Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: Specs, price, release date and other leaks
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE or Fan Edition is perhaps one of the most anticipated Samsung smartphones this year after the excellent surprise that was the Galaxy S20 FE. While waiting for its official launch, find all the news and leaks on the design, price and specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE.
Supposed to cover the ground between the Galaxy S21 and the Galaxy S21+ while being Samsung's cheapest high-end smartphone, the Galaxy S21 FE has the tough task to offer as good a value for money as its predecessor, the Galaxy S20 FE. This article will be updated regularly as more information about the smartphone is confirmed.
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Table of Content:
- Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: Manual leaked, Google listing confirms features
- Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: Release date and price
- Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: Leaked images
- Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: Rumored specifications
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: Manual leaked, Google listing confirms features
Samsung's upcoming "affordable flagship" device continues to have information leaked just weeks (or is it days?) before its release. This time around, the smartphone's manual was leaked by SamMobile, and the leaked manual does seem to confirm some earlier speculated features of the handset such as the missing headphone jack and microSD card slot. This will certainly not go down well with many, but it is an inevitable design change.
The document practically confirms the previously leaked images with a more mature look that debuted with the Galaxy S21 line in early 2021. In addition, one of the illustrations showed off the reverse charging feature with the image demonstrating how reverse wireless charging worked while powering up a Galaxy Buds case sans cable.
And it wasn't just the Galaxy S21 FE manual that showed up ahead of time. The device was also listed on the Google Play Console, Google's very own official device catalog for the Android mobile operating system. The model carries the codename "r9q" and has other hardware specifications listed on the website.
The main detail that many Samsung fans are interested in would be the processor underneath the hood, arriving in the form of the Qualcomm SM-8350, or better known as the Snapdragon 888 SoC. CPU frequencies indicate that it is the original SoC that was released in late 2020 and not the 888+ version that has a slight overclocked main CPU. Total RAM is listed as 6 GB, following the configuration used on the Galaxy S20 FE, but that does not rule out the release of versions with more RAM (8 GB would have been the bare minimum in our opinion).
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: Release date and price
In 2020, Samsung announced that it would now launch an FE or Fan Edition version of its flagships every year. So it makes sense to anticipate a Samsung Galaxy S21 FE release sometime in September, like last year's Samsung Galaxy S20 FE. The month of September should also see the launch of new flagship smartphones from Apple and Google, with the new Google Pixel 6 tipped for a September 12th announcement followed by the iPhone 13 range the very next day.
Apparently, Samsung would want to be first out of the stable doors compared to its rivals, with a new rumor that points to the unveiling of the Galaxy S21 FE on either the 7th or 8th of September (depending on the time zone). According to MauriQHD, this leaked information hails from a reliable source with pretty spot-on leaks to date, who in turn would have obtained the date from a Samsung representative..
Regarding the price, we know that the Galaxy F21 FE will supposedly be a compromise between the Galaxy S21 and the Galaxy S21+, and has the difficult task of offering a value-for-money proposition that is on equal footing as that of its predecessor. That said, a report by HeraldCorp in early June did let it slip that that Samsung will market the Galaxy S21 FE between "700,000 and 800,000 Korean won." This price is significantly lower than the 899,800 Korean won that was set by Samsung when they marketed the Galaxy S20 FE last year.
Do remember that the Galaxy S20 FE was sold for $699.99 for the 128GB variant and $769.99 for the 256GB version in the US. This year, Samsung launched the Galaxy S21 series with a significant drop in price compared to its 2020 line-up, arriving at stores from $999 onward, depending on the model that you decide to pick up. Soon, we hope to see the manufacturer doing the same with the next version of the FE line. In other words, the price should be $699.99 or less.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: Leaked images
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE should logically carry on the visual language of the Galaxy S21 line. Back in April, the first 3D renders leaked by our national OnLeaks confirmed this assumption.
With its 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm, the smartphone should be between the sizes of the base Galaxy S21 (151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm) and the Galaxy S21 Plus (161.5 x 75.6 x 7.8 mm). But it's more or less the same design with that camera module merging with the rest of the shell on one of the edges. I'll let you see the 3D render below.
Other leaks from Evan Blass on June 8 showed the Galaxy S21 FE in many new colors that Samsung could potentially offer. The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE last year came in six different colors with very pop, very flashy tones.
This time around, the colors allegedly chosen by Samsung for its alleged Galaxy S21 FE look wiser, more sober. Finally, the 3D renders don't show a 3.5mm jack price.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: Rumored specifications
As reported last week, we had a leaked benchmark image of the alleged Galaxy S21 FE which 'confirmed' the device's release should come with at least 8GB RAM. The information was found in the Geekbench database. Prior to this leak, rumors indicated that the lite version of the Galaxy S21 would only have a 6GB RAM variant.
In this alleged Geekbench test, the Galaxy S21 FE scored 592 points in single-core and 2610 points in multi-core benchmarks. Check out the results below:
In addition, the SoC also appears in the image, identifying that the Galaxy S21 FE will be powered by the Snapdragon 888 processor (codenamed Lahaina).
As far as the Galaxy S21 FE's screen is concerned, we should have a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-O screen with Full HD+ resolution. Rumors also indicate that the display will have a 120 Hz refresh rate and an under-display fingerprint reader, which should not be out of the ordinary.
As far as cameras are concerned, we have information about 32 MP on the front camera and a triple-camera setup at the back. Here, we can also expect to see a 12MP main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and either an 8MP or 12MP telephoto camera.
According to SamMobile, the Galaxy S21 FE should be IP67 certified for dust and water resistance.
The Galaxy S21 FE should also have (of course) support for 5G networks, GPS, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and a USB Type-C port in terms of connectivity. Regarding the battery, we can expect a 4,500 mAh capacity at the very least.
So, what do you think of the Galaxy S21 FE so far? Of course, we don't have confirmed technical specifications so far, but what has been leaked and the price trend do seem to point to another successful launch by Samsung that is bound to generate plenty of excitement, don't you agree?
