Report: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE could be much cheaper than S20 FE

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has been the subject of several rumors and leaks in the past few weeks, ranging from apparent renders to product positioning in Samsung’s portfolio.

Now, the Korea Herald (h/t: Sleepy Kuma) has reported that the Galaxy S21 FE could actually be cheaper than last year’s Galaxy S20 FE. More specifically, the outlet suggests that the S21 FE could retail for 700,000 to 800,000 won (~$630 to ~$720) in its home market.

That would be a significant price drop from the Galaxy S20 FE’s 899,800 won (~$809) launch price in Korea. Of course, there’s no guarantee that other markets could see a similar price drop, but it certainly suggests Samsung is doubling down on the value-driven approach it introduced last year. A price drop would also put the Galaxy S21 FE in direct contention with cheap flagships from the likes of realme, Xiaomi, and others.

A significant price cut usually results in compromises in order to reach this price point, so we do wonder what kind of cutbacks we could see (if any) to reach a lower launch price. Renders show a phone that looks similar to the Galaxy S21, complete with a center-mounted cutout and a similar triple rear camera bump. But Samsung could theoretically save costs by using cheaper camera sensors, maintaining the same RAM/storage variants, using cheaper build materials, and/or ditching features like wireless charging and an IP68 rating.

What cutbacks are you willing to accept for a cheaper (~$50 to $100 cheaper) Galaxy S21 FE? Let us know via the poll below.