Samsung Galaxy S23 FE And Tab S9 FE Offer Flagship Features On A Budget
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Samsung has taken the wraps off its latest Fan Edition products, marking the return of the more affordable line following its absence in 2022. For the current year, Samsung is offering up the Galaxy S23 FE, Tab S9 FE, and Galaxy Buds FE — all three of them packing key flagship features but alongside price tags lower than what you'd pay for their non-FE siblings. The Tab S9 Fan Edition includes the "plus" variant for users who want the larger 12.4-inch display (compared to the base model's 10.9 inches).
Customers have multiple configuration options when it comes to the Galaxy S23 FE and Tab S9 FE — the smartphone comes with 8 GB of RAM and 128/256 GB internal storage options, while the Tab S9 FE comes in 6 GB + 128 GB and 8 GB + 256 GB configurations. The larger Tab S9 FE+ gets a slight RAM boost with 8 GB and 12 GB options. The Galaxy Buds FE, meanwhile, are notable due to the inclusion of Active Noise Cancellation, though with the trade-off of only two lackluster color options: graphite and white.
The Galaxy S23 FE makes small sacrifices
The Fan Edition lineup will give you many of the high-end features you'd expect from flagship devices, but with small sacrifices that were necessary to hit the lower price points — though Samsung did toss a couple of upgrades in with the latest handset. The Galaxy S23 FE features a larger 6.4-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED display with up to 120 Hz refresh rate, putting its size just under the S23 Plus (6.6 inches). Fan Edition customers will also get a larger battery capacity over the regular S23 at 4,500 mAh rather than 3,900 mAh.
All of the features one would consider essential to flagship devices are found on the Galaxy S23 FE despite the slight downgrades, including a 50-megapixel wide-angle camera paired with an 8-megapixel telephoto camera and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera; there's a 10-megapixel module on the front. For reference, the non-FE version of the S23 has a 10-megapixel telephoto camera and a 12-megapixel front camera.
Joining that is support for fast wireless charging, wireless powersharing, and fast wired charging. Connectivity includes Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi 6E, and 5G. Users can also expect Samsung's Knox security platform alongside the Knox Vault, an IP68 water-resistance build, and Android 13 out of the box. Samsung plans to sell the Galaxy S23 FE model in purple, graphite, cream, mint, tangerine, and indigo colors for $599, which is $200 lower than the base non-FE version of the S23. The product will be available to purchase starting on October 10.
Samsung's Tab S9 and Galaxy Buds get the FE treatment
If you're a dedicated Samsung customer, you can get the Fan Edition versions of the Galaxy Buds and Tab S9 to round out your gear — both of them will launch on October 10, the same day as the S23 FE. In addition to the screen sizes and RAM/storage configuration options detailed above, the Tab S9 FE and Tab S9 FE+ models both feature a 12-megapixel ultra-wide front camera and an 8-megapixel rear camera, though the larger model also includes an 8-megapixel ultra-wide rear camera, as well.
Both versions likewise feature up to a 90 Hz refresh rate, support for a 45 W charger, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6, and 5G (on the cellular variant). Other shared tablet features include an S Pen in the box, Dolby Atmos, AKG dual speakers, an IP68 water resistance rating, and Samsung's Knox security platform. The base Tab S9 FE features an 8,000 mAh battery, while the Tab S9 FE+ has a larger 10,090 mAh capacity. The Galaxy Tab S9 FE will be priced at $449 in lavender, gray, silver, and mint color options; the Tab S9 FE+ price and color options are unclear at this time.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy Buds FE features a charging case with a 479 mAh battery, which joins the 60 mAh batteries found in each earbud. Assuming you have ANC turned on, Samsung says you'll get up to six hours of playback before you need to pop them in the charging case, but the figure jumps by two hours if you have ANC turned off. There are also three microphones (two internal) and multiple sensors, including touch, hall, and proximity. Connectivity is via Bluetooth 5.2 and there's support for automatic switching. The model is priced at $99.