Samsung Galaxy S21 FE unboxing video is our closest look yet at the phone

Complete with specs

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Hot on the heels of a fullSamsung Galaxy S21 FEuser manual leaking, now someone seems to have actually got hold of a retail model of the phone and put it through an unboxing video.

The video – onHDblog’s YouTube channel– doesn’t show much we haven’t already seen, because, well, just about everything about theSamsungGalaxy S21 FE has already leaked, but this is our first clear look at it on video.

There are a few new details here too, including the claim that this phone has three 12MP lenses on the back (a main, ultra-wide and telephoto with 3x zoom), in contrast toprevious leaks, which suggested the telephoto camera was 8MP.

Additionally, the phone apparently runsAndroid 12(where earlier leaks hadsuggested Android 11), and it’s said to have a plastic back – that’s unsurprising, but it’s a detail that hadn’t come up yet. The video additionally notes that the camera block is also plastic, unlike the rest of theSamsung Galaxy S21range where it’s metal.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE also apparently weighs 177g, making it marginally lighter than the 190gSamsung Galaxy S20 FE.

Beyond that it’s basically all stuff that we’ve heard before, including a 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, a Snapdragon 888 chipset, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, 5G, a 32MP front-facing camera, an in-screen fingerprint scanner, and a 4,500mAh battery with 25W charging. There’s also said to be stereo speakers, but no 3.5mm headphone port.

While we’d certainly take all of this with a pinch of salt – especially the details that conflict with previous rumors – there aren’t any red flags in the video itself, so this may well be a retail model of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE.

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Analysis: the S21 FE is the worst kept smartphone secret

Analysis: the S21 FE is the worst kept smartphone secret

Details about unreleased smartphones regularly leak, especially when they’re fairly high-profile like the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, but it’s rare for them to leak quite to this extent.

On its own, this unboxing video would be a major leak, but it follows the leaking ofa 167-page manualfor the phone, along with numerous renders (including some thatappear to be official), and even pricing details that Samsung Irelandaccidentally posted early.

Interestingly, this video actually creates more questions than it answers, given that the camera specs and Android version differ slightly from what we’ve heard before. But broadly we’re pretty confident about almost every aspect of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE at this point.

You’ll be able to learn all the official details in January if leaks are right – but if they are right then you’ll have heard it all before.

ViaPhone Arena

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.

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