Samsung's Galaxy A series may be the latest victim of the global chip shortage

The global chip shortage may have claimed its latest victim in the form of Samsung’s new mid-range devices. According to The Elec (via SamMobile), Samsung has delayed releasing its Galaxy A52 5G and Galaxy A72 in key markets due to production issues caused by the chip shortage.

Samsung is reportedly finding it tough to procure chipsets from Qualcomm, namely the Snapdragon 720G and Snapdragon 750G — the two 8nm chips that power its mid-rangers. Without a reliable supply of this silicon, it’s impossible for Samsung to produce a steady stream of these devices. This is leading to a dearth in important markets.

While the Galaxy A52 5G and A72 are available in parts of the US and EMEA, respectively, it’s a tough task finding these phones beyond these regions.

See also: The best Samsung smartphones available

The effects of the chip shortage on Samsung’s products aren’t a huge surprise, though. The company warned of this possibility in a recent investor report. The lack of mid-range chips is particularly bad news for Samsung, though. Samsung also claimed the Galaxy A line was among its top performers and best growth prospects in 2021.

Are Samsung’s upcoming phones affected?

It’s unclear if Samsung’s other smartphone or product lines are affected at present. Samsung is due to release a host of new devices shortly, including the Galaxy S21 FE and Galaxy Z Fold 3. It remains to be seen whether the chipset shortage will impact the launch date or availability of these devices.

Notably, the Snapdragon 720G and 750G aren’t exclusively used by Samsung. Several Xiaomi, realme, vivo, and Motorola devices employ the chips. It’s unclear how or if the shortage has affected these companies.