Samsung’s Fan Edition phones have often been overshadowed largely because of how robust the lineup of best Samsung phones can be from top to bottom. The Galaxy S24 FE appears very much on track to follow the footsteps of its predecessors, but after getting hands-on time with the newest member of the S24 family, I have to say that it surprises me in more ways than one.
I think the hardest thing to convince phone buyers is how much value the Galaxy S24 FE offers because at $649, it’s significantly more than Samsung’s budget option here in the U.S. with the $399 Galaxy A35. But on the flip side, it’s also $150 cheaper than the standard Galaxy S24. In fact, the Galaxy S24 FE feels more like a Galaxy S24 Plus alternative due to its screen and battery size.
In my Galaxy S24 FE hands-on review, I’ll mention what it offers against those phones and whether it has enough value squeezed right in the middle of Samsung’s lineup, with the Galaxy S24 flagships on one end and the Galaxy A series on the other.
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE hands-on review: Specifications
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE hands-on review: Price and release date
Pre-orders for the Galaxy S24 FE are available right now starting at $649.99 for the base model with 128GB, while the one with 256GB of storage fetches for $709.99. The Galaxy S24 FE will go on sale starting on October 3.
The starting price is technically a $50 premium over last year’s model, which makes it a tougher sell now that $150 also separates it from the standard Galaxy S24. Four color options are available to choose from: blue, graphite, gray, mint, and yellow, which is not something I was expecting for a mid-range phone such as this — so it’s great that Samsung’s giving people options.
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE hands-on review: Design
Even though it shares the same design language as the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus, what attracts me more to the Galaxy S24 FE is its solid construction. With its flat sides and rounded corners, the design looks exactly like the Galaxy S24, including how the triple cameras are arranged in the back. Thankfully, the S24 FE still gets an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, so there’s no compromise to its design whatsoever.
Sure, the S24 FE is a bit tad big for my liking, but the glossy finish of its casing makes it look premium. I briefly held onto the graphite color, which quickly got smudges and fingerprints on it, but the other colors do a much better job of masking them. Speaking of colors, I love the variety, and both the mint and blue hues remind me of the recent Pixel 9 devices. The S24 FE's glass back casing makes them extra shiny in just the correct lighting conditions.
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE hands-on review: Display
Seriously, this thing’s pretty full in the hand because of its 6.7-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED display. But since it’s AMOLED, the Galaxy S24 FE panel shines with a brilliance that the display tech is known for — like the deep black color it recreates, wide viewing angles, and superior clarity in just about any situation.
I popped a 4K HDR video on YouTube with the Galaxy S24 FE, and the vibrant colors it displays are mesmerizing. Compared to the Galaxy A55’s screen, this one’s a big step above with its better contrast and juicy looking colors. What also makes it better in my opinion compared to the S24 is that this AMOLED panel has a higher contrast look, whereas the S24 display looks slightly faded.
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE hands-on review: Cameras
Samsung made a point at its Galaxy S24 FE announcement event that its cameras are very similar to the Galaxy S24, including the main 50MP sensor that’s aided by Samsung’s dynamic ProVisual Engine to enhance photos with help from AI. The rest of the S24 FE camera system consists of a 12MP ultrawide and 8MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom.
The latter matches the S24’s 3x optical zoom camera, though the S24 uses a slightly higher 10MP sensor instead. I snapped a few quick shots with the Galaxy S24 FE, but the indoor setting and viewing photos on the phone's display doesn’t necessarily give me a clear picture of its quality.
Despite those limitations, I really love that the Galaxy s24 FE has all the shooting modes and features that I love about Samsung’s phones in general over others, like full manual controls for photos and videos. Enthusiast and content creators will certainly enjoy this among others, but Samsung also throws in some of my favorite Galaxy AI features.
For example, there’s Sketch to Image that utilizes generative AI to create new things in my photos by just drawing them. I quickly tried this out on a selfie I captured of myself, and while it didn’t quite recognize my chicken scratch of a drawing, the second time accurately drew in a chilling cat resting on my arm. Additionally, there’s Instant Slow-Mo that lets me quickly take existing videos I’ve captured and slow down a certain snippet of it as a slow motion clip.
And yes, the Galaxy S24 FE has the ability to shoot video at 8K 30fps, which makes it one of the few devices which can offer that.
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE hands-on review: Performance
I know how some people can be leery about the Exynos 2400e chip that’s powering the Galaxy S24 FE. Benchmark tests will ultimately prove how it compares to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the Galaxy S24. Until then, I’m at the very least pleased by the Galaxy S24 FE's smooth response when I gave the phone a try.
Again, the 120Hz refresh rate of the display is certainly contributing to the instant responses it shows me while navigating around the interface and juggling multiple apps simultaneously. It really looks and feels more fluid than the Galaxy S24, and I’m bold enough to say it matches even the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL that I’ve been using.
Over on the gaming front, I know people will enjoy how the Galaxy S24 FE supports ray-tracing to produce better-looking shading and lighting visuals in games that support those features. I imagine that the combination of its brilliant looking display and 120Hz refresh rate will make the same games I religiously play on other flagship phones look and play just as good here with the Galaxy S24 FE.
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE hands-on review: Battery
Stuffed with a 4,700 mAh battery that's actually larger than the one in the Galaxy S24 — and a smidge tinier than the 4,900 mAh one in the S24 Plus — I suspect that the power efficiency will play a huge role in the Galaxy S24 FE’s battery life. Knowing how well the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 powered Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus fared in our battery benchmark test, I can only hope that the Exynos 2400e can do just as good as a job with this new phone.
Samsung claims that the S24 FE can get up to 50% charge in about 30 mins with a 25W adapter. That’s not too shabby, but I hope our testing can verify that claim.
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE hands-on review: Software
So far, Galaxy AI has been exclusive to Samsung’s premium phones. Both the Galaxy A35 and A55 don’t have them, save for Circle to Search support, which is why there’s a compelling argument for getting the Galaxy S24 FE. That’s because One UI 6.1 running on top of Android 14 brings many of my favorite Galaxy AI features, like Interpreter Mode, Live Translate, and Circle to Search to this phone.
These are features that deepen the software over other phones in Sammy’s lineup that don’t have them, so much so that I think they deliver incredible value to the phone. And why’s that? Well, you’re paying less than you would for the Galaxy S24 to have them. Secondly, I’m more surprised that the Galaxy s24 FE supports Samsung DeX because the Galaxy Z Flip 6 doesn’t have it, which is more shocking given the foldable phone's $999 price tag.
Therefore, the Galaxy S24 FE doesn’t compromise when it comes to productivity and getting work done. I find DeX invaluable because it essentially gives me a desktop PC experience when the phone’s connected to a monitor — so it really feels like I’m carrying a computer in my pocket.
Despite the limited time I had checking out the software, I’m happy that the Galaxy S24 FE seems to have most of the same features as the rest of the S24 lineup, including split-screen multitasking between two apps.
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE hands-on review: Outlook
The more I look at the Galaxy S24 FE, the more I think that this is what the Galaxy S24 should’ve been. Not only do I prefer its glossy finish and charming color options, but I’m equally just as mesmerized by its super sharp-looking display, buttery smooth performance, and how it’s packing just about the same Galaxy AI features I’ve used in many other Samsung phones.
Galaxy AI is a crucial part to its story because at $649, it’s the least expensive new Galaxy phone you can buy with those AI capabilities. Perhaps the Galaxy S24 FE can become an even more convincing option if it can exceed my expectations around its camera performance and battery life. Obviously if it does, it would effectively make the Galaxy S24 irrelevant.
