The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is likely to land in 2021 and we’ve heard a lot of rumors about it.
While the Samsung Galaxy S21 range was unveiled in early 2021, it might not be the full series, as it’s likely that Samsung will follow the initial trio up with a Samsung Galaxy S21 FE (or Galaxy S21 Fan Edition as it might be called) many months later. This would be a cheaper, lower end alternative to the S21, much as the Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition is to the Samsung Galaxy S20. However, the reduction in cost and specs are both likely to be minimal, with the S21 Fan Edition still likely to be fairly high-end – and priced accordingly. It could also be a major launch for Samsung, potentially landing in what would normally be the Galaxy Note’s slot, as the company has confirmed the Samsung Galaxy Note 21 is canceled – though we might still see a new model in that range next year. The news and rumors around this phone are now rolling in rapidly – we’ve covered all the best ones below, and come up with a list of things we want from the Samsung Galaxy S21 Fan Edition, along with our best educated guesses at the release date and price. The first thing to note is that even though there has only been one Fan Edition model so far, we can be fairly confident that Samsung is planning a Galaxy S21 FE, as SamMobile reports that the company said it would launch a new one every year. That said, when it will land is slightly less clear. We had thought it might launch on August 11 alongside the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3, but that didn’t happen. Elsewhere, one report suggests that the phone may have been canceled due to the global chipset shortage, and another suggests it’s been pushed back until October, and will only launch in the US and Europe. We’ve now heard again that it might only launch in these regions. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has also now been certified by Bluetooth SIG. That happened in mid-August and is something usually happens around a month from launch, so a September or October launch is likely. This also suggests that earlier reports suggesting the phone had been canceled were wrong. The price is something that we don’t have much idea of yet, but it may have a launch price in line with the Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition, which cost $699 / £699 / AU$1,149 for a 5G model, or £599 / AU$999 for a 4G one (with this version not being available in the US). If anything though the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE might be cheaper than its predecessor, as the Samsung Galaxy S21 has a lower launch price than the Galaxy S20 did. A listing for the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE on a Chinese certification database has revealed that the phone likely has a 6.4-inch 1080 x 2340 Super AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and an in-screen fingerprint scanner – specs that are very similar to the S20 FE. The phone apparently also has an IP68 rating, meaning it’s dust and water resistant. As for the design, numerous leaks have now shown us the possible appearance of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, starting off with one from reputable tipster @OnLeaks, and we’ve embedded one of their tweets below. The upcoming phone will apparently be slightly taller and slightly wider than the main Galaxy S21, with a 6.
