Samsung Galaxy S25 FE Hands-on preview: Affordable flagship done the right way
The next Fan Edition Galaxy flagship is out! Here are our first impressions
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Smartphone prices have been on the rise in the past couple of years, and to combat this, Samsung created the Fan Edition lineup—an affordable take on the flagship phone, offering a flagship experience at a bargain price. The first Galaxy S-series Fan Edition launched five years ago back in 2020, and today, five years later, we have the latest iteration of that idea in the form of the Galaxy S25 FE.
Five years is a good run to perfect a design, and that's exactly what Samsung has done with the S25 FE. It's a polished and well-thought-out device, aiming to take on rivals such as the Pixel 9a and iPhone 16e while making sure not to cannibalize the Galaxy A-series in the process. We had the opportunity to do a quick hands-on, and in this article we'll share our first impressions.
The Galaxy S25 FE starts at $649.99 for the 128GB version, and this price tag puts the phone in direct competition with the iPhone 16e and the Pixel 9a (both starting at $599). Are there enough new features and extras to justify the $50 more? It's time to find out! This hands-on will morph into a full-fledged review once we finish all the tests, so be sure to keep an eye on this space.
The Galaxy S25 FE starts at $649.99 for the 128GB version, and this price tag puts the phone in direct competition with the iPhone 16e and the Pixel 9a (both starting at $599). Are there enough new features and extras to justify the $50 more? It's time to find out! This hands-on will morph into a full-fledged review once we finish all the tests, so be sure to keep an eye on this space.
Table of Contents:
Galaxy S25 FE Specs
Deja vu
Let's start with an overview of the Galaxy S25 FE specs:
| Galaxy S25 FE | Galaxy S24 FE |
|---|---|
| Size and Weight 161.3 x 76.6 x 7.4 mm 190 grams | Size and Weight 162 x 77.3 x 8 mm 213 grams |
| Display 6.7-inch FHD+ 60/120Hz refresh rate AMOLED | Display 6.7-inch FHD+ 60/120Hz refresh rate AMOLED |
| Processor Exynos 2400 (4 nm) | Processor Exynos 2400e (4 nm) |
| Software Android 16 up to 7 major Android upgrades One UI 8 | Software Android 14 up to 7 major Android upgrades One UI 6.1 |
| Cameras 12MP Ultra-Wide Camera F2.2, FOV 123˚ 50 MP Wide Camera OIS F1.8, FOV 84˚ 8 MP Telephoto Camera 3x Optical Zoom, OIS F2.4, FOV 32˚ 12MP Front Camera F2.2, FOV 80˚ | Cameras 12MP Ultra-Wide Camera F2.2, FOV 123˚ 50 MP Wide Camera OIS F1.8, FOV 84˚ 8 MP Telephoto Camera 3x Optical Zoom, OIS F2.4, FOV 32˚ 10MP Front Camera F2.4, FOV 80˚ |
| Battery Size 4,900 mAh | Battery Size 4,700 mAh |
| Charging Speeds 45W, up to 65% in 30 min 25W wireless | Charging Speeds 25W, up to 50% in 30 min 15W wireless |
| Prices $649.00 for the 8/128GB model | Prices 649.99 for the 8/128GB model |
Galaxy S25 FE Design and Display
Definitive S-series
The Galaxy S25 FE follows closely in the footsteps of its predecessor and the S-series design language in general. The phone is almost indistinguishable from its predecessor, but there are some subtle differences. The bezel around the screen is slightly thinner, the camera rings are bigger, and the dimensions are a tad more compact.
In terms of materials, the Galaxy S25 FE relies on the same armored aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass Victus+ as the previous model, and it feels quite premium in the hand, very similar to the Galaxy S25+, to be honest.
In terms of materials, the Galaxy S25 FE relies on the same armored aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass Victus+ as the previous model, and it feels quite premium in the hand, very similar to the Galaxy S25+, to be honest.
The S25 FE comes in four colors: Icyblue, Jetblack, Navy, and White, our favorite being the Icyblue option.
The 6.7-inch AMOLED display looks and feels the same as the one used on the previous generation. It can go up to 120 Hz, but it's not an LTPO panel, so you can only choose between 60 Hz and 120 Hz display refresh rates.
In terms of brightness, there's nothing inside the press materials to suggest a bigger number than last year's 1,900 nits, but we'll put the S25 FE through our display test procedure and add some hard numbers here soon. Our initial subjective impressions are quite good, though. The S25 FE looks bright and vivid, and when switched to a 120 Hz refresh rate, the UI feels very smooth.
Galaxy S25 FE Camera
A new selfie camera
The Galaxy S25 FE carries over the main camera system from its predecessor. The wide camera uses a 50MP sensor under a lens with an f/1.8 aperture and has OIS. There's a 12MP ultrawide camera with a 123° field of view and an f/2.2 aperture. Finally, we have an 8MP telephoto camera with 3X optical zoom.
The selfie camera has been upgraded, and this year we have a 12MP (up from 10MP on the previous model), f/2.2 snapper. We couldn't take any samples during our preview, as the camera software wasn't final, but we'll make sure to add samples as soon as the OTA update lands on the phone.
