Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE (SM-G990B2/DS 256GB)
Side by side comparison between Samsung Galaxy Note 9 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE phones, differences, pros, cons and full specifications. What's the better?
,
6.4"
AMOLED
AMOLED
1440x2960
12.2
MP
MP
8mp
6GB
RAM
RAM
Octa-core
4000
mAh
mAh
(Non removable)
vs
6.4"
AMOLED
AMOLED
1080x2400
12.2
MP
MP
32mp
8GB
RAM
RAM
Octa-core
4500
mAh
mAh
(Non removable)
What's the better phone? Samsung Galaxy S21 FE (SM-G990B2/DS 256GB)
The phonemore's choice is much more technical than personal. Therefore, you shouldn't only consider this. Our goal is to help you, but what's important to us may not be important to you. You decide which one is the best! Comment!
10 Advantages 
21 Advantages | 28 Common items in both devices |
| Aluminum frame, glass front/back / Aluminum body, glass front, plastic back |
| Super AMOLED / Dynamic AMOLED |
| 16 million |
| 6.4" |
| Digital and optical zoom |
| PDAF on back camera and autofocus front camera / PDAF: phase detection autofocus |
| OIS: Optical stabilization |
| +21 specs and more in the table below |
Check the comparison table below for more items that are not evaluated in comparison score above.
Highlight differences Clear highlight📱 Model features | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S21 FE (SM-G990B2/DS 256GB) | |
| Model | Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S21 FE (SM-G990B2/DS 256GB) |
| Other model names | Galaxy Note9 (Qualcomm) 6GB RAM, Samsung Crown | Galaxy S21 FE 5G SM-G990B2/Dual-SIM (Snapdragon) |
| Country or region available |  USA |  (Europe) |
| Brand | Samsung | Samsung |
| Release date | 8/24/2018, Announced: 8/9/2018 | 1/7/2022, Announced: 1/4/2022 |
| Depth | 8.8 millimeters (0.35 inches) | 7.9 millimeters (0.31 inches) |
| Size (width x height) | 76.4 x 161.9 millimeters (3.01 x 6.37 in) | 74.5 x 155.7 millimeters (2.93 x 6.13 in) |
| Weight | 201 grams (7.04 ounces) | 177 grams (6.2 ounces) |
| Build, materials | Aluminum frame, glass front/back Back: Gorilla Glass 5 | Aluminum body, glass front, plastic back |
| Protection against water and others | IP68 certified: water-resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30min and dust-resistant | IP68 certified: water-resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30min and dust-resistant |
📲 Display | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S21 FE (SM-G990B2/DS 256GB) | |
| Display type | Super AMOLED | Dynamic AMOLED |
| Screen size | 6.4" inches | 6.4" inches |
| Screen-to-body ratio | ~84% (screen-to-body ratio) | ~85.3% (screen-to-body ratio) |
| Display resolution | 1440x2960 pixels (18.5:9) | 1080x2400 pixels (20:9) |
| Touchscreen | Capacitive Multitouch 10-points | Capacitive Multitouch 10-points |
| Pixel density (dot pitch) | 514 PPI | 411 PPI |
| Colors | 16 million | 16 million |
| Scratch-resistant glass | Gorilla Glass 5 | Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 120Hz |
| Display features | HDR10 2.5D glass Always-On Display | 1300nits[peak] HDR10+ Always-On Display |
🤖 Operating System | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S21 FE (SM-G990B2/DS 256GB) | |
| System version | Android 8.1 Oreo | Android 12 |
| Firmware update | Android 10 | Android 14 |
| User Interface | One UI 2.0 / 2.5 | One UI 4.1 / 5.1 / 6.0 |
⚙️ Processor | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S21 FE (SM-G990B2/DS 256GB) | |
| Chipset | 64bit: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (SDM845) (10nm) | 64bit: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (SM8350) (5nm) |
| CPU | Octa-core, 2 processors: 4x 2.8GHz Kryo 385 Gold (Quad-core) 4x 1.7GHz Kryo 385 Silver (Quad-core) | Octa-core, 3 processors: 1x 2.84GHz Kryo 680 (Single-core) 3x 2.42GHz Kryo 680 (Triple-core) 4x 1.8GHz Kryo 680 (Quad-core) |
| GPU graphical controller | Qualcomm Adreno 630 (710MHz) | Qualcomm Adreno 660 (840MHz) |
