Samsung's Galaxy S20 FE was a surprise hit when it launched in 2020 and immediately made it to our favorite mid-range Android phones list. It packed the best parts of its more expensive siblings while making a few compromises to reach a lower price point. A year later, the company followed it up with the Galaxy S21 FE, but it arrived too late and offered too little. And then, thanks to the semiconductor crunch, the Korean giant outright canceled the Galaxy S22 FE's launch.
But now, as we rapidly approach the end of 2023, Samsung has revived the Fan Edition lineup with the Galaxy S23 FE. With this phone, you're getting the best bits of the Galaxy S23 series at a lower, more affordable price point. While the Galaxy S23 FE won't be an over-the-top powerhouse smartphone, it should be more powerful than Samsung's midrange offerings like the excellent Galaxy A54 5G.
We've got everything you need to know about the latest Fan Edition phone from Samsung, with a breakdown of the device's specs, pricing and availability, cameras, and more, all nicely categorized below.
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE: Design and display
If you have seen nearly any smartphone launched by Samsung this year, you already have a very good idea of what the new Galaxy S23 FE looks like. Along with sharing the majority of its name with the flagship models, the latest phone options much of the design as well. The dimensions sit in between the Galaxy S23 and S23+, nearly matching that of the Galaxy A54 5G.
Within the frame, you're getting a 6.4-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display that can ramp up to 120Hz from 60Hz. The display does have a fair amount of bezel around the display, which makes it look much closer to its mid-range cousin than the higher-end Galaxy S23. Samsung hasn't divulged the max brightness levels for the S23 FE yet, but if we compare it to its closest competitors in the lineup, the A54 maxed out at 1000nits, and the S23 peaks at 1750, we could land somewhere in between. We'll be sure to update this information once we receive it.
Samsung opted for glass on the front and back of the phone to give it a more premium feel. Much like the Galaxy A54, the company is using Corning's Gorilla Glass 5 to protect the phone. While the glass isn't going to do much to help bring the overall weight down, the aluminum rails assist in getting the Galaxy S23 FE to the svelte 7.4-ounce weight class.
We'll dig into the cameras a bit more later on, but on the back of the Galaxy S23 FE, you'll find that familiar Samsung triple lens layout. In case you didn't know, there is an official name for that setup: floating camera design. This is because, unlike putting all the lenses into a single camera bump, circle, or bar, each lens is completely separate from the others in a vertical stack, placing the LED flash just off to the right of the cameras.
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE: Specs
Like the previous two FEs, the Galaxy S23 FE isn't sporting the same specs as Samsung's current flagship phones. Instead, it packs a slightly older chipset, which helps keep its price in check. The new phone is using last year's flagship processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, which you might remember from the Galaxy S22. The S23 FE utilizes a vapor chamber in order to help keep the phone cool during gaming sessions or streaming movies. While some may complain that Samsung is using an older processor, it's really there to keep the price down above all else.
Helping to keep that processor humming along is 8GB RAM paired with either 128GB or 256GB of internal storage. Samsung packed a 4,500mAh battery into the Galaxy S23 FE to give long-lasting use between charging sessions. When it is time to power up the phone, you should get up to 50 percent of the battery back in 30 minutes when using one of the best USB-C chargers offering at least 25W of power.
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
Samsung's newest flagship phone, the Galaxy S23 FE packages together power and performance to bring you the latest, and most affordable smartphone in the S23 lineup. With a smart battery, optimized camera, and seamless connectivity, the Galaxy S23 FE provides you with everything you need, at a great price.
- SoC
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (US), Exynos 2200 (worldwide)
- RAM
- 8GB
- Storage
- 128GB or 256GB
- Battery
- 4,500mAh
- Ports
- USB-C
- Operating System
- Android 13 with One UI 5.1
- Front camera
- 10MP (F/2.4)
- Rear camera
- 50MP (F/1.8) primary, 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultrawide), 8 MP, f/2.4 telephoto with 3x optical zoom
- Connectivity
- 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
- Colors
- Mint, Purple, Cream, Graphite
- Display type
- Dynamic AMOLED, 60/120Hz
- Charge speed
- 25W, 15W wireless
- IP Rating
- IP68
- Price
- $600
- Display dimensions
- 6.4-inch
- Display resolution
- 1080p
- Charge options
- Wired, wireless
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE: Cameras
Samsung has been on a pretty good run in 2023 with its smartphone cameras, and the new Galaxy S23 FE should keep that going. The primary lens in the triple camera setup is a 50MP shooter with both advanced digital image stabilization (VDIS) and optical image stabilization (OIS), which leads to steady shots even when you aren't. Because Samsung is using a larger 50MP sensor, it will be able to capture more details in a scene and produce a vibrant, usable image thanks to pixel binning.
