Technologies
Why There Probably Won’t Be a ‘Fan Edition’ of the Samsung Galaxy S22
Commentary: Samsung’s Galaxy S21 FE struggled to stand out from the Galaxy S22 lineup, and a Galaxy S22 FE would likely have the same problem.
What’s happening
Samsung launched cheaper «Fan Edition» versions of its flagship phones for the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S21. But a rumor suggests the Galaxy S22 FE may have been canceled.
Why it matters
Samsung’s smartphone lineup already has plenty of options, making the Galaxy S21 FE seem lost in the shuffle. It should focus on its flagship Galaxy S and midtier Galaxy A phones instead.
What’s next
Samsung is expected to introduce the Galaxy S23 lineup in early 2023.
Samsung offers a wide variety of Galaxy phones, and the company’s selection is expected to grow on Feb. 1 at the next Samsung Unpacked event. From the gigantic Galaxy S22 Ultra to the pocketable Galaxy Z Flip 4, there’s already a lot of options to consider if one is looking for a new Samsung phone. But there’s one way Samsung could simplify things: Skip the Galaxy S22 FE.
Don’t get me wrong; the Galaxy S21 FE (short for «fan edition») has plenty going for it. When I reviewed the phone last year, I was impressed with its decent battery life and solid camera for its $700 price. However, it risked getting lost in Samsung’s lineup once the Galaxy S22 launched. And I was right. If Samsung does have a successor to the Galaxy S21 FE in the works, rebranding it as a more premium Galaxy A phone would be a wiser move.
Samsung previously launched its FE phones in the fall or January. However, with Samsung weeks away from its presumed Galaxy S23 event, we’ve yet to hear an official word from Samsung on whether there will be a successor to the Galaxy S21 FE. A rumor from the blog SamMobile published this summer suggests Samsung may have canceled the Galaxy S22 FE, and I can understand why. Between the $800 Galaxy S22 and $450 Galaxy A53 5G, it was too hard for the Galaxy S21 FE to stand out. With the Galaxy S23 lineup potentially right around the corner, a Galaxy S22 FE could face the same fate.
The Galaxy S21 FE lacks what made the Galaxy S20 FE so special
The 2020 Galaxy S20 FE had a major advantage that the Galaxy S21 FE lacks: a sizable gap in price compared to Samsung’s Galaxy S phone. The Galaxy S20 launched at $1,000, making the $700 Galaxy S20 FE feel like a significant bargain. It earned a CNET Editors’ Choice in 2020, with Andy Lanxon writing that its «great balance of performance and value» makes it a better value proposition than the S20 Ultra and Note 20 Ultra.
There are a couple of reasons why the Galaxy S21 FE didn’t strike the same chord. Samsung’s lineup and the broader smartphone landscape were different in 2020. While 5G support, multiple camera lenses and screens with higher refresh rates were starting to trickle down to cheaper devices, these features were considered premium just one year earlier in 2019. Remember the Galaxy S10 5G? Samsung’s first 5G-ready phone commanded a high price of $1,300 when it launched through Verizon in spring 2019.
Things changed the following year in 2020. Every device in the Galaxy S20 lineup supported 5G, but that also meant a higher starting price of $1,000. With that in mind the 5G-equipped S20 FE, which also has a triple-lens camera and speedy processor, was a great alternative for cost-conscious shoppers that didn’t want to make big sacrifices on quality.
In other words, the Galaxy S20 FE came at just the right time and the right price. I can’t say the same for the Galaxy S21 FE. It launched roughly one month before Samsung introduced the Galaxy S22, which offers superior camera quality, a more refined design and a newer processor. The Galaxy S20, on the other hand, debuted in September 2020, which meant it had a longer runway before the Galaxy S21’s arrival in January 2021. Samsung also now faces increased competition from Google, which has been pricing its Pixel phones aggressively compared to Samsung. Google’s main flagship phone, the Pixel 7, launched at just $600 in October.
At the same time, the Galaxy S21 FE does have advantages over the S22, particularly for people who prefer larger phones. But the differences aren’t drastic enough to prevent it from being overshadowed by the S22 and phones from competitors like Google.
