The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE, which retails for $600, is a significantly more affordable version of the $800 Galaxy S23’s Fan Edition model. On Tuesday, Samsung unveiled the more affordable flagship, which preserves many high-end features including a telescopic lens and reverse wireless charging. The general appeal of the phone may not change, but there are observable modifications that show how Samsung was able to provide the phone for a $200 price cut. Although the international price isn’t yet disclosed, the US price is roughly equivalent to £500 and AU$950.
After releasing the Galaxy S21 FE early in 2022 but choosing not to produce a Galaxy S22 FE, Samsung opted to stop the line. This led to the release of the S23 FE. In order to deliver as much of the flagship phone experience for less money as feasible, these phones have sought to improve in certain cases by adding a larger battery and screen. However, Samsung’s FE phones typically concentrate on the most glaring aspects from its higher-end line while making sacrifices in areas that might be less glaring. This is true even though Samsung does offer a lot of Galaxy A phones for $450 and under.
Samsung chose to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 CPU from the previous year in the Galaxy S23 FE, albeit it is still extremely capable for the majority of tasks and is also present in Motorola’s $1,000 Razr Plus foldable phone. The look of the phone has also changed noticeably, with the normal Galaxy S23 employing an aluminum frame that is glossier than the aluminum used on the FE.
Similar to the Galaxy S23, the Galaxy S23 FE sports a 50-megapixel wide camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera, but it has an 8-megapixel telephoto camera instead of the 10-megapixel zoom camera found on the normal S23. Additionally, the S23 FE has a 10-megapixel front-facing camera as opposed to the 12-megapixel one found on the regular S23.
The Galaxy S23 FE does, however, have a little larger battery than the standard S23: 4,500 mAh as opposed to 3,900 mAh. The FE’s 6.4-inch display makes it somewhat smaller than the 6.6-inch display on the S23 Plus, making the phone slightly larger than the Galaxy S23. The S23 FE’s display is capable of operating at a 120Hz refresh rate, but it will adjust between that and 60Hz based on the activity of the phone to conserve power.
Apart from those variations, the phone and the Galaxy S23 have a lot in common. This features 128GB or 256GB storage options, Android 13 and wired charging with a 25 watts speed. It also includes wireless charging and the ability to wirelessly charge other devices. The S23 FE does not offer expandable storage through microSD, in contrast to the less expensive $450 Galaxy A54 5G.
At debut, the phone will come in six colors, including mint, purple, cream, and graphite. Samsung’s website will also sell the hues of indigo and orange.
I used the phone for a brief period at the Samsung 837 showroom in New York, pairing it with a Galaxy Watch 6, browsing the internet, and taking a few test pictures.
While I’ll need more time with the device to form a more accurate opinion, my initial impressions suggest that the Galaxy S23 FE is more of a step-up option from the $499 Pixel 7A and Galaxy A54 than a true alternative for “fans.” The new Samsung phone does, however, offer a somewhat larger screen than Google’s phone, even though camera testing will be necessary to determine how the FE compares to the 7A. The Galaxy A54 and 7A both lack a telephoto lens with a 3x optical zoom, while the S23 FE does.
The Galaxy S23 FE debuts the night before Google expects to introduce its Pixel 8 range, arriving in the thick of the bustling autumn phone season. Only a few months from now, Samsung is also anticipated to introduce the Galaxy S24.
But for someone looking to upgrade from phones that typically cost between $300 and $500, the FE does offer a more upscale choice, and it might offer all the necessities at that reduced price.
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