but due to the average sound quality and lack of high-quality codec support, stop short of becoming the best pair of budget Bluetooth earphones.

The post OPPO Enco M32 Review: Two steps forward, one step back appeared first on xda-developers.

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OPPO Enco M32 Review: Two steps forward, one step back

When we reviewed the OPPO Enco M31 in 2020, we called it the champion of budget Bluetooth earphones. The audio quality that the Enco M31 offered was miles ahead of competitors and together with features like LDAC support, they punched well above their weight. So naturally, when OPPO refreshed its neckband lineup with the Enco M32 last month, we were intrigued. The Enco M32 boasts some notable improvements over the Enco M31 including improved build quality, much better battery life, fast charging support, and bigger audio drivers. But how do they stack up against the Enco M31’s legacy? I have been using OPPO’s new earphones for over two weeks and here’s what I think about them.

OPPO Enco M32: Specifications

Specification	Enco M32
Build and Weight	Plastic earcups and rubber collar IP55 water & dust resistance 26.8g
Driver & Frequency response	Single 10mm dynamic driver Driver sensitivity: 106.5dB @1kHz Frequency response: 20Hz-20KHz (44.1kHz)
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.0 Codecs: AAC, SBC Range: 10 m
Battery & Charging	220 mAh 28 hours of standard audio playback (SBC) USB Type C port 10-minute quick charge for 20 hours of playback
In The Box	Pair of Enco M32 2x silicon ear tips USB Charging cable User guide Safety and Warranty card

About this review: OPPO India sent me a pair of Enco M32 on December 31. OPPO had no input in the content of this review. Unless otherwise specified, the observations stated in the review are with regard to Android smartphones.

Design & Comfort

As far as the design is concerned, the OPPO Enco M32 is a pretty basic-looking neckband. The design is all too familiar: there’s a flexible rubber collar that has plastic modules attached to it on either side from which wires emerge and connect to the earcups. Earcups have magnets on the back which acts as an on and off switch. The right plastic module houses volume buttons, a multi-function key, a microphone, and a USB C port. The left module has the understated OPPO logo inscribed on the outer side. Since buttons reside on the inner side of the plastic module, they’re not easy to reach. I would rather OPPO placed them on the outside. But in any case, they’re better than the mushy buttons of the Enco M31.

The build quality is a marked improvement over the last year’s model. The Enco M32 feels more robust and solid compared to the rather minuscule Enco M31. It also helps that they have IP57 dust and water protection, making them a good choice for outdoor activities, gym-goers, and commuters. But still, I feel the OnePlus Bullets Z Wireless has an edge over the Enco M32 as it has thicker wires.

Like their predecessor, the Enco M32 are quite comfy and can be worn for long periods, making them great for commutes and workout sessions. They come with silicone tips and this time OPPO has also added tiny wings for better grip and fitting.

Audio Quality

The Enco M32 are good-sounding earphones for casual listeners but lack the refinement and smoothness of their predecessors.

The OPPO Enco M32 packs a 10mm, composite titanium-plated dynamic driver into each earcup. Similar to the Enco M31, the earphones also have independent bass chambers for better bass response. In terms of codec support, the Enco M32 is a step down from its predecessor as it misses out on Sony’s proprietary Hi-Res LDAC codec. LDAC was one of the major highlights of the Enco M31 as made it possible to listen to high resolution, lossless files over Bluetooth. Here though, you’re limited to lossy SBC and AAC codecs. The lack of LDAC support also means the Enco M32 exhibits high latency and audio delay issues in games.

In terms of the audio quality, the OPPO Enco M32 feels like a mixed bag. While the Enco M31 delivered a balanced sound that went well with just about any type of music, the Enco M32 tries to appeal to the mainstream audience with a bass-driven sound.

If you’re the kind of person who listens to a lot of EDM, hip hop, and rap music, you’ll like the extra thump offered by the Enco M32. But if you consider yourself an audiophile, care for little details, or prefer balanced audio, you might not be pleased with the OPPO Enco M32’s sound signature. The Enco M31 had a smart trick up its sleeve to placate both bass lovers and audiophiles; it let you switch between the Balanced mode and Bass mode by double-pressing the multi-function button. That feature is gone on the Enco M32 and together with the fact that OPPO doesn’t offer a companion app or equalizer to let you customize the sound, you’re kind of stuck with what’s come out of the box, for better or worse.

