Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: Everything you need to know ahead of release

Samsung Galaxy S21 box
Samsung is expected to launch a Galaxy S21 FE later this year. Here’s everything we know so far, including possible design, specs and release date including news on a reported delay.

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE was one of the best mid-range phones to launch in the last 12 months. This was a new take on the S20, with a lower price and a few minor cost cutting downgrades on the full fat Galaxy S20.

We loved it and felt the omissions were worth it. It even impressed us more than the S20 in certain areas, like the use of a Snapdragon 865 chipset rather than Samsung’s own Exynos variant, which during testing proved to be far less power efficient than its Qualcomm rival.

With all the acclaim we heaped upon the Galaxy S20 FE, we’re already curious about what Samsung could have instore for the inevitable Galaxy S21 FE. Here’s everything we know so far.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE release date

Originally reported for an August release dateCould take the place of the Note 21Some rumours suggest a delay until later in the year

There has been a lot of speculation about the release schedule for the S21 FE.

The lastest news suggests the S21 FE might be delayed until later in the year, specifically Q4. This puts it between October and December, far later than the S20 FE launched.

The reasoning is the ongoing chip shortage affecting everything from consoles to cars.

Previous reports had suggested the Galaxy S21 FE might be running into some issues. Korean publication ETNews (via GSMarena) alleged that production of the phone had been stopped. The original ET report is no longer live.

According to another report from Bloomberg though, Samsung has not yet decided whether to stop production of any devices or not due to the chip shortage.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE design

It looks very familiarTakes a lot of cues from the S21Multiple colour options

The Galaxy S20 FE was very much a simpler Galaxy S20, with much of the glass body replaced with sturdier plastic. With the Galaxy S21 already mostly made of plastic, the difference between the main model and the FE could be even smaller this year.

While Samsung hasn’t released anything official, we have seen some renders of what the Galaxy S21 FE could look like thanks to @onleaks.

Source: @OnLeaks

Published on the leaker’s Voice page, the phone looks to be very similar to the regular Galaxy S21. The renders show a similar camera bump design, a metal frame and a frosted back.

Around the front you’ve got a large display with a centrally positioned cutout for the selfie camera and very slim bezels. According to @onleaks, the display is a 6.4-inch panel (larger than the 6.2-inch S21).

We’d hope things like an IP rating are kept around too, as this handy feature can often be missed out in an effort to keep costs down.

According to Galaxy Club, the S21 FE will come in a range of colours. These will include white, grey, purple and light green.

Source: @OnLeaks

A few of the other colour options rumoured for the device have leaked in renders via @evleaks. You can see them in the embedded Tweet below. We have to say we’re quite partial to the green version.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE (from 3D objects)– https://t.co/tVsDOWebXE– $evleaks– Thanks! pic.twitter.com/VQmPpCp0UC— Evan Blass (@evleaks) June 4, 2021

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE specs and features

Some camera details leakedCould come with a Snapdragon 888But don’t expect a charger in the box

The leaks we’ve seen so far regarding the S21 FE are mainly focused on the design with little information given to the specs. OnLeaks does state the camera array on the back is the same as the S21, but with possibly downgraded lenses. Another leak has suggested the front camera will be 32MP.

We’d expect some sort of high-end professor inside, likely from Qualcomm if the S20 FE is anything to go by. Whether this is the true 888 flagship or possible the cheaper, but still very capable, Snapdragon 870 remains to be seen.

One leak has spotted a Geekbench listing showing the phone running a Snapdragon 888 chip, alongside 8GB RAM so that is looking like a strong possibility.

Source: @OnLeaks

The Galaxy S20 FE came in both 5G and 4G flavours, so perhaps we’ll see a cheaper 4G option with an Exynos chipset again for regions where 5G is still of limited use.

MyFixGuide has reported that the S21 FE has passed through the FCC and that the phone will be compatible with both 25w and 45w chargers.

However, there won’t be a charger included in the box so you’ll have to provide your own. Samsung made a similar decision for the S21 series earlier in the year but most of its other budget phones still ship with plugs.

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