Samsung announced the Galaxy S21 FE 5G back in January. The phone faced a lot of uncertainties and multiple extended delays, and as a result, it was announced just a few weeks before the latest Galaxy S22 series. The FE-branded devices always had flagship specifications and a lower, more affordable price tag. According to the latest news, Samsung may be giving up on the entire FE branding, and new sources claim that the company has canceled the upcoming Galaxy S22 FE product altogether.

SamMobile heard from multiple sources that Samsung might not be planning on releasing another FE-branded smartphone in the near future, and the company might cancel the upcoming Galaxy S22 FE series. The report doesn’t mention any reasons behind it, but we speculate that the global shortages and inflation are the main culprits.

Samsung had a lot of difficulties producing the Galaxy S21 FE 5G, and it took the company more than a year to release it. The S21 FE was released more than a year after the Galaxy S21 flagship series was announced, just a few weeks before the Galaxy S22 series were unveiled. The Galaxy S21 FE likely failed to attract more users into buying the device, which was slightly outdated on paper. The “S21” branding probably didn’t help when the “S22” was advertised on all billboards and online outlets. The news isn’t surprising, but fans who bought into the branding will likely be disappointed.

Galaxy S21 FE 4G is in the works

Source: Pocketnow

Adding to the injury, GalaxyClub (via SamMobile) reports that Samsung may be planning on releasing one last device under the FE umbrella. A new report claims that Samsung plans to release a Galaxy S21 FE 4G-only model in the coming months, introducing one last device in the series. As the name implies, the phone will have the same features as its 5G sibling, although it will reportedly be equipped with a Snapdragon 720G chipset.

The price is also expected to be lower, making it even more confusing to buyers who may be deciding between the Galaxy A53 series and the Galaxy S21 FE 5G devices.

What’s going to happen to the Fans?

The FE stands for “Fan Edition”, and it’s aimed at consumers who don’t want to spend large amounts of money on a new flagship device. The FE series carries many high-end specifications and features, and Samsung’s marketing campaign often focuses on the younger generation.

One of the main concerns about the FE branded devices was that while it focused on the “Fans”, it didn’t bring back_classic_ features such as the microSD card slot or the 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone had 25W fast wired charging and even wireless charging, which many phones lack in the mid-range and upper mid-range category.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G was a complicated device, and it tried to fill the gap between the mid-range and high-end smartphones by being in the upper-mid-range category. It made sense to release a device with high-end specifications and a competitive camera setup. Many people bought into the FE branding, purely because it was often slightly cheaper and nearly identical in many aspects to the premium flagships.

Source: Pocketnow

Fans will likely be outraged for needing to spend more money on similarly specced devices in the future, but it’s worth noting the price difference between the Galaxy S22 and S21 FE 5G was roughly $100. The Galaxy S21 FE 5G costs $699, while the standard Galaxy S22 retails for $799.99. The price difference isn’t massive, but it’s enough to make people reconsider their choices, especially during these difficult times.

Fortunately, Samsung offers a lot of incentives and bundles to make its devices more affordable, and it has excellent partnerships and deals on its website. Carriers also offer up to $800 when customers trade-in their old devices, significantly reducing the price of a new handset.

I’m not too surprised by the news, and while I’m sad to see the FE series gone, it’s time for Samsung to reconsider its position on the FE branding. The phone was good at covering all of the essentials and offering a competitive device at a special price, but it failed to bring back features many asked for in a Fan Edition smartphone. Users waiting for the Galaxy S22 FE series will have to decide between the mid-range offerings from Samsung, such as the Galaxy A53, and the high-end Galaxy S22.