Samsung Galaxy F23 5G Review

Samsung recently introduced a new smartphone called the Galaxy F23 5G. It is an upgraded version of the previous Galaxy F22, which was a 4G phone. The new model comes with some exciting features. For example, it has a powerful Snapdragon 750G chip inside. The display is also quite impressive, with a 120Hz FHD + LCD screen. This means that the screen refreshes quickly, making everything look smooth and clear. However, it's important to note that the Galaxy F23 5G has an LCD screen instead of the AMOLED screen found in the Galaxy F22. Now, let's talk about the price. Is it less than Rs. 20,000? To find out, we need to read the review and gather more information.

Box Content

The Samsung Galaxy F23 5G smartphone comes in a lovely Forest Green color. It has 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which means you can store lots of pictures, videos, and apps on it. When you open the box, you'll find a USB Type-C to C cable, which you can use to connect your phone to other devices or to charge it. There's also a SIM ejector tool that helps you put in your SIM card or remove it if needed. To help you get started, there's a Quick Start Guide that gives you step-by-step instructions on how to set up and use the phone. And don't forget the warranty information, which ensures that you have support in case anything goes wrong with your phone. It's important to note that even though the phone can charge at a fast speed of 25W, Samsung has chosen not to include a charger in the box.

Display, Hardware and Design

The Samsung phone comes with a big and clear 6.6-inch screen. It has a special shape called Infinity-U and shows images in high definition. The screen has a wide shape, like a rectangle, and the picture quality is really good with 1080 x 2408 pixels. The display is bright, which means it's easy to see even when you're outside in the sun. It's protected by strong Corning Gorilla Glass 5, so it won't easily get scratched or cracked.

One special thing about this phone is that the screen refreshes 120 times per second. This makes everything on the screen look really smooth and makes scrolling, playing games, and watching animations more fun. The phone also has a special feature called Eye Comfort Shield, which reduces the amount of blue light the screen emits. This is helpful because too much blue light can strain our eyes. You can also use a dark mode on the phone, which makes the screen background dark and easier on the eyes, especially in the dark.

A tiny speaker known as the earpiece is located at the top of the phone. Additionally, a tiny area at the top of the screen houses an 8 megapixel camera. The phone has a sensor that can detect when something is close to the screen, such as when you hold the phone to your ear during a call, but it doesn't have a special sensor that can change the brightness based on the brightness of the environment.

The front camera is used to adjust brightness because the phone lacks a sensor for that purpose. As a result, it takes some time for the phone to determine whether the surroundings are bright or dark and to adjust the screen brightness accordingly. The phone lacks a light that flashes to indicate notifications, but it does have other sensors like a gyroscope that aids in certain movements in games or apps and a magnetometer that is used for virtual reality experiences.

The small speaker and camera are located on the phone's top portion, to put it simply. Although the phone lacks a dedicated sensor for adjusting brightness, it does have a sensor that detects when objects are nearby the screen. The screen might need some time to acclimatise to the brightness of the surroundings. The phone doesn't have a notification light that blinks, but it does have other sensors that can assist with certain movements in games and apps and in virtual reality experiences.

The phone's power button and volume rocker buttons are located on the right side. The power button also has a unique function known as a fingerprint sensor, which enables you to unlock the phone with your finger. There is a special slot on the left side of the phone where two SIM cards and a small memory card can be placed.

A microphone on the phone's top helps record calls and other audio for later playback. Several items are located on the phone's bottom. You can insert your headphones into a 3.5mm audio jack, which is located where the hole is. A grill that covers the speaker is also present, along with a primary microphone for recording sound, a USB Type-C port that is unique in that it allows for charging and connection to other devices.

Plastic makes up the phone's sides, which have a glossy, reflective finish. As a result, fingerprints can be seen clearly on the phone's surface, just like when you touch a glass and leave a print behind.

Three cameras are arranged in an unusual pattern on the back of the phone. Better nighttime photography is made possible by a tiny light known as an LED flash. The phone's large 6.6-inch screen doesn't make it difficult to hold because it is not overly large. It is 8.4 mm thick and weighs 198 grammes, making it 8.4 g lighter than the F22 model.

