The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE was conspicuous by its absence at the recent Galaxy Unpacked event, but that doesn’t mean it’s not coming soon. Indicating that it may indeed be just around the corner is a listing in the Google Play console developer database, with some of the key specs confirmed.
The listing was spotted by MyFixGuide, and the highlighted specifications – while not unexpected – certainly fit with the FE’s history of providing high-end specs in a (presumably) lower cost frame.
A Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor – the same chip used in Samsung’s flagship Galaxy Z Fold 3 handset – is backed up by 6GB RAM with an (admittedly unusual) 1080 x 2009 resolution listed. The phone will run Android 11.
Those are very similar specifications to the Galaxy S21, just as the S20 FE mimicked the S20. But what really made the S20 FE special was the very welcome £200 price cut, achieved via a plastic frame, a slightly weaker camera setup, less RAM and a reduced resolution – all of which were a small price to pay for maintaining the powerful SoC.
While the S21 FE was a no show at Samsung’s most recent event, that wasn’t wholly unexpected with one report suggesting it had been pushed back to Q4, meaning a release date of between October and December. Considering there was a time when it was rumoured to be cancelled altogether due to the ongoing chip shortage, a slight delay isn’t the worst outcome in the world.
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Samsung’s mid-range and budget phones are said to be especially impacted by the chip shortage, with the company reportedly struggling to keep up inventory with US carriers, presenting a gap in the market for other companies like OnePlus to fill.
It will be interesting to see whether the S21 FE ends up plugging said inventory gap, or ends up as another out-of-stock product that’s only theoretically available to the majority of consumers.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
