[Review] Galaxy S23 FE Comparable to Premium Phones... What Is the On-site Reaction?

Affordable Performance Around 800,000 Won
2-Year Return Condition Compensation Program Available
Device Cost Can Be 0 Won... 'Temperature Differences' Among Dealerships

"Mainly people in their 40s and 50s come looking for this. There's not much difference in features compared to phones over 1 million won." "The Galaxy S24 premium phone is coming out soon, so is there any reason to switch now? The response has been quite lukewarm."

Samsung Electronics' 'cost-effective phone,' the Galaxy S23 FE, is heating up the smartphone market at the end of 2023. On the 13th, I visited a mobile carrier store in Seoul and heard comments like these. Opinions were divided between those who see no shortcomings in specs or camera performance at the price of around 800,000 won and those who feel its appeal diminishes as the new Galaxy S24 series is set to launch in a month.

Suitable for Light Users... Disappointing Heat Generation

I experienced the Galaxy S23 FE for a week. For 'light users' who mainly use the phone's basic functions, it seems usable without inconvenience. The rear triple camera features 50 million pixels and 3x optical zoom. There are dedicated modes for food photography, close-up, and night shots, producing satisfying results. The 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display made watching videos comfortable. It is equipped with a 4500mAh battery supporting 25W fast charging and has 256GB of storage, suitable for everyday use.

However, the heat felt on the back was concerning. When a phone heats up easily, users tend to feel uneasy. Heat was noticeable when downloading three applications consecutively, playing a block game for 20 minutes, and maintaining the camera shooting mode for over 5 minutes.

KT Offers Zero Device Cost if Used for 2 Years with Subsidy

The smartest way to use the Galaxy S23 FE is to receive the carrier subsidy and use the phone for two years before returning it. Among the three major carriers, LG Uplus currently offers the highest subsidy. When subscribing to a plan costing 85,000 won or more, they provide a 500,000 won subsidy. Including additional subsidies (up to 15%), users can get a total discount of 575,000 won on the device cost.

If your monthly data usage is low, it is more beneficial to use KT's 24-month subscription service. By subscribing to a 69,000 won plan with KT and joining this service, users can effectively use the phone for two years with zero device cost. Upon joining, you receive a subsidy of 424,000 won, and after maintaining the plan for 24 months and returning the phone, KT compensates 50% of the original price (423,000 won). However, a monthly subscription fee of 2,000 won must be paid for 24 months. The phone must be returned in normal working condition without external damage. KT announced that more than half of Galaxy S23 FE subscribers have joined this subscription service.

Samsung Electronics itself is also running a bold compensation program. If you buy an unlocked phone at a Samsung store and return it after two years, you can receive 50% of the original price as compensation. It seems carriers and device manufacturers are rolling up their sleeves to align with the government's policy to reduce household communication expenses.

However, government policies and market sentiment do not always align. After visiting carrier stores, I sensed a temperature gap in how sales staff view the Galaxy S23 FE. At a mobile phone agency of carrier A, they said that when the high-end Galaxy S24 new model launches in January next year, consumers are unlikely to seek mid-range budget phones. In front of another carrier's agency, only signboards advertising Apple's iPhone 15 were everywhere. It was hard to find any enthusiastic advertising or sales efforts featuring the Galaxy S23 FE.

On the other hand, at an LG Uplus direct agency in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, they said about the Galaxy S23 FE, "Customers in their 40s and 50s mainly look for this," adding, "It receives good reviews as it is not much different from the Galaxy S23 model in specs and camera performance."