The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE could be on the chopping block due to the ongoing global chip shortage.
According to Korea’s Digital Daily, the lower-cost entry into the Samsung Galaxy S21 range might have been canceled to ensure Samsung has what it needs to maintain production on the Galaxy Z Flip 3 foldable phone.
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Digital Daily quotes an anonymous Samsung executive, who claims the Galaxy S21 FE’s online Unpacked event has been cancelled. It was originally planned for mid-October, and Samsung is said to be “reviewing the smartphone launch itself.” In other words, it sounds like the Galaxy S21 FE may not be coming at all.
According to the report, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 has been selling too well, and Samsung’s production hasn’t been able to keep up with demand. And with the Galaxy S21 FE rumors claiming the phone would have many of the same high-end components as the Galaxy S21, it makes sense that Samsung might struggle to have all the components to produce both.
The global chip shortage has been going on for some time now. The effects of the shortage have been quite far reaching, too, with production of everything from next-gen games consoles to cars suffering as a result.
That’s why Microsoft and Sony haven’t just increased production to try and satisfy demand for the PS5 and Xbox Series X. A reduced number of new cars hitting the market has also caused used car prices to increase significantly. Now it sounds like the Galaxy S21 FE might just be the latest victim of circumstance.
Samsung hasn’t confirmed or denied the existence or cancellation of the Galaxy S21 FE, telling Digital Daily that “it is difficult to confirm the product before release.” So unfortunately we’re just going to have to wait and see what the next few weeks bring and what that means for the Galaxy S21 FE’s chances.
If the phone does eventually launch, we can expect something akin to the Galaxy S21 but with a few compromises to help keep the price down. Rumor is the design will be mostly the same, and that the phone will run on the same Snapdragon 888 chip as its regular Galaxy S21 counterparts.
Other leaks claim that the S21 FE phone will have a full HD display, 6GB of RAM, a 32MP front camera and a triple lens rear camera consisting of a 32MP main lens, 12MP ultrawide, and 8MP telephoto. We’ll bring you more as we hear it.
