Samsung Galaxy S21 FE could be the latest victim of the global chip shortage

We recently heard from a tipster that Samsung could launch the highly-anticipated Galaxy S21 FE on September 9. However, a fresh report from The Elec suggests that might not happen.

According to the South Korean publication, the Galaxy S21 FE was originally scheduled to hit mass production in the first half of the year. Sales of the phone were planned for the third quarter. However, that overall schedule apparently got delayed by four months because of the global chip shortage. Samsung is now expected to start mass-producing the S21 FE in September. This means its actual availability could stretch to October or November.

An earlier report had also suggested that Samsung could push the Galaxy S21 FE launch to October because the company wanted to focus its marketing efforts on its foldable phones. Another report in June suggested that Samsung halted the production of the phone altogether, but the company dismissed it as speculation.

Apart from a possibly delayed launch, the latest report indicates that Samsung has cut shipment targets for the Galaxy S21 FE due to chip shortage. The unavailability of SoCs has forced the company to decrease shipments by three million units, from the initial target of mid-10 million units to the early 10 million units.

Meanwhile, Samsung is also getting ready for the Galaxy S22 launch next year. The report notes that the flagships could release in January, just like their predecessors. Samsung is expected to start producing parts for the S22 series in November.