The Samsung Galaxy S22 FE trail had gone pretty cold, what with it not showing up in 2022 and everything – but the latest whispers emanating from the rumor mill suggest that the phone is indeed on the way and has a newly developed chipset inside it.
This comes from @RGcloudS on Twitter (via Notebookcheck): this is a source we haven't heard too much from in the past, so bear that in mind. The tipster says the Galaxy S22 FE will show up in 2023, replacing the mid-range Galaxy A74 in Samsung's line-up.
It will apparently be powered by a brand new Exynos 2300 chipset developed by Samsung itself, although other sources have suggested that the Exynos 2300 isn't going to make an appearance in any mass-produced devices in the near future.
And a tablet too
If the rumor is right, the Samsung Galaxy S22 FE could show up at a second Unpacked launch event, scheduled in addition to the one we're already expecting in February for the grand unveiling of the Galaxy S23 flagship phones.
The same source also suggests that we're going to see a trimmed-down FE version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8, carrying the same Exynos 2300 chipset. This isn't the first we've heard about this new tablet, though we were expecting to see it sometime this year.
There's been a lot of uncertainty about whether or not we'd see an FE version of the Samsung Galaxy S22, and while nothing is official yet, it would appear that fans of this budget series might have something to look forward to again.
Analysis: on again off again
The FE or Fan Edition of Samsung's flagship phones is something of a tradition: both the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE offered smartphone buyers a decent level of specs without a huge price tag, which is always a winning combination.
The Galaxy S21 FE arrived later than anticipated though – January 2022, some 15 months after its predecessor – and we've heard plenty of rumors that Samsung had decided to retire the FE line, with comparisons to the cancelation of the Galaxy Note series.
When the usual signs of an upcoming smartphone (like database model numbers) didn't appear, it seemed as though the Galaxy S22 FE was destined never to appear. In fact, it might be that we were just looking for those signs too soon.
There was even talk that the Galaxy S21 FE wouldn't see the light of day, which threw further doubt on a successor. However, the Galaxy S22 FE can be an important part of Samsung's 2023 phone range – if the price is right, of course.
