Samsung Galaxy S22 rumor just made the Galaxy S21 FE look way better

Samsung Galaxy S22 rumor merely fabricated the Galaxy S21 FE look manner better

(Image credit: Hereafter)

Samsung is only a couple weeks abroad from releasing its side by side phones, with a Samsung Milky way Unpacked issue slated for February nine and the new Galaxy S22 flagships expected to headline the event. And if the latest rumors most the Galaxy S22's pricing prove accurate, a large winner could emerge from that phone launch — the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE.

Y'all may remember the Atomic number 26 since it arrived only this month to generally positive if not exactly glowing reviews. The Galaxy S21 FE delivers most of the features yous'd expect from a Samsung flagship but at a lower price than the remainder of the S21 lineup, making information technology a viable option for people demanding premium features just shrinking away from sky-high prices.

The problem with the Galaxy S21 FE is that while information technology'south cheaper than the debut toll for the standard Milky way S21, information technology's not that much cheaper. At $699, the Galaxy S21 Atomic number 26 only costs $100 less than the S21 did when it arrived a yr agone. That'south a far cry from the $300 price disparity between the Galaxy S20 Fe and Galaxy S20, though that was before Samsung lowered flagship prices with the S21 launch.

If yous were hoping to see a larger gap between the Atomic number 26 and 1 of Samsung'south flagships, the phone maker may be gear up to grant your wish, though probably non in the way you lot'd like. A rumor surrounding Samsung'south upcoming flagships hints at price hikes beyond the board for the Galaxy S22 lineup. Nether this scenario, the Galaxy S22 would get-go at $899, widening the gap with the Galaxy S21 Atomic number 26'southward cost.

To be sure, that's just one rumor involving the price of the Galaxy S22. Other rumors we've heard in the buildup to Samsung's Feb phone release accept suggested no change in pricing, at to the lowest degree for the entry-level models. In the end, the Galaxy S22 might end upwards debuting at the same $799 price that the S21 did.

However, permit's assume for a moment that the Galaxy S22 prices will go upward when those phones go far in February. Suddenly, the Milky way S21 FE seems similar a much more than compelling purchase.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs. Galaxy S22 — Galaxy S21 FE (left) and Milky way S22 renders (right) (Paradigm credit: Tom'south Guide, Allow'due south Go Digital)

Opting for a cheaper phone e'er requires some trade-offs, and what you lot'd need to give up should you lot pick the Galaxy S21 FE over the Galaxy S22 won't be entirely clear until Samsung officially reveals the new flagship. Nevertheless, there are enough rumors out there to where we can put together a fairly complete Galaxy S21 Iron vs. Galaxy S22 comparison to get a sense of the major differences.

The Milky way S22 figures to have a newer chipset than the S21 FE — either a Snapdragon 8 Gen ane or Exynos 2200 compared to an older-if-still-powerful Snapdragon 888. The Milky way S22 also figures to accept a display with an adaptive refresh rate that adjusts based on your on-screen activity. With the Milky way S21 FE, you can savor a 120Hz refresh rate, but to switch dorsum to the slower 60Hz mode, you've got to manually suit your screen settings.

The Milky way S21 Fe figures to have a bigger screen and a bigger battery than the Galaxy S22. (Not that the latter helped the Galaxy S21 FE perform well on our bombardment test.) And both phones will have Android 12 at launch.

But cameras could be the deciding gene as to which Samsung phone is more appealing. The Galaxy S21 FE'due south cameras already take a footstep back from what the Galaxy S21 offered, with a less powerful telephoto lens. Co-ordinate to rumors, the Galaxy S22 is in line to get a much sharper 50MP main camera and a telephoto lens with an optical zoom. Both would be big improvements over what the Galaxy S21 Atomic number 26 has to offering.

Samsung galaxy s21 fe review — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

None of this is to say that the Milky way S21 FE is a flawed telephone. Information technology delivers solid value for its toll. The question, though, is how much more volition the Galaxy S22 take to offering and will the characteristic differences justify the toll differences between the two Samsung phones? (Whatever that price difference ultimately turns out to be.)

There are some people who are e'er going to want to get the latest telephone, under the theory that newer is usually meliorate. For those folks, a fence over the Galaxy S22 and Milky way S21 Iron is going to be over before information technology starts. But for more than cost-sensitive shoppers, a lot is going to hinge on just how much Samsung charges for its new phones. Should that $100 price hike rumor pan out, the Galaxy S21 Fe could win the debate well-nigh which Samsung telephone to get, even if information technology's by default.

Philip Michaels is a senior editor at Tom's Guide. He has strong opinions about Apple tree, the Oakland Athletics and former movies. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.