Accompanying the main rear camera is a 12MP 123° field of view ultra-wide lens and an 8MP telephoto camera with 3x zoom. This year, Samsung has done a lot to simplify the camera app a bit while offering more options so you can use it just as you want. You'll get modes for Nightography so you can take clear images in low-light situations, and a Pro Mode so you can tweak various camera settings, including ISO, aperture, shutter speed, and more. You can delve even deeper into the S23 FE's photography chops with the Camera Assistant app for the perfect mobile photo machine.
Around the front, in the hole punch cut out in the display, you have a 10MP selfie camera with an 80° FOV to take photos of you and your friends easily. From here, you can capture great portrait shots with natural background blur to make the subject of your picture stand out even more. Samsung also includes plenty of editing features within its gallery app, like object eraser, filters, color correction, and more.
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE: Software
The Galaxy S23 FE will launch with One UI 5.1 and Android 13 out of the box. One UI packs plenty of useful features, and it is among the most feature-rich Android skins. While the phone isn't launching with Android 14 and the latest One UI 6, it should get that update shortly after the software is out of its beta testing phase. The Galaxy S23 FE will be backed by Samsung's excellent software support, as well, so it should get four OS updates and five years of security patches.
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE: Price and release date
Samsung officially unveiled the Galaxy S23 FE today, October 3rd, but it won't become available to purchase until October 26. You'll be able to pick up the phone at all the major US carriers, such as Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, and US Cellular, not to mention directly through Samsung. Though not specifically called out in the company's announcement, you can expect to find the phone at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy as well.
If you've made up your mind, you'll have some choices to make as to which one to purchase. The Galaxy S23 FE comes in four colors — Mint, Cream, Graphite, and Purple. If you buy it from Samsung, you also get two exclusive color choices in Tangerine and Indigo. Along with color choices, you also have a couple of spec options to decide between. There are two models to pick from — 8GB RAM with 128GB storage or 8GB RAM with 256GB storage, with a starting price of $600.
Revival of the Fan Edition
When the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE launched to much fanfare, hopes were high for the follow-up. However, the S21 FE failed to bring the same excitement early in 2022. So, after more than a year off and the successful launch Galaxy S23 series, the new S23 FE should give fans something to cheer about this fall.
There is plenty of competition in the $600 price range, so it will be interesting to see how this device is received by critics and users alike. Samsung has done a good job of offering great trade-in offers to allow buyers to get a solid phone at a great price, and the new Galaxy S23 FE should fall into that category as well when it arrives on store shelves later this fall.
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
Samsung's newest flagship phone, the Galaxy S23 FE packages together power and performance to bring you the latest, and most affordable smartphone in the S23 lineup. With a smart battery, optimized camera, and seamless connectivity, the Galaxy S23 FE provides you with everything you need, at a great price.
- SoC
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (US), Exynos 2200 (worldwide)
- RAM
- 8GB
- Storage
- 128GB or 256GB
- Battery
- 4,500mAh
- Ports
- USB-C
- Operating System
- Android 13 with One UI 5.1
- Front camera
- 10MP (F/2.4)
- Rear camera
- 50MP (F/1.8) primary, 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultrawide), 8 MP, f/2.4 telephoto with 3x optical zoom
- Connectivity
- 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
- Colors
- Mint, Purple, Cream, Graphite
- Display type
- Dynamic AMOLED, 60/120Hz
- Charge speed
- 25W, 15W wireless
- IP Rating
- IP68
- Price
- $600
- Display dimensions
- 6.4-inch
- Display resolution
- 1080p
- Charge options
- Wired, wireless