Samsung Galaxy S23 FE Review: The Simple Pleasures of a Simple Phone

Samsung didn’t release any new lower-cost, lower-powered “fan edition” phone last year in the months since it released the Galaxy S22. Instead, the company took its time and gave it a full year before it Galaxy S23 FE, at its $600, benefits from a good deal of time and attention. From its silhouette to its large bezels, the phone doesn’t seem all that exciting. If you were wondering, that’s the whole point.

WatchSamsung Galaxy Flip 5: Hands-on first Impressions of Samsung's Pocket-Sized Folding Phone CCShare SubtitlesOffEnglishAt the same time, that price means it straddles both the affordable and the mid-range markets. It’s not quite cheap enough to recommend to those on a strict budget, and it’s hovering just a few hundred dollars less than some companies’ premium offerings, including Samsung’s own S23.AdvertisementSamsung Galaxy S23 FEThe latest in Samsung's "fan edition" phone line features slightly last-gen specs for a reduced price.Buy NowSamsung Galaxy S23 FEThe latest in Samsung's "fan edition" phone line features slightly last-gen specs for a reduced price.Buy NowWHAT IS IT?A quality mid-range phone that doesn't skimp out on quality display and camera even with a last-gen processor.PRICE?$600 LIKEThe phone has little fluff and provides fast performance on a last-gen CPU. DISLIKEThe battery life isn't the best. The camera is good enough, but still can't compete with other companies' sensors.Shop All Samsung Smartphones on AmazonAdvertisementBeing spoiled by choice is not bad for consumers by any stretch, but the current phone ecosystem has gotten to the point where you’ll find minuscule differences between one sub-$1,000 phone and another. You could sit there and note every feature that may be available on the The S23 FE is not as cheap as last year’s AdvertisementYou won’t get all the most exciting features of a premium phone, like Samsung’s own But it’s still a powerful phone with a solid performance that’s better than what its specs imply. If your max budget is $600 for a new phone, getting this as a gift for the Android lover who wants a no-frills, no-big-thrills phone is hard to go wrong.AdvertisementSamsung Galaxy S23 FE Design and DisplayThe FE Shares Some of the Best and Worst Parts of its More Expensive BrotherThat glass back sure is shiny, and it’s also liable to pick up finger smudges.Photo: Kyle Barr / GizmodoAdvertisementAt first glance, the S23 FE phone looks light, almost plastic-y in appearance. It doesn’t help that the glass-backed colors are extra bright. I’m personally not a fan of the shade of purple Samsung chose for its cheaper Galaxy phone, but I guess I prefer a darker purple that really brings out the goth-that-never-was in me. The phone’s other standout colors include a nice, clean mint, but other than the bright tangerine color that’s exclusive to orders on Samsung.com, there aren’t many other standout shades.When you actually get a hold of the new FE, it’s not quite as light as it seems. It’s comfortable to hold or have in your pocket, and it feels like a feather compared to the aluminum-cased iPhones in my life. Ergonomically, it’s just not for me. The rounded edges don’t feel comfortable to hold, and it’s also too slippery in my hand despite its rather significant 6.4-inch screen size. The glass back is also rather prone to smudging if you hold it with your grubby fingertips. I’ve had issues with Samsung’s backs getting scratched up, and while I seem to have been more ginger with this phone, I can see it continuing to be an issue for those who eschew the case.AdvertisementThe screen size is around 6.3 inches when factoring in the rather large bezels. The black borders are consistent around the top and sides but are much more pronounced on the chin. It’s the kind of thing that’s noticeable at first, but you get used to it rather quickly.The phone is rated IP68, meaning it is dust-resistant and can survive 30 minutes under five feet of water. That’s consistent with the other Samsung devices, but I’m glad to see they’re consistent despite costs.AdvertisementThe screen itself is nice and vibrant, exactly what you expect from Samsung. It’s a 120Hz, HDR10+ display that peaks at a nice and bright 1450 nits, at least on paper. I found the adaptive brightness wasn’t as robust as on Apple’s phones, and it sometimes required some manual adjustment.Samsung Galaxy S23 FE PerformanceThe S23 FE Runs Smoother Than the Last-Gen Chip ImpliesThe Samsung Galaxy S23 FE also includes Samsung’s Pro photo controls, even though the camera setup isn’t the best in the Samsung ecosystem.Photo: Kyle Barr / GizmodoAdvertisementThe S23 FE is running on a two-year-old Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor. Samsung usually makes some modifications to Qualcomm’s chipset for its phones, but on its face, it’s still a less powerful CPU compared to similarly-priced devices. The Nothing Phone (2) uses