There are likely plenty of people looking forward to the Galaxy S21 FE, a followup to last year’s surprisingly popular Galaxy S20 FE. The FE models offer the fun things — like higher display refresh rates — of its more expensive siblings, but in a more affordable package. The problem is, there’s a chip shortage taking place, with Qualcomm and other chipmakers unable to supply the world’s demand for silicon. It’s been affecting nearly all major industries, from smartphones to cars. So far, it hasn’t been too bad for Android fans, but this upcoming Galaxy S21 FE could be the first major victim.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Samsung hasn’t yet made a final decision on whether or not production of the Galaxy S21 FE will be halted amid the shortage. This statement follows a now-pulled report that Samsung did suspend production, due to the shortage of Qualcomm application processors. Given the report’s apparent deletion and Samsung’s lack of transparency, who knows when this phone is likely to arrive.
I sorta poo-poo’d last year’s Galaxy S20 FE, but I intended to not make that mistake in 2021. The Galaxy S21 is a fine device, and if Samsung can repackage it in a less expensive body, but still offer the same high-end experience, I’d definitely give that a try. Plus, if the above render is accurate, that olive green is pretty hot.
We’ll keep you posted on S21 FE happenings.
// Bloomberg