Samsung Galaxy S22 facing delay, but Galaxy S21 FE back in the picture

In what appears to be another plot twist in the ongoing Samsung Galaxy S21 FE release saga, the phone may now launch after all, despite recent reports suggesting that the Galaxy S21 FE might have been canceled altogether.

To be clear: it’s still up in the air whether the device will ever materialize, but it does appear to exist. Not only does it exist, but this latest batch of rumors seems to suggest that it'll launch early next year before the much-anticipated Samsung Galaxy S22 series arrives. 

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Of course, Samsung wouldn't bungle its annual flagship's launch by releasing the Galaxy S21 FE so near to it. Unfortunately, this new release schedule does mean that the Galaxy S22 series could be delayed, with the Galaxy S21 FE likely to launch early next year devoid of any great measure of fanfare, possibly even without a virtual Unpacked event like the one the Galaxy S20 FE 5G got.

While it’s unlikely that both the Galaxy S21 FE and Galaxy S22 series will launch at the same time in January, it doesn’t necessarily follow that the Galaxy S21 FE will be an easy device to get hold of despite it having a standalone launch. According to SamMobile, the Galaxy S21 FE could have limited availability at launch, as "some countries get it in January, while others may have to wait for the device to go on sale." So, if you were possibly expecting the S21 FE to be easier to get hold of than the Galaxy S22, then it probably won't be the case.

Samsung shuffles its calendar

There are no specifics on when could expect a delayed Galaxy S22, but the SamMobile folks note that the flagship device could possibly be timed with a pre-mobile World Congress event in February.

Where the Galaxy S22 will land in our overall best Samsung phone ranking remains to be seen, but it's likely to be cruising towards the top based on its many predecessors' rankings. Still, the collective excitement around a follow-up to last year's remarkable Galaxy S20 FE 5G isn't going away and a release as early as next year could be one to watch out for, even with the Galaxy S22 likely to steal the limelight.