The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has been delayed and we won't be seeing it at Galaxy Unpacked next month. It's unofficially official! Instead, the event will focus on Samsung's foldables – the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 as well as the Galaxy Watch 4, and Galaxy Buds 2.
LetsGoDigital claims to have seen "official documentation" from Samsung that explicitly states that the Galaxy S21 FE won't make its debut at Galaxy Unpacked on August 11. This echoes a report from earlier this month that also suggested the smartphone would be absent from the lineup. The delay is said to be down to the global semiconductor shortage, which has caused havoc with PS5 and Xbox Series X production, as well as affecting a number of other industries.
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The Galaxy S21 FE is set to stuff all of Samsung's essential smartphone features into an affordable package. Last year's Galaxy S20 FE 5G was a big hit, balancing the best features of the Galaxy S20 while cutting out the bells and whistles to keep the cost down.
Despite the chip shortage being pegged as the culprit for the delay, last year Samsung revealed the Galaxy S20 FE in September. Its August Unpacked was dedicated to the Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy Tab S7, Galaxy Buds Live, and the Galaxy Watch 3 , while the Galaxy Z Fold 2 got its own dedicated event a few weeks later.
Piling its entry-level S series smartphone into the lineup of premium foldables makes little sense. The fan edition has a lot to offer, but if Samsung is unveiling new-and-improved versions of its foldables, with its first new Galaxy Z Flip model since the handset launched, the Galaxy S21 FE would almost certainly get drowned out in all that buzz.
Waiting a month or so until September or October makes more sense, and is in line with last year's schedule. With the advent of its foldable Z series, Samsung is having to adapt its schedule somewhat and whether the chip situation is responsible for that or not, it all seems to have worked out.
The Galaxy S21 FE is set to be a solid device and giving it the space to shine is exactly what Samsung needs to do, rather than throwing it in as an afterthought after presenting premium hardware that focuses on still-fresh foldable tech.
