Galaxy S21 FE rumors: Samsung may have leaked its new phone on Instagram

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE came out a year ago and offered a balanced combination of neat features for a reasonable $699 starting price. Now, Samsung may be trying to repeat its success with the rumored Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. We don’t know when the Galaxy S21 FE could make its official debut, but we just got a sneak peek of the phone in a back to school promo image briefly posted to Samsung’s official Instagram account. The phone, which looks similar to the Galaxy S21 from behind, is shown in a backpack beside a laptop and the Galaxy Buds Pro.

We previously expected the Galaxy S21 FE’s official reveal at Samsung’s August event, in addition to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 (sequels to Samsung’s existing foldable phones, the pricey Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Flip 5G), which are likely to be among the bigger highlights of the event. But, earlier rumors said it’s unlikely that we’ll see the Galaxy S21 FE during the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event on Aug. 11. 

Read more: How to watch Samsung Unpacked for Galaxy Z Fold 3, Z Flip 3 and more

Although upgrades to other phones in the Galaxy S21 lineup are also on their way in the near future — here’s what we know about the Galaxy S22 so far — Drew Blackard, Samsung Electronics America’s vice president of product management, said in an interview with CNET that they’re not a threat to the Galaxy FE or Note. 

There have been a few leaks and other tidbits floating around regarding the Galaxy S21 FE’s possible specs and availability, so let’s dive into what we know so far. We’ll keep updating as the release date approaches and we learn more.

Read more: Galaxy S22 vs. Galaxy S21: The newest rumors about Samsung’s next flagship

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Galaxy S21 FE specs

The Galaxy S21 FE’s specs list was reportedly listed on China’s TENAA Certification site (via MyFixGuide). According to the listing, the phone will purportedly include a 6.4-inch screen at a 2,340×1,080p resolution, a 4,370-mAh battery, three cameras with a 32-megapixel main lens along with a 12-megapixel and 8-megapixel, a 12-megapixel front-facing camera, an in-display fingerprint sensor and support for 45W fast charging. The phone would also include 8GB of RAM as well as 128GB and 256GB storage options.

If true, a 6.4-inch screen would make the phone a bit taller than the 6.2-inch screen on the higher-end Galaxy S21, while being slightly smaller than the 6.5-inch screen on last year’s Galaxy S20 FE. However, this purported camera would be both a step up from the Galaxy S20 FE’s main 12-megapixel lens and a step down from the S21’s 64-megapixel camera.

What will it look like

Noted leaker Evan Blass tweeted out various purported Samsung renders in July, which included a possible look at the Galaxy S21 FE. According to the renders on his account, the phone could have a similar appearance to the Galaxy S21, including a punchout for the front-facing camera and three cameras on the back.

The similarity to the S21 makes sense: The Galaxy S20 FE kept much of the S20’s design language while making cuts to the screen resolution and cameras that likely helped bring down the price. And according to a leak reported by SamMobile, the S21 FE will reportedly come in at least five colors.

We may have gotten a sneak peek at the Galaxy S21 FE in a back to school promo image briefly posted to Samsung’s official Instagram account in August. The phone is shown in a backpack beside a laptop and the Galaxy Buds Pro. It looks similar to the Galaxy S21 from behind, but is shown in a lilac color that isn’t currently one of the color options for the Galaxy S21. The post has since been deleted from Samsung’s account.

What will it cost?

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE’s price started at $699 in the US, which was a substantial discount from the Galaxy S20’s $999 starting price. That price also undercut rival OnePlus 8T’s $749 starting price.

However, the Galaxy S21’s starting price of $800 was notably lower than the Galaxy S20, and it seems unlikely that a Galaxy S21 FE would receive a similar $300 discount — as the Galaxy A series of phones occupies that sub-$500 price range.

While we do not have any concrete details on price, a report from GizChina hypothesizes that $699 could be the price the S21 FE line launches at, which was the same starting price point for the Galaxy S20 FE. That price would still be about $100 lower than the Galaxy S21, positioning it as a higher-end value option.

When will it be announced and released?

While it’s possible that the Galaxy S21 FE will get its debut at the August foldables event, it’s also possible that it will follow last year’s pattern of getting a stand-alone announcement. The Galaxy S20 FE had its own Unpacked event in September 2020; the phone’s reveal was touted as “a tribute to its Galaxy fans.”

However, that phone’s announcement and release was very close to the release of the Z Fold 2, which also took place in September. Perhaps they will get combined or get a similar amount of space.

Rumors from Dutch blog LetsGoDigital align with this theory. The blog speculated that the Galaxy S21 FE would not be announced during the August Unpacked event after reviewing unnamed “official documentation” from the company. 

For more, take a look at how the Galaxy S20 FE compares to other S20 phones. You can also check out CNET’s Galaxy S21 review and Galaxy S21 Ultra review. 

We will keep updating this roundup as we hear more about the rumored Galaxy 21 FE. Do you currently have the Galaxy 20 FE and have thoughts about what should come next? Or have heard other rumors about the phone we should check out? Add them to the comments.