Samsung 'Galaxy S21 FE' to be Sold Only in Europe

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Eun-mo] Samsung Electronics' quasi-premium smartphone, the 'Galaxy S21 Fan Edition (FE),' is expected to be released only in a limited capacity in the European market due to semiconductor supply shortages and marketing confusion.

On the 8th (local time), IT specialized media PhoneArena reported that Samsung Electronics' wireless division is seriously considering releasing the S21 FE only in Europe and not launching it domestically in South Korea.

The S21 FE is a quasi-premium product that maintains the core features of the flagship 'Galaxy S' series while lowering the price. It was originally scheduled to be released in August, but faced difficulties such as abruptly halting production preparations due to worsening application processor (AP) supply shortages.

With continued release delays, rumors of cancellation also surfaced. Although the predecessor, the 'Galaxy S20 FE,' was well-received, there is no guarantee that the success will be replicated. There are concerns that the S21 FE could reduce sales not only of the next-generation flagship smartphone 'Galaxy S22' series but also of the mid-range 'Galaxy A' lineup. However, PhoneArena reported that Samsung Electronics' wireless division head (President) No Tae-moon dismissed these rumors. President No is the person who applied the FE brand to the Galaxy S series.

As recently reported, the S21 FE is expected to be unveiled at an unpacking event on January 4 next year and officially released on the 11th of the same month. It is anticipated that there will be no separate pre-order period. This aligns with the existing market expectation that the S21 FE will be unveiled at the world's largest electronics exhibition, the 'Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2022.' CES 2022 is scheduled to be held for four days starting January 5 next year.

The S21 FE is expected to feature a 6.5-inch display supporting a 120 Hertz (Hz) refresh rate and will be equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 processor. The screen resolution is 1080x2009 with 480 DPI. The camera setup is expected to include a 12-megapixel front selfie camera, and on the rear, a 32-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and an 8-megapixel telephoto camera.