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. In fact, we’re now almost certain it’s coming, as Samsung itself has accidentally mentioned the phone by name – and in the process also suggested its arrival is imminent. If you believe another leak, it could come in January instead, so we’re still unsure of the exact release window. 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. 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. For a long time we thought the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE was sure to land, even though there has only been one Fan Edition model so far, as SamMobile reported that the company said it would launch a new one every year. But now it looks very much in doubt. First a report suggested that the phone may have been canceled due to the global chipset shortage, then a Samsung official reportedly said that the phone’s planned launch had been canceled, with the handset itself under review, and most recently Samsung seems to have been removing support pages for the Galaxy S21 FE from its websites. The S20 FE launched in August, so at the very least the S21 FE is clearly late, but it looks like may not launch at all. There’s still some hope, as it might just be delayed, with one source suggesting it’s been pushed back until October, and will only launch in the US and Europe. A second rumor suggesting it could come in October, but definitely at some point in the fourth quarter of the year. And a recent leak asserts it’s coming in January, potentially even taking the release window of the Samsung Galaxy S22. That could cause the phone to clash with Black Friday, which wouldn’t exactly be great for sales since people would likely rather wait for discounted phones, than buy a new expensive one. 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. One other rumor has mentioned a 1080 x 2009 resolution though, which is strange. At the moment, the 1080 x 2340 option seems more likely, as it more closely matches the S21. 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.
