Foldable's Next Contender 'S21 FE' Leaked Again in Samsung France... Coming Soon?

Leaked marketing image of Galaxy S21 FE 5G [Source: AH]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Cho] The 'Galaxy S21 Fan Edition (FE)' awaiting launch has once again confirmed its presence through an official Samsung leak. Samsung Electronics is expected to finalize the release date while gauging the initial hype surrounding its new foldable smartphone.

◆This time on the official website, S21 FE appears again... Device registered on Google Play

According to industry sources and foreign media on the 26th, Samsung France recently promoted free YouTube Premium service with device purchases on its website, mentioning the already released 'Galaxy S21' series alongside the yet-to-be-released S21 FE as eligible devices.

Previously, marketing images of the S21 FE were revealed and then deleted on Samsung Electronics' official Instagram, and now the S21 FE’s appearance has been confirmed again through another Samsung-originated leak. The marketing images at that time showed a backpack containing both the 'Galaxy Book' and the S21 FE, hinting at a release around the new school semester in September.

Currently, the Samsung France website has removed the S21 FE-related content and made corrections. It is almost certain that a 4-month YouTube Premium subscription will be offered with the S21 FE at launch.

The Samsung France website's description of the YouTube Premium service application included the 'Galaxy S21 FE'. Currently, the website has removed the S21 FE. [Source: SamMobile]

On the same day, the S21 FE model was also registered on Google Play. The FE is characterized by having performance and design similar to a strategic premium smartphone but at a significantly lower price. The upcoming S21 FE will feature a 6.5-inch display and a Snapdragon 888 processor. The screen resolution is 1080x2009 with 480 DPI.

Additionally, based on information leaked earlier by IT tipsters and major foreign media, the S21 FE is expected to support a 4400mAh battery with fast charging capability and will be sold in more than five colors including purple, white, green, gray, and black.

◆S21 FE release timing hinges on foldable phone performance

The S21 FE was initially expected to be unveiled alongside new foldable phones like the ‘Galaxy Z Flip3’ and ‘Galaxy Z Fold3’ at this month’s Unpacked event, but its release was delayed due to semiconductor supply issues. However, as production has smoothed out in the second half of the year, industry observers believe a third-quarter release is feasible. The backpack image leaked on Instagram, accompanied by the phrase "What’s in your four bags going back to school?" also suggests a strong possibility of a September launch coinciding with the new school term. The underwhelming performance of the S21 series launched earlier this year also supports an early release of the S21 FE.

The variable is the performance of the new foldable phones. Thanks to pre-orders and early activations this month, the foldables have shown better-than-expected initial success in the Korean market. Samsung Electronics is expected to finalize the S21 FE release date after reviewing the global situation following the official launch of the Z Flip3 and Z Fold3 on the 27th.

IT specialist media SamMobile commented, "Since foldable phone pre-orders have hit record highs, it’s not yet time to mention the S21 FE," adding, "Samsung will likely want to keep the spotlight on the new foldables for the remainder of the year." The Z Flip3 and Z Fold3 recorded about 270,000 units on the first day of pre-activation on the 24th, marking the highest performance in the domestic market. Pre-order figures over the week (17th-23rd) reached approximately 920,000 units, 1.8 times that of the flagship S21 and 1.3 times that of the 'Galaxy Note20'.

However, with no new Note model released, a kind of 'flagship transition period' is inevitable, so the S21 FE is expected to launch by October at the latest. Samsung Electronics needs to use the S21 FE to counter the highly anticipated Apple iPhone 13 (tentative name) and also respond to the price offensive from Chinese competitor Xiaomi, which is rapidly catching up.

Inside and outside the industry, it is expected that the S21 FE’s launch price will be lower than its predecessor. Samsung’s 'Galaxy S20 FE', unveiled in September last year, emphasized cost-effectiveness based on the S20 series released earlier that year and was so popular that it sold 2 million units within a month.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.