Mids are clean but overemphasized lower frequencies mean vocals and instruments occupying the mid-range sometimes get overshadowed by lingering bass notes. I observed this while listening to John Lenon’s version of Stand by Me in which John’s voice didn’t sound as forward as it should, with the bass guitar and kick drums overpowering other instruments and making the overall sound a bit muddy. The Treble is clear and bright which is good as it helps to balance out the lower-end rumble and eliminate muddiness in midrange to some extent. However, there are some sharp peaks in the upper range which causes excessive sibilance on overly bright tracks.

The Enco M32 are good-sounding earphones for casual listeners but lack the refinement and smoothness of their predecessors. These aren’t bad-sounding earphones by any means; it’s just that the Enco M31 had set the bar so high, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed. Still, to me, they sound better than the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z and Mi Neckband Pro.

Call Quality

The Enco M32 comes equipped with a single omnidirectional microphone which is embedded in the right plastic module. The call quality is decent and I was able to hear recipients quite clearly on both voice and video calls. The microphone doesn’t do a great job of cutting down background noise and wind noise when you’re outdoors. This is to be expected from earphones with a single microphone and something we have also seen on other neckbands such as the OnePlus Bullets Z Wireless and Mi Neckband Pro ANC.

Battery life

In the battery department, the Enco M32 totally blows the Enco M31 out of the water

This is the area where the Enco M32 totally blows the Enco M31 out of the water. OPPO promises up to 28 hours of battery life on a single charge, a huge improvement over the Enco M31’s measly 8-9 hours of runtime. In this price range, the Enco M32’s battery life is bested only by the Boat Rockerz 330 Pro (60 hours) and Boat Rockerz 330 (30 hours).

And the claim does hold true. In my loop test, the earphones lasted a tad over 26 hours. With average daily usage of 3-4 hours, the Enco M32 should easily get you through the week. And if you do need to charge them in the middle of the week, the fast charging support is there. The company says a 10-minute charge offers up to 20 hours of music playback. A full charge takes 35 minutes according to the company claim but in my test, it took about 45-50 minutes to go from 0 to 100%.

Final thoughts

The OPPO Enco M31 was special in that it tried to do something different than the crowd. It was by no means a perfect product, but the amazing sound quality and LDAC support were more than enough to live with its inferior build quality and mediocre battery life. The Enco M32 addresses most of the shortcomings of the Enco M31, but in the process, it also takes away the best traits that helped the Enco M31 stand out from the crowd: the amazing sound quality and LDAC codec support. Even with all its improvements and upgrades, the OPPO Enco M32 still comes across as a good but ordinary product. It doesn’t have an X factor like its predecessor.

The OPPO Enco M32 are a great pair of Bluetooth earphones that offer insane battery life and bass-driven sound.

Features:

Pros: Cons:

Buy from Amazon India

If you don’t care for balanced audio, however, the Enco M32 are solid, all-around neckband earphones that have plenty to offer. The minimal, understated design allows the Enco M32 to easily blend in with any outfit. Meanwhile, their ergonomic design coupled with soft ear wings ensure earphones remain comfortable to wear for a long time and don’t fall out during workouts or running.  On the audio quality front, your mileage may vary. For me, they’re a regression over the Enco M31 as I prefer a balanced sound signature. However, I’m sure the average user will definitely enjoy the extra kick of bass and warmth offered by the Enco M32.

The Enco M32 addresses most of the shortcomings of the Enco M31, but it also takes away the best traits that helped the Enco M31 stand out from the crowd.

At ₹1,800, the OPPO Enco M32 cost less than their predecessor, but due to the average sound quality and lack of high-quality codec support, stop short of becoming the best pair of budget Bluetooth earphones.

The post OPPO Enco M32 Review: Two steps forward, one step back appeared first on xda-developers.

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Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21 FE: Which phone is worth your money?

Following months of rumors, leaks, and (possible) delays, Samsung finally released the Galaxy 21 FE on January 3, 2022 — the ‘FE’ standing for ‘Fan Edition.’ The phone is a sequel to the much-loved Galaxy S20 FE, and mainly serves as a more budget-friendly version of last year’s Galaxy S21. The phone will also presumably be the budget alternative to the upcoming Galaxy S22 series, but without final pricing information on those phones, we can’t be sure yet.

