Galaxy S23 FE vs Pixel 8 vs Nothing Phone 2: Samsung’s confusing flagship wins (but not today)
This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
So, let's see exactly why the Galaxy S23 exists; how it stacks up against the competition, and why buying one it might actually be a great idea... at some point.
Samsung’s affordable Galaxy S23 FE flagship doesn’t look great next to the closest competition from Google and Nothing right now
Ironically, the Galaxy S21 FE has a far more premium design than the Galaxy S23 FE, and if you don’t agree, you are… Samsung.
Disclaimer: This isn’t meant to be a detailed comparison between the Galaxy S23 FE and its closest competitors, but there’s no way I can judge the S23 FE in isolation, so let’s see how it stacks up against the Google Pixel 8, and Nothing Phone 2 in my subjective opinion...
If you’re in a hurry, here's the quick summary:
- The Pixel 8 will have a better display than both the Galaxy S23 FE and Nothing Phone 2 (if you don’t mind the smaller size)
- Day-to-day performance should be pretty identical across all phones, since all of them offer roughly the same raw power; the Nothing Phone 2 should be the most reliable phone for heavier tasks, like gaming
- Battery life should also be more or less similar, but will vary depending on your usage; our tests show the Nothing Phone 2 should give you an extra hour of use overall
- Camera performance should go to the Pixel 8, with the Galaxy S23 FE in second place and the Nothing Phone 2 in third; unsurprisingly, Google’s expert image processing helps the Pixel excel in the camera department despite only having two cameras
- Pixel 8 leaves the Galaxy S23 FE and Nothing Phone 2 far behind in terms of software support with pretty much double the amount of updates you’ll get (if you keep the phone for seven years, and if Google does indeed deliver on its promise)
Although that's subjective, I’d pick the design of the Pixel 8 and Nothing Phone 2 over that of the Galaxy S23 FE any day. For me, the biggest turnoff with Samsung’s affordable flagship are the thick borders around the display. I simply can’t look past this, considering the Pixel 8 has super thin bezels, and the Nothing Phone 2 offers a symmetrical screen border. I find the Pixel 8 and Phone 2’s rear look more attractive too, as the S23 FE looks quite bland - of course, some might prefer the understated look.
Galaxy S23 FE vs Pixel 8 vs Nothing Phone 2: Samsung isn’t winning the $600-700 Android battle like in 2020-2021
Nothing Phone 2 (left), Galaxy S23 FE (middle), Pixel 8 (right). Samsung’s affordable flagship doesn’t look anywhere as premium as it should, and you can blame the thick display borders.
| Galaxy S23 FE ($599 starting price) | Pixel 8 Pro ($699 starting price) | Nothing Phone 2 ($599 starting price) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | In the display category, the Galaxy S23 FE would rank last compared to the other two phones. While the brightest of the S23 FE’s 6.4-inch panel is identical to that of the Nothing Phone 2’s, the thick display borders make it feel larger than it is, and give it the look of a budget rather than a flagship device. | When it comes to the display, somewhat surprisingly, the Pixel 8 wins here thanks to its super thin display borders around the 6.2-inch panel, and super-high max brightness of 2000 nits, which should make the Pixel’s panel more legible when it’s bright outside. Just bear in mind that this is the smallest screen of the bunch. | The Nothing Phone 2’s display is really nice, and certainly the best option if you want the largest screen (6.7-inches). However, it has thicker bezels than the Pixel 8 (although they are symmetrical), and it also doesn’t get as bright outdoors, which puts it in 2nd place (IMO). |
| Performance | In terms of performance, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 version of the S23 FE is just as powerful as the Nothing Phone 2, which uses the same chip. However, if you live outside the US, the S23 FE’s Exynos 2200 won’t be as good. | The Pixel 8’s Tensor G3 chip is a nice improvement over the Tensor G2 but it’s still prone to overheating from time to time. That being said, it’s basically on par with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in terms of raw power. | I’d have to give the slight edge to the Nothing Phone 2 when it comes to the processor, as it comes with the tried and tested Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in all regions of the world unlike the S23 FE). |
| Battery life and charing | Since we haven’t tested the battery life of the Galaxy S23 FE, the best I can do is tell you that it’ll most likely last about as long as the Galaxy S22+, which has the same size cell, and a very similar display. In other words, it’ll certainly last you a whole day of normal use. | Pixels aren’t known for their stellar battery life, but according to our battery test, the Pixel 8 should last a bit longer than the Pixel 7, which is to say… not that long. Of course, our benchmarks and your real-life usage will vary. If you want a more personal verdict, my Pixel 7 Pro’s battery leaves a lot to be desired compared to my Galaxy S23 Ultra or iPhone 14 Pro. | According to our tests, the Nothing Phone 2 and its slightly larger 4,700 mAh cell win here. Overall, the Phone 2 should give you an extra hour of use compared to the Pixel 8 and the Galaxy S23 FE (judging by our S22+ battery test). The Phone 2 also takes the cake in terms of fast charging but not by much. |
