There’s nothing wrong with the Galaxy S23 FE, but it feels like an uninspired collection of surplus components rather than one for the fans.

Nice, big display, Fun color options!, Four years of OS upgrades and five years of security support

Lackluster telephoto lens, Sluggish portrait mode, Costs extra if you buy unlocked from Samsung

Samsung wants to prove that a Samsung Galaxy experience doesn't have to be expensive.

Great premium feeling in the hand, Great display, Display brightness is really good, Amazing speakers, Smooth performance, Smooth gaming performance, Latest Samsung software, Fingerprint scanner is fast and accurate

Heats up considerably

A good option for budget-conscious Samsung fans....

Bright OLED screen, Good build quality, Solid cameras, Excellent software update policy, A decent value

Older, hotter processor, Larger than S23 Plus with a smaller screen, Finicky fingerprint reader, Aging Gorilla Glass

The Galaxy S23 FE is an excellent phone that gets you access to Samsung's higher-end features without the higher price.

In essence, the Galaxy S23 FE is a budget flagship phone, one that outguns anything in the midrange Galaxy A-series line-up but is just a few paces short of Samsung’s current-gen flagship phones.

Great quality display, Larger vapour chamber ensures better sustained performance, Good primary camera, Excellent battery life, Has DeX mode

Only primary camera has OIS, Base display refresh rate bottoms out at 60Hz

By itself, the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE looks like a tempting option with flagship S23 DNA and the right compromises to fit its £599/$599 price tag – but with the regular Galaxy S23 already dipping beneath the FE’s RRP, it seems like it’s too little too late for Samsung’s premium mid-ranger.

Very similar design to the Galaxy S23, Great performance from the Exynos 2200, All-day battery life

The regular Galaxy S23 can be found cheaper, Slow charging, Fairly heavy for its size

This 'for the fans' sub-flagship borrows the best bits from the full-fat S23

Styling and screen match top-tier phones, Decent performance and all-day battery life, Very capable main camera

Telephoto camera not very impressive, Rivals offer similar hardware for less cash, The Galaxy S23 isn’t that much more expensive either

“The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE delivers flagship specs and features at a great price.”

IP68 dust and water resistance, Bright AMOLED display, Four promised Android upgrades, Fast wireless charging, Competitively priced

Uncomfortable design, Compromised performance, Lacks superfast wired charging

While it's a shame that picture and sound quality haven't been upgraded, the iPhone 13 was great in these regards and the iPhone 14 is, too Excellent display Admirable headphone performance Solid build quality No upgrades to picture or sound Familiar design Notch is still present

The Apple iPhone 14 is no match for the just-released iPhone 14 Pro, but if you ignore that, it’s one of the most effective phones around.

Great cameras, front and back, Fast performance, Good battery life, Innovative safety features

Design too familiar, Some average features