The late release of the Galaxy S21 FE means there are many factors to consider. If you already own a Galaxy S21, should you upgrade to it? If you don’t have either phone, which is a better use of your money? We’ll attempt to answer those questions (and others) in this comparison guide. Also, we’re only comparing the base model Galaxy S21 to the Galaxy S21 FE in this guide, not the more-expensive Galaxy S21 Plus or Galaxy S21 Ultra.

About this article: Samsung sent us a Galaxy S21 FE to review in January. The company did not have any input on the contents of this article.

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21 FE: Specifications

Specification	Galaxy S21	Galaxy S21 FE
Build	Plastic back, metal frame	Plastic back, metal frame
Dimensions & Weight	151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm 171 grams	155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm 177 grams
Display	6.2-inch FHD+ AMOLED 2400 x 1080 120Hz refresh rate	6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED 2340 x 1080 120Hz refresh rate
SoC	USA: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 International: Exynos 2100	USA: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 International: Exynos 2100
RAM & Storage	8GB RAM/128GB storage 8GB RAM/256GB storage No microSD card slot	6GB RAM/128GB storage 8GB RAM/256GB storage No microSD card slot
Battery & Charging	4,000mAh battery 25W wired fast charging 15W wireless charging 4.5W reverse wireless charging	4,500mAh battery 25W wired fast charging 15W wireless charging 4.5W reverse wireless charging
Security	In-display fingerprint scanner	In-display fingerprint scanner
Rear Cameras	Primary: 12MP, f/2.2, 123˚ FoV Wide-angle: 12MP, f/1.8, 79˚ FoV Telephoto: 8MP, f/2.4, 32˚ FOV	Primary: 12MP, f/1.8, 120˚ FoV Wide-angle: 12MP, f/2.2, 123° FoV Telephoto: 64MP, f/2.4, 3X optical, 30X space zoom, OIS
Front Camera	10MP, f/2.2, 80˚ FoV	32MP, f/2.2, 81˚ FoV
Port(s)	USB Type-C No headphone jack	USB Type-C No headphone jack
Audio	Stereo speakers	Stereo speakers
Connectivity	Sub6/mmWave 5G 4G LTE Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/x (dual-band) Bluetooth 5.0	Sub6/mmWave 5G 4G LTE Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/x (dual-band) Bluetooth 5.0 Ultra Wide Band (UWB)
Software	One UI 4.0/Android 12 (Android 11 at launch)	One UI 4.0/Android 12
Other Features	Samsung Pay with NFC IP68 rating	Samsung Pay with NFC IP68 rating

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21 FE: Design and Hardware

The hardware design of the Galaxy S21 FE is nearly identical to the Galaxy S21 that came before it. Both phones have glass-covered displays and plastic rear casings, a metal frame inside the device, three cameras on the back, and a primary speaker and USB Type-C port on the bottom. Neither phone has a headphone jack or a microSD card slot, unfortunately.

Galaxy S21 (left) and Galaxy S21 FE (right)

The main difference between the two is the physical size. The base model Galaxy S21 has a 6.2-inch screen, while the Galaxy S21 FE has a slightly larger 6.4-inch panel. Both screens are AMOLED, both have the same 2340 x 1080 resolution, and both have a refresh rate of 120Hz — the only difference is that the Galaxy S21 FE display is a bit larger.

Besides that, the camera array on the back isn’t quite as pronounced. Even though it still sticks out from the back of the phone, like the cameras on most other premium smartphones, the color matches the casing and the sides are sloped. That’s not a ground-breaking change by any means, but still worth noting.

Since the Galaxy S21 FE is a bit larger, Samsung was able to fit in a larger 4,500mAh battery (compared to the 4,000mAh battery on the Galaxy S21). There’s also only 6GB RAM on the cheapest Galaxy S21 FE, compared to the 8GB on all versions of the Galaxy S21, but the pricier 256GB Galaxy S21 FE bumps the memory back up to 8GB.

Besides those differences, the two phones are more or less identical. They both have Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipsets in the US and Exynos 2100 elsewhere, they both have Android 12 and One UI 4, they both support 5G, and so on.

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21 FE: Cameras

The Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 FE have almost identical camera setups, with ultra-wide, wide-angle, and telephoto rear cameras on both devices. However, there are minor differences between them. The ultra-wide on the Galaxy S21 has a slightly higher pixel size than the ultra-wide on the Galaxy S21 FE (1.4μm vs 1.12μm), so the quality is a bit better on the regular Galaxy S21. The most significant difference is with the telephoto camera — it’s 64MP on the Galaxy S21, but only Galaxy 8MP on the S21 FE.