The back of the phone is plastic and has a special matte finish. As a result, it feels matte rather than shiny. Fingerprints and smudges don't stick to the plastic back very well. Additionally, it is resistant to scratches that could result from normal use. The phone has an attractive design, even though it may not feel particularly fancy, and you can use it without a case. By the way, if you want to protect your phone, you will need to purchase a case separately because the phone does not come with one.

Aqua Blue, Copper Blush, and Forest Green are the three colours that are offered for the phone. This indicates that you can pick the colour you prefer.

Camera

The phone has a back camera that is really good and can capture images with lots of detail. It has 50 megapixels and an unusual f/1.8 opening that allows in a lot of light. As a result, the images will appear sharp and vivid. A second camera with a wide-angle lens is also located on the back. It has an aperture of f/2.2 and 8 megapixels. This camera can capture a wider perspective, which comes in handy when you want to take a photo of a large crowd of people or a stunning landscape.

A unique camera with a really close-up lens is also mounted on the back. It has an f/2.4 aperture and 2 megapixels. Small objects, such as a tiny insect or a flower petal, can be captured on camera using this device.

A selfie camera is located on the front of the phone. It has an aperture of f/2.2 and 8 megapixels. You can use this camera to take photos of yourself and your friends, and you can preview the images before you take them.

Similar to other Samsung phones with Android 12 and OneUI 4.1, this phone's camera operation is straightforward. You have a variety of options to choose from when you open the camera. You can create fast-forwarding videos, for instance, using the Hyperlapse mode. The ability to record videos in slow motion, which makes everything appear to be moving more slowly than usual, is also available. Even slower videos can be recorded using the Super Slow Motion mode.

When it's dark outside or there is little light, you can use the Night Mode to take better pictures. Food Mode is a unique mode for photographing food that makes it appear more appetising. When you want to take a photo of an attractive landscape, the panorama mode enables you to capture a broad and long view.

Last but not least, there is a Pro mode that gives you more control over the camera settings and enables you to manually change settings like exposure and focus. For those who want to experiment with photography, this is comparable to offering more sophisticated options.

So, here are several camera modes on this phone. These settings allow you to take wide-angle and lengthy photos of stunning landscapes as well as videos at various frame rates, better nighttime photos, photos of mouthwatering food, and wide-angle and long photos of food.

The photos you take with this camera during the day look clear because it captures a lot of little details. Additionally, the images are sufficiently bright and display a variety of hues and details. You can activate HDR mode in the camera's settings to enhance the visual quality of the images. In both the bright and dark parts of the image, HDR aids in capturing more detail.

The camera has a 50 megapixel sensor, but the final images are only 12.5 megapixels. As a result, the image is a little bit smaller, but it still has sufficient resolution for the majority of uses and still looks good. So that the images are clear and not blurry, the camera can quickly focus on the subject.

When there is adequate light present, wide-angle shots taken with the 8-megapixel camera produce nice images. The wide-angle photos' quality might not be as good in low-light conditions, though.

For taking close-up photos, this camera has a special setting called macro mode. However, because the focus is fixed, you must maintain a distance of about 5 centimetres from your subject. It does a respectable job of detecting the edges of the subject when you use the live focus feature to blur the background. The pictures might be a little grainy in low-light conditions, but that is still acceptable. Although there is a night mode, it might not make much of a difference to low-light photos. The 50-megapixel camera produces clear images with good detail, but the colours might not be as vivid as they could be. Photographs taken with a flash look good and aren't overly flashy.

The front camera captures clear images in bright light. To fit more in the frame, you can also use the wide mode, just like on other Samsung phones. It's possible that the live focus mode won't always be perfect at separating the subject from the background when used to blur the background.

The phone has a very high-quality video recording capability. Videos captured by it will be in 4K resolution, making them incredibly detailed and clear. The front and ultra-wide cameras can also record in 1080p resolution, in addition to the rear cameras' ability to do so.

You have the option of using the front or back camera when making a 1080p video, as well as switching between the standard and ultra-wide lenses. This gives you various visual options for your video.

You can record videos that play back in slow motion using the phone's super slow motion feature. Your videos can look cool using this, which is a lot of fun to use. If you don't want to use the super slow motion feature, it also supports slow motion recording in 720p resolution, so you can still create videos that play back slowly.

Software, UI and Applications

Android 12?the most recent version of the operating system?is used by the phone. Additionally, it features Samsung's One UI, which is a version 4.1 user interface. One UI's new features are exciting in this version.

