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Battery removal remains difficult; everything else is easy
Samsung released the Galaxy S21 FE at the beginning of this month as an upgrade to the much-beloved Galaxy S20 FE. Though it arrives with a new design and better chipset, its repairability remains pretty much on par with both its predecessor and last year’s S21 — tough battery removal, easy everything else — as shown by the post-release teardowns already making the rounds.
A YouTube video by PBKreviews shows the Galaxy S21 FE being dismantled and put together without much hassle. First, we see the plastic back cover being taken off easily with the aid of some light heat and a pry tool — plastic may not be the most premium material around but it definitely scores a point against glass blacks for repairability. With the backplate removed, we then get to see several similar-sized Philip screws (something that Apple can learn from) requiring only a single screwdriver for removal. The mmWave 5G antennas, main and sub motherboards, back cameras, and speakers can be taken off just as easily by popping the flex cables connecting them or loosening a few more Phillip screws.
Replacing the screen of the S21 FE doesn’t seem like much trouble either, with some gentle heating and prying on the front and disconnecting the display cable from the back being sufficient. Where things get difficult, though, is with the battery. It’s glued tightly to the phone’s chassis, and there are still no pull-tabs like we see on OnePlus phones or even the Pixel 6 Pro, so removing it will require some (or lots of) isopropyl alcohol and bucket loads of patience to prevent damage. Samsung can definitely make a few changes to improve repairability, but it’s good to see that they’ve at least maintained the same level of repair ease on their latest device.
It’s been about a week since the launch of the S21 FE, but the phone seems to be in a somewhat awkward position, as if unable to find its purpose. On the one hand, it’s supposed to build on the S20 FE’s success; on the other, it’s launching so close to the S22 series and at a $700 price tag that undercuts none of the competition (including the S21). That said, we’d have to wait until sales figures start emerging later this year to draw any conclusions.
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