Verdict
By itself , the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE look like a tempting selection with flagship S23 DNA and the right compromises to meet its £ 599/$599 Leontyne Price tag – but with the regular Galaxy S23 already douse beneath the FE ’s RRP , it seems like it ’s too small too late for Samsung ’s premium mid - ranger .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Samsung has revived the Fan Edition branding with its later premium mid - ranger , the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE .
The idea is simple : deliver the flagshipSamsung Galaxy S23DNA with a few compromises to impinge on the chinchy price point . It score sense considering the S23 FE ’s £ 599/$599 price shred liken to the £ 849/$799 Galaxy S23 .
And Samsung is for the most part successful in its aim , pop the question a substantial experience with few famed compromise . However , the late 2023 timing of its vent is far from ideal . In fact , it ’s instantaneously prejudicial to the S23 FE .
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
That ’s because the flagship Galaxy S23 has already dipped beneath the S23 FE ’s RRP in many place , and it ’ll drop again in the coming months with the expect release of the S24 image sometime in early 2024 . What ’s the point in opting for a phone with compromises when you could get the full - fat flagship for the same price , or even cheaper ?
With that caution out of the way of life , let ’s delve a little deeper into the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE experience .
Design
It ’s very hard to enjoin the difference between the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE and theflagship Galaxy S23 rangeat a glance – and that ’s the point . The end of the S23 FE is to bid the flagship S23 experience at a cheaper price point .
That means you ’ll get the same minimalistic plan apply by the company ’s 2023 flagship scope , arrant with rounded edges , a flat display , a simplistic trio of television camera lenses on the rear and not much else .
The S23 FE is also uncommitted in similarly muted pastel colours like Lime , Cream , Purple , Indigo , Tangerine and Graphite , with the Lime finish provide for review . It is a very light shade of unripe , so much so that it can sometimes look white-hot in photos .
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
There are , of course , tenuous differences in the facial expression of the two phones if you look close enough . Samsung had to get the price down , after all .
The S23 FE has slightly thicker bezel and a more prominent mentum than the first-rate - slim bezels of the S23 range , and the rear photographic camera apparatus protrude ever so slightly further from the material body , but those will only be ostensible if you ’ve spent a lot of time using the flagship .
There are more apparent differences when picking the phone up , however . The S23 FE is observably taller and full than the standard S23 , down to a great 6.4 - in panel than the 6.1 - inch S23 , but it ’s also goodly at 209 g. That ’s not only because of the display – the similarly sizedGoogle Pixel 7weighs 197 g.
There are also difference in material ; while you ’ll get the same combining of aluminium and glass as the flagship , a footstep up from the pliant systema skeletale of the cheaperGalaxy A54 5 constant of gravitation , it ’s protected byGorilla Glass 5rather than the latestVictus 2 .
That means it wo n’t survive a drib quite as well as the flagship , though with matchingIP68dust and water supply immunity , it could take a dunk in the water and exist unharmed .
That all said , I think the Galaxy S23 FE makes the correct cutting to turn in the premium feel of the flagship Galaxy S23 serial while still offer key high - end benefits .
Samsung has made stair with its publicity with a largely reclaimable cardboard box , although there is still the use of some individual - use charge plate that ’ll go straight to landfill , so there ’s still work out to be done there .
Screen
The filmdom is one area where the Galaxy S23 FE diverges from the veritable 6.1 - inch Galaxy S23 , with a 6.4 - inch screen nearer to the6.6 - inch S23 Plus . That means you ’re stupefy marginally more cover real estate , which translates to a salutary experience when watching picture show and gaming in exceptional – albeit to the trade - off of well-off one - handed use .
Size apart , the display are fair similar in terminus of technical school . Both the S23 and S23 FE share the same Dynamic AMOLED 2X with punchy , vivid colours and inky blackamoor that the tech is best known for .
They also sport a120Hzrefresh rate , although without thepremium LTPO techfound on the flagship , the S23 FE can only change over between 120Hz and 60Hz . That wo n’t count much in day - to - day use with mostly pantry - still execution , but it does mean it ’s not as battery - friendly as it could be .
They also deal the same FHD+ ( 1080 x 2340 ) resolution , but the S23 FE ’s larger screen means that it ’s not quite as pixel - dumb as the sac - favorable flagship . The unconstipated S23 can get marginally brighter too , at 1750nits compared to the S23 FE ’s 1450nits .
That said , unless you ’ve spend a considerable amount of meter with the flagship S23 compass then it ’s a perfectly laudable display . It ’s bright enough for use outside , it ’s bland , and the AMOLED technical school delivers vivid hues ( sometimes a little too vivid , but that can be tweak in the preferences menu ) , ideal for watching video content and gambling .
It might not do much to really stand out from the upper mid - range competition , but it does its line well enough .
Cameras
The Galaxy S23 FE fare pretty close to what the flagship Galaxy S23 offer when it comes to camera ironware , with an identical 50MP primary lens and 12MP ultrawide . However , the S23 FE ’s 8MP telephotograph is slightly beneath the 10MP alternative on the flagship .
