Ryan Haines/Android Authority
Update: May 3, 2023 (11:29 p.m. ET): We’ve updated the rumored Samsung Galaxy S23 FE hub with details of the phone’s possible camera. Read on for the latest information.
Original article: March 19, 2023 (12 PM ET): Samsung hasn’t had the most consistent relationship with its Galaxy S Fan Edition lineup. Since the launch of the Galaxy S20 FE model in 2020 to great fanfare, the company has only released one FE phone, the less well-received Galaxy S21 FE. While Samsung originally planned to supplement its flagship Galaxy S series with a new affordable model every year, it gave the Galaxy S22 FE a comfortable pass. We never got a reason from Samsung to cancel the S22 FE. However, the company reportedly failed to implement its plans due to a global chip shortage.
Now, new rumors have once again raised hope for a Samsung Fan Edition. The Galaxy S23 FE is said to be working to replace one of the A-series devices. Will the company revive the glory of the Galaxy S20 FE? Or will it skip the 2023 FE entirely? Here’s everything we know about the Galaxy S23 FE.
Will there be a Samsung Galaxy S23 FE?
Ryan Haines/Android Authority
If the rumors are to be believed, the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE will replace what could be the Galaxy A74 to join the existing Galaxy S23 lineup. This would have been the latest A-series phone to launch globally in 2023, after last year’s Galaxy A73, which introduced 108MP cameras to the range.
Despite the many rumors surrounding the Galaxy S22 FE last year, Samsung eventually gave up on the phone. Of course, the same fate could befall the S23 FE. Roland Quandt of winfuture — a journalist with a pretty good record of divulging information before it’s made public — went on Twitter in March to say, “It sure doesn’t look like there will be an S23 FE this year.”
Meanwhile, an unknown Korean flyer called Sisa Journal It was reported in mid-March, claiming that Samsung is already planning to launch the Galaxy S23 FE in the fourth quarter of this year. This would give it a release timeframe of anywhere between October and December 2023. However, we wouldn’t place too much faith in this as we couldn’t vouch for the news outlet’s credibility.
but, SamMobile and Korea mile Both a business news outlet claimed in early April that the Galaxy S23 FE was indeed in the works.
As of now, the existence of the Galaxy S23 FE is still up in the air. We’ll have to wait for Samsung to give us some official confirmation, but that could come around the time the phone launches. That is if the Galaxy S23 FE ever comes out.
What is the Galaxy S23 FE release date?
Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
- Samsung Galaxy S20 FE – September 23, 2020
- Samsung Galaxy S21 FE – January 11, 2022
As you can see from previous launch dates for the Samsung Fan Edition phones, there’s no set time frame for when the company will release a new FE model. The sparse nature of previous FE launches tells us nothing about the Galaxy S23 FE release date. There is an anticipation of a Q4 launch by the Korean publication we mentioned above. This Q4 2023 release window has been confirmed by SamMobile also.
other korean outlet, Hankoki, reported that Samsung may plan to launch the Galaxy S23 FE as early as August or September. However, the fate of the phone not being decided gives us little to no hope of predicting a specific release timeline.
We will be keeping an eye on more Galaxy S23 FE launch rumors and update this article with any possible launch information.
What features and specifications does the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE have?
Ryan Haines/Android Authority
design
Fan edition phones usually take inspiration from the design of the more premium Galaxy S series. While there are no renders or leaked images of the Galaxy S23 FE yet, we expect it to look a lot like the Galaxy S23 phones, especially the vanilla model. Of course, there’s always the possibility that the company could do something differently, but we suspect the S23 FE will stray too far from the design principles of the S23 series.
Without any other reliable information, it’s hard to know what the Galaxy S23 FE will look like. One thing we are sure of is that if the phone exists, we will definitely see it leak before its official announcement.
Specifications and features
Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority
One of the main selling points of the series was its affordability, married to the same processor you get in Samsung’s best flagships. It is possible that Samsung will decide to downgrade the processor on the Galaxy S23 FE to cut costs and finally give customers a device that doesn’t put pressure on their pockets.
We previously mentioned a sketchy report from a Korean publication about the launch of the S23 FE in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, most of the other rumors about the phone come from the same source. The most important piece of information that the outlet claims to know is that the phone will feature the older Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor that powers the S22 series. The chip was mired in energy efficiency and sustainable performance issues, so this may be an irritant for those hoping the S23 FE will be a solid flagship alternative to the S23 series.
Elsewhere, the aforementioned post also claims that the Galaxy S23 FE will feature a triple camera setup and a 120Hz OLED display.
It seems that we should expect a flagship processor from 2022 in the Galaxy S23 FE.
while, SamMobile And mile Both confirmed in April that the Galaxy S23 FE will indeed be powered by the Exynos 2200 processor. Yes, the same chipset found in the European Galaxy S22 models. This would be a disappointment as the Exynos processor had performance issues. But Maeil claims Samsung made unspecified “design changes” to the chip to improve yield rates, so hopefully those tweaks will result in better performance and efficiency as well.
The aforementioned SamMobile The article also reveals some obvious features. The most notable update is the switch to a 50MP main camera instead of the 12MP shooter on previous models. The information has been previously confirmed Galaxy ClubWhich reported in May that the upcoming phone will feature a 50MP main camera similar to the base Galaxy S23.
Other than that, the phone is said to offer between 128GB and 256GB of storage and a 4,500mAh battery.
Watch this space for more information when leaks reveal new things about the Galaxy S23 FE.
What will be the price of the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE?
Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority
- Samsung Galaxy S20 FE – $699
- Samsung Galaxy S21 FE – $699
according to Sisa JournalThe Galaxy S23 FE is expected to be around 20-30% cheaper than the $799 base Galaxy S23 model with 256GB of storage. That would put the price of the S23 FE somewhere around $560-$640.
Again, we advise you to take this information with a generous helping of salt. Nothing can be said for sure about the Galaxy S23 FE before more reliable sources come forward to spill the grain on the phone.
It should also be noted that the Galaxy S20 FE and S21 FE both started at $700. So it would be a very unexpected move if the Galaxy S23 FE comes under this price point.
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE: What we want to see
Ryan Haines/Android Authority
Chip not older than Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1
There were multiple issues with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip ranging from power consumption to overheating issues. Samsung should avoid the slide and opt for the latest SoC. We don’t mind the slightly older Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 at all. It’s much more efficient than Gen 1 thanks to TSMC’s superior machining node against chips like the 8 Gen 1 produced by Samsung foundries.
camera upgrades
The Galaxy S23 FE camera update is long overdue. The S21 FE’s photography skills fail to impress as it features the same basic capabilities as the S20 FE. We certainly hope Samsung moves on from the 12MP main + ultrawide shooters and 8MP telephoto sensor it introduced on the previous Fan Edition phone. It would be nice if the company matched the camera setup of the standard Galaxy S23 model or at least kept the larger pixel size and improved AI photography skills of devices like the Galaxy Z Flip 4.
More RAM
The Galaxy S21 FE offered 6GB of RAM on the base model. Hopefully, Samsung will bump that up to at least 8GB so that multitasking and opening heavy apps won’t be an issue on the Galaxy S23 FE.
Do you have any Galaxy S23 FE leaks to share with us? Send us a tip, and we’ll make sure to check it out.