You can alter the appearance of your phone as one of the new features. Your home screens, icons, and notifications can all have different themes. Even the wallpaper on your phone can be changed to give it a more distinctive and customised look.

The upgraded widgets are a different new feature. For quick access to information or functions, you can add widgets?small apps or tools?to your home screen. To give you more control over your privacy, the new widgets have indicators that let you know when the microphone or camera is being used.

The fact that Samsung will release two significant operating system updates is also fantastic news because it means you'll get new features and enhancements in the future. The phone will also get four years' worth of security updates, which will help keep your device safe from any potential threats.

You can take care of your device's battery life, storage, memory, and security all in one place using the Device maintenance option. In the phone, out of the total 128GB storage, 108GB is available for you to use. When apps that come with the phone are running in the background, around 3.4GB out of the 4GB of memory can be used, and 1.2GB is free.

In addition to the standard 4GB of memory, there is a feature called RAM Plus that allows you to expand the memory by an extra 4GB using the phone's internal storage. This happens automatically, so you don't have to worry about it. Based on our tests, the phone's storage should be UFS 2.2, which means it has fast sequential read speeds of 850MB/s. Basically, you have enough space to store your files, and the phone manages its memory to run smoothly and efficiently.

Our tests indicate that the phone should have a UFS 2.2 storage system, which has quick sequential read speeds of 850MB/s. In essence, you have enough room to store your files, and the phone manages its memory to operate quickly and smoothly.

Along with other helpful apps and Google Apps, the smartphone includes Microsoft OneDrive, Tatatak, Moj, Facebook, ShareChat, and other popular apps. You have the option to install these apps when configuring the phone, but it's not required.

Additionally supported by the phone are the data security tools Samsung Knox, Secure Folder, and Max. Although there won't be any advertisements on the phone, you might occasionally get notifications about brand-new Samsung products.

In plain English, you don't have to use the pre-installed apps on the phone if you don't want to. You may occasionally see notifications for new Samsung products, but it also has data protection features and is free of obtrusive advertisements.

Fingerprint, Sensor and Face Unlock

Even when it's locked, the phone's fingerprint sensor on the side can instantly unlock it. It's simple to add up to three fingerprints to the phone's unlocking system. The phone also has a face recognition feature, but it struggles in low light, when you're wearing a hat, or if you're wearing a lot of makeup.

Music Player and Multimedia

You can listen to your favourite songs on the phone's built-in music player, YouTube Music. Using the equaliser and features like Dolby Atmos, UHQ upscaler, and Adapt Sound will enhance the music's sound even further. When you connect your earphones, these features function, and they improve the music's audio quality. In addition, the phone has a radio that you can use without headphones. The speakers also produce good sound.

The phone is set up to allow you to watch high-quality films and television shows on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or Hotstar. Widevine L1 support is something that it has, and it enables HD content viewing. However, the phone can also play HDR videos, which enhance the vibrancy of the colours when watching videos on YouTube. HDR playback is not possible on Netflix, though.

Dual Sim and Connectivity

The phone can connect to India's quick 5G network using 12 different bands. These bands can be compared to various channels that the phone can use to access the internet. Additionally, it supports a particular kind of 5G network known as 5G SA. Using Bluetooth, the phone can connect to speakers or headphones as well as other devices. Additionally, it has Wi-Fi and GPS, which enable you to connect to the internet without using mobile data and locate your location on a map, respectively. The phone can be connected to other devices using a special USB cable called USB OTG, and NFC can be used to make payments using vetted payment apps.

The phone has good network connectivity options, including 4G and VoLTE, a unique method of making calls online. It is compatible with well-known networks like Reliance Jio and Airtel. Additionally, it supports LTE-A, or carrier aggregation, a technology that quickens internet connections.

The phone's SAR value, which indicates how much radiation it emits, indicates its level of safety. The head of the phone has a SAR value of 1.240/Kg, slightly higher than some other Samsung phones but still below the safe limit in India, which is 1.6 W/kg (over 1 gramme).

Performance and Benchmarks

This phone has an effective Snapdragon 750G processor with eight cores. These cores, which act as the phone's "brain," aid in its smooth operation. Cores come in two varieties: performance cores and efficiency cores. The efficiency cores assist with daily tasks, whereas the performance cores are like the lightning-quick runners who can complete tasks quickly. Together, they ensure the phone functions properly. A really fast speed for the processor is one of up to 2.2GHz.

