Samsung Cancelling The Next Galaxy Phone?
The Samsung Galaxy is going bye-bye?
Although the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE recently went into mass production, the global chip shortage caused the device to get pulled from the unveiling event in August 2021, one that unveiled Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold. Now, according to the Korean-language post, DDaily, we may not ever see the S21 FE.
After missing the August event, Samsung officials rescheduled the S21 FE unveiling for a mid-October date, but a Samsung official was quoted in the DDaily as saying, “We canceled the Galaxy S21FE online unpacking, which was planned for mid-October.” To make the S21 FE released sound even more in jeopardy, another official was quoted as saying, “We are reviewing the smartphone launch itself.”
There are two reasons why, according to the report, Samsung is considering canceling the device altogether. The first reason is one that has affected products around the world – the global chip shortage. This chip shortage has phone manufacturers worldwide clambering for chips for their non-flagship models.
Samsung Foundry, using its 5nm process node, was building the Snapdragon 888 chipset that was to power the Galaxy S21 FE. In order to keep the devices price to a minimum while still having the S21 FE powered by its flagship chip, Samsung was considering a design and display change.
The second reason for the likely cancellation of Samsung’s Galaxy S21 FE, and maybe even more telling, is the new Galaxy Z Flip 3. The new device’s strong sales performance is doing well beyond what Samsung thought they’d get from the new design. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 uses the same Snapdragon 888 chip and with the shortage, Samsung would rather use whatever chip inventory they have on the extremely popular foldable phone instead of the Galaxy S21 FE.
Considering the chip shortage, it’s a smart move by Samsung, if this is the route they eventually will go, to not spread themselves too thin and concentrate all their marketing money on Galaxy Z Flip 3. Samsung may also have concerns with the Galaxy S21 FE not being able to compete as well with the new high-end models from Google and its upcoming Pixel 6 line along with Apple’s recently released iPhone 13 series.
If Samsung somehow decides to stick with the Galaxy S21 FE, they could possibly limit where they launch the device as a way to save the number of Snapdragon 888 chipsets for use with the Galaxy Z Flip 3.
The rumored specs for a new Samsung Galaxy S21 FE would include a 6.4-inch OLED display with a 1080 x 2340 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The device would also be equipped with a triple camera system (a 32MP primary, a 12MP Ultra-wide camera, and an 8MP Telephoto camera) on the back of the phone that will use a 4370mAh battery to keep the phone running. The S21 FE will support 45W of fast charging and will come with 8GB of memory and 128GB/256GB of internal storage.
Other features on the S21 FE include stereo speakers, an IP68 rating, and 5G capability.
While the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE cancelation is not a completely done deal, it’s looking more and more to be the case. As long as the global chip shortage rages on, and it doesn’t look to be ending anytime soon, you can expect Samsung to give more attention to their better-selling devices. The Galaxy S21 FE just may be a casualty of the shortage.
