Samsung is reportedly cancelling an Unpacked event and reconsidering the launch of the Galaxy S21 FE, and the new Galaxy Z Flip3 (plus the chip shortage) may be to blame.<\/b>
\nIn 2020, Samsung followed up the Galaxy S20 with a mid-year refresh that introduced the more affordable Galaxy S20 FE. This year, Samsung is second-guessing the launch of a Galaxy S21 FE, according to a report from Korean publication Digital Daily Co. The report, shared by PhoneArena, explains that Samsung had originally planned an Unpacked launch event for the Galaxy S21 FE in mid-October but has since canceled the event and may be reconsidering the release of the phone at all. Digital Daily Co spoke with a Samsung Electronics official who said as much, but didn\u2019t confirm that the phone was canceled outright. Part of the issue is the ongoing chip shortage, which has been affecting companies like Samsung. Adding a new phone to the market that\u2019s likely built around the same Snapdragon 888 chipset found in the entire Galaxy S21 series as well as the Galaxy Z Flip3 and Galaxy Z Fold3 would further stretch Samsung\u2019s limited supply. But there\u2019s a surprising second issue: The Galaxy Z Flip3 has been too popular. What Samsung Fans Really Want The Galaxy S20 FE made sense in 2020. It was a version of the Galaxy S20 that more people could afford. It changed the design and materials, went with a larger, but lower-resolution display, simplified the cameras, and dropped the price from the $1,000 of the S20 to just $700. The place for a Galaxy S21 FE has been more questionable. Samsung already blurred the lines between a standard edition and a \u201cFan Edition\u201d with the Galaxy S21, which featured a plastic back, a flat glass front, and a middle-ground price tag of $800. It\u2019s also getting late in the year to release the phone when a Galaxy S22 is expected in January. Then there\u2019s the Galaxy Z Flip3. Digital Daily Co isn\u2019t the only source suggesting the popularity of this phone. Pre-orders of Samsung\u2019s new foldable smartphones outpaced sales of their predecessors, according to a CNET report. And the Galaxy Z Flip3 may become the best-selling foldable for 2021, per a Display Supply Chain Consultants report shared by Android Central. Between the reduced price of the standard Galaxy S21 and the cool factor of the Galaxy Z Flip3, a Galaxy S21 FE may have a hard time standing out. Though Samsung hasn\u2019t confirmed the cancellation of the device, the odds seem stacked against it.<\/p>\n