- Premium look and feel
- Extensive software support
- All three cameras are solid
- A bit too expensive at full price
- Short battery life
- Can stutter when gaming
With Samsung phones, the price isn’t always the price, and that can make them tricky to review. In some cases, pre-order offers can knock a few hundred dollars off the RRP before it even goes on sale. In others, phones can see steep discounts soon after launch.
The Galaxy S23 FE is an example of the latter. It launched at $999, but we've already seen it discounted 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 one you should only buy if the price is right.
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE 5G 128GB Plans
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Optus
$55 Optus Choice Plus Plan
$82.74/mth
Min. cost $1,053.64
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Mostly there
As part of Samsung's S-series, the Galaxy S23 FE is undeniably a high-end phone. The bezel is a bit chunkier 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 gorgeous display that has become synonymous with the brand.
It is worth noting the Galaxy S23 FE is made from slightly less durable materials than the Galaxy S23, however. It uses Gorilla Glass 5, rather than Victus 2, making it less drop and scratch-resistant. If you don't use a case and you're prone to clumsiness, this is worth considering. The Galaxy S23 FE is still rated IP68 for water resistance.
While the Galaxy S23 FE looks the part, it doesn't always hold up under scrutiny. To start, it's powered by one of Samsung's Exynos 2200 chips rather than the faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip in the mainline Galaxy S23 series.
The Galaxy S23 FE is no slouch when it comes to day-to-day usage, but isn't the best pick for more demanding users. Even a game as basic as Marvel Snap looked a touch janky. It's completely playable, but the animations weren't as smooth as they should be.
Samsung's decision here is curious, as some international Galaxy S23 FE variants are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip. While that's still obviously a step behind the Gen 2, it's a faster chip than the Exynos 2200 in the Australian model.
Heavier users could also run into issues with battery life. I was only able to achieve around 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 a buffer. You'll likely need a top-up if you're planning to be away from a charger at the end of the day.
Four hours of screen time isn't dissimilar to my testing with the Pixel 7a, which is one of the Galaxy S23 FE's key competitors. The Pixel 7a is however 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 reasonably consistent results in darker environments. It does however have the classic Samsung issue where the lens can be a bit slow to shoot, so it's not always great with moving subjects. It took a handful of attempts to get sharp photos at a concert and when chasing my dog around.
The Galaxy S23 FE isn't any slower than other Samsung flagships, however. I tested it side by side against the far more expensive Galaxy S23 Ultra, and low-light shots used identical exposures for night mode. While the Ultra naturally got better results, the Galaxy S23 FE held its own in many situations. In darker environments, images taken by the Galaxy S23 FE started to look a bit smudgy, however.
The Galaxy S23 FE's primary lens is joined by a zoom and ultra-wide lens, and a similar story holds true: they work well in good light, but performance starts to fall off as it gets darker. But by and large, I still found value from both. They're useful additions, rather than token inclusions designed to make the S23 FE seem fuller-featured.
Galaxy S23 FE camera samples
Check out these camera samples taken on the Galaxy S23 FE. Click or tap on any photo to see a larger version.
As always, it's worth touching on Samsung's solid support policy. Galaxy S23 FE users will get four years of operating system updates, and five years of security. That's far better than most Android phones, especially ones that cost less than $1,000.
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE - Final Thoughts
At its full price of $999, the Galaxy S23 FE is hard to recommend. At time of writing, you can buy the standard Galaxy S23 for $1,099, and despite the smaller screen, is an upgrade in almost every sense. The situation is further complicated by the fact Samsung's next flagship phones are surely right around the corner.
Samsung typically announces its new S-series devices in January or February. Even if you're not interested in what will presumably be known as the Galaxy S24, its arrival will almost certainly herald price drops across 2023 models.
But like I said, with Samsung phones, the price isn't always the price. The Galaxy S23 FE value proposition naturally increases with the size of the discount being offered. For me, $800 is the magic number where the Galaxy S23 FE becomes easier to recommend and its compromises feel more in line with what I'd expect. And hey, if you can find it cheaper, it becomes an even better deal.
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