What you need to know
- The Galaxy S23 FE is rumored to be in development for launch later in 2023.
- The phone will reportedly be powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 to keep costs down.
- Samsung is reportedly considering canceling the Galaxy A74 in favor of the S23 FE.
Rumors have been swirling about Samsung reportedly developing a Galaxy S23 FE after the company skipped out on the S22 FE. The phone may launch in the second half of the year, and we may have an idea of what kind of performance to expect from the device.
According to a tweet from tipster Connor (via SamMobile), the Galaxy S23 FE won't use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy like its flagship siblings. That said, it apparently won't even use the standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with its slightly slower clock speed. Instead, the phone will apparently use last year's chipset:
[Exclusive]Galaxy S23 FE will use Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 to adjust the unit price.February 21, 2023
The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 was announced in May 2022 and addressed some of the performance issues that plague devices like the Galaxy S22 while providing faster speeds and better efficiency. And while the chip may be slightly older, it's by no means a slouch, powering devices like Samsung's latest foldable phones and other powerful flagships that launched during the second half of 2022.
Foregoing the latest and greatest chipset for a slightly older one makes sense if Samsung wants to price the Galaxy S23 FE competitively. Of course, there may also be other compromises to bring the cost down, but the phone will likely still bring many of the same flagship specs found in Samsung's current flagships.
The Galaxy S23 already has quite a bit going for it when compared to the Pixel 6a, but it can be a tough sell at nearly double the price. With the Pixel 7a rumored to arrive later this year, Samsung may bank on price competitiveness over having the latest chipset, which could still work in its favor for anyone seeking more affordable flagship phones.
