Samsung Galaxy S21 FE reveal event reportedly cancelled — here's why

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Waiting for the S21 FE? Don't hold your breath

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

The Galaxy S21 FE is on the wishlist of many budget-conscious Samsung fans. Its predecessor, the Galaxy S20 FE, received glowing reviews, thanks to its reasonable price tag and attractive bells and whistles. As such, folks are on the edge of their seats waiting for its successor, but they may want to scoot back into chairs.

According to the Korean news platform Digital Daily, Samsung purportedly planned on launching the Galaxy S21 FE in October, but due to the global chip shortage, the Korean tech giant decided to cancel its debut. At this point, Samsung officials are allegedly questioning whether they should launch the S21 FE at all.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is on the chopping block

As mentioned, Samsung was gearing up to host a Galaxy S21 Fan Edition Unpacked online event next month, but the global chip shortage threw a wrench in the Korean tech giant's plans.

“We canceled the Galaxy S21 FE [livestream], which was planned for mid-October," a Samsung official told Digital Daily. “We are reviewing the smartphone launch itself.”

The dearth of semiconductors isn't the only reason Samsung is reconsidering the Galaxy S21 FE launch. According to Digital Daily, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is flying off the shelves, and as a result, production lines are having difficulties keeping up with orders. It's worth noting that the Galaxy Z Flip 3 has the same processor that's packed inside the Galaxy S21 FE: the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888. 

With Samsung already struggling to keep up with the Galaxy Z Flip 3 demand, the Korean tech giant foresees trouble in rolling out the Galaxy S21 FE. That being said, Samsung officials argue that it'd be best to solely focus on the Galaxy Z Flip 3 instead of launching the Galaxy S21 FE.

The Galaxy S21 FE was scheduled to be sold at a lower price (compared to the Galaxy S21 base model) by downgrading its display and camera specs.

Be sure to take all of this with a grain of salt. The Galaxy S21 FE's true fate is unknown until we hear from the horse's mouth.

Kimberly Gedeon
Kimberly Gedeon

Kimberly Gedeon, holding a Master's degree in International Journalism, launched her career as a journalist for MadameNoire's business beat in 2013. She loved translating stuffy stories about the economy, personal finance and investing into digestible, easy-to-understand, entertaining stories for young women of color. During her time on the business beat, she discovered her passion for tech as she dove into articles about tech entrepreneurship, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and the latest tablets. After eight years of freelancing, dabbling in a myriad of beats, she's finally found a home at Laptop Mag that accepts her as the crypto-addicted, virtual reality-loving, investing-focused, tech-fascinated nerd she is. Woot!