Galaxy S21 FE rumors return — on track for CES 2022 launch?

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE leaked render
(Image credit: @OnLeaks/Voice)

Samsung's Galaxy S21 FE should have arrived last month if Samsung had stuck to its typical timing, but despite rumors of the phone being cancelled, it appears that it is on track to launch in early 2022.

The latest rumor on the Galaxy S21 FE launch is courtesy of SamMobile, with the site's sources claiming that the phone will arrive at CES 2022, which is January 5-8, 2022.

Samsung's Galaxy S20 FE remains one of our favorite phones over a year after its launch. While it started at $699, it has regularly been available at $599 or less, which makes it a strong contender against the likes of Google's Pixel 6.

We were naturally excited to see what Samsung did with the Galaxy S21 FE this year, and like the rest of Samsung's lineup, there were plenty of leaks showing us what to expect. The contour cut camera housing will now be a seamless part of the plastic back of the Galaxy S21 FE. Mirroring the Pixel 6, the Galaxy S21 FE should feature a 6.4-inch display, although almost certainly with a 120Hz refresh rate. 

Alleged marketing materials for Samsung Galaxy S21 FE

(Image credit: Android Headlines)

The phone should feature a Snapdragon 888 processor and while the next-gen Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm will be announced by then, it will remain a fantastic option in 2022. This is likely key to the new launch timeframe for Samsung as it presumably will be winding down Galaxy S21 production and ramping up for the anticipated Galaxy S22 launch at the end of February. 

SamMobile's sources are typically quite good, but there's obviously room for uncertainty given that the global chip shortage is at least partly to blame for these delays. We'll be covering CES 2022 live, so if Samsung does announce the Galaxy S21 FE there, we'll be on-hand to let you know whether it lives up to its predecessor.

Sean Riley

Sean Riley has been covering tech professionally for over a decade now. Most of that time was as a freelancer covering varied topics including phones, wearables, tablets, smart home devices, laptops, AR, VR, mobile payments, fintech, and more.  Sean is the resident mobile expert at Laptop Mag, specializing in phones and wearables, you'll find plenty of news, reviews, how-to, and opinion pieces on these subjects from him here. But Laptop Mag has also proven a perfect fit for that broad range of interests with reviews and news on the latest laptops, VR games, and computer accessories along with coverage on everything from NFTs to cybersecurity and more.