Samsung Galaxy S21 FE tipped to debut with Android 12 — why that’s a big deal

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE tipped to debut with Android 12 — why that's a big bargain

Unofficial renders of the front and back of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, showing all four rumored color options (Black, White, Lavender and green)

(Image credit: Roland Quandt/WinFuture)

Information technology seems that the Samsung Milky way S21 FE'southward troubled evolution process — which encompassed two rumored cancellations and a whole lot of delays — may have a positive side effect should the phone arrives as expected in January.

SamMobile claims to take got hold of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE's firmware, and the upcoming device runs Samsung's new One UI 4.0 built on Android 12. That means that out of the box the software experience volition exist the same as the original Samsung Galaxy S21, which started receiving the Android 12 and One UI 4.0 update dorsum in Nov.

Obviously having immediate access to Android 12 is a positive in its own right, given it brings along useful features similar the new Privacy Dashboard as well as the Textile You lot blueprint language (albeit slightly toned down by One UI.)

But there's another perk with the Galaxy S21 Fe running Android 12: it could mean the phone gets Android 13, 14 and 15, too.

When the Galaxy Note xx launched back in August 2020, Samsung pledged that select phones would receive a guaranteed three generations of Android updates. While the discussion "select" is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that judgement, the phrase "upcoming S serial devices" was explicitly included in the list of handsets covered.

That's besides probably expert news for owners of handsets from the existing Samsung Galaxy S21 family. Although the S21 has already received ane of its promised three Os updates, it'southward hard to believe Samsung would cutting it off at Android fourteen if the S21 Fe is getting the side by side generation. Afterwards all, the phones are rumored to use largely the same hardware, correct downwardly to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset — if the S21 FE tin can run it, then so can the S21.

The Galaxy S21 FE is expected to launch in January, just a month ahead of the Galaxy S22. That would worry me if I were a Samsung executive. Like the Galaxy S20 FE before information technology, the S21 FE is thought to be a less expensive version of the S21 flagship that sacrifices some of that phone'due south higher-terminate features for its lower cost. Even though one rumor suggests a much higher price than fans had been hoping for. Declared specs for the phone have at present leaked for the Galaxy S21 Iron and we've as well pulled together a list of the 5 biggest upgrades we expect on the Galaxy S21 Fe, if you want to know more about it.

While it'due south tempting to wonder whether the S21 FE will slip once again, all the signs point to this release date being met this time. Before this week, official cases appeared on a British retailer site, and the phone likewise appeared on Samsung'southward UAE site before hurriedly being taken downwards over again.

Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are institute all over the web and in the occasional magazine too. When not weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, y'all'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. Or, more likely, playing Spelunky for the millionth time.