Samsung unveils cheaper Galaxy S23 but UK fans face frustrating wait to buy it

The new Galaxy S23 FE in all its colour options (Image: Samsung) Samsung has your back in the cost of living crisis – the tech giant has just announced the brand new Galaxy S23 FE , a very capable Android smartphone that costs hundreds less than other S23 phones but still punches well above its weight. The Galaxy S23 FE will pack in a triple camera setup for all your photo needs, a big bright 6.4-inch AMOLED screen with smooth 120Hz refresh rate, a big 4,500mAh battery with wireless charging capabilities, 5G, IP68 water and dust resistance, and Android 13 – all for just £599, which is £250 cheaper than any other S23 phone . The big catch for UK Samsung fans is that it’s not available on these shores until 8 December, a huge wait considering it’s going on sale in other countries on 26 October. If you are patient, you’ll get your hands on a phone with 128GB storage and power from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset – the same one found in some models of 2022’s Galaxy S22. It’s still plenty more oomph than most people need in their phones, and will mean you can run high-level games with no issues. Unlike some other mid-range phones, no one is going to be able to tell you’ve got the cheaper Galaxy if you pick up the S23 FE as the design is practically the same as the S23 and S23 Plus, with Samsung’s ‘floating camera’ design with the three lenses on the back, and a big flat display with curved corners. The new S23 FE in purple (Image: Samsung) Available in mint, cream, purple, and graphite colours, Samsung says the S23 is made from pre-consumer recycled aluminium and glass, as well as post-consumer recycled plastic sourced from discarded fishing nets, water barrels, and plastic bottles. The main camera on the S23 FE is a high-resolution 50Mp shooter that should take great daylight shots, but the phone also comes with Samsung’s Nightography mode to take better selfies and portrait shots with cool blur effect even when it’s dark on your big night out. A 3x zoom lens also means you can get a better shot of the action on stage the next time you’re at a gig. The Galaxy S23 FE goes on sale in the UK on 8 December for that £599 price, right in time for Christmas. Samsung also announced a pair of £99 Galaxy Buds FE and two tablets, the Galaxy Tab S9 FE and Tab S9 FE+, which will cost from £449 and pack in 90Hz screens and S Pen stylus in the box for writing and drawing. The buds and tablets are available from 11 October.