The new Samsung Galaxy S23 FE loses its match against the old S23

I pause as I unwrap the new Samsung Galaxy S23 FE: is this supposed to be the Fan Edition? The lighter, cheaper version of Samsung's top model? At first glance, the FE looks exactly the same as the S23, with a refined, high-end, understated design.

I still remember the S21 FE and its plastic shell... But those days are clearly over. The S23 FE looks exactly the same as the normal model and sports a glass shell. Only the screen size changes: 6.4 inches for the FE, compared to 6.1 inches for the normal S23 and 6.6 inches for the S23 Plus.

Is this difference misleading? How do the two smartphones differ? I compare the two to determine the big winner.

The right price... or not

As of mid-December 2023, our shop is offering both phones at the same price: 650 Swiss francs for the 128GB version. Note that only the black version of the S23 is available at this price. The situation is similar in Germany and the EU: the S23 FE costs 699 euros and the S23 normal 679 euros.

Smartphones

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE

128 GB, Mint, 6.40", Hybrid Dual SIM, 50 Mpx, 5G

25

Smartphones

653,31 EUR

Samsung Galaxy S23

128 GB, Phantom Black, 6.10", SIM + eSIM, 50 Mpx, 5G

406

Surprising, given that the S23 cost 899 Swiss francs when it was launched in February 2023. So the price has dropped drastically. At launch, the FE costs 649 Swiss francs, which is good news. Previous FE models cost 749 Swiss francs, which earned Samsung a fair amount of criticism. The price has come down nicely without dropping below that of the normal S23.

And therein lies the problem! For a later version aimed at the general public, the positioning of the FE should be different: the S23 FE should cost a minimum of 100 Swiss francs/euros less than the premium model. Especially given the concessions to be made.

Advantage over the normal S23: no compromises to be made for the same price.

Display and equipment: noticeable differences in detail

If you want a large screen, opt for the FE and its 6.4 inches (compared to 6.1 for the S23). On the other hand, the FE's screen has thicker black borders. The FE is therefore almost as big as the S23 Plus, but the latter houses a larger screen (6.6 inches) on the same surface. The FE is also tangibly heavier and thicker than the two original S23s.

On a day-to-day basis, you barely notice the difference between the two screens. You have to make some concessions on certain details with the FE: brightness is lower than with the other models (1450 cd/m² compared with 1750). The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 5, whereas the S23 has Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which is newer and more effective.

Other differences to the FE's detriment: the optical fingerprint sensor under the screen is noticeably slower than the ultrasonic one on the normal S23, and the FE's stereo speaker sounds duller. Despite a significantly more compact body, the sound of the little S23 has at least as much scope.

That said, there are no other concessions to be made with the FE: all S23s offer Bluetooth 5.3, WiFi 6e and Samsung DeX. So you can connect the smartphone directly to a large screen and use a suitable interface, almost like on a PC. The casing is waterproof and dustproof to IP68, so a drop into water won't be a problem.

Here again, the S23 clearly wins out. Only the FE's slightly larger screen works in its favour.

A new processor but less power

The S23 FE's biggest problem comes from its chip, the Exynos 2200, introduced back in January 2022 on the S22. The S23 packs Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the best Android processor on the market in early 2023.

Ironically, the newer smartphone thus incorporates an older chip, which clearly fares less well in performance tests. Even against a Nothing Phone 2 equipped with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen1, the S23 FE doesn't stand a chance. Still, it's a bit disappointing.

Does it really matter on a day-to-day basis? At the moment, no. The Exynos 2200 manages to display elaborate graphics very well in games or 4K video, there's no wait when launching apps and the menu scrolls smoothly, even if you're scrolling quickly.

But, in three or four years' time, it may be very different. The S23 has greater reserves for new versions of Android and, more importantly, for applications that may require more and more power over the years. All S23s benefit from the same update duration: four years for Android software and five years for security patches.

The S23 offers a better computing power-to-price ratio, the win is clear.

Neck and neck on battery life

This is a particularly thrilling duel: the smaller S23 has a 3900 mAh battery, the S23 FE a 4500 mAh. But here's the thing: the larger of the two also has to power the bigger screen and has a less powerful processor. So how does that work?

The good thing is that both devices do well on a day-to-day basis. I can watch videos, surf the internet, hang out on social networks, play games and take photos, the smartphone holds out until the evening. Incidentally, both phones are only rated at 25 watts wired and 15 watts wireless. Things haven't changed much at Samsung in this respect.

For this live duel, I run a 4K video at the same time on both smartphones over WiFi and with screen brightness at maximum. The result is close, but the S23 retained a few percentage points more battery throughout the viewing.

After 12 hours and 50 minutes, the FE runs out of steam. The S23, with its smaller battery, smaller screen and more efficient processor, lasted 50 minutes longer before shutting down.

Both batteries have good battery life, however, the S23 wins by a narrow margin in this category.

Camera: surprising differences

On paper, the cameras are very similar. Both smartphones have a 50-megapixel main camera with an f/1.8 aperture, as well as a 12-megapixel wide-angle with an f/2.2 aperture.

For two out of four sensors, the S23 FE is at a disadvantage on paper: the x3 zoom has just 8 megapixels instead of 10 and the selfie camera 10 megapixels instead of 12. To really appreciate the difference, it's best to compare photos.

Let's start with the main camera. Both handsets have no trouble capturing plenty of detail and reproducing the full dynamic range of the photo with reflections, dark areas of the forest, green meadows and a bright cloudy sky. While the sensors are theoretically very similar, the interpretation of colours differs. The S23 is a little more natural, but also duller. It's all a matter of taste here.

At wide-angle, the colour differences are even more marked. The FE is clearly too far from reality, with the image appearing far too grey and dark. Yet equipped with the same hardware, the normal S23 fares better.

Both models have a x3 optical zoom, but the FE's sensor resolution struggles a little. I photographed this heron with the x10 zoom. The S23 takes a nice, sharp photo, while that of the FE is very pixelated and the software accentuates the sharpness. Incidentally, you can see the same effect with the x3 zoom.

Finally, here's a seasonal night shot, where it looks like night falls at midday. Both smartphones handle the juxtaposition of bright lights and dark areas well. The S23 is a little more natural, while the FE accentuates the yellow tones for a more expressive photo.

The verdict is clear: whenever a camera is clearly superior, it's always the normal S23. The FE is either as good or worse.

Verdict: FE doesn't stand a chance at the moment

At heart, the new Samsung Galaxy S23 Fan Edition is a good smartphone: nice design, good average size, full of premium features. But it currently costs 100 Swiss francs/euros too much compared to its competitors.

The FE especially has its work cut out for it when it comes to internal competition. The S23 is effectively as good in many areas and even significantly better in several respects. Its only drawback is the smaller screen size. For the same price, the S23 is clearly the better option. This is true even if you choose a slightly more expensive colour.

Even outside Samsung, the competition is tough in the 600-700 Swiss franc range. Here you can opt for the Nothing Phone (2), the iPhone 14 or the new Google Pixel 8.

Samsung wisely skipped an S22 FE last year to repeat the mistakes of the past this year. Instead, the FE is expected to be released in late summer, and would be a good alternative to the best product around. In the middle of December, the S23 is a much better deal. Plus, the new S24 comes out in January and nobody will be talking about the Fan Edition anymore.