The Galaxy S23 FE is a great semi-premium phone, as long as you don’t pay full price.
With Samsung phones, the price isn’t always the price, and that can make it difficult to review. It was launched at a price of $999, but we have already seen it reduced to as low as $499. At $999 it’s a tough sell, but at $499 it’s a bargain. The Galaxy S23 FE is a solid phone, but you should only buy it if the price is right.
As part of Samsung’s S-series, the Galaxy S23 FE is undoubtedly a premium phone. The frame is a bit thicker than the standard Galaxy S23, but it’s hard to fault the overall look and feel. You get Samsung’s lovely industrial design paired with the kind of beautiful display that has become synonymous with the brand.
However, it’s worth noting that the Galaxy S23 FE is made of slightly less durable materials than the Galaxy S23. It uses Gorilla Glass 5 rather than Victus 2, which makes it less resistant to drops and scratches. If you don’t use a case and are prone to clumsiness, then it’s worth considering. The Galaxy S23 FE still has an IP68 rating for water resistance.
While the Galaxy S23 FE looks the part, it doesn’t always hold up under scrutiny. For starters, it’s powered by one of Samsung’s Exynos 2200 chips, rather than the faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip in the flagship Galaxy S23 series.
The Galaxy S23 FE is no slouch when it comes to everyday use, but it’s not the best choice for more demanding users either. Even a game as basic as Marvel Snap looked tacky. It is fully playable but the animations were not as smooth as they should be.
Samsung’s decision here is interesting, as some international variants of the Galaxy S23 FE are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip. While it’s still clearly a step behind Gen 2, it’s a faster chip than the Exynos 2200 in the Australian model.
Power users may also experience battery life issues. We were only able to get about four hours of screen time per charge while connected to a 5G network. That should still be enough for a full day of moderate use, but without the boost. You’ll probably need a top-up if you plan to be away from a charger at the end of the day.
Four hours of work in front of the screen is not dissimilar to our testing with the Pixel 7a, which is one of the main competitors of the Galaxy S23 FE. However, the Pixel 7a is cheaper at $749.
On the camera front, the Galaxy S23 FE’s primary lens does a pretty good job most of the time. With enough lighting, you’ll get a great photo, and it also delivers fairly consistent results in darker environments. However, it has the classic Samsung problem where the lens can be a bit slow to shoot, so it’s not always great with moving subjects. It took a few tries to get sharp photos at the concert and while chasing our dog around.
However, the Galaxy S23 FE is no slower than other Samsung flagships. We tested it side-by-side with the far more expensive Galaxy S23 Ultra, and low-light shots used identical night mode exposures. While the Ultra naturally scored better, the Galaxy S23 FE held its own in many situations. However, in darker environments, the images taken by the Galaxy S23 FE started to look a bit smeary.
The Galaxy S23 FE’s primary lens is joined by a zoom and an ultra-wide-angle lens, and a similar story applies: they work well in good light, but performance starts to decline as it gets darker. But overall, we still found value in both. They’re useful additions, not token inclusions designed to make the S23 FE look more complete.
Conclusion
At full price of $999, the Galaxy S23 FE is hard to recommend. At the time of writing, you can buy the standard Galaxy S23 for $1,099, and despite the smaller screen, it’s an upgrade in almost every way. The situation is further complicated by the fact that Samsung’s next flagship phones are surely just around the corner.
But like we said, with Samsung phones, price isn’t always price. The value of the Galaxy S23 FE offer naturally increases with the size of the discount offered. For us, $800 is the magic number where the GalaxyS23 FE is easier to recommend, and its compromises feel more in line with what we’d expect. And hey, if you can find it for less, it becomes an even better deal.
What we love:
- Premium look and feel
- Extensive software support
- All three cameras are solid
What could be improved:
- A bit overpriced at full price
- Short battery life
- It can have hiccups when playing games
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Source: www.itnetwork.rs
