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Intro
The Galaxy S25 FE is the freshly released affordable flagship from the Fan Edition series Samsung started back in 2020 with the S20 FE. Now, five years later, the next trimmed-down flagship comes with a bigger battery, faster charging, and a new chipset.
In the opposite corner of the metaphorical ring, we have the Galaxy S25 Plus, the middle child in Samsung's S-series flagship lineup. These two have a lot in common; they come in similar sizes and weights, the screen size is the same on both, and the camera system is also expected to be almost identical.
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If we say that the Galaxy S25 FE and the Galaxy S25 Plus look similar, it would be an understatement. From a distance this Fan Edition phone is nearly identical to the S25 Plus when it comes to design.
The overall shape and form are the same, the position of the camera cutouts is also the same, and the LED flash is in the same place on both models. If you try and look really hard, you might notice a slight difference in the design of the camera rings, but you really have to look closely.
The situation is similar on the front, but there's a slightly thicker chin on the Galaxy S25 FE compared to the Plus model. All buttons and ports also seem to be in similar places between these two.
Galaxy S25 FE
Galaxy S25 Plus
Thickness 7.4 mm
Thickness 7.3 mm
Dimensions 161.3 x 76.6
Dimensions 158.4 x 75.8
Weight 190
Weight 190 grams
In terms of size and weight, both phones share a similar footprint; the Galaxy S25 Plus measures 158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm, while the Galaxy S25 FE comes in at 161.3 x 76.6 x 7.4 mm.
When it comes to weight, the Galaxy S25 Plus mimics the weight of the S25 Plus and comes in at the same 190 grams. Both phones feel the same in the hand despite the few millimeters difference in size and the identical weight also contributes to the deja-vu feeling.
As far as materials go, the Galaxy S25 FE uses the same Gorilla Glass and aluminum frame as its predecessor, namely Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+. The Galaxy S25 Plus comes equipped with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
Galaxy S25 FE colors
Galaxy S25 Plus colors
Icy Blue
Blue Black (Samsung exclusive)
Jet Black
Silver Shadow
White
Navy
Navy
Icy Blue
-
Mint
-
Pink Gold (Samsung exclusive)
-
Coral Red (Samsung exclusive)
The Galaxy S25 Plus is available in Icy Blue, Mint, Navy, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold, Coral Red, and Blue Black. The Galaxy S25 FE, on the other hand, scores just a couple of those hues, namely Icy Blue and Navy, and it's also available in the more conventional Jet Black and White.
Display Differences
Is it the same panel?
The display of the Galaxy S25 FE measures 6.7 inches diagonally, and it's a Super AMOLED panel with a 1080 x 2340 pixel resolution, resulting in around 385 PPI pixel density. The phone also has two refresh rate modes—60 Hz and 120 Hz. Samsung hasn't shared any brightness figures, only a cryptic Vision Boost label next to the display specs.
In contrast, the Galaxy S25 Plus' display is the same size, but the resolution is better at 1440 x 3120 pixels (513 PPI), and the phone also comes with 1-120 Hz LTPO tech and the same 2600 nits advertised peak brightness.
Galaxy S25 FE
Galaxy S25 Plus
Size 6.7"
Size 6.7"
Brightness Vision Boost (undisclosed brightness)
Brightness 2600 nits (peak)
In our display test, the Galaxy S25 Plus was able to output almost 2400 nits at 20% APL, and that's an impressive result. We can't wait to test the S25 FE to see if Samsung packed the same panel in the affordable cousin of the S25 Plus and what exactly this Vision Boost label stands for. Stay tuned for test results soon.
Performance and Software
Exynos vs Snapdragon
Samsung just doesn't give up on its Exynos silicon, does it? The Galaxy S25 FE features the Exynos 2400, a new silicon with an interesting architecture—it features 10 cores. There's one 3.2 GHz ARM Cortex-X4 core, 2 x 2.9 GHz ARM Cortex-A720 cores, 3 x 2.6 GHz ARM Cortex-A720 cores, and finally 4 x 2.0 GHz ARM Cortex-A520 ones.
Early performance benchmarks place this chip somewhere between the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and 8 Gen 3. Geekbench 6 scores are around 2000 points in single-core tests and 6500 points in multi-core.
The Galaxy S25 Plus, in comparison, managed 3132 and 9935 in the same test, so it looks like a big advantage. We have some early benchmarks we managed to run during our hands-on time with the S25 FE and you can see the results below.
