The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE isn't expected to arrive until January. But the user manual for the upcoming phone is already here.
Leaker Evan Blass posted a link to the Galaxy S21 FE user manual on Twitter. We were able to download the 167-page document, and it pretty much confirms that the phone will offer the same basic features as the rest of the Galaxy S21 lineup.
S21FE 167-page user manual: https://t.co/sRvRTaHpWJ pic.twitter.com/f60jzWilfBDecember 21, 2021
The bigger news about the Galaxy S21 FE comes in a follow-up tweet from Blass, who's pasted some specs on top of the front and back photos of the upcoming handset. Specifically, Blass lists the rear camera specs for the Galaxy S21 FE — a 12MP main shooter augmented by a 12MP ultrawide and 8MP telephoto lenses.
The camera specs may disappoint some, as earlier rumors had suggested the S21 FE might offer a 32MP main camera. But considering that the Galaxy S21 FE is supposed to be a less expensive version of the Galaxy S21 and that flagship phone has a 12MP main camera, that 32MP sensor rumor may have been wishful thinking.
Blass lists a 32MB front camera for the Galaxy S21 FE, which would be an upgrade over the 10MP shooter found on the regular S21.
The leaked user manual confirms a few other Galaxy S21 FE features that suggest this phone will be a lot like the rest of the S21 lineup. The FE will have an under-display fingerprint sensor, for example, and its screen will be able to support a faster refresh rate. (Rumors suggest the Galaxy S21 FE can support up to 120Hz.) The manual doesn't make it clear whether the refresh rate will dynamically adjust or if you'll have to change the setting manually, as you had to with the Galaxy S20 FE.
While the cameras will be slightly different on the Galaxy S21 FE — the regular S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus both feature a 64MP telephoto lens — the new phone will support the same photo features like Single Take, AR Doodle and more, based on descriptions of camera features in the Galaxy S21 FE user manual. (For more on Samsung's next phone, check out the Galaxy S21 FE unboxing video that popped up online after the phone's user manual surfaced — another sure sign we're getting closer to a launch.) Samsung Hungary also accidentally leaked the cases that would be made available for the S21 FE.
The bulk of what we know about the Galaxy S21 FE comes to us via rumors, however. Like the rest of the Galaxy S21 lineup, the new phone should run on the Snapdragon 888 system-on-chip, and Samsung could pack as much as 8GB of RAM into the phone. Other rumors point to a 4,500 mAh battery.
In other words, it sounds like the Galaxy S21 FE will be a scaled-back version of the Galaxy S21, which is what we are anticipating all along. That makes today's leak of the Galaxy S21 FE price somewhat disappointing. In that leak, the S21 FE's price is £699 for 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, which would likely translate to $699. That's only $100 less than the regular S21. We were hoping the S21 FE might be even cheaper this time around.
We could find out the final price and specs of the new phone very soon. The Galaxy S21 FE is expected to debut in January — one rumor has the phone launching on January 4 and going on sale a week later. In an earlier tweet, Blass backed the January 11 release date for the Galaxy S21 FE.
