Both Samsung and OnePlus recently launched their mid-range flagship phones and to this turf, Xiaomi is also going to launch its challenger soon. Yes, we are talking about the Galaxy S21 FE, 9RT and 11T models respectively. They all come with competent specs and feature all-round smartphone experience. So, if you are out in the market to buy a high-end smartphone but don’t wanna splurge on the top-dollar Ultra and Pro models, then, these are the thoroughbreds you should bet your money on. And to know, out of the three, which one better suits your need, follow this comparative analysis.
Design and Display
Amongst the three phones, the Galaxy S21 FE is the most compact and pocket-friendly phone. It is just 7.9mm in thickness and 179 grams in weight. It also continues in the design language of Galaxy S21 lineup with that unique contour-cut camera design. It is a plastic back though. This may not seem premium to some but in durability, it is likely to better stand the test of time than glassy builds of OnePlus 9RT and Xiaomi 11T. Sammy also wins points for IP68 water and dust resistance.
Flip to the front, and here although all phones share a similar panel with FHD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 1B colors, HDR10+ support, etc. But, since Samsung is the screen maker, it is likely to have a slightly better quality and calibrated AMOLEDs on it. The Dynamic AMOLED 2X it has used is also said to hit peak brightness of 1500 nits which would be more legible outdoors than the competition.
That said, you can’t go wrong going with OnePlus and Xiaomi displays either.
ALSO READ: Oneplus 9RT vs OnePlus 10 Pro vs Xiaomi 11T Pro Specs Comparison
Cameras
Both Xiaomi and OnePlus would win the megapixel game. Especially, the 11T’s 108MP primary sensor is a promo feature with the ability to capture more details in the full-res mode. Now, in everyday use, the pixel-binned results would be what you use more often than not. Sure, there may be the occassional benefit of printing out these details on a large canvas. However, that’s like few and far between. The same is applicable for the OnePlus’ 50MP shooter, whose performance, by the way, should be comparable to Nord 2’s main camera.
Then, there’s the Samsung’s 12MP shots, which should be akin to the results out of the vanilla Galaxy S21 camera and that should be flagship-grade. The FE doesn’t use any token macro/depth clickers. It also comes equipped with OIS on both the premier and 3x telephoto lens.
Software and Performance
Out of the lot, only Samsung ships with Android 12 software. Not only that it’s One UI skin is known to be feature-rich, secure, and rather stable. The company also promises 3 years of software updates which puts it ahead in that respect too.
| Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 | Samsung Exynos 2100 | MediaTek Dimensity 1200 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-Core1 Cortex-X1 @ 2.84GHz 3 Cortex-A78 @ 2.4 GHz 4 Cortex-A55 @1.8GHz | Octa-Core1 Cortex-X1 @ 2.9GHz 3 Cortex-A78 @ 2.8 GHz 4 Cortex-A55 @2.2GHz | Octa-Core1 Cortex-A78 @3GHz 3 Cortex-A78 @2.6GHz 4 Cortex-A55 @2GHz |
| L2 Cache | 1 x 1024KB 3 x 512KB 4 X 128KB | 1 x 512KB 3 x 512KB 4 x 64KB | 1 x 512KB 3 x 256KB 4 x 64KB |
| GPU | Adreno 660 | Mali-G78 (14 Cores) | Mali-G77 (9 Cores) |
| Modem | Integrated Snapdragon X60 | Integrated Exynos 5123 | Integrated Helio M70 5G |
However when it comes to its gut, the S21 FE gives its proprietary Exynos 2100 chip in the Indian market. It would be bested by Snapdragon 888 of the OnePlus 9RT in the sustained loads.
Having said that, the casual users amongst you might not even notice these differences. And if you are of that nature, all three processors should up to the task for you.
ALSO READ: Vivo V23 5G vs Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge: Specs Comparison
Battery and Connectivity
As for the battery life, the 5000mAh sized cell coupled with a 120W fast charging of the Xiaomi 11T Pro should be exciting as it sounds. The OnePlus 9RT’s 4500mAh battery plus 65W charging solution scores the second position. That leaves the Samsung S21 FE’s 4500mAh juice pack with 25W adapter in the third slot. Now, things may surely depend on how efficient each of these devices are in preserving battery life.
As for the connectivity support, all three handsets are 5G proof. The 9RT is armed with eight 5G bands (5G NR NSA: N1, 3, 5, 8, 40, 41, 78 and 5G SA: N1, 3, 5, 8, 28A (703-733MHz), TDD: N40, 41, 78). Meanwhile, Samsung S21 FE also offers support for SA/NSA/Sub6GHz bands. And we will wait for the Xiaomi phone to launch in India to know about the 5G bands it supports in the country.
Anyways, here’s a spec-by-spec comparison of the three devices.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs OnePlus 9RT vs Xiaomi 11T
| Model | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE | OnePlus 9RT | Xiaomi 11T |
| Dimensions and Weight | 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm; 177 g | 162.2 x 74.6 x 8.3 mm; 198.5 g | 164.1 x 76.9 x 8.8 mm; 203 g |
| Build | Gorilla Glass Victus front, Glasstic back; aluminum frame | Gorilla Glass 5 front and back; aluminum frame | Gorilla Glass Victus front and regular glass back; aluminum frame |
| Display | 6.4-inches, 1080 x 2400 pixels, AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+ | 6.62-inches, 1080 x 2400 pixels, AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+ | 6.67-inches, 1080 x 2400 pixels, AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1B colors |
| Audio | Stereo speakers | Stereo speakers | Stereo speakers |
| Front Camera | 32MP; 4K@30FPS | 16MP; 1080P@30FPS | 16MP; 1080P@30FPS |
| Rear Camera | 12MP + 8MP telephoto 3X+ 12MP 123˚ultrawide; 4K@60FPS | 50MP+ 16MP 123° ultrawide+ 2MP macro; 4K@60FPS | 108MP+ 8MP 120° ultrawide+ 5MP telephoto macro; 4K@30FPS |
| OS | Android 12 with One UI 4 | Android 11 with OxygenOS | Android 11 with MIUI 12.5 |
| Processor | 5nm Exynos 2100 (India)/ Snapdragon 888 | 5nm Snapdragon 888 | 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 1200 |
| Misc. | Under-display fingerprint reader, USB-C, NFC, Bluetooth5.0, dual-band WiFi 6, GPS with dual-band GPS with A-GPS, 5G | Under display fingerprint scanner, USB-C 2.0, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, dual-band WiFi 6, GPS with dual-band A-GPS, 5G | Side-mounted fingerprint reader, USB-C 2.0, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, dual-band WiFi 6, GPS with dual-band A-GPS, IP53, 5G |
| Battery | 4500mAh with 25W charging | 4500mAh with 65W charging | 5000mAh with 120W charging |
| Memory and Price | 8+128GB: ₹54,999 8+256GB: ₹58,999 | 8+128GB: ₹42,999 12+256GB: ₹46,999 | 8+128GB: 499€ (~₹42,349) 8+256GB: 549€ (~₹46592) |