| Performance (benchmark) | AnTuTu: 249124 (v7), 316449 (v8) Geekbench: 9026 (v4.4), 2092 (v5.1) GFXBench: 15fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 566529 (v8), 719696 (v9) Geekbench: 3049 (v5.1) GFXBench: 56fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
💽 Memory and storage | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S21 FE (SM-G990B2/DS 256GB) | |
| RAM memory | 6GB LPDDR4X | 8GB LPDDR5 |
| Internal storage | 128GB (111GB available) UFS 2.1 | 256GB (215GB available) UFS 3.1 |
| External storage | Until 1TB microSD, microSDXC (dedicated slot) | Not supported |
📶 Mobile networks | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S21 FE (SM-G990B2/DS 256GB) | |
| Dual-SIM | Not supported | Dual-SIM Standby - Call active on one sim card |
| SIM card | 1 slot (Single-SIM) nano-SIM (4FF) | 2 slots (Dual-SIM) nano-SIM (4FF) |
| Maximum Download / Upload | 1200/150 Mbps | 2000/1024 Mbps |
| Network technology | 2G, 3G, 4G | 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G |
| Frequency, bands | Expand band details Collapse details | |
| GSM MHz band | Quad-Band 850/900/1800/1900 | Quad-Band 850/900/1800/1900 |
| Primary 2G network | CDMA 800/1900, GSM 850/900/1800/1900 | GSM 850/900/1800/1900 |
| Primary 3G network | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO TD-SCDMA 1900/2000 UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100 | UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100 |
| Primary 4G network | LTE Cat18 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 18, 19, 20, 28, 29, 30) TD-LTE (38, 39, 40, 41) | LTE Cat20 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 26, 28, 32, 66) TD-LTE (38, 40, 41) VoLTE |
| Primary 5G network | Not supported | SA/NSA/Sub6 (1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 78) |
| Primary data network | GPRS, EDGE, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev 0, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev A, TD-SCDMA, UMTS, TD-HSDPA, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, TD-LTE, LTE, LTE-A | GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, TD-LTE, LTE, LTE-A, SA/NSA |
| Secondary 2G network | Not supported | GSM 850/900/1800/1900 |
| Secondary 3G network | Not supported | UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100 |
| Secondary 4G network | Not supported | LTE Cat20 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 26, 28, 32, 66) TD-LTE (38, 40, 41) VoLTE |
| Secondary data network | Not supported | GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, TD-LTE, LTE, LTE-A, SA/NSA |
📷 Camera | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S21 FE (SM-G990B2/DS 256GB) | |
| Back camera (main camera) | (dual camera) 12.2 megapixels 12MP telephoto f/2.41/3.4"52mm1.0µmAFOIS2x-optical-zoom | (triple camera) 12.2 megapixels 12MP ultrawide f/2.2123°13mm1/3"1.12µm 8MP telephoto f/2.476mm1/4.5"1.0µmPDAFOIS3x-optical-zoom |
| Main camera resolution | 4032x3024 pixels | 4032x3024 pixels |
| Video recording (primary) | 4K UHD (3840x2160) 60 fps | 4K UHD (3840x2160) 60 fps |
| Flash | Dual-LED flash | LED flash |
| Focal aperture | f/1.5 (aperture) | f/1.8 (aperture) |
| Focal length | 26mm lens | 26mm lens |
| Sensor size | 1/2.55" inches | 1/1.76" inches |
| Pixel size | 1.4µm pixel | 1.8µm pixel |
| Autofocus | PDAF on back camera and autofocus front camera | PDAF: phase detection autofocus |
| Touch focus | Supported | Supported |
| Image stabilization | OIS: Optical stabilization | OIS: Optical stabilization |
| Zoom | Digital and optical zoom | Digital and optical zoom |
| Face/smile detection | Face detection, Smile detection | Face detection, Smile detection |
| BSI sensor | Supported | Supported |
| HDR | HDR photo/video on both cameras | HDR photo/video on both cameras |
| Camera extras | feature not registered | 4K@30/60fps 1080p@30/60fps 1080p@240fps (slow motion) 720p@960fps (slow motion) |
📸 Front camera | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S21 FE (SM-G990B2/DS 256GB) | |
