Samsung launches Galaxy S23 FE in South Africa

Samsung launched the Galaxy S23 FE — a mid-range smartphone based on the Galaxy S23 — on 4 October 2023, and it is now available to buy in South Africa.

The S23 FE boasts a “floating” camera display like the device on which it is based, IP68-rated water and dust protection, and a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Samsung Exynos 2200 SoC.

While it retains a similar design to the Samsung Galaxy S23, with the same shape and aluminium frame, Samsung has swapped the glass back for a plastic one on the FE.

There are three protruding camera sensors on the rear, with the primary one being a 50MP sensor with the same f/1.8 aperture and 24mm focal length as the primary shooter in the Galaxy S23 series.

It also features a 12MP ultrawide and an 8MP telephoto camera and supports optical image stabilisation and phase-detection autofocus (PDAF).

The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE has a 6.4-inch 2,340 x 1,080-pixel OLED display, making it slightly larger than the S23 launched in February this year.

While its refresh rate tops out at 120Hz, it isn’t variable down to 48Hz like the Samsung Galaxy S23, which could impact battery life.

However, it packs a relatively large battery at 4,500mAh and supports 25W wired fast charging, which Samsung says can provide a 50% refill in 30 minutes.

For those who prefer wireless charging, the S23 FE supports charging without a capable at up to 12W, slightly less than the 15W of the main S23 range.

Regarding performance, the S23 FE will either pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor or Samsung’s Exynos 2200 chip, depending on the region.

Samsung said the device features a fluid-filled vapour chamber to manage heat and sustain performance while gaming or streaming.

The chip is combined with 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage.

Pricing and availability

The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE is available to order in South Africa from Monday, 30 October 2023, at a price of R17,999 for the 256GB model.

On the Samsung online store and Takealot, the price has already been reduced by R1,000 to R16,999.

At the time of writing, Samsung and Takealot only listed models with the 256GB storage configuration as available to order.

Regarding colours, the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE is available in Mint, Cream, Graphite, and Purple Indigo. Samsung said a Tangerine option is available exclusively on its website, but the option was not listed at the time of writing.

The company has also launched FE versions of its Galaxy Buds and the Samsung Galaxy S9 Tab.

The buds are priced at R1,999, while there are two versions of the FE tablet available — the Galaxy S9 Tab FE and Galaxy S9 Tab FE+ — which start at R10,999 and R14,999, respectively.

Specifications and images of the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE are provided below.

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