Samsung Galaxy S23 FE may not get Qualcomm's latest and greatest chip

Samsung skipped the Galaxy S22 FE, but there are strong rumors that it will revive the Fan Edition this year. The Galaxy S23 FE is still very much a mystery, but a tipster now claims that it might not get the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip as the rest of the Galaxy S23 series phones.

According to Twitter tipster Connor (via SamMobile), the Galaxy S23 FE is set to feature the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 SoC. The chipset came to market in 2022 and powers phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy Z Flip 4, and many more. It’s not a weak smartphone processor by any means. On the contrary, its performance has been pretty impressive in all the devices we’ve reviewed so far.

However, some might say that Samsung is taking a step back by using an older SoC for a 2023 phone. The Fan Edition has always been a more affordable alternative with the same flagship chip as the more premium S series phones. Alas, it looks like Samsung decided to downgrade the processor on the Galaxy S23 FE for cost-cutting reasons.

The phone is tipped to be a Galaxy A74 replacement this year. With the older but still powerful SoC, Samsung can price the S23 FE more competitively. Add to that the company’s long-term update policy, and Samsung might have a successful mid-ranger on its hands.