According to relatively reliable leaker Roland Quandt, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE could reportedly still be released this year.

This more affordable take on the Samsung Galaxy S21 was reportedly delayed due to a semiconductor shortage and will likely not arrive this year. However, Quandt tweeted that "Samsung Galaxy S21 FE production is now officially back on track."

While we do not expect to see the Galaxy S21 FE at the Unpacked event on August 11 (where Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3, and Galaxy Watch 4 will likely be unveiled), we could see a new FE phone this year Possibly.

That said, Quandt is not a Samsung employee, so his "official" claims should be taken with a pinch of salt. It is also possible that someone inside Samsung or its related supply chain partners tipped off Quandt about the Galaxy S21 FE.

We like the Galaxy S21 very much and its new design and improved camera software make it a solid candidate for our best phones list. However, even though the Galaxy S21 is priced lower than the previous model, it still costs $800. So for those seeking flagship-class specs without the premium, the less expensive model will no doubt be more appealing.

With the Galaxy S20 FE, we saw how Samsung was able to take the best parts of a flagship and fit them into a cheaper package with little compromise. As such, we expect the Galaxy S21 FE to receive much the same treatment.

Leaked information so far suggests that the Galaxy S21 FE will be a plastic replica of the Contour Cut design found on current Galaxy S21 phones. Under the hood, the Galaxy S21 FE is expected to feature the powerful Snapdragon 888, 8GB or RAM, up to 256GB of storage, a 6.4-inch display, and a 4,370 mAh battery.

On the camera front, the Galaxy S21 FE is expected to feature a 32 MP main camera, a 12 MP ultrawide lens, and an 8 MP telephoto camera with a 12 MP selfie snapper. The main camera and ultra-wide camera should have the same specs as the Galaxy S21. The telephoto camera is said to have a lower resolution lens, as the Galaxy S21 has a 64MP zoom shooter. However, it seems a reasonable compromise to reduce the zoom fidelity somewhat in order to pack the specs of a flagship device into a device priced at the upper end of the mid-range range.

We don't know when the Galaxy S21 FE will be announced, but we suspect it will appear this fall. We expect the Google Pixel 6 to earn such an honor around the same time, though.