In real-world usage, photos captured with these phones are nearly identical to each other. I struggled to find any differences between the two, even after copying them to my computer to view them on a much larger display. The primary camera performs about the same on both phones, even though the Galaxy S21 has a slight edge on paper, and wide-angle photos are also close.

The only area where the Galaxy S21 FE produced noticeably-worse photos was with the telephoto camera, but only in some situations. The lower-resolution telephoto lens on the Galaxy S21 FE can still handle brightly-lit areas about as well as the regular Galaxy S21, but if you keep zooming in (especially in darker environments), photo quality degrades a bit quicker than with the S21.

Conclusion: Which one should you get?

The Galaxy S21 Fan Edition is definitely a confusing phone. It’s almost identical to the base model Galaxy S21, except it has cheaper materials and one extra generation of OS updates (so it should receive Android 13, 14, and 15, while the Galaxy S21 will stop at 14). The Galaxy S21 was $799.99 at launch, but it dropped to $699 on more than one occasion, while the Galaxy S21 Fan Edition starts at $699.99. Samsung might drop the price of the FE over the next few months to make the phone more of a deal, but the company hasn’t done anything yet.

If you already have a Galaxy S21, and you’re wondering if you should upgrade, the answer is a resounding no. The Galaxy S21 FE is not significantly better than the Galaxy S21, and in some ways (such as the telephoto camera), it’s a bit worse. The screen is slightly larger, and it has three major Android OS updates left (as opposed to 2 updates left on the Galaxy S21), but that’s not enough to warrant spending more money.

For people with an older device, or someone looking to move away from an iPhone, the answer is a bit more complicated. The Galaxy S21 FE is a good phone, but it’s not the same absolute bargain that the Galaxy S20 FE was when it was first released. It’s a slightly-different Galaxy S21, at a higher price than the Galaxy S21 has been for much of the past six months.

Galaxy S21 128GB pricing on Amazon (Source: Keepa)

The entire Galaxy S21 family is starting to go out of stock at retailers, which indicates Samsung might sell the Galaxy S21 FE as the only available Galaxy S21 model from this point on. If that’s true, cross-shopping the two phones is a bit of a pointless exercise, unless you’re deciding between a new Galaxy S21 FE and a used/refurbished Galaxy S21.

In summary: if you want a new phone, your only choice between the two will probably be the Galaxy S21 FE. I’d still recommend waiting for a sale if you can, though — it doesn’t make much sense to pay $700 for a phone that is almost identical to the $800 phone from a year ago, even if Samsung is throwing in one more Android update.

Samsung Galaxy S21

Last year's Galaxy S21 is still a great phone, with a speedy Snapdragon 888 chipset and two major Android OS updates left. Just make sure you only get it on sale.

Buy at Samsung.com

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE

The newer Galaxy S21 FE is a bit larger, and has an additional year of Android OS updates, but otherwise isn't too different from the Galaxy S21.

Buy at Samsung.com

If you’re on the fence, we would suggest waiting on the Galaxy S22 to release before making a decision. You can also go ahead and reserve the Galaxy S22 right away and get $50 in in-store credits alongside other pre-order offers.

The post Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21 FE: Which phone is worth your money? appeared first on xda-developers.

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Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21 FE: Which phone is worth your money?

Following months of rumors, leaks, and (possible) delays, Samsung finally released the Galaxy 21 FE on January 3, 2022 — the ‘FE’ standing for ‘Fan Edition.’ The phone is a sequel to the much-loved Galaxy S20 FE, and mainly serves as a more budget-friendly version of last year’s Galaxy S21. The phone will also presumably be the budget alternative to the upcoming Galaxy S22 series, but without final pricing information on those phones, we can’t be sure yet.

The late release of the Galaxy S21 FE means there are many factors to consider. If you already own a Galaxy S21, should you upgrade to it? If you don’t have either phone, which is a better use of your money? We’ll attempt to answer those questions (and others) in this comparison guide. Also, we’re only comparing the base model Galaxy S21 to the Galaxy S21 FE in this guide, not the more-expensive Galaxy S21 Plus or Galaxy S21 Ultra.

