The Galaxy S21 FE has appeared in numerous leaks over the past few months. From leaked renders and certification listings to users manuals and quick start guides, we’ve seen them all. Samsung itself has jumped the gun a couple of times in recent weeks. All this pointed towards an imminent launch of the phone. But the biggest official evidence of its existence arrived earlier this month when Samsung started adding support pages for the phone with the model number SM-G990B on its regional websites in numerous countries around the world. The company usually does this just ahead of announcing a new device. It was quite clear that the Galaxy S21 FE was just around the corner. However, just when the hopes had started building again, Samsung‘s latest actions have crushed them all. The company has started deleting the support pages for the Galaxy S21 FE on its official website. The pages are now gone from Samsung’s websites for Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa, Levant, and many other markets, SamMobile reports. It appears the long-rumored Fan Edition (FE) Galaxy will never see the light of day.
Chip shortage is the main culprit for the cancellation of the Galaxy S21 FE
The ongoing global semiconductor chip shortage has hit the tech industry hard. Limited supply means companies are having to manage their stocks and make critical production strategies. Samsung has already decided against making a Galaxy Note this year and use the resources and components on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3 foldables. It is now canceling the Galaxy S21 FE due to the same reason. The Galaxy S21 FE was supposed to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset in some regions. The same SoC also powers the new Galaxy foldables. And since these devices, the Flip 3 in particular, are selling better than Samsung had hoped for, it is now likely looking to increase their production. This means a requirement of more Snapdragon 888 chips, which Qualcomm may not be able to supply in time. As such, the Korean company now plans to use the stock meant for the Galaxy S21 FE in the new foldables. If Samsung could ditch the Note series in favor of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3 foldables, canceling the Galaxy S21 FE may have been an easy decision for it. But for us, users, it’s disappointing to see that a phone with such a high promise will never come out. All eyes are now on the Galaxy S22 series as far as Samsung is concerned.
