The Fan Edition is rumored to be the new home for Samsung Exynos chips
Samsung’s Fan Edition phones offer pretty much the perfect formula for consumers looking for smartphones that offer a flagship-class experience without the hefty price tag to match. The Galaxy FE line saw success with the chart-topping sales of the Galaxy S20 FE, although the same couldn’t be said about the Galaxy S21 FE, which arrived later than expected. With a delayed launch and unappealing pricing, that rare misfire prompted speculation that Samsung could discontinue the FE line. A new rumor suggests that this isn’t entirely true, and Samsung could still be planning to not just launch the S22 FE, but also use it to showcase the company’s own Exynos chips.
According to this theory, rumors of Samsung’s move away from Exynos chips have been premature, and DigiTimes reports that Samsung has followed through on development of the Exynos 2300, with plans to bring the chip market. As to where that chip might end up, instead of something like the international version of the S23, a rumor promoted by @RGcloudS on Twitter points to the Galaxy S22 FE as the processor’s likely home (via WinFuture). While the Galaxy S23 series could skip the Exynos line in favor of going all-in on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipset, Samsung’s in-house processor might continue to make its presence felt in its lower-tier models.
The same chipset might even make it into a future tablet, reportedly powering a Fan Edition of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8. The tipster claims that both devices will make their debut during a second Galaxy Unpacked event next year. This will presumably take place after the expected event in February, when the Samsung Galaxy S23 series will be introduced.
The source further claims that the Galaxy S22 FE will replace the mid-range Galaxy A74, referencing an earlier rumor that Samsung would ditch the Galaxy A7x lineup in 2023. Supposedly, the S22 FE would cost similarly to the Galaxy A73 5G.4.
In addition to the SoC, we also hear a little about camera hardware, with the claim that the Galaxy S22 FE will boast a 108MP camera with Samsung’s ISOCELL HM6 sensor. If this pans out, it would be a major step up from the Galaxy S21 FE, which offers a 12MP primary camera. If Samsung ends up pairing that with a dedicated telephoto lens, the S22 FE could easily give many of the best budget Android phones a run for their money.
While nothing is official yet, these latest rumors may give fans of Samsung’s FE line a glimmer of hope.
