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After taking a year off, Samsung has brought back the Fan Edition series, which includes the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE, the Galaxy Buds FE, and the Galaxy Tab S9 FE series this year. For the uninitiated, Fan Editions are pared-down versions of Samsung’s flagships, allowing users to have all the essentials of their regular counterparts but at a more affordable price.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE, the latest addition to Samsung's "Fan Edition" lineup, is exactly that: bearing the S23 name, yet looking strikingly similar in both price and design to the Galaxy A54. At least, that’s our very first impression of the phone—but what else does it have?
What's In The Box?
- Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
- USB Type-C to USB Type-C charging cable
- User Guide
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE Specifications
- Processor: Exynos 2200 chipset
- Display: 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate, 1080x2340 resolution
- Camera: Triple rear setup - 50MP primary, 12MP ultrawide, 8MP telephoto; 10MP front camera
- Battery: 4,500mAh with 25W wired charging and 15W wireless charging
- Storage Options: 128GB or 256GB
- Protection: IP68 rating, Gorilla Glass 5 on both front and back
Design & Display
In design, the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE looks almost identical to the mid-range Galaxy A54, though a little heavier and sleeker looking. Sporting a glossy glass back seamlessly integrated within a rounded aluminium frame, it certainly looks and feel much more premium, though the back does retain fingerprints quite a bit.
Despite its premium feel, the S23 FE is priced significantly lower than its flagship counterparts. The Galaxy S23 FE is available in various colours, including Graphite, Mint, Purple, and Cream. Our review model was in Mint, which is a pretty refreshing colourway.
As for the display, the 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED display is pretty vibrant, with bright colours and smooth graphics. It has excellent viewing angles and a peak brightness of 1450 nits, which ensures that the screen is still visible even under direct sunlight. Slightly lower than the regular Galaxy S23, but for an FE, it’s pretty good.
Besides that, the 120Hz refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling and enhanced visual experiences. The only thing I’d note as a pity is the thick bezels, which is rather noticeable when looking at the phone head-on.
Performance
Powered by the Exynos 2200 chipset, the Galaxy S23 FE offers reliable performance. While it doesn't house the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 found in the standard S23, it's more than capable of handling everyday tasks and moderate gaming.
So far, the Galaxy S23 FE has been able to hold up to a fair bit of Genshin Impact at low settings and even managed to run the game at moderate for an hour or so before stuttering a little. It performed amazingly well for your regular smartphone daily tasks like social media scrolling.
Camera
Where the standard Galaxy S23 excels in camera hardware, the Galaxy S23 FE perhaps fall short of that, which is to be expected, considering the price difference. That said, it doesn’t mean the camera setup on the Galaxy S23 FE is any less impressive.
It comes with a triple-camera setup: a 50MP primary shooter, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and an 8MP telephoto lens. On the whole, we got pretty great pictures from this setup, with vibrant colours and balanced contrast. The telephoto lens is capable of 3x optical zoom and up to 30x hybrid zoom, which is more than enough for your everyday mobile photography needs.
Battery
With most smartphones chalking up 5000 mAh left, right, and centre, the 4500 mAh on the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE might sound a little underwhelming, but we were pleasantly surprised by how long it actually lasted in practical usage. On light usage, mainly on social media and checking emails, it managed to last almost two days.
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