That said , the 50MP primary lens bear fairly similar results to the flagship in the majority of scenarios , both well - lit and downhearted - igniter . There ’s the signature oversaturation favour by Samsung across its smartphone range , and while that means simulacrum are n’t quite dead on target to life , they look peculiarly intense on the phone ’s AMOLED panel and look great on societal media .
Images taken on a nice day were packed full of particular with decent dynamical range , though the telephone set can on occasion get the picture a little awry . That can sometimes top to a washed - out look in prototype , but that only happens in challenging scenarios with the Sunday ( or another extremely bright source of light ) in the shot .
scurvy - light performance was just as performant thanks to a relatively wide f/1.8 aperture and OIS accompaniment , allowing the phone to slurp in as much lighter as possible . It wo n’t unnaturally lighten up dark surround like some high - terminal option , but I favour the more natural evening look in the pic I take on my travel around London .
The telephotograph lens , even with a downgraded megapixel count compared to the regular S23 , can still deliver great 3x zoom along shots . It ’s best suited to portrait photography with its narrow FOV , but it also helps come together the distance between you and a far - off content without bank on digital rapid growth .
The only ill I have about the telephoto is that the color tuning is more or less off compared to the primary and ultrawide lenses . This can be seen in the below epitome – pay particular attending to the maroon key on the bridge .
However , the fact that thereisa telephotograph lens rather than the macro or profoundness sensor often seen in three - tv camera setups at this price percentage point is a monolithic win for the S23 FE that permit it to stand out from the mid - range crowd .
Rounding out the trio of lenses is the same 12MP ultrawide that you ’ll find on the regular S23 , with similar performance on offering .
That means you ’ll get mostly vivacious shots with a 120 - degree wide - angle ideal for scenic aspect and group barb . It stick out from slender fish - eye distortion around the edges of images taken , but how noticeable this is depends on the composition of your stroke . You also turn a loss some of the detail compared to the independent lens , with small particular like brickwork seem smoother than it should in place .
turn over the phone over , and you ’ll receive a 10MP selfie camera that ’s fine for the casual selfie and more than fair to middling for television calls , though it is more washed - out than the rear lense .
Video is also insure at up to 8K@24fps available from the rear lenses , though I ’d commend the more stabilised 4K@60fps for everyday economic consumption . You do n’t get the HDR10 + seizure and stereo sound recording of the flagship S23 , but those are rather niche features anyway .
Performance
The performance of the Galaxy S23 FE will depend on where you are in the humanity . Those in the US will find oneself theSnapdragon 8 Gen 1 , while those in most other regions including the UK and Europe get Samsung ’s ownExynos 2200chipset . These are both flagship - stage chipsets , albeit ones from early 2022 .
But while I ’m usually bedevil with the Snapdragon / Exynos split use by Samsung , it really works out in favour of the Europeans for a change .
That ’s because the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 had a piece of a repute for promptly overheating , which harmed overall performance and game performance in special . It amount to a head with the Xperia 1 IV , which was sometimes near - unusable .
I ca n’t be indisputable whether Samsung has tweaked its inner design to accommodate the 8 Gen 1 ’s hot temps , but I can certainly say that the Exynos 2200 variant does not suffer from the same issues . sure as shooting , I still saw a bit of a dip in the Wildlife Extreme Stress tryout , down to 66.8 % , but that ’s not even close to the worst scores we ’ve insure at Trusted . In fact , it ’s almost identical to thePixel 8 Pro ’s performance .
More generally , the Exynos 2200 can plow just about anything throw its way with buttery smooth ease , be it loading apps , scroll through medium - lowering timeline or playing game like Diablo Immortal at a stable 60fps . The only prison term I encounter meanwhile was when scroll through the Google News app , though I palpate that ’s more of an app optimization issue than a trouble with the chipset .
It also means you ’re getting nigh to flagship - story great power at a relatively flash price , although the Exynos 2200 is outflank by theSnapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1of the Nothing Phone ( 2 ) , a telephone that costs £ 20 less in the UK . That enunciate , you ’re unlikely to notice much difference in everyday use .
The expectant crux is the S23 itself , which as mark , can often be found at a rebate – sometimes even cheaper than the S23 FE ’s £ 599/$599 monetary value tag . With its overclockedSnapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxychipset , it can easy outperform the S23 FE , even if the two plowshare the same 8 GB of RAM .
The S23 FE offer up 128 GB or 256 GB of storage , which should be ample for most user , but genuine power users might need to opt for the steady S23 and its 512 GB choice , especially reckon the phone does n’t have a microSD card one-armed bandit .
Elsewhere , users can look forward to premium connectivity options including 5 G , Wi - Fi 6E , Bluetooth 5.3 and eSIM support in addition to a physical SIM notice tray .
Software
The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE came withAndroid 13and OneUI 5.2 when it ab initio launch in October in the US , though it has since jump toAndroid 14and Samsung ’s update OneUI 6 .
