Whether or not the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE will appear this year has seemed tenuous at times. However, a new leak seems to put to rest any fears about the demise of this mid-range phone.
The Google Play developer console (spotted by MyFixGuide) lists some specs for this phone. Aside from the details of the listing itself, the fact that it appears on the back end of Google's app store seems to be a sure sign that it is nearing readiness.
According to this leak, the follow-up to the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE will have a Snapdragon 888 chip and 6GB of RAM. This is the same top-of-the-line chipset found in the Galaxy S21 series, but with less RAM. The standard Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus use 8GB RAM, while the Galaxy S21 Ultra offers 12GB or 16GB.
As for the Galaxy S21 FE display, leaks point to a 2,009 x 1,080, FHD+ resolution. However, no mention is made of the actual size of the panel, which we expect to be 6.4 inches. For comparison, the Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus both have 2,400 x 1,080, FHD+ displays, but in sizes 6.2" and 6.8", respectively.
The fact that the phone was found on the Google Play console seems to guarantee that it is authentic and probably close to launch. However, previous rumors had raised concerns that the Galaxy S21 FE might not appear at all. This latest news, along with very recent sightings on Samsung's own website, seems to indicate that the S21 FE may be coming soon.
Nevertheless, the S21 FE has a higher mountain to climb than its predecessor. The price of the Galaxy S21 series has dropped significantly compared to the S20 series (from $999 to $799.) The $699 S20 FE was a great bargain, offering many of the same features but at a considerable discount from the rest of the S20 series. To achieve the same effect with the S21 FE , Samsung would have to lower the price even further.
While it is possible to do so, it could reduce Samsung's profit margins, given that many of the S21 FE's components are similar to the S2. Also, lowering the price too much would put it in competition with Samsung's Galaxy A52 and other mid-range phones.
The Galaxy S20 FE was released in early October 2020, so it makes sense for Samsung to release the S21 FE this October as well. It will probably be Samsung's last big phone for 2021 and will be released at the same time as the iPhone 13 and the Google Pixel 6. In other words, it should be a very interesting fall for new phones.
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