By Holly, Mozillion Team
The Galaxy FE (or Fan Edition) model of a Samsung phone is created after taking on feedback from the customer following release of the original version. Hence the ‘fan edition’ in the product title, along with a few refinements and improvements, a couple of scaled back features and a reduced price. The lower price point could imply that the features are not as premium as the S23 but all is not as it seems, so check out our comparison.
Build & Design | Samsung S23 vs Samsung S23 FE
Apart from the new colour choices, the Galaxy S23 and the S23 FE are virtually identical to look at and both take their design inspiration from the Ultra series rather than the S22.
Closer inspection reveals that the S23 FE has a slightly larger screen (6.4 inches compared to 6.1 inches), slightly larger bezels, smaller cameras and is slightly heavier.
Durability wise, the S23 FE is reinforced with Gorilla Glass 5 on both sides whilst the S23 has the (even tougher) Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for protection. Both have an IP68 rating for dust and drip protection.
Camera & Video | Samsung S23 vs Samsung S23 FE
The S23 and S23 FE both have a terrific camera set up with the main difference being in the telephoto lens. Both have a 50MP (megapixel) main camera and 12MP ultrawide lens, but the S23 pips the S23 FE with a 10MP telephoto lens versus a 8MP lens. Whether or not you would actually notice this difference as the user is another matter however – the main reason Samsung have made the change is to help reduce the price of the phone.
Round the front, the selfie camera on the S23 is 12MP, whilst the S23 FE drops this to 10MP – are you going to notice much difference in your selfie game? Probably not.
Both have an intuitive selection of AI tools to enhance your photography and video capture e.g. Nightography and Photo Remaster and both can capture video up to a whopping 4K at 30fps (frames per second) which ensures exceptionally smooth footage. Super Steady video mode provides a digital steadicam which stops you ever getting a shaky result, even at night.
If you’re looking to film in 8K, then it’s worth noting that the S23 can shoot 8K at 30 frames per second, whilst the S23 FE maxes out at 24fps.
Display | Samsung S23 vs Samsung S23 FE
Both the S23 and the S23 FE are great for mobile gaming with their 2340×1080 pixel resolution and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate which delivers a precise touch response and fluid motion.
Both phones support Samsung’s Eye Comfort Shield which reduces the blue light that can keep you awake at night. As previously mentioned, the S23 FE has a slightly larger screen but both have clear, bright and vivid displays and both support HD10+ content.
Processor | Samsung S23 vs Samsung S23 FE
To run a phone as feature packed as the S23 or S23 FE, there needs to be a powerhouse of a processor under the hood. The S23 has the most powerful of the two with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, 8GB of RAM, and up to 256GB of internal storage. The S23 FE dials things back slightly and has a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB or 256GB of onboard storage. Both support 5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3. With its slightly faster processor, the S23 has more powerful AI processing capabilities and can handle more demanding graphics tasks better but depending on what you use your phone for, this may or may not be a deal breaker.
If maximum performance is really a top priority for you, then the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra may be a better option.
Battery | Samsung S23 vs Samsung S23 FE
The S23 FE actually pips the S23 for battery capacity at 4500mAh compared to 3900mAh. In theory, this should mean you get a bit more use from the S23 FE before you have to charge it.
Thanks to their processors, both phones are extremely efficient and charge at 25 watts wired, 15 watts wireless and both can powershare with other compatible devices such as earbuds.
Verdict | Samsung S23 vs Samsung S23 FE
With its lower price point, larger screen and battery, the S23 FE is certainly a tempting piece of kit. However you may crave the slightly higher specs that the S23 has to offer like the faster processor and enhanced camera. There is also the matter of colour and style with the S23 coming in green, lavender, cream and black whereas the S23 FE is available in mint, graphite, cream and purple.
For a great all-rounder phone, both are strong choices but if you want to save yourself a bit of extra cash, or that bigger screen is important to you then the Galaxy S23 FE is the way to go. If you want a better camera for photos and videos, then the standard Galaxy S23 would be our choice.