Samsung Galaxy S23 FE review: Should you buy it?

A fast look will inform you the Galaxy S23 FE is a Galaxy S cellphone — Samsung simply lower a few corners to maintain the worth down. It’s bought the identical basic form, digicam design, and button placement as the opposite S23 telephones. Like these gadgets, the S23 FE has an aluminum body with Gorilla Glass on each the back and front. Nevertheless, it’s Gorilla Glass 5 as a substitute of the newest Victus 2, as seen on the S23, S23 Plus, and S23 Extremely. It’s a nicely constructed cellphone total that feels good within the hand, however it’s a disgrace we’re not getting extra fashionable Corning glass when the similarly-priced Pixel 7 and Pixel 8 each have first-gen Victus safety.

One place you’ll discover the lower corners is, nicely, the corners. There’s much more area across the display on this cellphone in comparison with the costlier S23 telephones. This wasted area makes the system bigger than it must be — the S23 FE has a 6.4-inch show, however it’s barely bigger and heavier than the Galaxy S23 Plus with its 6.6-inch display. I used to be additionally way more conscious of the front-facing digicam. There’s a reflective ring across the lens, which makes it stand out from the encircling display. That’s not the case with the opposite S23 telephones. You additionally get stereo audio system (one bottom-firing and the opposite within the earpiece) that sound satisfactory. There’s basically no bass, however the sound is crisp till you push the quantity nearly to the max.

The OLED panel itself isn’t fairly as much as the usual set by the opposite members of the S23 household, however that’s not shocking, as shows are one of the vital costly smartphone parts. The decision remains to be good at 1,080 x 2,340, and the FE retains a 120Hz refresh charge. Nevertheless, the brightness tops out at 1,450 nits, a number of hundred decrease than the Galaxy S23. The S23 FE’s display does look extra dim and reflective outdoor in comparison with the costlier fashions, however it’s nonetheless readable. There’s additionally a fingerprint sensor underneath the show, however it’s not the flowery ultrasonic selection. As a substitute, it’s a less expensive optical sensor. The velocity is okay, however I noticed extra false negatives than most different telephones I’ve examined with optical sensors.

In day-to-day use, the S23 FE felt greater than quick sufficient to me. It’s working a flagship processor, however it’s not the newest mannequin, with Samsung as a substitute sticking with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 from the Galaxy S22 sequence. The Gen 1 remains to be a really quick chip, not less than at first. We already know from our in depth testing that this processor tends to overheat underneath sustained load, inflicting efficiency to tank. In a 20-minute 3DMark Wild Life GPU stress take a look at, the S23 FE shed nearly half of its velocity attributable to thermal throttling. Qualcomm addressed this disadvantage with the TSMC-made Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 in mid-2022, however Samsung opted for the warmer (and possibly cheaper) chip for the S23 FE.

The Galaxy S23 FE comes out of the field with Android 13 and One UI 5.1, the identical software program that runs on the opposite S23 gadgets. This cellphone has a succesful processor, so Samsung didn’t must skip any of its signature software program options. You’ll discover the DeX desktop mode (wi-fi and wired), multi-window, computerized hotspot, and extra. Samsung’s Android software program is extra streamlined than it as soon as was, however the menus are nonetheless cluttered, and there are some duplicative Samsung apps pre-loaded. There are additionally just a few third-party apps like LinkedIn and Fb that you could be need to uninstall.

The Galaxy S23 FE will get the Android 14-based One UI 6 replace as a part of Samsung’s four-year OTA dedication, however it received’t get the replace similtaneously different S23 telephones. There’s a beta for Android 14 on the Galaxy S23 proper now, however because the S23 FE runs a special chip, Samsung must develop a separate replace. However, Samsung’s replace coverage stays among the many greatest within the enterprise, albeit now behind Google within the Android world.

With a 4,500mAh battery, the S23 FE will make it by a day with out hassle. I managed round 5 or 6 hours of display time utilizing the S23 FE closely earlier than it wanted to go on the charger. The 25W wired charging isn’t notably quick in 2023, however it’s the identical you get on the bottom Galaxy S23 (which has a smaller battery). It’s important to step as much as the Plus or Extremely to get 45W charging.

Samsung’s earlier FE telephones took a giant step down in digicam high quality, however the S23 FE solely loses a bit in comparison with the remainder of the S23 lineup. The 50MP major and 12MP ultrawide cameras are similar to the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus, however the 3x telephoto steps down from 10MP to 8MP, and the selfie digicam is 10MP as a substitute of 12MP. Since you’ve gotten the identical major sensor because the Galaxy S23, this cellphone shoots as much as 8K video at 24 fps. It seems to be pretty much as good because the costlier cellphone’s video, which is to say it’s higher than the vast majority of Android telephones.

Images captured with the S23 FE’s major and ultrawide cameras look pretty much as good as these shot on the Galaxy S23. The principle digicam bins pictures to 12.5MP, captures photographs shortly, and retains good element. Nevertheless, the S23 FE appears somewhat extra liable to over-brightening photographs, which blows out particulars in brighter areas. Zoom pictures that use the telephoto digicam can come out blurry if not shot in shiny mild, in all probability because of the lack of optical stabilization for that lens, which the costlier S23 has. That mentioned, only a few telephones on this worth tier actually have a devoted telephoto lens.

You possibly can take a look at full-res samples at this Drive hyperlink.

For $599, it’s arduous to complain about what you get with the S23 FE. However whereas you may get the S23 FE for that worth from Samsung’s service companions, Samsung is promoting the system for $630. It’s nonetheless a adequate deal regardless of the arbitrary hike, however it’s additionally getting perilously near the Pixel 8, which has an improved OLED show, Google’s extra elegant tackle Android, and captures higher pictures.

The S23 FE retails for $600-630, relying on the place you purchase it, and it’s not the one choice on this near-flagship worth vary. Beneath are the highest picks we’d recommend as a substitute, however you may as well head over to our devoted S23 FE options web page to see extra choices.

• Samsung Galaxy S23 ($799 at Amazon): The Galaxy S23 is a greater model of the S23 FE with a sooner, cooler processor, barely improved cameras, and narrower bezels. Nevertheless, it prices $200 extra.
• Google Pixel 8 ($699 at Amazon): Google affords a greater digicam expertise on the Pixel 8, and the extra elegant software program will probably be stored updated for a powerful seven years.
• Motorola Razr (2023) ($699.99 at Amazon): The Motorola Razr has a bigger 6.9-inch OLED display, and while you’re not utilizing it, the cellphone folds in half. The digicam isn’t pretty much as good, although.