After months of constant leaks and rumours, Samsung has finally let the cat out of the bag by announcing the Galaxy S23 FE. This is essentially a cut down version of the regular Galaxy S23, with a couple of downgrades here and there while still keeping most of what makes their flagship phones standout compared to their midrange devices like the Galaxy A series.
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE Malaysia pricing and availability
According to Samsung, the Galaxy S23 FE will be available in Malaysia from 10 October onwards. It will come in two storage configurations, which are:
- Samsung Galaxy S23 FE, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage – RM2,999
- Samsung Galaxy S23 FE, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage – RM3,299
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE specs
The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE comes with a 6.4-inch, Dynamic AMOLED 2x display, larger than the Galaxy S23 but is basically the same size as Samsung’s previous Galaxy FE devices. This panel pushes an FHD+ resolution and is capable of a 120Hz refresh rate. It also has a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5 over it for scratch resistance, while on the back is a layer of Gorilla Glass 5—a step up from the ‘glasstic’ finish of the S21 FE then. Despite being Samsung’s cheaper flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S23 FE still has an IP68 dust and water resistance rating.
Under the hood, things get a little tricky. While Samsung were quick to show off the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy when the Galaxy S23 series first debuted, with the Galaxy S23 FE the official spec sheet only denotes that it has a octa-core processor with speeds of 2,8GHzm 2,5GHz and 1.8GHz. However, it’s understood that for global versions of the Galaxy S23 FE (Malaysia included) it will come powered by their own Exynos 2200 processor from last year, while only the US version will get a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 instead. This comes with 8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage and One UI 5.1 based on Android 13 out of the box with Samsung’s usual guarantee of four major Android OS upgrades and five years of security support.
In the camera department, the Galaxy S23 FE gets a major upgrade from FE smartphones of yesteryear by getting a main 50MP, f/1.8 camera, similar to that on the Galaxy S23 itself. That gets flanked by a 12MP, f/2.2 ultrawide shooter, as well as an 8MP, f/2.4 telephoto camera offering a 3x optical zoom, while up front is a 10MP, f/2.4 camera for taking your selfies. While the main camera might be on par with the regular Galaxy S23, the latter two shooters are notably at a lower resolution than their more expensive flagships.
Elsewhere, the Galaxy S23 FE is powered by a 4,500mAh battery with support for 25W fast charging, 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging; you will however not get a charging brick in the box. Other features of note include stereo speakers, an in-display fingerprint sensor as well as support for 5G, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 and NFC wireless connectivity. Available in Mint, Cream, Graphite and Purple colourways, the Galaxy S23 FE comes in at 209g and measures 8.1mm thick.
