The latest addition to Samsung’s current range of ‘Fan Edition’ phones, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, was revealed in late September and is now on sale in many markets, including the UK and US.
It offers the lowest introductory price of any member of the Galaxy S24 series, while offering the latest Galaxy AI feature set, a capable camera system, and seven full years of updates. However, don’t take your credit card yet.
Even before I got to grips with the S24 FE, Tech Advisor Reviews Editor Chris Martin made a few important points about where this latest entry stands in the broader smartphone market. Newcomers such as the similarly priced Xiaomi 14T Pro and even Samsung’s existing base Galaxy S24 (which has had time to drop in price since its debut in early 2024) may be better alternatives.
With that in mind, I was wondering “who is the Galaxy S24 FE for?” ”, but I think I understand. If you’re a Samsung fan, looking to upgrade, and want the big-screen experience of the Samsung Galaxy S24+ without that Plus price (this phone starts at £999/$999 unless you find a deal), then the S24 FE is now the perfect alternative. Almost.
The FE series often follows an unusual line in the mobile market, with a spec/price balance that rarely seems to take into account external factors like the price reduction of other Samsung phones (namely the Galaxy S phones from earlier in the same year launch), or rivals offering better value.
Certainly, this generation’s FE looks like a more notable upgrade than usual; being the first in the range to offer the full suite of Galaxy AI features. Additionally, a new larger case allows for a larger 6.7-inch screen, tailored to the S24+, making it the largest FE yet.
While this larger screen is welcome, I wasn’t expecting the extra bulk of the thing. The S24 FE presents itself with significantly less cohesion than the Galaxy S24+ it’s modeled after, or even the more modest mid-range Samsung Galaxy A55.
It’s a surprisingly heavy phone, weighing 213g (the Plus weighs 196g), passing the all-important 200g threshold where you start to notice the weight of a phone after prolonged use.
It’s also thick, with the line’s signature contrasting metal frame (regardless of colorway) emphasizing its bulkier proportions (although the S23 FE is even thicker, at 8.2mm, compared to 8mm here).
Samsung has always ensured that the S24 FE has the same level of fit as its more premium siblings (for one thing, it’s IP68 certified against dust and water), but the finish doesn’t seem not be at the same level.
Even with the extra real estate provided by the new, larger screen, the battery (despite being up to 4,700mAh this generation) is still smaller than expected.
At the same time, the uneven edges surrounding the screen detract from the aesthetics of the phone, especially when devices like the Nothing Phone (2a) offer a sleeker, more premium design for almost half the price.
Fortunately, the design seems to be the biggest compromise compared to the S24+, with slightly reduced performance thanks to its modified Exynos 2400e chipset (it has a clock speed 0.1 GHz slower than the international model of the Plus which runs on the standard Exynos 2400). and a cap of 8 GB (instead of 12 GB) of LPDDR5X RAM.
It seems that Samsung’s hope is that fans of the brand will opt for the S24 FE rather than the S24+, despite its compromises, which is fine in the short term, but seems to guarantee limited success, given the drops in prices. Plus price. already experiencing, not to mention broader competition, which offers better value.
Of course, if you’re not really concerned about aesthetics, the S24 FE’s position as the new entry point to access Galaxy AI functionality might be all you’re looking for. But we’ll know for sure if it’s worth betting on once we do a full review. Stay tuned.
The Galaxy S24 FE is available now directly from Samsung and select third-party retailers, starting at £649/$649.99.
