Galaxy 'FE' release coming as Samsung battles for top spot

Samsung Electronics may release the more affordable Galaxy S23 FE smartphone sooner rather than later to ramp up sales and retain its No. 1 spot ahead of Apple.

Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Z Flip 5 advertisement at Shibuya, Tokyo [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

Samsung Electronics may release the more affordable Galaxy S23 FE smartphone sooner rather than later to ramp up sales and retain its No. 1 spot ahead of Apple.

If Samsung releases the S23 FE, it will mark a comeback for the mid-range series after a two-year absence.

The FE stands for Fan Edition, which means that it retains the specs and features fans desire, while cutting costs by dropping infrequently used premium features.

Rumors have been circulating since early this year, but it was only recently that more details have spilled.

A customer support page for SM-S711B/DS, believed to be a model number for the S23 FE, recently appeared on Samsung Electronics' Kazakhstan homepage.

A customer page for the SM-S711B/DS which is speculated to be a model name for the Galaxy S23 FE, appears on Samsung Electronics' Kazakhstan homepage. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Justin Hume, a vice president for Samsung South Africa, told a foreign media outlet recently that there is a "gap" between the Galaxy A54 and the Galaxy S23, referring to a vacancy between the two series in terms of price points and functionalities.

"There is going to be an announcement made," he said. "Imminently."

The budget Galaxy A series cuts prices with lower-performing cameras and processors. The series is often seen as overlapping with the Galaxy S FE series.

The release rumors surrounding the FE series come when Samsung is on a mission to boost its global shipments amid a slowdown in the smartphone industry. The Korean smartphone producer, unlike Apple, depends on lower-priced lineup such as the A series in maintaining its top spot.

The Korean electronics giant is on the verge of losing its top spot in shipments to archrival Apple for the first time ever.

This is because while the smartphone market is slow, premium smartphone demand is constantly growing.

According to Counterpoint Research data, global shipment of smartphones will hit its decade low this year, shipping out 1.1 billion units, a 6 percent year-on-year drop. Slow economic recoveries in China and the United States, two of the biggest smartphone markets, have hindered positive growth.

Counterpoint Research projects Apple to "become number one globally in terms of annual shipments for the first time ever."

Samsung Electronics will soon launch its latest foldable — the Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 — in Japan as well, going head-to-head with Apple. Apple dominates Japan's smartphone market with a 56 percent market share. Pre-orders of Samsung's foldables will continue through Aug. 31 and the official release will start Sept. 1.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]