Galaxy S21 FE Availability Might Be Extremely Limited

One of Samsung's more interesting flagship phones could turn out to be a disappointment instead for some. Bearing key features of the Galaxy S21 series in a more affordable package, the Galaxy S21 FE "Fan Edition" could offer more budget-conscious consumers a better alternative this year. Delays and component supply shortages, however, threaten to ruin an otherwise good plan, and, now, the Galaxy S21 FE might not even be available anywhere except for two major markets only.

It's almost as if the Galaxy S21 FE is doomed from the start. Based on industry insiders, it has fallen victim to the chip supply problem that is gripping almost all industries, not just tech ones. That situation may have had three undesirable effects on the Galaxy S21 FE's chances to succeed in the mobile market this year.

The first is that it will be delayed as late as the last quarter of this year, probably to give way to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 next month. And then there's the rumor that Samsung might be switching to an Exynos processor or, more likely, mixing it up again with Snapdragon and Exynos chips.

The latest word from The Korea Herald is that Samsung might launch the Galaxy S21 FE in the US and Europe. The phone might not even hit its own home market, let alone other countries where a wallet-friendly Galaxy S flagship would be warmly welcomed. This, again, could be due to a shortage of chips, leading to limitations in Samsung's production capacity.

For a somewhat high-end smartphone with a $610 price tag, that's definitely a downer for still hoping to get a Galaxy S21-branded phone this year. By the time it launches, there will already be plenty of choices in the market, including Google's own Pixel 6, which's shaping to be quite an interesting phone as well.