Samsung’s FE series makes a comeback with the introduction of the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE, accompanied by a pair of Galaxy Buds. The Galaxy S23 FE is a “value flagship” smartphone with a price tag of $599, which is much more affordable compared to its predecessor, the S21 FE, priced at $699. The Galaxy Tab S9 FE also offers a cheaper alternative, priced at $449, compared to the standard S9 starting at $799. However, the Tab S9 FE comes with an LCD panel instead of OLED. The Galaxy Buds FE, priced at $99, offer active noise cancellation.
Samsung seems to have learned from the pricing issue with the previous FE series. The S23 FE retains a 6.4-inch 120Hz OLED display and a full IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, which sets it apart from the midrange A-series devices.
In addition to affordability, Samsung adds a touch of fun to the FE series. The S23 FE comes in mint, cream, graphite, and purple, with indigo and tangerine options available exclusively on Samsung’s website. The Galaxy Buds FE, reminiscent of Samsung’s previous Galaxy Buds Plus, provide up to six hours of playback with active noise cancellation. However, they only come in graphite and white, lacking the vibrant colors available for the S23 FE.
The S23 FE features 8GB of RAM and a previous-gen Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, which may not excel in battery efficiency compared to the current 8 Gen 2. Nonetheless, it offers wireless charging and an 8-megapixel telephoto camera alongside its 50-megapixel main and 12-megapixel ultrawide cameras. These features are usually reserved for higher-end phones.
The Tab S9 FE offers two variants: the 10.9-inch version and the S9 FE Plus with a 12.4-inch display. Both tablets utilize LCD panels with a 90Hz refresh rate instead of OLED, and they are equipped with an Exynos 1380 chipset instead of Qualcomm processors. However, they maintain an IP68 rating and come bundled with an S Pen stylus. The color options include gray, mint, silver, and lavender.
Consumers can mark their calendars for the release dates. The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE will be available for purchase on October 26th with 128GB of storage. The Galaxy Buds FE, Galaxy Tab S9 FE, and S9 FE Plus will be available from select carriers on October 5th and can also be purchased directly from Samsung’s website starting October 10th.