About this article: Samsung sent us a Galaxy S21 FE to review in January. The company did not have any input on the contents of this article.

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21 FE: Specifications

Specification	Galaxy S21	Galaxy S21 FE
Build	Plastic back, metal frame	Plastic back, metal frame
Dimensions & Weight	151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm 171 grams	155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm 177 grams
Display	6.2-inch FHD+ AMOLED 2400 x 1080 120Hz refresh rate	6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED 2340 x 1080 120Hz refresh rate
SoC	USA: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 International: Exynos 2100	USA: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 International: Exynos 2100
RAM & Storage	8GB RAM/128GB storage 8GB RAM/256GB storage No microSD card slot	6GB RAM/128GB storage 8GB RAM/256GB storage No microSD card slot
Battery & Charging	4,000mAh battery 25W wired fast charging 15W wireless charging 4.5W reverse wireless charging	4,500mAh battery 25W wired fast charging 15W wireless charging 4.5W reverse wireless charging
Security	In-display fingerprint scanner	In-display fingerprint scanner
Rear Cameras	Primary: 12MP, f/2.2, 123˚ FoV Wide-angle: 12MP, f/1.8, 79˚ FoV Telephoto: 8MP, f/2.4, 32˚ FOV	Primary: 12MP, f/1.8, 120˚ FoV Wide-angle: 12MP, f/2.2, 123° FoV Telephoto: 64MP, f/2.4, 3X optical, 30X space zoom, OIS
Front Camera	10MP, f/2.2, 80˚ FoV	32MP, f/2.2, 81˚ FoV
Port(s)	USB Type-C No headphone jack	USB Type-C No headphone jack
Audio	Stereo speakers	Stereo speakers
Connectivity	Sub6/mmWave 5G 4G LTE Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/x (dual-band) Bluetooth 5.0	Sub6/mmWave 5G 4G LTE Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/x (dual-band) Bluetooth 5.0 Ultra Wide Band (UWB)
Software	One UI 4.0/Android 12 (Android 11 at launch)	One UI 4.0/Android 12
Other Features	Samsung Pay with NFC IP68 rating	Samsung Pay with NFC IP68 rating

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21 FE: Design and Hardware

The hardware design of the Galaxy S21 FE is nearly identical to the Galaxy S21 that came before it. Both phones have glass-covered displays and plastic rear casings, a metal frame inside the device, three cameras on the back, and a primary speaker and USB Type-C port on the bottom. Neither phone has a headphone jack or a microSD card slot, unfortunately.

Galaxy S21 (left) and Galaxy S21 FE (right)

The main difference between the two is the physical size. The base model Galaxy S21 has a 6.2-inch screen, while the Galaxy S21 FE has a slightly larger 6.4-inch panel. Both screens are AMOLED, both have the same 2340 x 1080 resolution, and both have a refresh rate of 120Hz — the only difference is that the Galaxy S21 FE display is a bit larger.

Besides that, the camera array on the back isn’t quite as pronounced. Even though it still sticks out from the back of the phone, like the cameras on most other premium smartphones, the color matches the casing and the sides are sloped. That’s not a ground-breaking change by any means, but still worth noting.

Since the Galaxy S21 FE is a bit larger, Samsung was able to fit in a larger 4,500mAh battery (compared to the 4,000mAh battery on the Galaxy S21). There’s also only 6GB RAM on the cheapest Galaxy S21 FE, compared to the 8GB on all versions of the Galaxy S21, but the pricier 256GB Galaxy S21 FE bumps the memory back up to 8GB.

Besides those differences, the two phones are more or less identical. They both have Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipsets in the US and Exynos 2100 elsewhere, they both have Android 12 and One UI 4, they both support 5G, and so on.

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21 FE: Cameras

The Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 FE have almost identical camera setups, with ultra-wide, wide-angle, and telephoto rear cameras on both devices. However, there are minor differences between them. The ultra-wide on the Galaxy S21 has a slightly higher pixel size than the ultra-wide on the Galaxy S21 FE (1.4μm vs 1.12μm), so the quality is a bit better on the regular Galaxy S21. The most significant difference is with the telephoto camera — it’s 64MP on the Galaxy S21, but only Galaxy 8MP on the S21 FE.

In real-world usage, photos captured with these phones are nearly identical to each other. I struggled to find any differences between the two, even after copying them to my computer to view them on a much larger display. The primary camera performs about the same on both phones, even though the Galaxy S21 has a slight edge on paper, and wide-angle photos are also close.

