Galaxy S23 FE's colorful spark fades in the S25 FE era

Some might say that the Galaxy S23 FE was Samsung's last truly exciting Fan Edition phone. And it would be hard to argue against it. The sequels are technically superior and bring better hardware, but they also seem to have lost something along the way. They are monotonous, and they're not as colorful as the S23 FE.

That's one of the things you may have to leave behind if you decide to upgrade your Galaxy S23 FE to a newer model — say, the Galaxy S25 FE. If you chose a bold color when you bought your S23 FE a couple of years ago, you'll have to give it up for better hardware.

Unfortunately, Samsung is giving you a choice. It's the type of choice where you can't have your cake and eat it. You either keep your colorful Galaxy S23 FE or accept that better performance in 2025 comes in an almost monochromatic color palette: Icyblue, Jetblack, White, and Navy.

When the Galaxy S23 FE went on sale two years ago, it introduced six color options, two of which were exclusive to the online Samsung shop. You may have picked your Galaxy S23 FE in a more unusual, bold color such as tangerine, indigo, or purple. Gone are those options in 2025.

The S23 FE's rich color palette was a big deal in 2023 because it marked a return to form for the Fan Edition series. You see, while the original Fan Edition phone (the S20 FE) was very colorful, the S21 FE was offered in only four bland colors.

The Galaxy S23 FE fixed that and reintroduced pigment to the series. Ironically, it almost seems like we've once again gone full circle in 2025.

In any case, as long as you know the facts, you shouldn't let this aesthetic shortcoming fool you if you are looking for an upgrade. The new Galaxy S25 FE is a few steps up from the Galaxy S23 FE.

As long as you're not bothered by the lack of color choices and need better hardware, you should definitely consider the S25 FE. Even if you hate the new colors, the S25 FE may still be a worthy upgrade.

All in all, it is a little disappointing that Samsung appears to have given up on the Galaxy S Fan Edition's colorful identity once again, but maybe next year will be different and the company will be able to combine practicality with more aesthetic options.