Jenith
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Although Samsung's new Galaxy S25 FE is technically inferior to the other three premium S25 models released at the beginning of 2025, it shouldn't be easily dismissed by Samsung fans who own older S-series flagships and are looking for a replacement.
A prime example is the Galaxy S23, which can't quite match the newer S25 FE in several areas. If you own the S23 and are considering switching to a larger and newer phone without breaking the bank, you should not overlook the S25 FE only because it's a Fan Edition phone. Here are a few reasons why.
The two main reasons are the display and battery life. Like the S23, the new S25 FE doesn't support full-screen Always On Display, but it does have a brighter (1900 nits) and larger (6.7-inch) panel with an LTPO backplane.
Furthermore, if your Galaxy S23 is showing signs of battery degradation, the Galaxy S25 FE can be a solid upgrade. It has a larger 4,900 mAh battery with faster 45W charging.
The Galaxy S23 shipped with a smaller battery, to begin with. So any battery loss that may have occurred over the past couple of years could make a noticeable difference. The new S25 FE should feel like a substantial upgrade in this regard.
Even though you might find it hard to believe, the Exynos 2400 chip inside the Galaxy S25 FE is technically more powerful than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 inside your Galaxy S23.
We know it's easy to dismiss Exynos as the inferior solution, but that's not the case when there's a generation gap between the chip models. So, even though the latest Fan Edition phone has an Exynos SoC instead of a solution made by Qualcomm, you should get better performance from the 2025 FE phone.
The Galaxy S25 FE is essentially powered by the same Exynos 2400 chip as the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+, which went on sale a year after the S23.
Last but not least, even though the Galaxy S23 has started getting the Android 16-based One UI 8 update, the S25 FE ships with One UI 8 out of the box and offers extended firmware support.
Your Galaxy S23 originally shipped with Android 13 and is eligible for a total of four major OS upgrades. It has already received the third one.
On the other hand, the Galaxy S25 FE shipped with Android 16 and should receive seven major OS upgrades over its lifetime.
To be fair to the Galaxy S23, the 2023 flagship is better than the S25 FE in terms of camera capabilities, particularly when it comes to 4K 60fps video recording.
The S25 FE can only record 4K 60fps videos with the primary shooter and the selfie camera, but the Galaxy S23 supports 4K@60fps video recording for all four of its shooters, front to back.
All in all, the Galaxy S25 FE offers a fair number of advantages over the Galaxy S23. Should you upgrade? We'd say that the Galaxy S23 still performs well enough in 2025, and if you're not in a hurry, you could at least wait until Samsung officially drops firmware support before you swap it for a newer phone.
However, if you feel that your S23's battery has degraded too much since launch, or if you want a larger screen without spending too much money, the Galaxy S25 FE is worth a closer look.
If you're in a market where Samsung offers trade-in discounts, you should check out the company's e-shop. As of this writing, in the USA, Samsung will cut you a $200 deal on the Galaxy S25 FE if you exchange your Galaxy S23 for it.
Upgrade your S23 today
The post Galaxy S23 to S25 FE might be the underrated upgrade you need appeared first on imeisource.
A prime example is the Galaxy S23, which can't quite match the newer S25 FE in several areas. If you own the S23 and are considering switching to a larger and newer phone without breaking the bank, you should not overlook the S25 FE only because it's a Fan Edition phone. Here are a few reasons why.
A bigger, brighter display and a larger, faster battery
The two main reasons are the display and battery life. Like the S23, the new S25 FE doesn't support full-screen Always On Display, but it does have a brighter (1900 nits) and larger (6.7-inch) panel with an LTPO backplane.
Furthermore, if your Galaxy S23 is showing signs of battery degradation, the Galaxy S25 FE can be a solid upgrade. It has a larger 4,900 mAh battery with faster 45W charging.
The Galaxy S23 shipped with a smaller battery, to begin with. So any battery loss that may have occurred over the past couple of years could make a noticeable difference. The new S25 FE should feel like a substantial upgrade in this regard.
More power from the Exynos chip
Even though you might find it hard to believe, the Exynos 2400 chip inside the Galaxy S25 FE is technically more powerful than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 inside your Galaxy S23.
We know it's easy to dismiss Exynos as the inferior solution, but that's not the case when there's a generation gap between the chip models. So, even though the latest Fan Edition phone has an Exynos SoC instead of a solution made by Qualcomm, you should get better performance from the 2025 FE phone.
The Galaxy S25 FE is essentially powered by the same Exynos 2400 chip as the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+, which went on sale a year after the S23.
Extended firmware support
Last but not least, even though the Galaxy S23 has started getting the Android 16-based One UI 8 update, the S25 FE ships with One UI 8 out of the box and offers extended firmware support.
Your Galaxy S23 originally shipped with Android 13 and is eligible for a total of four major OS upgrades. It has already received the third one.
On the other hand, the Galaxy S25 FE shipped with Android 16 and should receive seven major OS upgrades over its lifetime.
Watch out for the camera downgrade
To be fair to the Galaxy S23, the 2023 flagship is better than the S25 FE in terms of camera capabilities, particularly when it comes to 4K 60fps video recording.
The S25 FE can only record 4K 60fps videos with the primary shooter and the selfie camera, but the Galaxy S23 supports 4K@60fps video recording for all four of its shooters, front to back.
Conclusion and looking for trade-in offers
All in all, the Galaxy S25 FE offers a fair number of advantages over the Galaxy S23. Should you upgrade? We'd say that the Galaxy S23 still performs well enough in 2025, and if you're not in a hurry, you could at least wait until Samsung officially drops firmware support before you swap it for a newer phone.
However, if you feel that your S23's battery has degraded too much since launch, or if you want a larger screen without spending too much money, the Galaxy S25 FE is worth a closer look.
If you're in a market where Samsung offers trade-in discounts, you should check out the company's e-shop. As of this writing, in the USA, Samsung will cut you a $200 deal on the Galaxy S25 FE if you exchange your Galaxy S23 for it.
Upgrade your S23 today
Browse Galaxy S25 FE trade-in deals
Samsung ShopThe post Galaxy S23 to S25 FE might be the underrated upgrade you need appeared first on imeisource.