![Samsung Galaxy S21 FE concept](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oXLrvNt98dQ3TN5VViFYAd-415-80.png)
The FE – fan edition – versions of the best Samsung phones promise to be among the best Android phones for budget buyers, offering many of the features of their more expensive siblings for considerably less cash.
We really liked the last FE phone: as you'll see in our Samsung Galaxy S21 FE review, we thought it did a great job of packing the key features of the Galaxy S21 - the best Android phone at the time – into a more affordable package. So we were surprised when Samsung decided not to make a Samsung Galaxy S22 FE.
Not hugely surprised, though, because the S21 FE was the subject of a will-they won't-they saga for some time. While that one ended in a "they will", a similar saga around its potential successor, the Galaxy S22 FE, ended with "they won't".
With Samsung deciding to skip a generation of Galaxy FE phones, the likelihood of a Samsung Galaxy S23 FE was looking very slim too. However, a new report says it really is happening.
That's the good news.
What do we know about the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE?
According to SamMobile, which doesn't name its source(s) but says "we only put exclusive information out there if we trust the source", the Galaxy S23 FE will launch in the fourth quarter of 2023 – but while the Galaxy S23 has moved from Samsung's Exynos chips to Qualcomm Snapdragons, the Galaxy S23 FE is going in the opposite direction.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE will reportedly feature the Exynos 2200, the same chip we had in the Galaxy S22 series in Europe. As SamMobile puts it, that chip was "quite a mess" – and it'll be nearly two years old by the time the S23 FE ships. Given that phone processor years are rather like dog years, that's a pretty old processor.
Upgrade to smarter living
Get the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products straight to your inbox.
The upside is that that time has hopefully given Samsung the opportunity to fix the many problems that plagued the Exynos-powered S22s – problems such as losing GPS connectivity in apps such as Google Maps and Waze, video stabilisation being unavailable, S-Pen connectivity issues and so on.
According to SamMobile there's likely to be a camera upgrade to 50MP, a choice of 128GB or 256GB storage and a 4,500mAh battery, although it's unclear what fast charging support it will have.
Any release is still months away, so it's possible that Samsung may make more changes to the specification between now and the Galaxy S23 FE launch. I do hope it happens, and that the Exynos issues are solved: even the most affordable Galaxy S23 starts at £899, and FE models are usually around £200 cheaper.
Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series; her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, was shortlisted for the British Book Awards. When she’s not scribbling, Carrie is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind (unquietmindmusic).
-
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra charging speeds leak, and you might be shocked
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has started to be revealed, piece by piece
By Chris Hall Published
-
First look at Oura Ring 4 shows Samsung Galaxy Ring could have a serious rival soon
It needs to launch sharpish though
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Samsung Galaxy Ring works on other Android phones – even iPhone could happen soon
There is a catch though
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 (G80SD) review: a top class 4K OLED monitor
This stellar display does gaming, streaming, and more
By David Nield Published
-
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro withdrawn from sale with a surprising explanation
There's a Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro problem - what's going on?
By Chris Hall Published
-
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 tipped to make Android tablets important again
A huge change to Samsung's Galaxy tablets has been confirmed
By Chris Hall Published
-
Huge Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra deal just hit Prime Day – $325 off 2024's best Android phone
The 5-star flagship gets 25% off before the end of the Prime Day sales
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Don't expect a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra at Unpacked, but it's not gone for good
Another foldable Samsung phone was rumoured, cancelled, and now potentially back on the cards.
By Britta O'Boyle Published