the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, which is slightly more powerful than the earlier version.Benchmarks tell a slightly different story. The S23 FE performed moderately well on GeekBench 6 and easily beat other phones from last year’s hardware, such as the Google Pixel 7. It only slightly underperformed compared to the newer Pixel 8. Considering Google’s efforts to catch up with its proprietary chip, that may be better news for the Pixel’s Tensor chip than Qualcomm’s Snapdragon series. The FE was, of course, below the regular S23 on both single-core and multi-core settings, but not by a lot. It also managed to match its older brother on WebXPRT 2015 for how well it can handle browser-based tasks like photo editing and face detection.AdvertisementIt’s a smooth experience overall. I couldn’t point to any time using it that I reminded myself I was using a $600 phone compared to anything more expensive. There are no problems with running multiple tasks, streaming video, and light gaming. You’re not doing anything crazy with the FE, and that’s to its benefit. You don’t have Google trying to Sometimes, it’s nice to have a device where what you see is what you get. You get a phone that works for everything you’re already used to doing.AdvertisementSamsung Galaxy S23 FE CameraThe FE’s 50 MP Sensor is Nothing to Scoff AtFrom the rear, the FE looks a hell of a lot like the regular $800 S23. It has a three-camera array with three pronounced sensors, though the flash was moved slightly lower than Samsung’s premiere Galaxy. More importantly, the S23 FE is packing a 50 MP main sensor with an f1.8 aperture. It’s a pretty big step up over the S21 FE’s 12 MP wide angle lens, though the newer phone’s other sensors are a much more standard 12 MP ultrawide at f2.2 and an 8 MP telephoto lens at f2.4, the same as the last time Samsung made a fan edition.AdvertisementThere’s also the usual, no-nonsense 10MP front camera you’ve come to expect. I wanted to see how a newer, 12 MP Samsung sensor would compare to the larger one on the FE. I used Samsung’s Z Flip 5 with its two smaller lenses. The details are crisper and less grainy on the 50 MP, though there’s not much of a big difference in color capture between the two. These are Samsung cameras through and through, but the layperson won’t be able to tell the difference despite the jump in pixel size.The left photo was taken with the 50MP Samsung Galaxy S23 FE. The right with the Z Flip 5 and its 12 MP sensor. Don’t feel bad if you can’t tell the difference.Photo: Kyle Barr / GizmodoAdvertisementThe ultrawide sensor is also in the middle of the road. It won’t make out the best detail at a distance, and it’s not best for capturing the radiance of a late-September sunset. I did a lot of shooting with it on my morning walks to the train station, and Samsung’s sensors are still not the best in the biz. They have a somewhat washout quality that remains disappointing, no matter the pixel size.The extra beefiness on the main FE sensor is still appreciated, especially as it helps it compete with Google’s offering. The Google Pixel 8 is just $100 more and doesn’t include a telephoto lens, yet the FE’s closeup sensor won’t wow anybody with the amount of detail it can pick up.AdvertisementSamsung Galaxy S23 FE BatteryThe 23 FE’s Battery Life Isn’t Best in ClassPhoto: Kyle Barr / GizmodoAdvertisementThe newest Galaxy FE uses a 4500 mAh non-removable battery. I’ve used it for a full 8-hour workday and spent my time watching YouTube videos at night and saw it dip down to 40%. With heavier use, I’ve noticed how the battery seems to wane faster than what I’m used to on other devices.With that said, I’ve never run into any issue where I was left bereft of a phone. The device is still new, and battery life could change with time until it becomes a problem. I’ve also noticed that even when the phone is on without any programs running, the battery does still drain to a surprising degree, even when sitting in a pocket in my backpack not being actively used.AdvertisementAs with any smartphone, you need to make it last a full day until you can get it to a charger. Still, longevity may be a sticking point for some. Google has promised seven years of software updates compared to Samsung’s normal four. Then again, that’s if you trust Google to follow through on its promises. That company had previously promised users years of deals with the With the S23, you get Android 13 as well as Samsung’s OneUI to add an extra bit of customization on top of everything, including the company’s newfangled floating app windows that make much more sense on a AdvertisementAnd like any candy bar, the sweetness can only last for so long. This isn’t your $50 70% dark chocolate bar from expert candy Swiss candy smiths. The Galaxy S23 FE is a solid Hershey’s milk chocolate bar. Sometimes that’s all you want. And when you get it, hell, that hits the spot.

Based on reporting by gizmodo.com.