The only area where the Galaxy S21 FE produced noticeably-worse photos was with the telephoto camera, but only in some situations. The lower-resolution telephoto lens on the Galaxy S21 FE can still handle brightly-lit areas about as well as the regular Galaxy S21, but if you keep zooming in (especially in darker environments), photo quality degrades a bit quicker than with the S21.

Conclusion: Which one should you get?

The Galaxy S21 Fan Edition is definitely a confusing phone. It’s almost identical to the base model Galaxy S21, except it has cheaper materials and one extra generation of OS updates (so it should receive Android 13, 14, and 15, while the Galaxy S21 will stop at 14). The Galaxy S21 was $799.99 at launch, but it dropped to $699 on more than one occasion, while the Galaxy S21 Fan Edition starts at $699.99. Samsung might drop the price of the FE over the next few months to make the phone more of a deal, but the company hasn’t done anything yet.

If you already have a Galaxy S21, and you’re wondering if you should upgrade, the answer is a resounding no. The Galaxy S21 FE is not significantly better than the Galaxy S21, and in some ways (such as the telephoto camera), it’s a bit worse. The screen is slightly larger, and it has three major Android OS updates left (as opposed to 2 updates left on the Galaxy S21), but that’s not enough to warrant spending more money.

For people with an older device, or someone looking to move away from an iPhone, the answer is a bit more complicated. The Galaxy S21 FE is a good phone, but it’s not the same absolute bargain that the Galaxy S20 FE was when it was first released. It’s a slightly-different Galaxy S21, at a higher price than the Galaxy S21 has been for much of the past six months.

Galaxy S21 128GB pricing on Amazon (Source: Keepa)

The entire Galaxy S21 family is starting to go out of stock at retailers, which indicates Samsung might sell the Galaxy S21 FE as the only available Galaxy S21 model from this point on. If that’s true, cross-shopping the two phones is a bit of a pointless exercise, unless you’re deciding between a new Galaxy S21 FE and a used/refurbished Galaxy S21.

In summary: if you want a new phone, your only choice between the two will probably be the Galaxy S21 FE. I’d still recommend waiting for a sale if you can, though — it doesn’t make much sense to pay $700 for a phone that is almost identical to the $800 phone from a year ago, even if Samsung is throwing in one more Android update.

Samsung Galaxy S21

Last year's Galaxy S21 is still a great phone, with a speedy Snapdragon 888 chipset and two major Android OS updates left. Just make sure you only get it on sale.

Buy at Samsung.com

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE

The newer Galaxy S21 FE is a bit larger, and has an additional year of Android OS updates, but otherwise isn't too different from the Galaxy S21.

Buy at Samsung.com

If you’re on the fence, we would suggest waiting on the Galaxy S22 to release before making a decision. You can also go ahead and reserve the Galaxy S22 right away and get $50 in in-store credits alongside other pre-order offers.

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What is Wordle, and how do I play it on my phone?

If you’ve been remotely active on Twitter in the past couple of weeks, you’re sure to have encountered colored boxes on your timeline accompanied by the text Wordle. You’re either super intrigued to know what it’s all about or annoyed to the point where you’ve muted the word. Nonetheless, it’s a trend that has taken the internet by storm. If you too want to jump onto the bandwagon to tackle your FOMO, we’ll tell you everything about Wordle and how you can play this game on your smartphone.

Navigate this article:

• What is Wordle?
• Why has Wordle become so popular?
• How to play Wordle?
• Wordle alternatives on Android/iOS
• Wordle Tips and Tricks

What is Wordle?

Wordle is a web-based word game that refreshes every day. The aim of the puzzle is to guess the word of the day. You get six tries to guess a five-letter word with color-coded boxes to help you place letters in the right positions. We’ll talk more about the nuances of the game and how to play it in the subsequent sections of this article. To give you a basic understanding of Wordle, you can think of it as a puzzle that gives you a new challenge every day.

Josh Wardle, a software engineer, created the game for his wife who was hooked to word games like Spelling Bee and Crossword. The name of the game is unsurprisingly a wordplay on Josh’s last name. While the game was initially meant just for the couple to play, it was made public in October 2021 and started to get traction in the subsequent weeks thanks to the power of social media FOMO. The idea behind Wordle seems to be similar to that of a British game show called Lingo.

