The Galaxy S21 FE is already a painful puzzle for Samsung

The release of the Galaxy S21 FE will either be canceled or largely postponed, especially due to the shortage of components. Either way, this is an inevitable headache for Samsung.

Render of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE // Source: OnLeaks

Canceled ? Postponed? The future of Samsung Galaxy S21 FE seems more compromised than ever. Recently, these are the leakers – deemed, but not always 100% reliable – Jon Prosser and Max Weinbach who evoke a launch of the smartphone for… January 11, 2022. Either an eternity in the world of smartphones.

can confirm

– Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) October 14, 2021

This trail should obviously be taken with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, it does highlight the sacred puzzle that this phone represents for Samsung. Whatever happens, the Galaxy S21 FE will represent a particular difficulty for the South Korean giant.

Victim of shortage

We must already understand the origin of the problem. Not long ago, hallway noises evoked an outright cancellation of the phone launch. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is one of the big victims of the global component shortage. Its builder would indeed be faced with supply concerns on the Snapdragon 888 supposed to equip the smartphone.

However, this chip is already used by another model: the Galaxy z flip 3. And the latter is more successful than expected, which Samsung obviously does not want to compromise. The firm would therefore allocate the necessary resources to the production of its foldable smartphone to the detriment of the Galaxy S21 FE.

Galaxy S21 FE vs Galaxy S22

Cancellation therefore seems a very likely hypothesis. But here it is: if the statements of Jon Prosser and Max Weinbach come to call all this into question, the magnitude of the puzzle remains the same. Suppose Samsung launches the Galaxy S21 FE in January 2022. Samsung would miss the holiday season much more conducive to mass purchases.

The brand should also redouble the clarity of its communication so as not to disrupt the understanding of its range by the consumer. In fact, at the start of 2022, we should also see the launch of Galaxy s22, the new premium generation from Samsung. In this regard, it would not necessarily be wise to divide the resources at the level of production, marketing and distribution between S22 and S21 FE.

Render of the Samsung Galaxy S22 // Source: OnLeaks x Zouton

You might as well bet on the real flagships instead of disconcerting consumers by releasing a phone that is an FE variation of a model released the previous year. Furthermore, semiconductor shortage is likely to drag on forever.

In short, whatever decision Samsung takes in the end, it will not be easy to make and will undoubtedly come with compromises and sacrifices. The Galaxy S21 FE, whether it comes out or not, is one hell of a headache.

While the release of the Galaxy S21 FE is most uncertain, Samsung is erasing the traces of the phone on its sites.
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