Samsung's Fan Edition lineup will likely get a refresh this year and if history is any indication, it'll happen in the second half of 2024, perhaps a month or so after the company unveils its new foldable phones.
So even though the launch may not happen for a good six months from now, early signs have emerged that Samsung's starting to put together the Galaxy S24 FE, the device that's going to central to the success of its 2024 Fan Edition lineup.
Galaxy S24 FE's supply chain is being locked up right now
It's right about that time for Samsung to start putting together the supply chain for the Galaxy S24 FE. This means it needs to evaluate components, negotiate with suppliers, and finalize where it's going to source the various items needed from before the device enters mass production likely in the second half of this year.
A local report from South Korea suggests that Samsung has picked a supplier for display driver ICs that'll be used for the Galaxy S23 FE. Korea-based Anapass, which makes ICs and other products, will reportedly be supplying the IC for the Galaxy S24 FE's display.
It's also claimed that the Galaxy S24 FE will feature a rigid OLED display panel that's going to have chip-on-film packaging for the driver. It's a more complicated component to produce compared to chip-on-glass.
Samsung has worked with this supplier before so it certainly has confidence in its products. Anapass happens to be the third largest supplier of display driver ICs to Samsung Display for its smartphone OLED panels. Samsung System LSI and Magnachip are the top two IC suppliers to Samsung Display.
The Galaxy S24 FE is expected to enter mass production over the summer with the device likely being unveiled around August or September this year.