Of course, unlike the game show, you don’t win any money for guessing the right word on Wordle. What you win, though, is bragging rights for the number of turns you took to arrive at the right word. Wordle is played via a website that has no ads and its success is purely based on word of mouth. The fact that millions of users are playing the game all over the world intrigued by a random set of green boxes on a social media platform seems like just the kind of marketing Wordle needed to become popular! Think of it as Among Us for the Omicron wave, as the peak in the game’s popularity coincided with the recent COVID lockdowns, giving people reasons to find creative ways to spend their time indoors.

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Why has Wordle become so popular?

What makes Wordle so interesting is that it’s available to play just once a day. The anticipation to play the game again the next day is what brings users back to it. It’s also not very time-consuming as you only get six attempts to solve the puzzle, and how much time you spend per attempt is dependent on your English vocabulary. Given that a new word is available every morning, it’s also a great way to churn your brain and begin the day on a high. The fact that the same word is available to everyone all over the world also brings in an element of unison.

I’ve seen several people mentioning how a dormant group on WhatsApp suddenly became active after Wordle started gaining popularity. It’s good to see that a simple internet game can be a conversation starter while also adding a hint of competition to see who can guess the word in the least number of attempts.

Our school friends group has turned in a wordle group. It used to be that useless Good morning flower group… but it’s a bright and better change!

— Giridhar (@cgiridhar) January 21, 2022

Another reason for Wordle to become so popular is the boxes you see on Twitter. Multiple well-known personalities on Twitter have shared their Wordle scores on the platform. As a result, a bunch of their followers would also have tried the game and that’s how the word spreads. Alright, now that you know what Wordle is all about and how it came to being, let’s try solving our first Wordle together!

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How to play Wordle?

The best and the “official” way to play Wordle is by heading to the website — https://www.powerlanguage.co.uk/wordle/ either on your computer or a smartphone. Once you’re on the website, you will see 5 columns and 6 rows followed by an on-screen keyboard. The 5 columns indicate that you need to guess a five-letter word while the 6 rows mean you have 6 chances to guess the right word.

• The game begins when you start with your first guess. Your first guess can be any random five-letter word, but there are various strategies you can apply here. The most popular one is beginning with a word that has as many vowels as possible. The idea here is that most words in the English language have at least one vowel. If you start with a word that has multiple vowels, there’s a good chance you’ll get at least one letter right in the word. Examples of five-letter words with multiple vowels are AUDIO, ADIEU, AURAE, IRATE, RAISE, AROSE, etc. Let’s start with AROSE for this tutorial. Input the word and hit Enter.

• You will now see that the background of all the letters you entered has changed. Some letters may have a green background, others may have a yellow or gray background. This is the important bit that you need to understand. If a box has turned green, it indicates that you’ve guessed the right letter in the right position. In this case, the letter R has turned green which means R is the second letter in the word. If a box turns yellow, which it hasn’t in this case, it means that the letter is right, but it’s not in the correct position in the word. If a box is gray, it means the letter isn’t present in the word.
• Now, keeping in mind that R is the right letter in the right place, think of another word with R as the second letter. Also, make sure that the word you think of doesn’t have any of the gray letters. In this case, you need to think of a word that doesn’t have the letters A, O, S, E. If a letter turned yellow, make sure to use the same letter but in a different position from your initial guess.
• Let’s now try the word DRINK.

• As you can see, we have three green squares now which means the letters R, I, K are correct and in the right positions. The letters D, N are not present in the word. We just have to guess two more letters now to arrive at the correct word. Think of the different permutations and combinations of letters that you can come up with to form a word with these letters. The possible combinations I can think of are BRICK, PRICK, TRICK. Let’s try TRICK.

• Alright, we’ve now got the last 4 letters of the word as RICK. Let’s try the other combinations from the previous step.

• Since B has turned gray, the only other possible guess I could think of is PRICK.

• That’s it, we’ve successfully guessed the right word! Congratulations on solving your first Wordle!

It took us five attempts to solve the Wordle which is the number you see accompanying the boxes in tweets. Wordle (5/6) indicates that we guessed the word in five attempts out of 6. Once you’ve guessed the word, you will be shown your statistics along with the option to share your performance. Social media shares also mention a number besides Wordle, which is just how many daily Wordles have been there so far, so you can compare your performance on the same number with others.

