Samsung may have resumed S21 FE production, but will it be enough?

All signs point to the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE being delayed due to the global chip shortage, with rumors earlier this year suggesting that production of the phone has indeed ceased as a result.

Well, Korean news agency ET news reported that Samsung recently resumed mass production of the device, suspecting the company has addressed its chipset challenges. It has also been reported that the phone could hit the market in the fourth quarter of 2021.

An industry source told the point of sale that Samsung is likely to launch the Galaxy S21 FE gradually as demand for the device has been “substantial”.

“A plan to release them one by one by dividing them into categories such as North America, Europe and other areas is likely to be implemented,” the source was quoted as saying.

The news comes a few days after Tipper Max Jambor asserts that Samsung only produced about 10,000 Galaxy S21 FE this month. However, the leaker said things could change this week or next (presumably for the better).

What does this mean for consumers?

We wonder about the gaps between releases in different markets if Samsung actually decides to roll out in stages. Waiting a couple of weeks might not be a huge problem, but a longer delay between releases wouldn’t be good news. Samsung and other cellular brands are expected to launch their next generation smartphones in January 2022, so it stands to reason that some consumers are waiting for these devices instead.

Another Korean outlet reported back in June that Samsung wasn’t considering a release in Europe and the US until October, with the S21 FE missing Korea and Japan (and supposedly several other markets as well). This approach also makes sense if the company cannot produce enough units even for a staggered release schedule.

In any case, we will have to wait for the actual launch event to get more information on the availability of the Galaxy S21 FE.