Galaxy S21 FE leaked briefly courtesy of Samsung
Samsung is reportedly cracking down on leaks, especially those that allegedly use copyrighted material. It seems, however, that the company sometimes also has problems coming from its own backyard in that regard. It's not unusual for companies' social media outlets to accidentally slip up and publish information prior to their official announcement. That was seemingly the case when Samsung's own Instagram account posted an almost mundane image that happened to include a preview of the Galaxy S21 FE.
The image doesn't actually reveal anything new about the upcoming smartphone, at least nothing that we haven't heard about yet. It only shows the back of the phone, which is naturally the most distinctive part of any smartphone. In fact, the only telltale sign that this isn't any of the existing Galaxy S21 models is that the camera bump is in the exact same color as the rest of the backplate.
Perhaps the more important part of the leak is the fact that the Galaxy S21 FE does exist, at least in form, even if not yet in name. Samsung has never officially acknowledged the existence of another Fan Edition, but the fact that it suddenly pulled out the Instagram post suggests it's the real deal. Fortunately, SamMobile already saved the image for posterity.
Based on leaks and rumors, the Galaxy S21 FE is expected to be an affordable version of the flagship series that doesn't skimp on the Snapdragon 888 5G processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 6.5-inch FHD+ 120Hz screen. It will, however, reportedly sport the same triple camera setup as the Galaxy S20 FE from last year. It will be running Android 11 out of the box, regardless of when it actually launches.
The existence future of the Galaxy S21 FE has always been in flux and will remain so until Samsung actually announces the device. It has been reported to have been delayed and almost canceled due to the ongoing global semiconductor shortage. Production, however, was said to have finally resumed last month, suggesting a launch date no earlier than October.