The S23 FE is the successor of the Galaxy S21 FE from January, 2022. The fan edition is a slightly trimmed-down version of the premium Galaxy S lineup of phones, offering most of the flagship features at a lower price tag. The latest Fan Edition is reportedly arriving later this year with refreshed camera and S23 like design.
The S23 FE has a triple (50+12+12) rear camera setup along with a 32MP selfie camera on the front.
S23 FE camera specifications
| S23 FE | S21 FE | S20 FE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main | 50MP *** (1/1.56″) | 12MP (1/1.76″) | 12MP (1/1.76″) |
| Ultrawide | 12MP (123°) | 12MP (123°) | 12MP (123°) |
| Telephoto | 8MP (3x) | 8MP (3x) | 8MP (3x) |
S23 FE improves camera quality
For the first time, a Fan Edition device is getting a noticeable camera hardware upgrade. The S23 FE finally gets a 50 megapixel sensor, reportedly the same sensor used in the Galaxy S23 and S23+. The main sensor is also significantly bigger than the 12 megapixel one used in previous FE models.
The bigger main sensor captures more light information to work with, which results in better quality images especially in low light. Just like the S23 and S23 Plus, the S23 FE is also expected to have better low light performance with lower noise as compared to the previous fan edition models.
Bigger main sensor with higher resolution captures more information
The Galaxy S23 FE brings very similar camera hardware to the Galaxy S23 or S23+, but lags behind in terms of software. As a result, it still maintains a difference in overall image quality. If the camera is important to you, it becomes reasonable to consider the Galaxy S23, provided you’re willing to pay a slightly higher price.
This brings me to the question: Is the Galaxy S23 still a better choice than the S23 FE?
Improvement in image processing expected
Samsung has used the same 108MP ISOCELL HM3 as the main sensor for its flagship ultra model for 3 years. However, each iteration has brought significant improvements on the camera performance. These improvements are made by improving the image processing algorithms.
These software processing improvements are expected to gradually make their way to other models, including the Fan Edition. Overall, the refreshed camera specifications of the S23 FE look promising. But if you already have the S20 FE or the S21 FE, then is it worth upgrading to the S23 FE? I wanted to find the answer, and it may help you.
The development progress suggests that it will likely arrive towards the end of this year or even early next year.
