In the latter half of 2023, reports from South Korea suggested that Samsung planned to phase out the Galaxy A74 in favor of a budget flagship, the Galaxy S23 FE. The shift would mark a notable change in Samsung’s mid-range strategy, aligning a premium-feel device with a more accessible price point.
Industry chatter indicated that Samsung might broaden the S23 FE’s availability beyond the markets that welcomed the Galaxy S21 FE, which previously debuted with limited reach across Asia, Europe, and the United States. Expanding the footprint could help Samsung gauge demand more broadly and leverage its global supply chain more efficiently.
Historically, the Galaxy S20 FE enjoyed strong sales and crossed the 10 million unit milestone by 2021. The Galaxy S21 FE, by contrast, faced tougher market reception, and some analysts believe this uneven performance contributed to the absence of a Galaxy S22 FE. The Galaxy A73, meanwhile, did not perform as well, selling roughly in the low single-digit millions and prompting a strategic reevaluation of product allocation within Samsung’s lineup.
As for the Galaxy S23 FE, concrete specifications remained heavily under wraps for some time. Rumors suggested Samsung might equip the device with multiple chip options, including an Exynos 2300 configuration, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, or the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 from the prior year, signaling an emphasis on performance parity with the flagship line while preserving value.
Earlier sources noted a shift in focus within the broader smartphone market, with various models from other brands gaining traction in regions like Russia. These discussions highlighted how regional preferences and competitive pricing continue to shape Samsung’s planning around feature sets, chip choices, and release cadences.