Samsung Denies Rumours Of Delayed Galaxy S21 FE Production

South Korean news outlet ETNews published a report on Sunday revealing that Samsung has delayed the production of its unannounced Galaxy S21 Fan Edition (FE) smartphone due to component shortage. However, the article itself was taken down just hours after without any explanation.

When approached by Bloomberg in regards to the supposed delay, Samsung denied that such decisions were made. “While we cannot discuss details of the unreleased product, nothing has been determined regarding the alleged production suspension,” a spokesperson told the publication.

After ETNews’ now-deleted article was published, industry insiders also shared additional information which seemingly corroborates the rumour. Renowned leakster Ice Universe (responding to WinFuture’s Roland Quandt on Twitter) says that his contacts have confirmed that “something unexpected” has happened to the supply chain, but did not go into further detail. Meanwhile, South Korean insider Ianzuk on Naver hinted that Samsung has delayed the Unpacked Event for the Galaxy S21 FE by a couple of months from its original schedule. 

Back to the phone itself, it’s also worth pointing out that Samsung may have unintentionally confirmed the Galaxy S21 FE’s existence in their response to Bloomberg’s query, albeit vaguely. The device, much like the Galaxy S20 FE that was released last year, aims to deliver users a more affordable variant of this year’s flagship by toning down certain hardware or features. Using its predecessor as reference and also unofficial information from earlier leaks, there’s a chance that the Galaxy S21 FE may feature a flat Super AMOLED display instead of Dynamic AMOLED, slower charging speed, and downgraded lenses for its camera setup.

Unfortunately, we’ll only find out its official specs by the time Samsung decides it is ready to announce the new smartphone. Earlier rumours suggested that the upcoming Galaxy S21 Fan Edition is expected to launch sometime in August, although that may no longer be the case if word of its delay turns out to be accurate.

Konami Denies Video Gaming Division Shutdown Rumours Following Restructuring

Earlier in the month, Japanese company Konami published a report on its organisational restructuring. This involved the dissolution of three production divisions, which led to rumours of the company stepping out of the gaming scene entirely. That is not the case, as the company has since denied those allegations.

Video games news outlet Gematsu tweeted a statement by Konami with a message to that effect. In it, the company clarified that it is simply consolidating its Production Division, and not shutting down video game production.

To be fair, it’s not like the speculations were without merit. Beyond the annual PES entries, the last proper video game developed and published by Konami was Contra: Rogue Corps. And it involved a weird overheating mechanic which is very much in contrast to what the series is about – lots of shooting. Going further than that, most of what the company has done has been for the mobile front.

And of course, there’s the IPs that Konami is effectively holding, but doing nothing with. Fans have asked for the company to sell its IPs so that other companies can make use of names like Metal Gear, Silent Hill and Castlevania. But because those names are still so valuable, it’s pretty unlikely that the company will be letting them go any time soon.

New Apple Rumours: In-Display Fingerprint Scanner On iPhone 13, Removal Of Charging Ports And More

Word has it that Apple is planning to add one significant addition to this year’s iPhone series – apart from the obligatory updates for their internal hardware, of course. According to a report by Bloomberg, the newer models will feature an in-display fingerprint scanner for added user identification.

The publication quoted a source familiar with the company’s supposed decision to include the feature, which has been a staple on Android phones. Apple originally included Touch ID on older iPhone models, but was then replaced with its Face ID feature since the launch of the iPhone X in 2017.

Bloomberg noted that the inclusion of an in-display fingerprint scanner will help retain the newer smartphone’s high screen-to-body ratio, without needing to install a separate module. The feature would also be quicker than Face ID, especially saving users a step of removing their face masks in public when unlocking their phones.

Interestingly, as previously reported last year, Apple had already tweaked its facial recognition function to easily verify a user’s identity even if they are wearing a mask. Regardless, having an extra identification feature is still an advantage in terms of security.

The report also added that the company is mulling on the idea of removing the charging port for some iPhone models. It is said that Apple is considering having these models to rely on the MagSafe wireless charging system, a feature that is recently rumoured to be reintroduced to its MacBook Pro series. It was not mentioned whether this drastic change is planned to be implemented to this year’s line-up or for future releases.

The source further claims that Apple has already developed prototype foldable displays for internal testing. This seemingly corroborates an earlier rumour which suggests that the iPhone maker is working on a foldable phone of its own. It is said that the prototype features invisible hinges and one variant – likely a clamshell form factor – unfolds to a 6.7-inch size.

Lastly, the report states that the company is working on two new tablets for 2021. One of which is a new iPad Pro that is said to look similar to the current model, but features a MiniLED display and a faster chipset. The other is said to be a thinner and lighter entry-level iPad that uses the same design as the 2019 iPad Air, although no details of its specifications are provided.