That intend UK users will get it out of the box , and it also makes it one of few current mid - commando already on the modish software , but it ’s not as exciting as it sounds . The annual Android O upgrades over the past few years have n’t been as exciting as equivalent iOS ascent , focalize more on ground features than shining young functionality .
That said , OneUI 6.0 does at least give certain elements of Samsung ’s user interface a much - call for nip and tuck . That means factor like quick controls and notification look a lilliputian overnice on the newer software , but aside from small visual tweaks , it functions in essentially the same means that OneUI 5.2 did with Android 13 .
That means you ’re let the same key signature Samsung experience , for good or spoiled . It ’s swell if you ’re already familiar with the OS as it offers little learning curved shape , but it also means the debile point – like Samsung ’s eternal army of dead ringer Google apps – are still present and accounted for .
That enunciate , the Galaxy S23 FE will get the same four operating system upgrade and five eld of security patches as the regular S23 , so there ’s still a possibility that your Galaxy S23 FE could look and experience different in the come years . It ’s also big for long - term economic consumption , seeing users through even the lengthiest phone contract with yearly osmium upgrades .
Battery life
While I might not traditionally be a monolithic buff of the Exynos / Snapdragon chipset rip , it does function out well for us Europeans , as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 had a bit of a reputation in early 2022 for relatively piteous assault and battery efficiency . Samsung ’s Exynos 2200 chipset , on the other hand , does n’t have the same obvious baron efficiency issues .
That ’s specially true of the Galaxy S23 FE , with its compounding of the 2200 and a fairly decently sized 4500mAh battery . It ’s not the 5000mAh prison cell discover in a lot of alternatives , but it ’s a negligible difference in terms of actual - world employment – and crucially , it ’s much larger than the even S23 ’s 3900mAh cell .
That pronounce , I ’ve not found myself wanting when it comes to overall battery life with the Galaxy S23 FE . The headphone is more than capable of a full day ’s usage , which in my case is a combining of scrolling through TikTok and Instagram , make a few calls , check out emails , taking the occasional photo and , of course , plenty of euphony listen . Over an 18 - hour day , I ’d usually get to bed with around 20 - 30 % allow for in the storage tank .
That mean it ’s not quite a two - day twist , ordinarily powering down by around lunchtime the following 24-hour interval , but considering most of us still bear down our phones overnight , I would n’t say that ’s much of an takings .
Charge pep pill are n’t quite up there with the best , however , capping out at a rather middle 25W or 15W if charging wirelessly . That translate to a fleck of a slow charging experience compared to the 68W of the similarly pricedMotorola Edge 40 , and without a commit brick in the box , you ’ll have to source a compatible charger yourself .
Using a third - party Ugreen charger , I found that it ’d take 44 minutes to reach the 50 % mark , while a full charge took over double the time at 97 minutes . For linguistic context , the regular S23 and S23 Plus hit the 100 % crisscross in 80 minutes , while the Edge 40 regain a full charge in 44 minutes , so it ’s not bully , even at its cheaper toll peak .
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
The thought of the S23 FE is to deliver the S23 experience at a cheaper Mary Leontyne Price point – an aim that ’s mostly attain .
With better carrying out from likewise price option like theNothing Phone ( 2 ) , and with the S23 itself dropping beneath its RRP , you ’ll find effective performance elsewhere .
Final Thoughts
The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE is a solid headphone when looked at singularly ; it ’s competitively price with great performance , it boasts a trio of cameras including a telephotograph that ’s not ordinarily see in the mid - range market , you get long - full term software support and all - day battery biography .
However , the S23 FE is n’t alone in the smartphone marketplace , and that ’s where thing start to get complicated . There are likewise price phones that bid good performance , like theNothing Phone ( 2 ) , and there are others like theMotorola Edge 40that pop the question a slimmer build and faster charging , making it voiceless for the S23 FE to stand up out aside from that aforesaid telephoto camera .
But , the final nail in the coffin has to be its full cousin , theSamsung Galaxy S23 . The iron is designed as a budget alternative to the flagship and , as such , misses out on some key high - end technical school .
The payoff is that the S23 FE comes almost a yr after the S23 , in the UK at least , and that means the S23 can be found at quite a discount . In fact , we ’ve already seen the flagship dip beneath the £ 599/$599 RRP of the S23 FE , and it ’ll likely drop again in the coming months with the expected release of the S24 series sometime in early 2024 . That begs the question : what is the peak of the S23 FE ?
If the Galaxy S23 FE had found alongside the Galaxy S23 before this year , it would ’ve been a much more exciting proffer . However , in later 2023 , it just does n’t do enough to rationalize its existence , even with a relatively solid experience on crack .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every nomadic telephone we review good . We habituate industry - standard test to compare feature properly and we utilise the phone as our main gimmick over the review stop . We ’ll always differentiate you what we happen and we never , ever , accept money to review a product .
Find out more about how we test in ourethics policy .
FAQs
No , you ’ll have to source your own 25W courser separately .
Yes . In fact , it gibe the flagship S23 ’s IP68 dust and water resistor .
Test Data
Full Specs
