Samsung may not launch a Fan Edition (FE) phone this year. Last month, reports emerged that the company has canceled the Galaxy S22 FE and will directly launch the Galaxy S23 FE in the second half of 2023. But the latest word from industry insiders is that the Galaxy S23 FE isn’t happening either.
“Sure doesn’t look like there’ll be an S23 FE this year,” reliable tipster Roland Quandt tweeted a few days back. Quandt has an excellent track record of Samsung leaks and has been accurate with his information more often than not. However, he didn’t explain what is happening. It’s unclear why the Koren firm is not launching a new FE phone in 2023. Perhaps Quant could be basing his statement on the fact that there haven’t been any leaks about the Galaxy S23 FE so far. Leaks about other Galaxy devices launching in the second half of the year, like the Galaxy Z Fold 5, have been coming for some time now.
This could either mean we will get the Galaxy S23 FE early next year or Samsung will directly jump to the Galaxy S24 FE after launching the Galaxy S21 FE in January last year. Or, the company may shelve the FE project altogether. There have been reports about the Korean firm planning to cancel multiple phones over the next few years to focus resources on models that sell better. The Galaxy S21 FE didn’t do well in the market last year. The Galaxy A73 5G was also sold poorly and Samsung has already canceled the Galaxy A74 5G. It remains to be seen if the Fan Edition lineup lives on or if it’s dead after just two models.
Samsung could sell the Galaxy S22 at a discount in place of the Galaxy S23 FE
With no FE model, there will be a big gap in Samsung’s smartphone lineup in the premium segment this year. If you want anything more affordable than the base Galaxy S23, your choice will be the Galaxy A53 5G, which is a mid-range model. Sure it brings plenty of flagship features, but it isn’t a flagship. But the company knows its business better than anyone else. It may be looking to fill the gap by offering the Galaxy S22 series at a discount. That may be a better proposition than a new FE phone, which is a stripped-down flagship too. Things should get clearer in the coming months.