To many of us, the arrival of theSamsung Galaxy S23 FEwas rather hard to understand. It features what can be consideredmidrange hardwarewhile leveraging the branding of the early 2023 Samsung flagships. Nevertheless, the starting price of $600 meant that the company had learned from theGalaxy S21 FE, which cost $100 more when it broke cover in January 2022. However, Samsung doesn’t seem to be fully onboard the $600 starting price for its latest midranger, as the manufacturer has quietly upped the smartphone’s price by $30 as it went up on sale in the US this Thursday.
This $630 price tag for the entry-level Galaxy S23 FE is only seen onSamsung’s online store, as the folks at DigitalTrendsfound. The company has since confirmed to the publication as well as9to5Googlethat the premium price only applies to unlocked models of the device bought through its online store. Meanwhile, the same unlocked model continues to be available for $600 through third-party retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.
You do get a couple of Samsung-exclusive colors through its store, but the $630 price tag is applied across the board, even for the non-exclusive colors like Graphite, Purple, Cream, and Mint. Carrier-locked versions of the Galaxy S23 FE cost $600, as Samsung noted in its statement to 9to5. The $30 price bump also applies to the unlocked 256GB variant, which is now listed for $690 on Samsung.com, while Amazon and Best Buy are selling it for $660.
It’s quite unusual for a manufacturer to advertise one price tag during the announcement and quietly increase it when sales commence, but that’s exactly what’s happened here. Even if it’s only $30 more than the originally advertised price tag, the company can’t argue with the fact that this looks quite deceptive. It could’ve been justifiable if the cost increase only applied to Samsung.com’s exclusive colors like Tangerine and Indigo.
There’s also the likelihood that third-party retailers like Amazon and Best Buy haven’t received the memo from Samsung just yet. But as of this writing, the unlocked Galaxy S23 FE in both storage variants are available for $600 and $660, respectively, through Amazon and Best Buy.
Samsung announced the Galaxy S23 FE alongside thetwo Fan Edition branded Galaxy Tab S9 modelsand the Galaxy Buds FE earlier this month. The smartphone would technically be the last major launch from Samsung this year, with the manufacturer now focusing heavily on theGalaxy S24, which isrumored to be revealed on January 18, with availability expected to commence a couple of weeks later.
Perhaps Samsung will come back to its senses by then and reverse its decision to charge $30 more for a phone that’s available for cheaper through third-party outlets. Unless prospective buyers are considering either of the two Samsung-exclusive colors, there’s no real incentive to purchase the midranger through the company’s official store.
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
Samsung’s newest flagship phone, the Galaxy S23 FE packages together power and performance to bring you the latest, and most affordable smartphone in the S23 lineup. With a smart battery, optimized camera, and seamless connectivity, the Galaxy S23 FE provides you with everything you need, at a great price.
