TheSamsung Galaxy S23 FEaims to capture the broad strokes that make the Galaxy S23 a brilliant phone while subtly cutting corners to reach budget pricing. While you might be wary about a phone designed to be a lower-quality version of another, the Galaxy S23 includes brilliant features that make it a worthwhile purchase in 2023.
We picked out our favorite features of the Galaxy S23 FE. It’s a great phone from top to bottom, and you can enjoy all theexcellent features introduced in One UI 6.
A beautiful screen that doesn’t cut important corners
The display is one of the most straightforward elements of a phone to cut corners on. In an age whenbudget Android phones offer spectacular screens, you can’t go too far. Samsung found the perfect compromise with the Galaxy S23 FE. Big bezels don’t impact the quality of the screen.
The Galaxy S23 FE screen has bigger bezels than the Galaxy S23. They’re about the same size as theGalaxy A54(namely, not a problem). Even if you may’t stand large bezels, it’s hard not to be impressed by the 120Hz screen that reaches 1,450 nits at peak brightness. Whether you’re gaming, watching videos, or scrolling Instagram, the Galaxy S23 FE’s screen excels.
Powerful hardware can handle gaming with ease
One significant difference between the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE and the S23 FE is the use of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset instead of Gen 2. This compromise lowers the Fan Edition’s price but doesn’t have much impact on your day-to-day use.
Despite our issues with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset on the Galaxy S22, our time with the Galaxy S23 FE was crash-free. While the phone occasionally grew warm during longer sessions, it handled hours of gaming without a problem.
The large battery will last you all day
The Galaxy S23 FE has a bigger battery than the Galaxy S23. While the difference is offset slightly by the more efficient chipset in the latter, the battery life of the Galaxy S23 FE is excellent.
In our time with the Galaxy S23 FE, we averaged about six to eight hours of screen time with average usage, down to about four to five hours with heavy battery life. If you’re mindful of your use, you could easily manage over 10 hours.
If caught short, the S23 FE can charge up to full in less than two hours with 25W charging. Overall, it’s an excellent battery that won’t cause you trouble.
The optimized camera is perfect for day-to-day use
The camera on the Galaxy S23 FE might not win photography awards, but it’s more than capable of documenting your day for Instagram. The 50MP rear camera handles daylight shots of still objects. Nighttime images of confusing subjects like fireworks come out well for social media.
Prepare for nighttime shots by locking the brightness slider and finding a good focus point.
For a $600 phone, we’re impressed by the camera on the Galaxy S23 FE. While a side-by-side comparison with photos taken with an S23 Ultra are noticeably different, they are more than adequate for the casual user scrolling through Instagram. (Don’t try to catch the perfect shot of a moving object).
Long software support
Samsung hasn’t made compromises with the Galaxy S23 FE’s software. It’s the same flavor of OneUI found on everything from the Galaxy Z Fold 5 to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, so you can expect toenjoy the best parts of Android 14. Best of all, Samsung’s commitment to software support extends to Fan Edition devices.
You can expect four years of software support with the Galaxy S23 FE. This means it will receive security updates and Android OS updates until 2027. This is excellent news for a budget device, even if Google recently set a new standard with the promise ofseven years of support for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.
The textured frame improves your grip
Not everyone enjoys using a case. In an age where most smartphones are slippery glass blocks, you’re asking for trouble if you don’t slap one on. The Galaxy S23 FE matte frame is necessary if you constantly drop your phone. It adds a slight but noticeable texture to the frame that’s easier to grip. While we recommendusing a case, the Galaxy S23 FE is easier to hold than other mid-range Android phones.
The most affordable S23 device has some nifty tricks up its sleeve
The Galaxy S23 FE achieves a lot for a $600 device. While you should be aware of its drawbacks before choosing it over a more expensive model, it’s one of our favorite Android phones of 2023.
The biggest problem with the Galaxy S23 FE isn’t the phone. It launched in a crowded lineup of stellar Samsung phones. From the expensive but brilliant Galaxy Z Fold 5 to the budget gem that is the Galaxy A14, there are plenty of alternativeSamsung phones worth considering.
