The Samsung Galaxy S21 Fan Edition is expected to bring flagship-grade features to a more affordable price point when it launches later this year. A new development suggests that the release might be delayed and it might not be as powerful as previously thought.
Each year, Samsung follow up its annual flagship with a Fan Edition device to showcase its prowess to a wider audience. Now that the Note 21 has been cancelled, all eyes were on the Galaxy S21 FE. However, it could face the same plight as its stylus-toting sibling.
A report from Korean news outlet Maeil states that the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is currently facing semiconductor supply issues, because of which its release will have to be pushed back to the fourth quarter of 2021 — much later than the usual August announcement.
Moreover, it is also said that Samsung is considering a last-minute switch to Exynos silicon to circumvent the chipset shortage. For context, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE was supposed to be powered by the Snapdragon 888, just like the flagship S21 series. It’s unclear which in-house processor is in consideration, but the Exynos 2100 seems to be the most likely candidate.
Another strategy in contention is to offer both variants of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, with some markets such as the US and Europe getting Snapdragon chipsets, while other regions are powered by Exynos.
Samsung already follows the same strategy for its S series and Note series devices globally, but not with the FE variants. In fact, the FE would be the only way for markets such as India to experience Samsung flagships with Snapdragon silicon — which have historically been superior, but it looks like that won’t be the case this year.
Apart from the chipset, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is expected to offer specifications such as a 120Hz AMOLED screen, 45W fast charging, three cameras on the back, a familiar design in unique new pastel colourways.
- Samsung Galaxy S21 FE release date, price, news, specs and leaks
- Samsung Galaxy S20 FE review
- Upcoming smartphone launches in India for July 2021
