Multiple reports have recently suggested that Samsung has pushed back the Galaxy S21 FE launch by a couple of months. Initially expected to break cover alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 foldables in August, the new affordable Galaxy flagship is now said to arrive in October. The ongoing global semiconductor chip shortage is blamed for this delay. Now, a fresh report coming from South Korea claims that not only the device will arrive late in the market but availability will be limited as well.
According to FNNews, Samsung might launch the Galaxy S21 FE in the US and Europe only (via). The company is reportedly in no position to make the device available globally because of the chip shortage. In fact, the Korean firm has failed to acquire enough chips to supply an adequate number of units in the US and Europe as well. It will now ship fewer units in these regions than it had initially planned.
This means the Galaxy S21 FE will not launch in Samsung’s home country South Korea either. Not to mention many other prominent markets in Asia, Australia, Canada, South America, and Africa will also miss out on this upcoming flagship killer from the world’s No. 1 smartphone maker.
The new report also suggests that Samsung once considered completely stopping the production of the upcoming affordable Galaxy flagship. The company had to suspend operations at its major smartphone factory in Vietnam earlier this year due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. It is now seemingly willing to release the device in the market in a limited quantity.
Samsung didn’t outright deny these claims but said “nothing has been confirmed yet”. The company is considering “several measures” and limited availability is one of them.
Galaxy S21 FE is a flagship killer
Samsung’s Fan Edition (FE) series devices have always been value-for-money propositions. If rumored specs are anything to go by, then the upcoming Galaxy S21 FE is also going to be a flagship killer. The device will reportedly sport a 6.5-inch punch-hole display with a 120Hz refresh rate and in-display fingerprint sensor. Under the hood is Qualcomm’s latest and best Snapdragon 888 5G processor, with up to 8GB RAM and 256GB storage.
Reports suggest there will be a flagship-grade 12-megapixel triple camera setup at the back along with a 32-megapixel selfie camera. Other notable specs include a 4,500mAh battery with 25W fast charging, wireless and reverse-wireless charging, NFC, and an IP67/68 certification.
These specs make for a compelling product. More so if we tell you that the device might cost well under $700 at launch. It’s unfortunate that the Galaxy S21 FE will not go on sale globally. We will let you know if things improve down the line.