| Front camera (secondary) | 8 megapixels | 32 megapixels |
| Front camera resolution | 3264x2448 pixels | 6528x4896 pixels |
| Video recording (secondary) | 2K UHD (2560x1440) | 4K UHD (3840x2160) |
| Front flash | Not supported | Not supported |
| Focal aperture | f/1.7 (aperture) | f/2.2 (aperture) |
| Focal length | 25mm lens | 26mm lens |
| Sensor size | 1/3.6" inches | 1/2.74" inches |
| Pixel size | 1.22µm pixel | 0.8µm pixel |
🔉 Sound and multimedia | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S21 FE (SM-G990B2/DS 256GB) | |
| Loudspeaker | Stereo sound 32-bit/384kHz | Stereo sound 32-bit/384kHz Dolby Atmos Tuned by AKG |
| Active noise cancellation | 2 microphones or more | 2 microphones or more |
| Radio | Not supported | Not supported |
| TV | Not supported | Not supported |
| Video formats | MP4, H.265, H.264, H.263, DivX, XviD | MP4, H.265, H.264, H.263, XviD, MKV |
| Audio formats | MP3, OGG, eAAC+, FLAC | MP3, WAV, WMA, eAAC+, FLAC |
🔌 Connectivity | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S21 FE (SM-G990B2/DS 256GB) | |
| USB | USB 3.1 Type-C, USB OTG On-The-Go | USB 3.2 Type-C, USB OTG On-The-Go |
| Audio output | 3.5mm jack | Type-C reversible connector |
| TV output | USB Type-C SlimPort® | USB Type-C SlimPort® |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 + A2DP/LE | 5.0 + A2DP/LE |
| WiFi | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac [wifi5] (2.4GHz, 5GHz) + MIMO WiFi Direct, hotspot | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax [wifi6] (2.4GHz, 5GHz) + MIMO WiFi Direct, hotspot |
| DLNA | Not supported | Supported |
| GPS | A-GPS, GeoTagging, GLONASS, GALILEO, BeiDou | A-GPS, GeoTagging, GLONASS, GALILEO, BeiDou |
| NFC | Supported | Supported |
| Infrared port | Not supported | Not supported |
🧭 Sensors | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S21 FE (SM-G990B2/DS 256GB) | |
| Sensors | Accelerometer Ambient light sensor ANT+ Barometer Compass Face unlock Fingerprint sensor (rear-mounted) Gyroscope Hall effect Heart rate Iris scanner Proximity sensor SpO2 | Accelerometer Ambient light sensor Barometer Compass Face unlock Fingerprint sensor (under display) Gyroscope Hall effect Proximity sensor |
| Vibrating alert | Supported | Supported |
🔋 Battery | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S21 FE (SM-G990B2/DS 256GB) | |
| Battery type | Li-Ion: lithium-ion (Non removable) | LiPo: li-ion polymer (Non removable) |
| Battery capacity | 4000 mAh | 4500 mAh |
| Charger, watts | 15W Wired fast charging | 25W Wired fast charging Reverse charging by cable USB Power Delivery 3.0 |
| Inductive / wireless charging | Qi wireless charging (Qi/PMA) | 15W Qi wireless charging 4.5W Reverse wireless charging |
| Talk time autonomy | feature not registered | feature not registered |
| Standby | feature not registered | feature not registered |
➕ Other features | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S21 FE (SM-G990B2/DS 256GB) | |
| Call control | Voice dialing, Voice recorder, Voice commands | Voice dialing, Voice recorder, Voice commands |
| Messaging | SMS (T9), MMS, E-mail, Push mail | SMS (T9), MMS, E-mail, Push mail |
| Hands-free calling | Supported | Supported |
| Video calling | Supported | Supported |
| Ringtones | Polyphonic and customized | Polyphonic and customized |
| Web browser | HTML, XHTML, HTML5 | HTML, XHTML, HTML5 |
| Antenna | Internal antenna | Internal antenna |
| Qwerty physical keyboard | Not supported | Not supported |
| Miscellaneous | • Colors: Black, Copper, Purple, Blue • S Pen Stylus (Bluetooth) • Samsung Pay • Samsung DeX | • Colors: Graphite, White, Lavender, Olive |
☢️ Radiation rate | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S21 FE (SM-G990B2/DS 256GB) | |
| SAR 1.6W/kg (USA, Mexico, etc.) | feature not registered | feature not registered |
| SAR 2W/kg (Europe, UK, etc.) | feature not registered | 0.952W/kg (head), 1.48W/kg (body) |