It looks as though we could be in for a bumper ride next week when it comes to the best Android phones, because in addition to the Made by Google event being confirmed for 4 October – which is when the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel Watch 2 are expected to be revealed – there's a report that Samsung could reveal the Galaxy S23 Fan Edition (or 'FE' for short) on the very same day.
That could largely make sense, too, seeing as Samsung is hosting its annual Developer Conference in San Francisco from the day after, Thursday 5 October, through to close of the week on Friday 6 October. I hadn't expected any product reveals to arrive at that event specifically, but now I'm wondering if there's extra grit to this rumour and we'll see the next Galaxy 'Fan Edition' device after all.
That's not all, though, as there's supposedly yet more coming from Samsung: a Galaxy Tab S9 Fan Edition is also said to be part of the reveal package, delivering a lower-spec version of the Galaxy Tab S9 models (we reviewed the Tab S9 Ultra and it's amazing) which were revealed alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5 – also known as the best folding phones of 2023 – and even new Galaxy Buds FE too.
Will all that be enough to rain on the Made by Google parade? Google's event is taking place in New York on 4 October, so by timezone alone will almost certainly be revealed first, and I think the Pixel 8 Pro is going to be the device to steal the limelight. Although it's not looking very secret anymore, as a massive leak supposedly showed-off everything you could need to know ahead of the launch event already. Darn, I much prefer a surprise!
I think my bigger surprise, if anything, is that Samsung is making a Fan Edition model if its flagship phone at all. There was no Galaxy S22 FE, for example, and that was widely regarded as being the death knell for a phone that the Korean maker no longer needed to produce – especially when it's putting such emphasis on sustainability. I suspect, however, that the FE model may possibly maybe only be ranged in certain regions – a 91Mobiles report cites Samsung's own Argentinian site as a leak, plus information about pricing from an Indian source, for example.
Of the lot I'm obviously most excited by the Google Pixel 8 Pro (and its cameras in particular), as the Pixel 7 Pro was my favourite phone of last year – and T3 Award-winning, too, it was – but from the Samsung side I reckon the idea of a cheaper Galaxy Tab S9 FE tablet is going to be that brand's runaway success (the other models are so pricey) and the Fan Edition phone might not make as major a splash. Nonetheless, it looks great based on the leaked image sitting atop this very article. Samsung sure does know how to make a pretty-looking phone, but then so does Google... so it'll be interesting to see what does arrive by the end of 4 October next week, that's for sure!
