In previous years, Samsung used an ‘FE’ moniker to denote a phone that kept a lot of what made the Galaxy S-series great but stripped down to the essentials and launched at a cheaper price. These fan editions were typically good value for money, delivering great cameras, screens and performance.
The last one to hit the market was the S21 FE, a ‘Lite’ version of the Galaxy S21 and – while there were rumours that we would see it – the Galaxy S22 FE never happened. If it happens, the S23 FE would be Samsung’s first ‘Fan Edition’ S-series phone in two years.
There’s been a slow build in information regarding the next FE ranging from hardware and camera specs through to launch date predictions. Here’s what we’ve heard so far.
Will it happen and when?
- Q4 2023 launch (if it happens)
At this point, your guess is as good as ours whether the phone will even be released. The rumour mill seems undecided on this fact, with some prolific leakers sharing specifications of the S23 FE, while others are saying there are no plans for the Fan Edition model this year.
Several outlets – ranging from Korean media through to popular leak publications like Galaxy Club and SamMobile – have indicated that we should expect the launch at some point in the fourth quarter of this year. If accurate, the timing would be similar to the last FE model launched: the S21 FE.
Frequent leaker – Yogesh Brar – tells a different story, however. He suggests there is no S23 FE in development, and that we shouldn’t expect it at all.
We won’t know who is right and who is wrong until much later in the year, but for now, here’s everything we’ve read about specifications and features.
Galaxy S23 FE: Exynos inside
- Exynos 2200 chipset – 6GB/8GB RAM – 128GB/256GB storage
- 4500mAh battery – 25W wired charging
One interesting rumour has suggested that the S23 FE will be powered by the Exynos 2200 processor, not the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 that’s inside the S23 series. This chipset was used by Samsung in its S22 range in Europe, delivering flagship performance (for the most part). If those rumours are accurate it would be a confusing move, delivering a new phone with a two-year-old flagship processor (by the time the phone is released).
It’s also been claimed that we’ll see 128GB and 256GB versions of the S23 FE, with no word on whether there will be expandable storage support. Given the S23 series features 8GB RAM, it’s likely the phone will feature the same, or lower. It’s been suggested it might even have as little 6GB.
As for the battery, that’s claimed to be 4500mAh, just like the S23 FE, and – crucially – means more battery than the S23 regular. Although, like the S23, it’s unlikely to feature super-fast charging and will be limited to 25W just like most of Samsung’s recent phones.
While it doesn’t confirm the size or capacity of the battery, a Safety Korea certification listing – first spotted by Galaxy Club – shows an actual photograph of the internal battery from the S23 Fan Edition. The battery belongs to a phone with the model number SM-S711, which is believed to be the S23 FE.
Galaxy S23 FE: 50MP camera leading the line
- 50MP primary camera
- Triple camera?
Not much is known about the exact makeup of the S23 FE’s camera system, but it’s been rumoured that we’ll see a 50-megapixel primary camera, just like the S23 has. This information comes from Galaxy Club’s “trusted” sources.
Nothing’s been said about the other lenses, but again, we’d expect something very similar to what’s on the S23. That’s to say a triple camera system with an ultrawide and a telephoto zoom would be fitting, given how the smartphone market looks at the moment. Anything less and it might be considered an A-series phone.
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE: Design
Very little – if anything at all – has been leaked regarding the design the next Fan Edition Samsung phone. We can make a fairly accurate educated guess as to what it will look like, though, given that the ‘FE’ editions typically look a lot like the S-series ‘proper’.
It would be very unusual if the phone launched and didn’t look something like the S23, with its three individual camera rings on the back arranged in a neat column. It’s the Samsung look for 2023, and is featured across most of its phones, including the latest Galaxy A-series models.
As for materials, we’re unsure whether Samsung would opt for plastic or glass on the FE for 2023. The Galaxy A54 switched plastic for glass, and the S23 series models all feature glass backs too, so it wouldn’t be too ‘out there’ to predict a glass, rather than plastic, back on the S23 FE. Given that the A54 also features waterproofing – like the S23 models – we’d expect a high degree of water and dust-resistance too.
Galaxy S23 FE: The story so far
9 June 2023: Battery leak appears to confirm device’s existence
While it may not seem like it, this is arguably the most important leak yet, because it’s not just word-of-mouth from an online leaker. It’s public record from a certification listing in South Korea.
2 May 2023: S23 FE to feature 50MP primary camera
A report from Galaxy Club suggests we’ll see a flagship 50-megapixel camera in the S23 FE
1 April 2023: S23 FE to feature Exynos 2200 chipset
Another rumour says it is happening, and it will feature the same processor that powered the S22 series in Europe.
15 March 2023: S23 FE might happen after all
The S23 FE is being launched in Q4 2023 according to Korean media.
11 March 2023: S23 FE confusion reigns – will it ever happen?
A new report suggests that there might be no Samsung Galaxy S23 FE this year.
23 February 2032: S23 FE won’t have the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
It’s been suggested that the next FE won’t feature the latest flagship chipset, going with the cheaper 8+ Gen 1 platform instead
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