Right around the time Samsung's latest foldable phones, smartwatches, and high-end tablets hit the stage at Unpacked, the vice president of mobile for Samsung South Africa confirmed that the Galaxy S23 FE is coming soon. How soon? “Imminently,” according to the official. Meanwhile, a live photo of the upcoming Fan Edition device emerged online.
The US version of the Galaxy S23 FE was spotted recently on the Wireless Power Consortium website. Not only was the name and SM-S711U model number confirmed, but the WPC application contained a live photo of the Galaxy S23 FE (via Galaxy Club).
Flat screen instead of a 2.5D
While the Galaxy S21 FE had a 2.5D screen — meaning its edges were slightly curved — the Galaxy S23 FE follows Samsung's new design language that dictates most phones must have entirely-flat screens and back panels. The live photo at WPC shows the Galaxy S23 FE only from the front, but we can assume that the rear panel is equally flat.
Although this design change makes the Galaxy S23 FE's bezels slightly thicker than the Galaxy S21 FE, this arguably is a more practical approach. The fact is that accidental touches don't happen as often on flat displays with thicker bezels, and this helps one-hand navigation, typing, and general usability.
Fans who put more weight on how a phone looks rather than how it functions may view this design as a downgrade from the previous model. Others who have experienced the benefits of flat panels and slightly thicker bezels first-hand (especially if they prefer navigation gestures over navigation buttons) will likely welcome this change, even if it might not make the Galaxy S23 FE as photogenic as its predecessor.
There's no telling when Samsung will announce the Galaxy S23 FE, but now that Unpacked is over, the focus is on the upcoming Fan Edition devices. And yes, “devices” is correct, as other leaks suggest that Samsung is also planning to announce two FE tablets that are unofficially called the Galaxy Tab S9 FE and Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus.
