Samsung Galaxy S22 may be delayed with Galaxy S21 FE taking its place in January

After months past the point we expected to see it launch, we still don’t know the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE release date, but a new leak suggests it could come in January – and that the Samsung Galaxy S22 has been delayed.

We’ve heard plenty about the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, including several reports that it may have been canceled, so hearing it may come in January isn’t a total surprise. A new leak from SamMobile claims it will be a quiet launch, perhaps even over emailed press release instead of a bombastic event. 

Separately, the SamMobile report claims the Samsung Galaxy S22 launch may have been delayed – though for how long is unclear. Typical flagship S-series phones arrive in January (the Samsung Galaxy S21 launched on January 14, 2021) after CES in the beginning of the month. 

Perhaps the Samsung S21 FE will be announced during that slot, or even introduced at CES 2022, with the company waiting a few weeks to a month to launch the Samsung S22. But the latter is speculation even beyond what we’ve heard from this leak, which only (separately) stated the January S21 FE launch window and the uncertain delay of the S22.

Dude, where’s my Samsung Galaxy S21 FE?

It’s been a rocky road for the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. Given that its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, was released in September 2020, we were fully expecting the S21 FE to follow suit – but now into October, we’re wondering if we’ll see the phone at all. 

While we have enough evidence to suggest the S21 FE does exist and should be nearing readiness to launch – Samsung itself confirmed the phone with a listing that was quickly taken down – rumors about its actual release are all over the place. An August report suggested it could come soon, while another claimed it will be here at the end of October. 

The ‘affordable flagship’ niche is something Samsung has invested in for years, first with the Samsung Galaxy S10e in 2019 and, in 2020, the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite and Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite. Finally, the company seemingly settled on the ‘Fan Edition’ branding with the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, which was a hit. We expect the S21 FE to be successful, too, but we’ll have to see if the phone actually comes out and proves us right.

Via PhoneArena

• iPhone 13 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra: which 2021 flagship phone is for you?

David J Lumb is Mobile Editor, US for TechRadar, covering phones, tablets, and wearables. He still thinks the iPhone 4 is the best-looking smartphone ever made.