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 reduce a few corners to maintain the worth down. It’s obtained the identical common form, digital camera design, and button placement as the opposite S23 telephones. Like these units, the S23 FE has an aluminum body with Gorilla Glass on each the back and front. However, it’s Gorilla Glass 5 as an alternative of the newest Victus 2, as seen on the S23, S23 Plus, and S23 Ultra. It’s a effectively constructed cellphone total that feels good within the hand, however it’s a disgrace we’re not getting extra trendy Corning glass when the similarly-priced Pixel 7 and Pixel 8 each have first-gen Victus safety.

One place you’ll discover the reduce corners is, effectively, the corners. There’s much more house across the display screen on this cellphone in comparison with the costlier S23 telephones. This wasted house makes the gadget 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 screen. I used to be additionally way more conscious of the front-facing digital camera. There’s a reflective ring across the lens, which makes it stand out from the encompassing display screen. 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 amount virtually 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 stunning, as shows are one of the crucial costly smartphone parts. The decision continues to be good at 1,080 x 2,340, and the FE retains a 120Hz refresh fee. However, the brightness tops out at 1,450 nits, a number of hundred decrease than the Galaxy S23. The S23 FE’s display screen does look extra dim and reflective outdoor in comparison with the costlier fashions, however it’s nonetheless readable. There’s additionally a fingerprint sensor below the show, however it’s not the flamboyant ultrasonic selection. Instead, 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 operating a flagship processor, however it’s not the newest mannequin, with Samsung as an alternative sticking with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 from the Galaxy S22 sequence. The Gen 1 continues to be a really quick chip, no less than at first. We already know from our intensive testing that this processor tends to overheat below sustained load, inflicting efficiency to tank. In a 20-minute 3DMark Wild Life GPU stress take a look at, the S23 FE shed virtually half of its velocity on account of thermal throttling. Qualcomm addressed this downside with the TSMC-made Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 in mid-2022, however Samsung opted for the warmer (and doubtless 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 units. This cellphone has a succesful processor, so Samsung didn’t need to 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 Facebook that you could wish 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 concurrently different S23 telephones. There’s a beta for Android 14 on the Galaxy S23 proper now, however because the S23 FE runs a distinct chip, Samsung should develop a separate replace. Nevertheless, Samsung’s replace coverage stays among the many finest within the enterprise, albeit now behind Google within the Android world.

With a 4,500mAh battery, the S23 FE will make it by way of a day with out hassle. I managed round 5 or 6 hours of display screen 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). You need to step as much as the Plus or Ultra to get 45W charging.

Samsung’s earlier FE telephones took a giant step down in digital camera 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 equivalent to the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus, however the 3x telephoto steps down from 10MP to 8MP, and the selfie digital camera is 10MP as an alternative of 12MP. Since you have the identical major sensor because the Galaxy S23, this cellphone shoots as much as 8K video at 24 fps. It seems pretty much as good because the costlier cellphone’s video, which is to say it’s higher than nearly all of Android telephones.

Photos captured with the S23 FE’s major and ultrawide cameras look pretty much as good as these shot on the Galaxy S23. The primary digital camera bins photographs to 12.5MP, captures photos shortly, and retains good element. However, the S23 FE appears somewhat extra liable to over-brightening photos, which blows out particulars in brighter areas. Zoom photographs that use the telephoto digital camera can come out blurry if not shot in brilliant gentle, most likely because of the lack of optical stabilization for that lens, which the costlier S23 has. That stated, only a few telephones on this worth tier also have a devoted telephoto lens.

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

For $599, it’s exhausting to complain about what you get with the S23 FE. But whereas you can get the S23 FE for that worth from Samsung’s service companions, Samsung is promoting the gadget for $630. It’s nonetheless a ok 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 buy it, and it’s not the one choice on this near-flagship worth vary. Below are the highest picks we’d counsel as an alternative, however you can even head over to our devoted S23 FE alternate 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 quicker, cooler processor, barely improved cameras, and narrower bezels. However, it prices $200 extra.
• Google Pixel 8 ($699 at Amazon): Google affords a greater digital camera expertise on the Pixel 8, and the extra elegant software program will probably be stored updated for a formidable seven years.
• Motorola Razr (2023) ($699.99 at Amazon): The Motorola Razr has a bigger 6.9-inch OLED display screen, and when you’re not utilizing it, the cellphone folds in half. The digital camera isn’t pretty much as good, although.