| Camera | In terms of cameras, the S23 FE has a nearly identical camera setup to that of the Galaxy S22, and the same chip (which processes all the photos and videos). In other words, you can expect similar results to that of the S22, which takes great, Instagram-ready photos and videos across the board - albeit a bit too saturated and oversharpened. The “secret” weapon of the Galaxy S23 FE’s camera system is the 3x optical zoom lens, which will give you noticeably better pictures not only at 3x but also at 5x and 10x zoom compared to the Pixel 8 and Nothing Phone 2. | The Pixel 8 brings three notable camera improvements over the Pixel 7: the red lens flaring is gone, which makes for much cleaner photos with different light sources; Portrait mode is much better than before; it gives you Google’s new, magical AI camera features like Best Take, which you can’t find on the older model, let alone the Galaxy S23 FE or Nothing Phone 2. From our photos and videos comparing the Pixel 8 to the Galaxy S23 (which should have an identical/better camera than the S23 FE), I’d say the Pixel 8 takes the most natural photos and best videos here. Buy the Pixel if you’re “buying a camera instead of a phone”. | The Nothing Phone 2 was never meant to be a “camera phone”, which means the photos and videos you’ll get from it won’t “wow” you. That being said, Nothing has now sent several software updates, which have definitely improved the Phone 2’s camera performance. I’m sure this camera will do just fine for social media photos and videos (for most people), but don’t look for the Pixel’s level of computational photography here. If anything, the Phone 2 has a more natural processing in photos, which some people might like. |
| Software support | In terms of software support, which is pretty important, considering it’s what keeps your phone relevant in the long run, the Galaxy S23 FE will get 4 years of OS updates and 5 years of security patches. But there’s a catch here. The S23 FE launches with Android 13 when Android 14 is now out (on Pixel phones), which means you basically lose out on one major OS update. Weird move, Samsung… | As you might’ve heard, Pixel 8 is the new king of software support. With 7 years of OS and security updates promised by Google, this phone should stay relevant for twice as long compared to the Galaxy S23 FE and Nothing Phone 2. Not to mention, major Android updates will be coming much faster to the Pixel compared to any other Android phone. | The Nothing Phone 2 gets 3 years of OS updates and 4 years of security patches, which means it’s not the phone to get if you’re someone who keeps their device for five years. |
Galaxy S23 FE: Why Samsung’s most bizarre smartphone release in 2023 might turn out to be one of the best deals of the year (if you’re patient)
I quite like the colors of the Galaxy S23 FE.
The takeaway from comparing today’s Galaxy S23FE to other phones in this price range is that Samsung’s Fan Edition phone is no longer the most obvious Android value king like the original Galaxy S20 FE was. Of course, that’s not entirely Samsung’s fault - Google and Nothing’s phones are priced aggressively and offer incredible value for the money.
The Galaxy S23 FE makes you wonder… If Samsung isn’t trying to make the best phone in the “affordable flagship” segment… What is the company trying to achieve? Recycle old parts? Keep the Galaxy hype going until the Galaxy S24 is out? Or simply put out a new phone for the holiday season?
All/none of the above can be true, but I’m still glad the Galaxy S23 FE exists, and that’s because it’s going to be the perfect affordable flagship to buy on sale! Just like the Galaxy S21 FE. Let me elaborate…
Interestingly, the $600 Galaxy S23 FE is now $100 cheaper than the $700 Pixel 8. Two years ago, the script was flipped - the Galaxy S21 FE was $700, and the Pixel 6 was $600. But thanks to how much more premium the Pixel 8 is, Google’s value proposition looks exponentially better than it used to (compared to both the Pixel 7 and Galaxy S23 FE).
The Galaxy S23 FE will be an amazing deal... very soon
The $600 Galaxy S23 FE looks more like a $200 budget phone from the front.
So, as we can see, not only isn’t the Galaxy S23 FE the best value flagship phone in the world (like the Galaxy S20 once was) but it’s less impressive than both the Pixel 8 and Nothing Phone 2, which are the S23 FE’s closest competitors right now. Not to mention, it gets almost impossible to make a case for the S23 FE once we put the discounted OnePlus 11, Galaxy S22, and iPhone 14 into the mix. But I promised to tell you why the Galaxy S23 FE might turn out to be one of the best value phones of the year, and I will now…
With a premium build, a flagship SoC, a triple camera setup with optical zoom, a battery that will last you a whole day, 4 years of Android updates, and extras like wireless charging and water and dust-resistance, this seemingly “pointless” affordable flagship would be a steal for $300-400.
So… you should definitely buy the Galaxy S23 FE. Just not right now. And not for $600.
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