Pricing is another important factor. It’s great that Samsung dropped the price of the S21 compared to the S20, but the problem is that it didn’t lower the Galaxy S21 FE’s price to match. The Galaxy S20 FE was $300 cheaper than the Galaxy S20, while the S21 FE costs only $100 less than the Galaxy S21 did at launch.
The Galaxy S21 FE feels more like an A-series phone
The Galaxy S21 FE would feel right at home in Samsung’s lineup of midrange and budget devices, aka the Galaxy A series. These phones are usually significantly cheaper than those in the Galaxy S line and inherit certain features like large displays, multiple cameras and 5G, while compromising elsewhere.
It’s an approach that’s seemingly paid off so far. Samsung’s $180 Galaxy A12 was one of the world’s top-selling phones in 2021, according to Counterpoint Research. No phones from the Galaxy S series made the list. Separate data from Counterpoint Research provided to CNET also suggests A-series phones accounted for 58% of Samsung’s smartphone sales last year.
If the Galaxy S21 FE launched at a slightly cheaper price — perhaps priced around $600 — it would have made a great upper-tier Galaxy A phone. Both the Galaxy S21 FE and A53 5G have big screens, very similar designs, regular and ultrawide camera lenses and high resolution front cameras, making them feel like they’re aimed at a similar audience.
The Galaxy S21 FE has an edge in performance and camera quality, making it a solid choice for those who need more than the Galaxy A53 has to offer at a lower price than the S22. Dropping the price to $600 would also put the phone right between the $450 Galaxy A53 5G and $800 Galaxy S22. If it were branded as an A-series phone, the Galaxy S21 FE could be a worthwhile alternative to the Galaxy A73 in markets where that device isn’t available. The Galaxy A73 5G is the Galaxy A series’ top-tier phone with a 108-megapixel camera, but it’s only available in select regions such as Australia and India.
Samsung hasn’t shared details about its future smartphone plans, so it’s unclear whether it will continue the FE line. But dropping the FE’s price and possibly moving it over to its Galaxy A series could go a long way in boosting its appeal. It wouldn’t be the first time Samsung has merged two of its phone brands recently. The Galaxy S22 Ultra, for example, has essentially replaced the company’s previous Galaxy Note phones, which stood out for their giant screens and included stylus.
Otherwise, the Galaxy S22 FE could end up like Samsung’s current «fan edition» phone and struggle to find its place.
Technologies
Overwatch’s Next Hero Is Sierra, but Does That Mean the Rumors Were Wrong?
The new damage hero joins the roster next week, but lore and gameplay details are still under wraps.
After adding five new heroes in February, Overwatch just gave players another look at the new hero coming in season 2 next week. While we didn’t get gameplay details, the new hero trailer revealed that hero 51 is Sierra, and season 2 will be titled Summit.
The game dropped its first look at Sierra last week, and a few details in the new artwork seemed to be in line with expectations that she’s an ally of damage hero Ashe. Ashe’s Deadlock Gang is mentioned in the new trailer, although Sierra is working with Overwatch in trying to stop them. We don’t know yet whether Sierra has ties to other Overwatch heroes and factions.
Alec Dawson, Overwatch’s associate game director, said in February that the next hero would be another damage hero with a «really satisfying skill shot,» which we maybe glimpsed in the trailer when Sierra fires some kind of homing dart onto Emre after he steals something from Watchpoint: Grand Mesa. We also see her use a fully automatic rifle as well as tether to her drone for some aerial maneuvering, which could be hints at the rest of her kit.
While I do love a good skillshot, I also feel like the game has been struggling with damage hero releases over the past year — particularly heroes who have the ability to quickly eliminate someone out of nowhere. The newest damage heroes Anran and Emre didn’t have this problem, but the previous two, Freja and Vendetta, were consistently banned after release because of their quick time to kill, combined with their ability to consistently surprise enemies. I’m hoping Sierra’s skillshot is less bursty.