Galaxy S25 FE Performance & Benchmarks
Exynos silicon with a new vapor chamber
There's Exynos silicon on board of the Galaxy S25 FE, namely the Exynos 2400 chipset, built using a 4 nm manufacturing process. It's a 10-core chip we're familiar with from the Galaxy S24 family (in specific markets), and it's also the blueprint for the Tensor G4.
It's very interesting to see how this silicon performs against the Exynos 2400e inside last year's model and against the Pixel 9a, which uses the aforementioned Tensor G4. Time for some early benchmarks.
CPU Performance Benchmarks:
The Galaxy S25 FE manages to outperform both its predecessor (which uses a low-power version of the same chipset—Exynos 2400e) and the Pixel 9a, as well as the Galaxy A56. The single-core score is very close to what the S24 FE achieved, but there's a substantial difference in the multi-core result.
It appears that both the Tensor G4 and the Exynos 1580 are no match for the 2400, so the S25 FE wins the CPU benchmark round.
It appears that both the Tensor G4 and the Exynos 1580 are no match for the 2400, so the S25 FE wins the CPU benchmark round.
GPU Performance
The graphics performance test paints an even clearer picture—the S25 FE performs better in the raw single-pass run, and it's very similar to its predecessor under sustained load. The phone again outperforms the Pixel 9a and the Galaxy S24 FE, as well as its cousin from the A-series, the Galaxy A56.
Of course, the Exynos 2400 is no match for the Snapdragon 8 Elite inside the non-FE S25 models, but that's to be expected. In real life, the S25 FE works smoothly and without any lag or stutter.
Galaxy S25 FE Software
The Galaxy S25 FE launches with Android 16 out of the box and Samsung's latest OneUI 8 on top. This means there is a lot of AI magic on board, with features such as Now Bar (offering helpful information on the lock screen—updates, live notifications, music, modes and routines, and more), Now Brief (daily updates including traffic, reminders, calendar events, and fitness summaries), and Circle to Search we're all familiar with.
We'll test all AI features once the Galaxy S25 FE lands in our lab, so stay tuned for that!
There's also Gemini Live, and with every S25 FE purchase, you get six months of the Google AI Pro plan with access to features in Gemini, Flow, NotebookLM, and more. The Galaxy S25 FE also benefits from Samsung's seven-year software support plan, so you'll get new Android versions all the way until 2032. A year as taken from a sci-fi movie.
We'll test all AI features once the Galaxy S25 FE lands in our lab, so stay tuned for that!
Galaxy S25 FE Battery
A decent capacity for the size
When it comes to battery capacity, more is always better (if we're to cite Winnie the Pooh). The Galaxy S25 FE adds 200 mAh on top of the capacity of last year's model to offer 4,900 mAh in total. We hope the 200 mAh upgrade works in the S25 FE's favor, as last year's model scored 6h 20m in our test and ranked 100th for phones tested in the past 2 years.
The main rivals of the S25 FE also feature bigger batteries; the Pixel 9a comes equipped with a 5,100 mAh cell, while the upper-midrange Galaxy A56 has a 5,000 mAh cell on board. We need to run our battery benchmark to see where the S25 FE lands in terms of battery life, so stay tuned.
In terms of charging, the S25 FE supports up to 45W of wired charging power, which is great news. Samsung cites charging times of 30 minutes for up to 65%, and we'll test this once we have the phone in our lab.
The main rivals of the S25 FE also feature bigger batteries; the Pixel 9a comes equipped with a 5,100 mAh cell, while the upper-midrange Galaxy A56 has a 5,000 mAh cell on board. We need to run our battery benchmark to see where the S25 FE lands in terms of battery life, so stay tuned.
In terms of charging, the S25 FE supports up to 45W of wired charging power, which is great news. Samsung cites charging times of 30 minutes for up to 65%, and we'll test this once we have the phone in our lab.
Galaxy S25 FE Audio Quality and Haptics
Just like the Galaxy S24 FE, the new model comes equipped with a stereo speaker setup, and it's quite good. The audio gets pretty loud, and it also stays quite clear. There's little to no harmonic distortion even at max volume, and the sound is rich and hi-fi.
The haptics are also nice; the vibration is tight and strong enough so you don't miss any calls or messages. All in all, this has been a strong area for Samsung flagships, and the S25 FE is no exception.
Should you buy it?
That's an interesting question. And the answer is "it depends." If you already own last year's Galaxy S24 FE, there's no reason to upgrade. The previous model has very comparable specs, especially in terms of chipset, display, and camera, and it will last you seven years.
Now, if you want an affordable flagship, or you're coming from a much older Galaxy S-series device (Fan Edition or not), the S25 FE is a great choice. It offers all the bells and whistles of a modern flagship at a decent price.
Now, if you want an affordable flagship, or you're coming from a much older Galaxy S-series device (Fan Edition or not), the S25 FE is a great choice. It offers all the bells and whistles of a modern flagship at a decent price.
You can also go down a notch and get the Galaxy A56 if you want to save even more money (it's $200 less), but there's no telephoto and the chipset is slower.
Stay tuned for tests, benchmarks, and camera samples.
Stay tuned for tests, benchmarks, and camera samples.
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