Samsung has scheduled the Galaxy S21 FE to go on sale next week for the starting price of €749 / $699 / £699. At first glance, this is a fair price, as it didn't go up or down since 2020 when Samsung introduced the Galaxy S20 FE 5G. However, upon closer inspection, we're inclined to believe that, this year, the Galaxy S21 FE is a little bit overpriced for a couple of reasons that we're about to explain.
Setting the correct price for a device that many people will label a “flagship killer” isn't an easy task, but the big problem concerning the Galaxy S21 FE is that it looks like it's poorly priced compared to both the Galaxy S20 FE 5G and the upcoming Galaxy S22. Let's elaborate.
Reason number 1: the Galaxy S20 FE
Samsung had released the Galaxy S20 FE 5G for €749 / $699 right before it started removing wall chargers and earbuds from the retail boxes of new Galaxy phones for sustainability reasons. The 2020 model escaped that fate, but the Galaxy S21 FE is a phone of the new era, ergo, it has a lighter retail box.
Because of this, you could argue that the Galaxy S21 FE actually offers less than the S20 FE for the same price. There's no wall charger in the box, and the earbuds are missing, but customers get a USB-C cable and some paper documentation.
Then there's the fact that the Galaxy S20 FE and Galaxy S21 FE have similar memory options, but while the 2020 model has expandable storage, the Galaxy S21 FE does not. The 2022 model is now thinner at 7.9mm (down from 8.4mm), but the savings Samsung may have obtained from removing expandable storage aren't reflected in the retail price.
Furthermore, Samsung also spent a bit of extra cash on developing and marketing six color options for the Galaxy S20 FE . The idea was canned for the Galaxy S21 FE this year, presumably due to cost constraints, and as a result, the sequel comes in four basic colors.
Despite all this, the Galaxy S21 FE phone costs the same as the 2020 model. Samsung saved some cash by removing accessories, removable storage, and not making the Galaxy S21 FE as colorful as its predecessor, but the company hasn't passed those savings on to you. Those cost-cutting efforts appear to have only helped Samsung and not the customer.
Reason number 2: the base Galaxy S22 model
The standard Galaxy S22 variant could be going on sale for $799, which would make it just $100 more expensive than the Galaxy S21 FE. However, despite the relatively small price gap, the Galaxy S22 will ship with a newer chipset, more memory, a better design, more features, improved cameras, early access to future beta firmware, and more.
If the Galaxy S22 will indeed hit the shelves for the starting price of $799 as rumors suggest, future Galaxy S21 FE buyers will be giving up on a lot just to save $100. These customers could feel buyer's remorse just a few weeks into the Galaxy S21 FE's life.
Samsung might be betting on the fact that the Galaxy S22 series will be unveiled in February, which may give the Galaxy S21 FE enough time alone on the market to record healthy shipment figures. Perhaps the rumored Galaxy S22 delay will help the Galaxy S21 FE's case further.
But all things considered, the Galaxy S21 FE seems like a bit of an overpriced phone, given the lightweight retail box, the lack of expandable storage, and its fewer color options compared to the Galaxy S20 FE. Add to the powerful and marginally more expensive Galaxy S22 into the mix, and the Galaxy S21 FE doesn't seem much like a Fan Edition device anymore. But, I suppose we'll have to wait and see what Samsung has in store for the Galaxy S22 before we pass our final judgement. Stay tuned for our upcoming reviews.
Are you considering buying the Galaxy S21 FE once it goes on sale? Or will you wait to see what the Galaxy S22 has in store before you decide what your next Samsung phone will be? Do you think the Galaxy S21 FE is priced appropriately? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
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