Even before the art was revealed last week, fans had started to speculate that Overwatch’s season 2 hero would be Frankie, a member of Ashe’s Deadlock Gang. She appeared in the Deadlock Rebels novel by Lyndsay Ely, which follows Ashe and the hero now known as Cassidy early in their outlaw careers. In the book, Frankie makes contact with the two characters by sending them a tiny fly-like drone — perhaps a smaller version of the drone in Sierra’s character art.
Respectfully… y’all aren’t ready for this one 😮💨🔥
Join us Apr 8 at 9am PT for the premiere of our latest Hero Trailer as we kick off the next chapter in the Reign of Talon 💪 pic.twitter.com/1Etxn68tax— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) March 31, 2026
The trailer shows Sierra working to stop the Deadlock Gang (who are helping Emre and Freja steal weapons for Talon), but it’s unclear whether Sierra is another character entirely or whether she’s Frankie after taking a different path.
The game’s Reign of Talon season 1 is wrapping up in the next week. The current season kicked off the year-long storyline about Vendetta taking over Talon and also introduced five new heroes into the roster. Devs have promised another new hero each season during the storyline, and today’s hero trailer gives us a few more hints about Sierra.
Technologies
Samsung Could Introduce a New Pro Model in the Galaxy S27 Lineup
A report claims Samsung’s expanding its flagship offerings to four phones.
Samsung may add a new Galaxy S27 model to its flagship phone lineup, aiming to compete directly with Apple’s four-model range. The report, from South Korean tech site Electronic Times, says industry insiders expect Samsung to increase the number of high-end flagship models by introducing a «Pro» version that shares similarities with the Ultra handset.
If launched, the Pro would fall between the Plus and Ultra models. The report states that the display size on the new model hasn’t been finalized, but it will lack the S Pen functionality that has largely defined the Ultra series. It’s expected to share more features with the Ultra than the standard and Plus models, with the Privacy Display introduced with the Galaxy S26 Ultra specifically being called out for the new model.
A representative for Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Samsung actually released a fourth model of its flagship smartphone series in 2025 with Galaxy S25. Called the Galaxy S25 Edge, the ultrathin smartphone was aesthetically pleasing but apparently sold poorly, which may be why there was no release of a Galaxy S26 Edge this year. Switching to a more standard Pro model might be the safer move.
The expansion of its high-end model may do Samsung some good. As of now, if you want the absolute best Galaxy smartphone available, it’s undoubtedly the Ultra model, which features a massive 6.9-inch display. This matches the current size of the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which is simply too big for some people. The difference here, and this may be the case with the upcoming Galaxy lineup, is that Apple has a smaller Pro model that shares a majority of the features that are available on the Max version.
Technologies
YouTubers Sue Amazon, Claim AI Tool Was Trained on Scraped Videos
The lawsuit alleges that Amazon bypassed YouTube protections to collect content for its generative AI video system.
A group of YouTube creators is suing Amazon, accusing the tech giant of secretly scraping their videos to train its AI video model without permission.
The proposed class action lawsuit, filed in federal court in Seattle, alleges Amazon used automated tools to download and extract data from millions of YouTube videos to build and improve its Nova Reel generative AI system — a model that can create short videos from text prompts and images.
At the center of the complaint is how that data was obtained. The plaintiffs claim that Amazon bypassed YouTube’s protections using virtual machines and rotating IP addresses to avoid detection, effectively sidestepping the platform’s safeguards against bulk downloading.
The lawsuit was brought by several creators, including Ted Entertainment (the company behind the H3 Podcast and h3h3 Productions), as well as individual YouTubers and channel operators. They argue that the alleged scraping violated copyright law and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and are seeking damages as well as an injunction to stop the practice.
Amazon did not respond to a request for comment.
The case lands at a pivotal moment for generative AI, as courts weigh whether training on copyrighted material qualifies as fair use and how much control creators retain once their work is used to build these systems. The disputes have often centered on written material, which has been at the center of the AI revolution for several years, while AI video generators such as OpenAI’s Sora and Google’s Veo have emerged more recently.
The lawsuit is one of dozens testing the boundaries of AI training practices, alongside high-profile cases from authors, artists and news organizations, including lawsuits against OpenAI and Meta, all circling the same unresolved question: Where does fair use end and infringement begin?
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