If you choose to share it on Twitter, the game will automatically create those colored boxes for you based on your guesses along with the number of guesses. You can also see the time remaining for the next word displayed here. Once the timer elapses, you can come back to the same page and try guessing the new word.

While having a rich English vocabulary does help, luck also plays a big factor in determining whether or not you’ll be able to guess the right word. Nevertheless, the objective of the game is to have fun so guess your way to the top, tweet your scores, share them with your friends, and challenge them to get the word in lesser attempts!

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Wordle alternatives on Android/iOS

The original Wordle game can be played only via the website mentioned above, and it is quite convenient to simply bookmark the website and play through your phone browser. Some people may prefer playing on an app instead. There were some cloned versions of the game turned into apps going by the same name — Wordle. Those have been taken down now but there still are some word-based puzzle games that can work as alternatives on both the Google Play Store as well as the Apple App Store.

Primel

Hannah Park has created an open-source version of Wordle that developers can now make use of to create their own variations of the game. Twitter user DavidLawrenceMiller has taken advantage of this and created a mathematical version of the game — Primel. Instead of guessing words like you would on Wordle, you take chances to guess a five-digit prime number on Primel. This is meant to be a tongue-in-cheek take on Wordle, but if you would rather scratch your head finding prime factors of a number than revising your vocab, this could be your thing!

Word Bound

Word Bound is a word-based puzzle game that is similar to Wordle. You need to guess the right word using various combinations. There are multiple levels and you can even play online against your friends. The game claims to have over 1,000 puzzles with a daily word challenge. If you want something more extensive than Wordle since the latter only allows you to play once a day, you can check this game out.

Wordle Unlimited - Word Games (Free⁺, Google Play) →

Scrabble Go

Scrabble is one of the most popular word games across the globe. You are given a board on which you need to make words using the available letters. You get a certain number of points for each word that you make. You can play offline or against a friend, and the person with the most number of points wins. It’s a fun game that’s different from Wordle but still revolves around making words.

Scrabble® GO-Classic Word Game (Free⁺, Google Play) →

Wordlets

This is a proper replica of Wordle but in an app form for iOS devices. Wordlets gives you the same amount of guesses to arrive at a five-letter word as Wordle and with the exact same layout. This app is for those who want to play the exact same game but on an app instead of on the website.

Wordly

Wordly is a game on iOS that displays a 4×4 box with different letters. You have to draw lines inside the box to connect various letters to form a meaningful word. This is a slightly different take on a word game and I’m glad that it brings something unique to the table instead of being a blatant copy of an already existing game.

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Wordle Tips and Tricks

Wordle is a pretty straightforward game. You just have to guess the right word in six attempts. However, there are some tips and tricks for Wordle that can improve your experience while playing the game. A basic tip as already mentioned earlier is to start off with a word that covers a lot of vowels or frequently used letters in the English alphabet. Letters like S, T, A, E, I, R are frequently used and hence, might give you a good start with a few yellow or green squares.

This isn’t really a trick but an Easter Egg present on Google when you search for Wordle. When you enter Wordle on Google and hit the Search button, you will see an animation resembling how Wordle works. Neat!

The next trick involves going back in time (at least, on your phone’s clock) and playing Wordle with past words. Technically, Wordle can only be played once a day. There’s a new word every day and once you’ve guessed that, you have to wait for the timer to reset before playing the game again with a new word. However, if you’re new to Wordle and want to guess the previous days’ words, there’s a small hack discovered by Reddit user r/pompeusz. All you need to do is change the date on your smartphone to a day in the past and open the website. You will now be able to play that day’s Wordle.

Using this trick LeagueBright9916 has created a Wordle Archive where you can play all 215 Wordles till now in random order. This is a great way to pass time if you’ve already solved the current puzzle and want to get the hang of the game by guessing older words.

Another basic trick is to tap on the small gear icon on the top-right corner to access some settings. You can enable/disable dark mode from here, along with the option to change the color scheme if you’re colorblind. You can also toggle a Hard Mode if you want the game to be more challenging.

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That’s pretty much everything you need to know about the latest fad on social media — Wordle! If you haven’t played the game yet, start today by heading over to the link and following the tutorial above. If you’re unsure of what to do or are stuck somewhere, feel free to leave a comment below. It’s quite addictive though, so tread with caution!

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