Samsung Galaxy S26 FE release date expectations, price estimates and upgrades
What we know so far:
In H2 2026, Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy S26 FE, a value-oriented version of the company's Galaxy S26 flagship that will be unveiled in late February.
Just like in previous years and with previous FE releases, this one will be aiming to improve the value-proposition by cutting a couple of corners while delivering the same well-known Galaxy S experience at a more affordable price tag.
At the moment, little is known about the Galaxy S26 FE, provided that it's so early in the year and we haven't even seen the Galaxy S26 series yet. However, Samsung has been quite predictable in the past few years, so we can deduce what some of the specs and the features of the Galaxy S26 FE could be.
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Galaxy S26 FE release date
Samsung is usually targeting a release date in the autumn for its Galaxy FE devices, either in early October or early September, which is usually clashing with Apple's iPhone releases. For example, last year's Galaxy S25 FE arrived on September 4, while the previous Galaxy S24 FE and Galaxy S23 FE both targeted an early October market release.
We don't really expect anything different for the Galaxy S26 FE: an announcement and a quick launch would probably take place in early September, early October, or anytime in-between.
| Device | Announcement | Market release |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S26 FE | September–October 2026* | September–October 2026* |
| Galaxy S25 FE | September 4, 2025 | September 4, 2025 |
| Galaxy S24 FE | September 26, 2024 | October 3, 2025 |
* - probable dates
Market release is quick with the Galaxy S FE lineup and typically takes place a couple of days to a week after the phone's announcement. That's Samsung relying on the immediate hype after a device release to bolster its sales numbers.
Galaxy S26 FE price and deals
Speaking of sales, the pricing is one of the main differentiators between the Galaxy S26 and the FE lines, with the latter always being slightly more affordable than Samsung's normal flagship phone.
In the case of the Galaxy S26 FE, we expect it to start around $650 max in the US. Anything higher than that and it's openly competing with the regular Galaxy flagships, which often go on sale and cost that much as part of Samsung's trade-in deals.
| Device | 128GB | 256GB |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S26 FE | $650* | $710* |
| Galaxy S25 FE | $650 | $710 |
*- anticipated price
Galaxy S26 FE deals to expect:
- Samsung.com: Samsung typically discounts its phones on its Samsung.com online store and throws in some great promotions that let you save a lot on the MSRP by trading-in an older eligible device or pre-ordering early to score great bonuses. We expect the same will happen with the Galaxy S26 FE, so if you really want this phone and are quick about it, you will definitely be able to get it at a lower price than the official one.
- Carriers: Major carriers have historically offered good promotions on Galaxy models, and the Galaxy S26 FE will probably be no different. Expect bill credits with trade-ins or discounts tied to premium plans.
- Retailers: Amazon and Best Buy also tend to officially carry and discount Galaxy FE devices on the regular. Given the Galaxy S26 FE's potential release date, we might be in for some awesome Black Friday/Cyber Monday offers on that phone.
Galaxy S26 FE camera
Galaxy S26 FE camera setup:
- 50 MP main camera
- 12 MP ultra-wide camera
- 8 MP 3X telephoto camera
- 12 MP front camera
After all, the mainline Galaxy S26 won't be scoring a major camera upgrade, so what gives for the affordable version?
Galaxy S26 FE storage
Galaxy S26 FE storage capacity:
- 128 GB
- 256 GB
- 512 GB (select markets)
Given the Galaxy S26 FE's positioning as a more affordable flagship phone, it's highly unlikely that the phone would come with a decadent storage option such as 512 GB in the US. This leaves 128 and 256 GB of storage as the potential versions that would go on sale. That would probably be more than a little claustrophobic in late 2026.
Galaxy S26 FE design
Galaxy S FE phones all share the same design language: a flat aluminum frame with Gorilla Glass at the front and at the back, which slightly boosts the premium factor here in comparison with affordable phones that use plastic in the back (looking at you, "Pixel a").
Do we have any reasons to believe that the Galaxy S26 FE would deviate from that? Not at all.
That said, Galaxy S FE devices are usually not as compact as regular Galaxies, which is often associated with such affordable versions of flagship phones. So, expect the Galaxy S26 FE to be slightly larger than the upcoming Galaxy S26 Plus, despite the same-sized display.
Galaxy S26 FE display
Speaking of displays, the Galaxy S26 FE will most certainly get a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with HDR and up to 120 Hz of screen refresh rate. This has been the case in the past two years, and there's really no need to move away from that hardware spec.
The peak brightness is one area in which we might see an improvement, but even if we don't, the display will likely score around 1,900 nits of peak brightness, which should be plenty in challenging lighting conditions. That would be similar to the Galaxy S25 FE, and the display was one of the stronger suits of that phone.
| Device | Screen size | Brightness |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S26 FE | 6.7-inch* | 1,900 nits* |
| Galaxy S25 FE | 6.7-inch | 1,900 nits |
* - anticipated sizes and values
Galaxy S26 FE battery
Battery size is one area in which we might see an improvement with the Galaxy S26 FE.
In the past couple of years, we've seen Samsung gradually bump up the battery capacity by 200 mAh with each generation, starting with the 4,500 mAh battery inside the Galaxy S23 FE, moving through the 4,700 mAh battery in the Galaxy S24 FE, and culminating with the 4,900 mAh one in the S25 FE.
Does this mean we should expect a 5,100 mAh battery in the Galaxy S26 FE? Hopefully, yes!
In terms of charging, we see no reason for Samsung to move away from the 45 W wired charging that came with the Galaxy S25 FE.
Galaxy S26 FE features and software
Android 17 will eventually be available for the Galaxy S26 FE, but whether that will be at launch or coming as an OTA at a later date remains to be seen. It all depends on when Google releases Android 17 and just how fast Samsung is at developing a version of its One UI software based on it.
We expect a seven-year software support for the Galaxy S26 FE.
Galaxy S26 FE hardware and specs
Galaxy S26 FE expected specs:
- CPU: Exynos 2500/2400
- RAM: 8GB
- Battery: 4,900 mAh+
- Charging: 45 W wired, 15 W wireless
- Storage: 128 / 256 GB
- Camera setup: 50 MP main + 12 MP ultrawide + 8 MP front
Should I wait for the Galaxy S26 FE?
- You should wait for the Galaxy S26 FE if you're using an older Galaxy S FE device and are generally satisfied with the value proposition of Samsung's upper mid-range device lineup.
- You should not wait for the Galaxy S26 FE if you are using a fairly new upper mid-range or flagship Samsung device. The Galaxy S26 FE probably wouldn't be able to justify its fairly high price––we expect that you'd be able to get the proper Samsung flagship for slightly more money.
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