Well, this was certainly bound to happen sooner or later. After countless "static" leaks, the time has finally come to check out the Galaxy S21 Fan Edition in action for close to seven minutes, as the folks over at Italy's HDblog take a quick video tour through the most important specs and features of the long overdue inexpensive Samsung high-end handset that's still not official.
Obviously, this is a fully working, fully finished, and fully polished unit we're looking at here, presumably part of a batch that will be commercially released in European countries like Italy in just a few weeks.
Unsurprisingly, it is a little early for the Galaxy S21 FE 5G to be properly and thoroughly reviewed on camera, but the premature unboxing and first impressions video embedded below is enough to reveal a whole bunch of stuff... we've already known about for a pretty long time while also disclosing at least a couple of somewhat unexpected last-minute surprises.
Everything you need to know about the S21 FE specs
Unless you've been hiding under a (remote) rock somewhere in the Appalachian Mountains for the last six months or so, you won't be shocked to hear that this early 2022 budget-friendly Android flagship is set to pack a 2021 Snapdragon 888 processor.
It's definitely nice to see therefore that Samsung plans to load up the 5G-enabled Galaxy S21 FE with Android 12 on the software side of things right out the box, just as one report suggested a couple of weeks ago and contrary to what a bunch of others had previously alluded to.
The other pleasant surprise seems to be a triple rear-facing camera arrangement including not two but three 12MP sensors, although given how many trusted sources and insiders have been calling for a 12 + 8 + 12MP setup, this 12 + 12 + 12MP system could ultimately prove to be a regional affair of sorts.
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The rest of the specs and features should be the same worldwide, including a 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with FHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate support, a single 32MP front-facing camera, a large 4,500mAh battery capable of 25W charging, and 6 gigs of RAM paired with 128GB internal storage space in an entry-level configuration.
Today's unboxing video also etches the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD card slot, and bundled charger in stone while confirming the impending phone's 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9mm dimensions and 177-gram weight as well.
Galaxy S21 FE price and release date
Obviously, that's not something an unboxing can reveal, but luckily, we already have all the information we need to put the entire Galaxy S21 FE availability puzzle together without fear of getting a lot of stuff wrong.
The S21 FE will run Android 12 out the box
According to multiple reliable sources, this bad boy is currently scheduled to go on sale as early as January 11, 2022, at least in certain markets around the world, following an official January 4 announcement. Then again, Samsung has shifted the phone's launch dates around so many times since August 2021 that we wouldn't be surprised if the S21 FE 5G ends up being delayed one last time to late January or even early February.
That would make it virtually impossible for the Snapdragon 888 powerhouse to stand out from the faster Galaxy S22 trio with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 inside, which is widely expected to see daylight by the end of February.
Although pricing rumors have been a little all over the place lately, the most affordable Galaxy S21 FE variant is likely to cost $699 stateside, with 50 or 70 extra bucks buying you an 8GB memory count and 256 gigs of local digital hoarding room. That doesn't sound half bad... but it may not be irresistible either after all this time.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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