The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is on its way, Samsung pretty much confirmed that. Samsung even referenced the phone’s name on its official website, thus confirming it. The Galaxy S20 FE managed to become a huge success for Samsung, and many people are excited for its successor. The Galaxy S20 FE was essentially a budget flagship from Samsung, a contradictory smartphone. It was considerably more affordable than the company’s Galaxy S20 series, and yet it offered most of the same features and specs.
The Galaxy S21 FE is expected to follow in its footsteps. The expectations for this phone are huge, and quite a few details leaked already. The phone is expected to arrive in the next couple of months, we’ll talk more about that later in this Galaxy S21 FE preview article. The phone’s design did leak, along with some specs info, and some other tidbits that you may be interested in. Even one of the US carriers leaked it. That being said, let’s talk more about the device, starting with its design.
This article will be regularly updated with new information on the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE (this is a preview article) — both official teasers and credible leaks, rumors, and insider claims — as it becomes available in the run-up to the release of the upcoming Android smartphone. The last update was made on December 23.
The Galaxy S21 FE will look like a blend between the Galaxy S21 & S20 FE
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE will look like a blend between the Galaxy S21 and the Galaxy S20 FE, essentially. Samsung has decided to combine the two designs to differentiate the Galaxy S21 FE from its predecessor. It’s a safe choice, and probably a good one. The phone’s CAD-based renders did surface back in April, showing us what we can expect, while Samsung basically confirmed the design of the phone. The device will have really thin bezels, while its bottom bezel will be a hair thicker than the rest. A display camera hole will also be included, and it will be entered, as it is on the Galaxy S21 series.
The phone’s design got revealed in several ways
The back side of the phone will feature that iconic-looking camera island that Samsung ushered in with the Galaxy S21 series. The thing is, it will only look the same, it won’t be the same. That camera island on the Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra is an extension of the phone’s frame. It’s made out of metal. If you take a closer look at the CAD-based renders shown in the gallery below, you’ll see that’s not the same with the Galaxy S21 FE. Still, this looks quite nice and modern at the same time.
Chances are that the back side of the Galaxy S21 FE will be made out of plastic. The Galaxy S20 FE featured a plastic backplate, and Samsung is likely looking to do the same thing with the Galaxy S21 FE. That camera island on the back will protrude a bit, while Samsung’s branding will be included on the back as well. All the physical buttons will sit on the right, the power / lock button will be placed below the volume rocker buttons. The phone’s frame will likely be made out of metal. The device is said to measure 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9mm (9.3mm with the camera bump).
Exclusive image that show the Galaxy S21 FE in all four colors
We’ve exclusively leaked an image which shows the Galaxy S21 FE in all four color variants. You can see that image below this paragraph. As you can see, purple, white, olive green, and black colors are shown here. Those color variants will be called different in the end, though, more on that later.
Samsung accidentally teased the phone as well
Samsung also posted an image of the device, by accident. The post has been deleted, but the image remained online, of course. If you take a look at it (provided below), you’ll see what seems a part of the Galaxy S21 FE’s back side. You can clearly see the color that is expected, and its triple camera setup. The design is kind of unmistakable, it looks the same as the one we shared (shown above).
The phone’s back covers leaked
The Galaxy S21 FE backplates also surfaced. They first surfaced in images, in four color options, and then a video appeared as well. A Concept Creator YouTube channel showed off a real Galaxy S21 FE backplate in a video, attached to S10+ frame. It’s exactly what we expected, what the rumors and leaks have been reporting for months now.
Seemingly official marketing images
In addition to everything else, Samsung’s seemingly official marketing images surfaced as well. These images give us a really good look at the phone, and they also show all four color variants of the device. This is not the first time we’re seeing those color options, but these are the best renders that surfaced thus far.
More marketing materials
Another batch of marketing materials appeared, sharing the phone’s specs, and official names of its color variants. The Galaxy S21 FE will arrive in Graphite, Lavender, Olive, and White colors.
Real-life images
The Galaxy S21 FE also surfaced in several real-life images which essentially confirmed all the renders we’ve seen. These images give you the very best look at the device, of course, as they’re actual photos of the device, not renders.
Hands-on video
A hands-on video with the Galaxy S21 FE also surfaced, check it out below.
Seemingly official renders
All Galaxy S21 FE colors leaked in a series of renders as well, several times. The renders you can see in the galleries below likely show the final product, and you can see the phone from several angles here.
It will have powerful specs, and support fast charging
The Galaxy S21 FE did get certified by TENAA (China’s equivalent to the FCC). Let’s talk about the battery first, though, as that information did surface. The Galaxy S21 FE is expected to feature a 4,500mAh battery, just like the Galaxy S20 FE. So, it will feature the exact same battery capacity, though that was to be expected. The Galaxy S21 FE is expected to feature a more power-efficient SoC, though.
