Samsung Launches More Affordable S23 FE With Better Cameras Than Before

Samsung has officially skipped the S22 FE with the launch of the Galaxy S23 FE, a successor to last year’s S21 FE. Sadly, it doesn’t quite reach the level of the flagship S23 models or even the likes of the S22+.

Pricing is yet to be revealed, but we know that its going to be cheaper than the regular S23 phones.

Design and Display

The display is exactly as anticipated: a flat 6.4″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel featuring 1080p resolutions and a variable 60-120Hz refresh rate to save battery life.

In terms of dimensions, the phone is larger and heavier than its predecessor, weighing 209g (vs 177g). Notably, both the phone’s body and internal components are constructed from sustainable materials, including pre-consumer aluminum, glass, and post-consumer plastic sourced from discarded fishing nets, water barrels, and PET bottles. There is also IP68 water and dustproofing.

Internals and Software

Samsung remains relatively tight-lipped about the chipset, simply stating “Advanced 4nm Processing.”, likely because it’s an older silicon. We do know that it boils down to a choice between the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or the Exynos 2200, depending on your location.

While it may not match the 2023 phones with their dedicated “for Galaxy” chips, it still represents a substantial upgrade over the Snapdragon 888/Exynos 2100 found in the S21 FE.

This year, the base configuration offers 8 GB of RAM, eliminating the previous 6 GB option. Although you can’t go beyond 8 GB, this aligns with the specifications of the S23 and S23+. Storage options include 128 GB or 256 GB, with no expansion slot available.

Cameras

The camera now boasts a 50MP sensor, a substantial increase from the previous 12MP. However, it’s important to note that while this is an improvement, the S23 FE still falls short of the S23 and even the S22 phones, particularly in terms of its lower-resolution ultrawide (10MP, 123°) and telephoto (8MP, 3x) cameras.

Furthermore, the selfie camera inexplicably drops to a 10MP resolution after two generations of featuring 32MP sensors in the FE models.

Battery and Pricing

Despite being somewhat bulkier than its predecessor, this new model maintains the same battery capacity, standing at 4,500 mAh. Wired charging remains at 25W, providing a 0-50% charge in just 30 minutes, and wireless charging is also supported.

Pricing and availability details are yet to be revealed.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE Specifications

• Chipset: Exynos 2200 (International) / Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (USA)
• CPU: Octa-core (1×2.8 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3×2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A510) – International
  Octa-core (1×3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3×2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) – USA
• GPU: Xclipse 920 (International), Adreno 730 (USA)
• OS: Android 13, One UI 5.1
• Supported Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE, 5G
• Display:
  • 6.4″ Dynamic AMOLED with 1080 x 2340 pixels resolution, 120Hz, HDR10+
• Memory:
  • RAM: 8 GB
  • Internal: 128 GB, 256 GB
  • Card slot: No
• Camera:
  • Rear (Quad): 50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), PDAF, OIS
    8 MP, f/2.4, 75mm (telephoto), PDAF, 3x optical zoom
    12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultrawide)
  • Front: 10 MP, f/2.4, 26mm (wide)
• Colors: Mint, Cream, Graphite, Purple, Indigo, Tangerine
• Fingerprint sensor: Under-display
• Battery: 4,500 mAh, 25W wired charging, wireless charging
• Price: N/A