Additionally, the phone has RAM, which functions as its short-term memory. It speeds up how quickly the phone can execute tasks and run apps. This phone has up to 6GB of RAM, which is a respectable amount. Additionally, it has a unique graphics processor called Adreno 619 that improves graphics and the visual appeal of games. It supports various graphics technologies that enable games and other apps to function without any issues.

Faster than the Snapdragon 765 and Snapdragon 730G are the larger Kryo 570 cores in the Snapdragon 750G. They can complete tasks more quickly and accelerate phone operation. It's comparable to having a car with a strong engine that can outperform rival vehicles in speed. In addition, the Snapdragon 750G's Adreno 619 GPU performs better at handling graphics and games than the Snapdragon 730's Adreno 618 GPU. On the phone, it improves the graphics and responsiveness of games.

The Snapdragon 695, on the other hand, is a different processor that outperforms the Snapdragon 750G slightly. Consequently, even though the Snapdragon 750G is a good processor, there is another one that performs a little bit better.

Battery Life

Compared to the battery in the F22, which has a capacity of 6000mAh, the F23's battery has a slightly smaller capacity of 5000mAh. But even with the smaller battery, it still has a long lifespan, even when used frequently. The battery can support more than 6 hours of screen time over a two-day period, for instance, if you connect to Wi-Fi most of the time and occasionally use 4G.

Adaptive battery saving is one option that you can use to extend the battery's life. However, bear in mind that if you use these options, the phone's performance might not be as good.

The 25W charging capability of the F23 allows for quick charging. However, a charger is not provided in the box by Samsung, so you will need to purchase one on your own. The phone can be fully charged from 0% to 100% in about an hour and a half when using the official 25W fast charger. It takes about 40 minutes to charge it only 50% of the way. The phone will take longer than 2 hours to fully charge from zero if you use a 15W charger, though.

Alternatives

The POCO X4 Pro 5G is a good substitute if you're searching for other options. It has a screen with an AMOLED-based technology, which gives the colours a vibrant appearance. In comparison to the Samsung Galaxy F23 5G, it also has a slightly faster processor. The OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite or the Moto G71 5G are additional options. These 5G-compatible phones are also good ones with comparable features.

Availability

The Samsung Galaxy F23 5G was originally priced at Rs 17,499 for the 4GB RAM and 128GB storage version, and Rs 18,499 for the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage version. However, now you can buy it for a lower price of Rs. 15,999 and Rs. 16,999 from Samsung's website, physical stores, and Flipkart. If you have an ICICI Bank credit card, you can also get a special offer of Rs. 1000 cashback and a 25W travel adapter worth Rs. 1299 for only Rs. 299 when you buy the phone.

Pros

1. The phone has a good 120Hz display, which means the screen looks smooth and nice.

Example: The screen on this phone looks very clear and moves smoothly when you touch it.

2. It performs well and works fast.

Example: This phone is really quick and can do things without any delays.

3. It has slots for two SIM cards and a memory card.

Example: You can use two different SIM cards in this phone, and you can also add more memory to store lots of photos and videos.

4. The battery life is good, which means it can last for a long time without needing to be charged.

Example: You can use this phone for a whole day without worrying about the battery running out.

Cons

1. The camera doesn't work very well in low light situations.

Example: When it's dark, the pictures you take with this phone may not look as clear or bright as you want.

2. It doesn't have a sensor to automatically adjust the screen brightness based on the light around you.

Example: The screen on this phone doesn't get brighter or dimmer depending on how bright the room is.

3. The display has a notch, which is a small cutout at the top of the screen.

Example: There is a small black bar at the top of the screen, which might cover a little bit of the content you're looking at.

Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy F23 5G is a solid mid-range 5G smartphone in the F series, in conclusion. It is slick and enjoyable to use thanks to its 120 refreshes per second screen. The phone has a good battery life, which enables it to function for a respectable period of time without needing to be charged. Although passable, the performance is not particularly noteworthy. It's important to note that the phone lacks a sensor for automatically adjusting screen brightness. The back of the phone, however, is constructed from a unique plastic material that hides fingerprints well.