The Snapdragon 888 is expected to fuel the Galaxy S21 FE, the same SoC included inside the Galaxy S21 series. That is the most powerful SoC Qualcomm has to offer at the moment, by the way. Its inclusion got confirmed by both tipsters, and Google Play Console. Do note that an Exynos 2100 variant may launch as well. It has even been mentioned in a Google Play Console listing, which pretty much confirms it, same as with the Snapdragon model. Speaking of which, the phone even appeared on Google’s ARCore support page, briefly.
In addition to that, Samsung will likely include 8GB of RAM, a bit more than the Galaxy S20 FE offered. The 6GB RAM variant will also be available, though, as confirmed by a Geekbench listing. The phone is expected to arrive in 128GB and 256GB storage options. You probably won’t be able to expand the phone’s storage, though. Fast wired and wireless charging is also expected to be included here. The phone will either keep the same charging speed as its predecessor, 25W charging, or will bump that up to 45W, it remains to be seen. It got certified by the 3C authority and TUV already. 15W wireless charging will probably be supported, but we’re not sure just yet.
A 120Hz AMOLED display will be included
The phone will offer a set of stereo speakers, while it’s possible it will include a 6.4-inch display again. We’re not sure about that, as no info surfaced thus far, but it’s possible. The display may end up being a bit larger than that, but surely not smaller. You can also expect a fullHD+ panel here, with a 120Hz refresh rate. Its display will be flat, and it will be of the OLED variety. It probably won’t be an LTPO panel, but we’ll see.
Android 11 will come pre-installed on the phone, along with Samsung’s One UI skin, quite probably One UI 3.5. Three cameras will sit on the back of the device, and that’s something we’ll talk about in the next chapter, as some information did surface. Don’t expect a 3.5mm headphone jack to be included here, but the device will likely be IP68 certified for water and dust resistance. Android 12 will come pre-installed, along with One UI 4.
Four cameras are expected, with a recognizable camera “island” on the back
When it comes to cameras, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE will feature four of them. Three of its cameras will be placed on the back, while one will sit on the front. Not much information surfaced regarding its rear-facing cameras, but we will try and guess what’s coming. In regards to its front-facing camera, well, some info did surface. The phone is tipped to feature a 32-megapixel camera on the front. That is the same camera that the Galaxy A72 uses, actually. If Samsung ends up using the same sensor and lens, you can expect an f/2.2 aperture 26mm lens, and a sensor with 0.8um pixel size.
When it comes to its rear-facing cameras, the phone could end up sporting the same setup as the Galaxy S21. Those cameras and lenses may not be identical, but the setup will at least be similar. The Galaxy S21 sports two 12-megapixel units (wide and ultra-wide), and a 64-megapixel telephoto camera. That is what we’re expecting for the Galaxy S21 FE, well, that, or three 12-megapixel cameras. We’ll just have to wait and see. More information will likely surface in the near future.
The Galaxy S21 FE will likely launch in January
The Galaxy S21 FE was tipped to arrive alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Z Flip 3, Watch 4, Watch Active 4 Classic, and Buds 2. All those devices launched on August 11, during Samsung’s second large press event of the year, but the S21 FE didn’t. The first Unpacked event occurred back in January, when the Galaxy S21 series got announced.
Samsung is, allegedly, having issues with the chip shortage, and was forced to postpone the Galaxy S21 FE launch. According to one of the latest rumors, the phone will launch in January with limited availability. On the flip side, a contrary report suggests that its availability may not be so limited. The Galaxy S21 FE is actually said to launch on January 11, which will likely move the Galaxy S22 series launch event to February.
That’s just one side of the story, though. The latest rumors deliver slightly different information. They do agree that the phone is coming in January, but the dates are different. One rumor, from Jon Prosser, claims that the phone will launch on January 3 or January 4. Another one from, Korea, tips it to arrive during CES 2022. Considering Prosser’s record, that one seems to be the most legit ones thus far, but we’ll see.
It will arrive in four color options, allegedly
The Galaxy S21 FE color options have also been tipped in a rumor. The device will, allegedly, arrive in four color variants. Those color variants are Gray, Light Green, Light Violet, and White, as shown in the images below. A separate rumor tipped four colors for the T-Mobile variants as well, probably the same ones. Do note that it’s easily possible that not all color variants end up being available in all Galaxy S21 FE markets. Samsung may also announce some additional color options later on, who knows. The Galaxy S21 FE is allegedly supposed to replace the Galaxy Note series in 2021, kind of. When it comes to price, well, it may surprise you. The Galaxy S21 FE is expected to be between $50 and $100 more affordable. That is, at least, what one rumor said. Another rumor claims that the base 6GB RAM model will cost $699 in the US, so… those are two vastly different price tags. The phone has also been certified by Bluetooth SIG recently, suggesting that the launch is close.
2021-12-23 15:05:36