The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE was one of the most eagerly awaited Android phones, but new reports from South Korea indicate that production of the device may be suspended.

Samsung has responded to the reports with a non-expressive response, saying that "no decision has been made."

ET News reported that Samsung began canceling orders for components for S21 FE handsets on June 11. The reason appears to be the ongoing chip shortage that is affecting everything from PS5 restocking to the best electric cars. Note, however, that this report has since been removed.

"We know that Samsung has allocated Qualcomm's APs to folding phones and is doubting the FE model due to the lack of semiconductors," an industry source familiar with the situation is quoted as saying (the text is Google translated, so subtleties may have been lost)." After receiving approval for mass production, the companies began production, but encountered unprecedented problems with stoppages."

Samsung responded with the following statement, reported by Bloomberg:

"We cannot discuss the details of the unannounced products, but no decision has been made regarding the alleged production stoppage."

The company also said that it "has not yet received approval to begin production.

This is not exactly a denial. Earlier this year, Google refuted similar reports of a possible cancellation of the Pixel 5a. At the time, Google stated: "Pixel 5a 5G has not been canceled. It will be available in the U.S. and Japan later this year and will be announced around the same time the a series was announced last year."

Leaker Ice Universe offered a slightly different explanation than the ET News article, tweeting: "As far as I know, the sudden shutdown of the S21 FE is not due to the chip, but to other components not being supplied properly.

In a follow-up tweet, Leeker added that it was not a supply issue." It is that a component required by FE's new technology is not up to standard, and this component may be related to the battery. This does not affect other models."

The ET News report is keen to call the move a suspension rather than a cancellation, adding that it may resume in the future if the site's sources are correct.

It would be a shame if the Galaxy S21 FE is delayed or canceled, as Geekbench benchmarks indicate it has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor and 6GB RAM, and leaked Evan Blass renderings show a stylish device with a wide variety of color options to choose from. The best part?The Galaxy S21 FE is rumored to be cheaper than last year's model.

We'll keep you posted if Samsung announces any details about the fate of the Galaxy S21 FE.