The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is likely to be released within a few weeks, despite rumors of its cancellation in June and September.

This is what well-established leakers have been saying for some time now, and while it is possible to believe the rumored whispered release date, it is difficult to fabricate an opening video, the first of which appeared on YouTube via Italian channel HDblog.

Not much will come across from the first impressions to non-Italian speakers, but a few things are immediately apparent just by watching.

For one, the phone closely mimics the design of the original Samsung Galaxy S21, as you would expect. It is larger at 6.4 inches (the original is 6.2 inches), and the camera bump is molded from the same plastic as the shell, not metal. At least the leaked Samsung Hungary Galaxy S21 FE case looks cool.

Inside, the specs are what we expected too, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC powering things, backed by 6GB RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. Like the S21, it has a 120Hz panel, but at a lower resolution, outputting at Full HD+ instead of 1440p.

Another thing we learn from unboxing is that, at least in Italy, Samsung seems to be continuing its efforts to reduce the number of accessories in the box. There are no earphones, no wall charger, and only a USB-C cable and a paper document accompanying the phone itself. While sensible from an ecological standpoint, it is inconvenient to have the charger packed away.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE could be officially unveiled on January 4 during CES 2022.

It will likely give just a little breather before the Samsung Galaxy S22 that will follow in February. Considering that last year's Galaxy S20 FE arrived in September, 128 days earlier than the S21, the repeated delays of the latest FE may hurt Samsung. If this date proves to be accurate, we will know sooner rather than later and whether this handset can make our Best Android Phones list.