Samsung can’t quite seem to keep a lid on leaks, with the latest one revealing that the unreleased Galaxy S21 FE will lack microSD card support for storage expansion, but does support wireless charging as well as reverse power share. The Galaxy S21 FE, aka Fan Edition, has leaked extensively over the past few weeks, unpacking the specs as well as official renders in all their high-resolution glory. As the name makes abundantly clear, it will be a slightly watered-down version of the flagship Galaxy S21 and will cut a few corners to keep the price in check.
According to previous leaks, the Galaxy S21 will look a lot like the vanilla Galaxy S21, sporting the same flat display aesthetics and camera lens array. It appears that Samsung will again sell its upcoming Fan Edition phone in two editions — a variant equipped with a Qualcomm SoC and another version with the Exynos 2100 chip. Users will find a trio of cameras at the back, an in-display fingerprint sensor for authentication, but no 3.5mm headphone jack. There will be some concessions in the imaging department and the build quality, but the whole package screams ‘flagship killer’ a la OnePlus.
The latest leak is actually the user manual, courtesy of SamMobile. While the manual doesn’t reveal much about the specs, it does shed some light on a few important aspects with the first being the lack of a microSD card slot. Samsung is one of the last brands that has remained loyal to the expandable storage cause, but unlike the Galaxy S20 FE, it looks like the Galaxy S21 FE won't be one of those loyal devices. Due to this, buyers won't be able to pop in a microSD card and will have to pay extra for variants with higher storage capacities. Another nasty surprise is that the Galaxy S21 FE won't come with a charging brick in the retail package.
Other Details Revealed In Leaked Samsung Manual
There are a few upbeat revelations from the leaked user manual, however. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE will offer support for wireless charging as well as Wireless Power Share. Its predecessor, which was a great package overall for its asking price, offered the perk too. For those unaware, Wireless Power Share is Samsung’s marketing lingo for reverse wireless charging, allowing the option to charge gadgets, such as earbuds, by placing them on the phone’s rear panel. While this is a neat feature, the phone must have at least 30-percent battery remaining for it to work. Other positive news is that the Galaxy S21 FE will come with an IP68 certified build for dust and water resistance. Samsung claims that its upcoming phone will be able to survive water immersion to a depth of 1.5 meters and for up to 30 minutes.
Considering the Galaxy S20 FE made its debut in September, the Galaxy S21 FE might only be days away from an official launch providing the company sticks to the same launch cycle. However, if the latest from Jon Prosser is anything to go by, then the market release will most likely happen in the last week of October, regardless of when the next Galaxy FE phone from Samsung is actually announced.
Source: SamMobile, Jon Prosser/Twitter