Samsung Galaxy S21 FE could still arrive this year

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By Roland Moore-Colyer
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Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is allegedly 'back on track'

Samsung galaxy s21 fe
(Image credit: Evan Blass)

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is reportedly still on its way for a release this year, according to relatively reliable leaker Roland Quandt. 

This more affordable take on the Samsung Galaxy S21 was reportedly delayed and likely not arrive this year due to semiconductor shortages. But Quandt tweeted that “Samsung Galaxy S21 FE production is now officially back on track.” 

While we aren’t expecting to see the Galaxy S21 FE at the upcoming Unpacked event on August 11 — which is likely when we will see the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Watch 4, will be revealed — we could still see a new FE phone this year. 

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That being said, Quandt is not a Samsung employee so his ‘official’ claim needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. It's possible that someone inside of Samsung or its related supply chain partners may have tipped Quandt off about the Galaxy S21 FE. 

We very much liked the Galaxy S21, with its new design and improved camera software making it a solid contender for our best phones list. But despite having a lower price than its predecessor, the Galaxy S21 is still $800. So a cheaper take on it is certainly likely to appeal to people who want flagship-level specs without the premium.

We saw how Samsung can take the best bits of its flagships and put them in a cheaper package with few compromises with the Galaxy S20 FE. So we’d expect largely the same treatment for the Galaxy S21 FE. 

From the leaks so far, it looks like the Galaxy S21 FE will sport a plastic take on the Contour Cut design seen on the current Galaxy S21 phones; renders so far present a rather attractive phone. Under the hood, the Galaxy S21 FE is expected to have the powerful Snapdragon 888, 8GB or RAM, up to 256GB of storage, a 6.4-inch display and a 4,370 mAh battery. 

On the camera side, the Galaxy S21 FE is expected to use a 32MP main camera, 12MP ultra-wide lens and a 8MP telephoto camera, with the selfie snapper coming in at 12MP. The main and ultra-wide camera should have the same specs as the Galaxy S21. The telephoto camera is said to have a lower resolution lens, as the Galaxy S21 sports a 64MP zoom shooter. However, dropping some zooming fidelity to pack flagship specs into a handset that’s likely to be priced towards the upper echelons of mid-range phones would strike us as a fair compromise. 

While we don't know when the Galaxy S21 FE will be revealed, but we suspect it could arrive this fall. That would give us a new potential contender for a spot on our best Android phones list, though we’re expecting to see the Google Pixel 6 gun for such an accolade around the same time. 

Roland Moore-Colyer
Roland Moore-Colyer

Roland Moore-Colyer a Managing Editor at Tom’s Guide with a focus on news, features and opinion articles. He often writes about gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he’s also got an interest in cars. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face.