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Hardcore Samsung fans and Android power users on relatively tight budgets have been waiting for a sequel to the belated Galaxy S21 FE for almost two years now, and at long last, the Galaxy S23 FE (not S22 FE) is up for grabs and shipping in the US.
Officially priced at $599.99 stateside with the same "premium" Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor under the hood as the Galaxy S22 family (not the rest of the S23 series), the 6.4-inch handset appears to go up against Google's "vanilla" Pixel 8 and the Motorola Edge (2023) rather than the likes of the Pixel 8 Pro, Edge Plus (2023), or OnePlus 11.
Free gift cards and discounted buds for all!
To help boost the appeal of this new "budget flagship" from Samsung, Amazon and Best Buy are doing what they do best starting today and what they've done for multiple other recently released Galaxy devices. Much like the Tab S9, Tab S9+, Tab S9 FE, Tab S9 FE+, and even the Galaxy Buds FE, the unlocked Galaxy S23 FE 5G is discounted right off the bat with no special requirements and no strings attached.
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
5G, Unlocked, 128GB Storage, 8GB RAM, Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Processor, Android 13 with One UI 5.1, 6.4-Inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display with 2340 x 1080 Pixel Resolution and 120Hz Refresh Rate Technology, 50 + 8 + 12MP Triple Rear-Facing Camera System, 10MP Selfie Shooter, 4,500mAh Battery with 25W Charging Capabilities, Multiple Color Options, $100 Gift Card Included
5G, Unlocked, 128GB Storage, 8GB RAM, Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Processor, Android 13 with One UI 5.1, 6.4-Inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display with 2340 x 1080 Pixel Resolution and 120Hz Refresh Rate Technology, 50 + 8 + 12MP Triple Rear-Facing Camera System, 10MP Selfie Shooter, 4,500mAh Battery with 25W Charging Capabilities, Multiple Color Options, $100 Gift Card and Galaxy Buds FE Included
Of course, nothing is ever that simple in life, so instead of being able to lower the aforementioned base price of the new high-end smartphone, early adopters are technically looking at saving 100 bucks on future Amazon or Best Buy purchases.
That's because the two retailers are bundling both the 128 and 256GB storage configurations of the 5G-enabled S23 Fan Edition with a complimentary $100 gift card. Not quite as attractive as an outright discount on the device itself, this still represents a very nice deal sweetener for an already strong candidate for the title of best budget 5G phone out there.
Even better, Amazon will also sell you the Galaxy S23 FE together with a $49.99 pair of brand-new noise-cancelling Galaxy Buds FE in addition to the aforementioned gratis gift card if you're interested in such a bundle, thus allowing you to take your savings all the way up to 150 bucks in total.
Curiously enough, Samsung's official US e-store is unable to match these undeniably awesome Amazon launch promotions, merely offering trade-in credits that cap off at a rather modest $300 and even more bizarrely listing the unlocked Galaxy S23 FE at $629.99 and $689.99 prices in 128 and 256 gig variants respectively instead of $599.99 and $659.99.
Should you get the Galaxy S23 Fan Edition?
As you can imagine, that's a complicated question that we just cannot answer in a simple and "universal" way. For starters, the competition is incredibly tough, with the aforementioned non-Pro Pixel 8 costing $700 and up, which obviously makes the S23 FE look good and affordable, but the "regular" Motorola Edge (2023) fetching $500 as part of a US launch deal of its own with no gift cards or anything else of that sort involved.
Then there's the question of internal competition if you will, as the S23 FE happens to look extremely similar to the Galaxy A54 5G at first glance. Samsung's early 2023-released mid-ranger is of course significantly humbler under the hood compared to the newest member of the Galaxy S23 family, but it also costs a lot less money, normally going for $450 and very often scoring discounts of $50 or even $100 of late.
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This is not the time or place to dive into a thorough comparison between the Galaxy S23 FE and all of its rivals, competitors, and relatives, but it's pretty obvious that this bad boy stands tall in its price bracket in terms of software support with four guaranteed OS promotions and five years of security patches while also shining in the camera department (especially compared to its predecessor) and suffering a little as far as battery capacity and expandable storage (or lack thereof) are concerned.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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