Samsung is preparing to launch a Fan Edition (FE) variant of the Galaxy S21 flagship later this year. While there’s a lot of confusion around when this device might break cover, it continues to pop up on the internet pretty frequently. Most recently, a new variant of the phone has appeared on benchmarking platform Geekbench with model number SM-G990U. The ‘U’ in the model number suggests it’s the US-bound Galaxy S21 FE.
The listing doesn’t reveal anything that we don’t already know. The phone gets Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 processor with 6GB of RAM and Android 11-based software. An earlier Geekbench entry revealed that the Galaxy S21 FE will also come in an 8GB RAM variant.
The upcoming affordable Galaxy flagship has also picked necessary certifications in some regions in the recent past. A 3C certification in China last week revealed that the phone will feature 5G connectivity and support 25W fast wired charging. It should also support wireless charging as well as reverse wireless charging. The handset will likely pack a 4,500mAh battery. It might not come with a charger in the box though.
Other rumored specs include a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED punch-hole display with Full HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. There could be a 12-megapixel triple-camera setup at the back while the front-facing camera will likely be a 32-megapixel sensor. An under-display fingerprint scanner, stereo speakers, Samsung Pay, Bluetooth 5.x, Wi-Fi 6, IP67/IP68 rating, and NFC are also expected to be part of the package.
Galaxy S21 FE will likely arrive a couple of months late
The Galaxy S21 FE was expected to be revealed alongside a bunch of other Galaxy devices including the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 foldables sometime in August. However, recent reports coming from South Korea suggest Samsung is delaying the launch of the new affordable flagship by around two months to give its upcoming foldables more time in the market. And while the company has yet to confirm any of these rumors, it seems very likely that the Galaxy S21 FE will arrive a little late than expected.
Nonetheless, we should get to hear more about this phone in the coming weeks. Samsung should also soon start teasing its upcoming devices on its social media handles. Apart from the Galaxy S21 FE, there are at least five more of them – Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3, Galaxy Watch 4, Galaxy Watch Active 4, and Galaxy Buds 2. So there’s plenty to look forward to the next Galaxy Unpacked. We will make sure to keep you updated on all the latest developments around it.