In terms of RAM, the Galaxy S25 FE comes equipped with the same 8GB of RAM in all storage configurations. This puts it at a slight disadvantage compared to the Galaxy S25 Plus, which has 12GB of RAM. Speaking of storage, the S25 FE starts at 128GB and goes all the way to 512GB, while the S25 Plus starts at 256GB and tops out at the same 512GB as the S25 FE.
Now, in terms of software, there's no difference between these two. The same software version, seven years of support, and AI magic are found on both phones.
Camera
Similar but different?
The camera specs of the Galaxy S25 FE are not that interesting - the phone uses the same camera system as its predecessor. The S25 FE features a 50MP main camera that is very similar to the main sensor of the Galaxy S25 Plus. The ultrawide is also similar, but the field of view is slightly different on the S25 FE.
Finally, the biggest difference seems to lie in the telephoto camera. The S25 Plus comes with a 10MP telephoto sensor, while the S25 FE mimics the 8MP of its predecessor. Both phones offer the same 3x optical zoom.
Galaxy S25 FE
Galaxy S25 Plus
Main 50 MP f/1.8 24mm (wide) 1/1.57"
Main 50 MP f/1.8 24 mm (wide) 1/1.56"
Ultrawide 12 MP f/2.2 13mm 123 FOV
Ultrawide 12 MP f/2.2 13 mm (ultrawide) 120 FOV
Telephoto 8MP f/2.4 75mm 3x optical zoom
Telephoto 10 MP f/2.4 67mm 3x optical zoom
Now, of course, as similar as these two camera systems might be, the processing algorithms might be different. We need to snap some photos with the S25 FE and put them side-by-side with samples taken with the S25 Plus to offer you a final verdict.
That being said, the Galaxy S25 Plus managed a very decent score of 147 points in our composite camera rating, while the previous generation FE managed even better, scoring 150 points in the same test. So, we're optimistic about the Galaxy S25 FE.
Main Camera
< S25 FE 1XS25 Plus 1X >
< S25 FE 1XS25 Plus 1X >
Ultra-Wide Camera
< S25 FE UWS25 Plus UW >
Selfie
< S25 FE SelfieS25 Plus Selfie >
Battery Life and Charging
Deuce
The Galaxy S25 Plus has a 4,900 mAh battery inside, which is pretty decent, albeit not on par with Chinese silicon-carbon cells of 6,000+ mAh capacities. Still, the S25 Plus managed 7h 36m in our battery test, ranking 34th for phones tested in the past 2 years.
The Galaxy S25 FE brings an upgrade to the battery capacity of its predecessor, and one that's exactly 200 mAh worth. This brings the total battery capacity to 4,900 mAh, exactly the same as the one on the Plus model.
Stay tuned for our battery benchmarks, which will show how these 200 mAh have or have not improved the battery life of the FE.
Galaxy S25 FE
Galaxy S25 Plus
Battery capacity 4900 mAh
Battery capacity 4900 mAh
Charging speeds 45W wired
15W wireless charging
USB-C
Charging speeds
45W wired
15W wireless charging
USB-C
Another change for the S25 FE lies in the fast charging territory. The phone comes with upgraded charging speeds, offering 45W wired charging, again matching the specs of the Galaxy S25 Plus. Stay tuned for charging tests soon.
Screen 6.7" AMOLED 120Hz 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~385 ppi density)
Screen 6.7" AMOLED 120Hz 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~513 ppi density)
Processor Samsung Exynos 2400 4nm
Processor Snapdragon 8 Elite 3nm
Versions: 8/128GB 8/256GB 8/512GB
LPDDR5
Versions: 12/256GB 12/512GB
LPDDR5
Cameras: 50MP main 12MP ultrawide 8MP 3X zoom
12MP front
Cameras: 50MP main 12MP ultra 10MP 3X zoom
12MP front
Battery: 4900 mAh
Battery: 4900 mAh
Charging: USB-C 45W wired 15W wireless
Charging: USB-C 45W wired 15W wireless
Summary
This shapes up to be a very interesting battle. With all the upgrades Samsung brought to the new Galaxy S25 FE, it seems that the model could cannibalize its much more expensive sibling, the Galaxy S25 Plus.
There are differences, however, although we're not sure if they're substantial enough to justify the extra money for the S25 Plus. The latter has a better resolution screen, a faster processor, and a slightly different camera system (we can't tell if it's better or worse yet).
Whether or not people will choose to pay $350 more for a faster processor and a slightly better screen, we don't know yet. Chances are the Galaxy S25 FE will further undermine the already unimpressive sales of the Galaxy S25 Plus.
Stay tuned for tests, benchmarks, and a final verdict once we finish the review of the Galaxy S25 FE.
Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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