Samsung Galaxy Note 21 FE breaks cover to bid farewell to the Note series

Say hello to the Galaxy Note 21 FE, and goodbye forever to the Galaxy Note, with these swanky new renders

Samsung Galaxy Note 21 FE
(Image credit: Giuseppe Spinelli via LetsGoDigital)

Samsung is rolling out a slew of new smartphones this year, and while the existence of a follow-up to the Galaxy Note 20 remains unclear, we've got a first look at what this year's Galaxy Note 21 might look like, if it does make an appearance. 

It's not a full fat Galaxy Note 21, with a few of the more premium features skimmed off the specs to bring the handset in line with Samsung's Fan Edition iterations of its more popular smartphones, like the Galaxy S20 FE.  

In this case, LetsGoDigital in-house designer, Giuseppe Spinelli, has mocked up a slick-looking Galaxy Note 21 FE that borrows some design elements of the Galaxy S21 series, and dials back on the more pricey aspects of the Galaxy Note 20 that can be dropped to hit the sweet spot between a premium-feeling device with an affordable price tag. 

Samsung Galaxy Note 21 FE

(Image credit: Giuseppe Spinelli via LetsGoDigital)

The Galaxy Note 21 FE (or Galaxy Note 20 FE, depending on which moniker Samsung decides to go with) was first tipped to be a possibility last month, and this render combines more recent Samsung smartphone features with the Note line's staples for a cheaper alternative that could be the final instalment in the Galaxy Note series. 

The chassis is plastic, which is less costly than glass; glass has been touted as a premium feature but is in fact a terrible idea – as demonstrated in the Galaxy S21 drop tests. Plastic is less prone to scuffs and scratches, and won't shatter irreparably after a short fall. 

As you'd expect, the Galaxy Note 21 FE ships with S-Pen, included in the housing, and in another bid to shave costs, it boasts a flat 6.5-inch display rather than a curved screen.     

Given that Samsung dropped the charger from the Galaxy S21, following Apple's lead with the iPhone 12, we wouldn't expect its upcoming smartphones to reintroduce the accessory, but the Galaxy Note 21 FE in the renders includes a 65W fast charger, that was spotted last month (via LetsGoDigital).

A Galaxy Note Fan Edition would be a great way to bid farewell to the Note series, which has become less relevant now that Samsung has made it clear that S-Pen support is rolling out to more of its devices. And if it looks anything like this, we'll be happy. 

Shabana Arif

Shabana worked at T3.com as News Editor covering tech and gaming, and has been writing about video games for almost a decade (and playing them since forever). She's had bylines at major gaming sites during her freelance career before settling down here at T3, and has podcasts, streaming, and video content under her belt to boot. Outside of work, she also plays video games and should really think about expanding her hobbies. If you have any tech or gaming tips, shoot over an email or DM her on social media.