notion : After a two - month wait following its early October announcement , the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE is formally available to purchase in the UK – but it ’s just a little too late for the phone to be the smash hit Samsung undoubtedly envisioned .
For those unfamiliar with Samsung ’s FE branding , it stand for Fan Edition . It ’s fundamentally Samsung ’s direction of marketing more budget - friendly edition of premium products like theflagship Samsung Galaxy S23 , though it ’s certainly not the first Samsung product to get the discourse .
We ’ve watch it before with theGalaxy S21 FE , and we ’ve also determine theGalaxy Tab S9 FEandGalaxy Buds FEappear more recently . All extend a broadly interchangeable look to the premium tech they ’re judge to emulate , and even include many of the same core specs , but , of form , there are compromises to help bring the price down .
When it comes to theSamsung Galaxy S23 FE , the phone looks and feel just like the flagship with its minimalistic design and chalk and atomic number 13 dead body , although the 120Hz AMOLED display is a touch big at 6.4 inches and the bezels are ever so slightly thicker .
It sports the same primary 50MP and 12MP ultrawide camera as the flagship , along with an 8MP 3x telephoto in place of the 12MP alternative . Although it does n’t cavort the sameSnapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy , theExynos 2200orSnapdragon 8 Gen 1deliver substantial everyday performance that outpace much of the mid - range contest .
While I ’m still not a massive fan of the Exynos / Snapdragon part that Samsung sometimes utilize , the compromises within the S23 FE are somewhat negligible . Even with the lower resolution telephoto lens , it remains one of few mid - rangers with a consecrate zoom genus Lens , and element like Gorilla Glass 5 are more common at the mid - range price stop too .
Throw in a premium glass and Al design , a high - closing display and IP68 debris and water resistance and you ’ve get a recipe for a competitive mid - Texas Ranger , right ?
That would ’ve been a resounding yes if not for the Galaxy S23 FE ’s biggest rival , the Samsung Galaxy S23 .
“ But how can the S23 be a competitor when the FE is designed as a cheaper version of the phone ? ” I discover you cry . Reader , it ’s all about the timing of the S23 FE ’s release .
You see , the Samsung Galaxy S23 was first revealed on 1 February 2023 , with release comply on 17 February 2023 . That means that the S23 has been on cut-rate sale for just diffident of 10 months at this full point , and with 2024 drawing ever closer , it ’s likely that we ’re not too far from the reveal of the next - gen Galaxy S24 kitchen stove .
As you ’re well aware , smartphones run to drop in price the longer they ’re useable – and that , of class , is true of the Samsung Galaxy S23 . While its initial £ 849/$799 toll ticket put it comfortably in flagship territory , the same ca n’t be said in December 2023 .
In fact , looking at Amazon product price trackerKeepa , we can see that the Galaxy S23 has already drop beneath the £ 599 asking terms of the Galaxy S23 FE , down to as little as £ 546 in late month . It ’s £ 599 at Amazon right now .
If you could get the full - fat flagship S23 for the same or even less than the budget version of the same telephone , what ’s the point in the latter ?
If Samsung had launch the Galaxy S23 FE alongside the flagship S23 before this year , or even if it appeared a few months after , it would ’ve been a altogether different story . The unconstipated S23 would ’ve still been close to its original RRP , make the S23 FE reckon like a real steal .
But , in former 2023 with Galaxy S23 deal aplenty , the S23 FE does n’t do enough to absolve its existence . And that ’s a real shame . Maybe Samsung should release the S24 FE a footling before next year …
