Galaxy S21 FE may just have been leaked — by Samsung
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE may have just (briefly) appeared online
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE may be coming sooner rather than later, after Samsung accidentally leaked what looks to be an official shot of the rumored phone.
Samsung posted a back to school promo image on its official Instagram account, featuring a number of Samsung products: a laptop of some kind, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, and a phone. And based on the photo, there's reason to suspect the phone could be the Galaxy S21 FE.
- Everything we know about the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
- Galaxy Unpacked: What to expect at Samsung's next launch event
- Plus: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 pop up in video before Unpacked event
The phone in question looks remarkably similar to the standard Samsung Galaxy S21 from behind, which is what we'd expect. However, it appears to be lilac — which wasn’t an option with the original three Galaxy S21 phones.
Purple Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus phones were available, though it was a totally different shade and both phones had a metal camera module — something this phone lacks.
Nor is it an older phone, such as the Galaxy S20 FE, since the camera module’s design is identical to that of the Galaxy S21. Plus, the fact Samsung deleted the post is a clear indicator that it featured something that shouldn’t have been posted.
The photo doesn't reveal anything more about the phone, though the back to school context suggests that whatever it is, it may be with us reasonably soon. The rumor mill hasn’t been very helpful in telling us when Galaxy S21 FE might arrive, though a fall launch seems likely given the Galaxy S20 FE release schedule last year.
There’s also a slim chance we may see the phone at Galaxy Unpacked tomorrow (August 11), but it doesn't seem likely; Samsung has already confirmed that foldables will be the focus of that particular event, though we are also expecting the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Buds 2 to make an appearance alongside the rumored Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3.
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If the phone is the Galaxy S21 FE, it wouldn’t be the first time Samsung has accidentally leaked its own products recently. Indeed, a seemingly official video of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 appeared on the Samsung Malaysia Twitter account yesterday, and was later posted to both Reddit and YouTube.
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Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.