Samsung's new Fan Edition: the differences to the Galaxy S23, Tab S9 and the Buds 2
Samsung presented the premium versions of its smartphones and tablets at the beginning of the year with the S series. Now the South Korean manufacturer is presenting the slightly slimmed-down, but also more affordable Fan Edition.
The abbreviation "FE" stands for "Fan Edition" at Samsung. It consists of the Galaxy S23 FE, the two tablets Galaxy Tab S9 FE and S9 FE+ as well as the Galaxy Buds FE headphones. The devices show some differences to their slightly more expensive namesakes.
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE - waterproof with three cameras
The Galaxy S 23 FE has the same design as Samsung's current S series. It measures 6.4 inches and weighs 209 grams. With this size, it lies exactly between the S23 with 6.1 inches and the 23+ with 6.6 inches. Like the flagship, it is IP68 certified. According to Samsung, this means it can withstand a dive into 1.5 metres of water for 30 minutes. The Dynamic AMOLED display is designed to adaptively adjust the brightness. The refresh rate of the display is between 60 and 120 Hertz.
Source: Samsung
The name of the processor is not mentioned by Samsung, but it is said to be a powerful octa-core chip with a 4-nanometre design. It could be the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 from last year. A 4500mAh battery is also installed, which should be half charged in 30 minutes. Wireless charging is also possible.
The Galaxy S23 FE is equipped with three cameras on the back. The main camera is a 50 MP wide-angle. In Pro mode, you can manually adjust the shutter speed, aperture and ISO value. There is also a 12 MP ultra-wide-angle camera and an 8 MP telephoto camera with triple zoom. The latter is slightly better equipped on the Galaxy S23 with 12 megapixels. You can store your numerous snapshots on either 128 or 256 gigabytes of internal memory. 8 GB of RAM is installed in each case.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE and S9 FE+ are waterproof and durable
The Fan Edition of the two tablets consists of two sizes: one with a 10.9-inch and one with a 12.4-inch LCD display. This is already the biggest difference to the previous Tab S9 series. There they are OLED displays. The second downgrade is the automatic refresh rate of up to 90 hertz. The regular Tab S9 series has a refresh rate of up to 120 hertz.
Colour and contrast should adjust in sunlight for better visibility. The tablets also boast an IP68 protection rating and are therefore waterproof for 30 minutes in 1.5 metres of fresh water. The battery is designed to play videos for up to 20 hours on a single charge.
The practical S Pen for sketches and notes is also included. You can then save your many ideas and texts to the internal memory. The Tab S9 FE offers you 128 GB with 6 GB RAM or 256 GB with 8 GB RAM. The S9 FE+ offers 8 and 12 GB of RAM for both memory variants. You can expand the memory with a microSD if required.
Source: Samsung
The tablets and smartphone come with Android 13, with Samsung promising four Android upgrades each and 5 years of security patches.
Samsung Galaxy Buds FE with ANC and 29 hours of battery life
With the Galaxy Buds FE, Samsung is expanding the Fan Edition to include headphones for the first time. The in-ears come with oval touchpads on the outside and thus differ from the Galaxy Buds 2 and their Pro version.
Samsung supplies silicone inserts in three sizes to ensure that the buds seal the ear canal properly. With the wingtips in two sizes, you can also hook the buds into the ear cups during sports.
Source: Samsung
The headphones offer the option of active noise cancellation. This gives them up to 20 hours of playback time when recharged in the case. Without ANC, the in-ears can last up to 29 hours.
Availability scattered from October to next year
If you want to see the products for yourself, you may need a little patience. The Galaxy S23 FE series will not be available until 3 January 2024 - in the colours mint, cream, graphite and purple. You can also get the colours indigo and tangerine exclusively at Samsung.com.
The Galaxy Tab S9 FE series is already available in Switzerland in mint, silver, grey and lavender. You can find more information here.
The Galaxy Buds FE will be available in Switzerland from 5 October for 99 francs - in graphite or white.
Prices and dates are not yet known outside of Switzerland, but will be announced as soon as possible.
Cover picture: Samsung
In my world, Super Mario chases Stormtroopers with a unicorn and Harley Quinn mixes cocktails for Eddie and Peter at the beach bar. Wherever I can live out my creativity, my fingers tingle. Or maybe it's because nothing flows through my veins but chocolate, glitter and coffee.