The Galaxy S23 FE was officially announced on October 4, and it has been making its way to markets around the globe in the weeks since then. It has now reached the US, the country where the Galaxy S23 FE is most aggressively priced.
While the Galaxy S23 FE is priced similarly to the Galaxy S21 FE and Galaxy S20 FE in the rest of the world, it's $100 less expensive. $599 is a solid price for a phone with a spec sheet as good as the Galaxy S23 FE's, but even if you have to pay the same price as the S21 FE, the S23 FE has many awesome features that make it a solid choice as your next high-end phone.
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Excellent performance and exceptional cooling
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and the Exynos 2200 that powered the Galaxy S22 series in 2022 were not the best chipsets at the time of their launch, but software optimizations and optimizations to Samsung's manufacturing process in the time since have made them excellent chips despite not being the latest and greatest the mobile industry has to offer.
The Galaxy S23 FE also has something the Galaxy S22 series doesn't have, and that's the biggest vapor cooling system of any Galaxy smartphone ever. That keeps the Snapdragon 8 Gen/Exynos 2200 thermals in check even during the most gruelling tasks and gaming sessions, which means the phone can keep providing maximum performance for a long time before needing to throttle.
A flagship camera experience at not-so-flagship pricing
The Galaxy S23 FE is the first phone in the FE series to get upgraded cameras over the last model. It features the same 50MP primary camera as the Galaxy Z Fold 4, and it has a 3x optical zoom camera and a 12MP ultra-wide camera as well. At the front, you get a 10MP selfie camera with flagship-grade picture quality.
The S23 FE can also record 8K videos, a feature usually kept off devices in its price segment, and it gets all the amazing camera modes found on Samsung's expensive flagship phones, such as Pro photo and Pro video mode, Single Take, Director's View, and Nigh Hyperlapse, and more. It also supports Samsung's Camera Assistant for increased control over camera settings.
A vivid and crisp AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate
You know this reason would be on the list. What's a high-end Samsung smartphone without a beautiful AMOLED display, after all? The Galaxy S23 FE has a 6.4-inch Dynamic 2X AMOLED display that provides crisp and vivid visuals. It also makes the general user experience smooth thanks to an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz. Embedded in the display is an optical fingerprint reader for advanced security, especially when combined with Samsung features such as KNOX and Secure Folder.
Water resistant design with glass on both sides
The Galaxy S23 FE continues the tradition of Samsung's Galaxy S smartphones having a water and dust-resistant design. The phone is IP68 certified, which keeps it safe from damage underwater at depths as low as 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes. The design also feels premium in the hand thanks to Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back connecting to a metal frame.
Great battery life, quick charging
The Galaxy S23 FE has a 4,500 mAh battery that can get you through the day without making you worry about running out of juice. It also charges quick. Granted, charging speeds here aren't nearly as bonkers as those found on some Chinese phones, but the S23 FE can go from 0-50% in just 30 minutes of charging, which is plenty fast for day-to-day use. There's also support for wireless charging and charging other devices wirelessly.
Android 13, One UI 5.1, four major OS upgrades
Samsung's latest FE phone comes preloaded with Android 13 and One UI 5.1, along with all the software features that are available on the company's best and most expensive devices, such as DeX, split-screen multitasking, Game Booster, and lots more. Later in 2023, it will get an update to Android 14 and One UI 6.0, followed by three more Android version updates all the way up to Android 17 in 2026.
