The latest in Samsung’s ongoing series of ‘Fan Edition’ phones, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, was unveiled at the end of September and is now on sale in many markets, including the UK and US.
It offers the lowest launch price of all the Galaxy S24 series members, while still offering the latest Galaxy AI features, a capable camera system and a whopping seven years of updates. Don’t reach for your credit card just yet, though.
Even before I put the S24 FE through its paces, Tech Advisor reviews editor Chris Martin made some important observations about this latest product’s position within the broader smartphone market. Newcomers like the similarly priced Xiaomi 14T Pro and even Samsung’s existing base Galaxy S24 (whose price has had time to drop since its debut in early 2024) may make for better alternatives.
With that in mind, I wondered “who is the Galaxy S24 FE for?”, but I think I’ve figured it out. If you’re a Samsung fan, looking for an upgrade and want the big-screen experience of the Samsung Galaxy S24+ without that Plus price tag (that phone starts at £999/$999, unless you can find a deal ), then the S24 FE is now the perfect alternative. Almost.
The FE series often walks an unusual line within the mobile market, with a specification/price balance that rarely seems to take into account external factors such as the price drop of other Samsung phones (namely Galaxy S phones from earlier in the same launch year), or even better value rivals.
This generation’s FE does look like a more notable upgrade than usual; be the first of the line to pack the full suite of Galaxy AI functionality out of the box. Additionally, a new, larger chassis allows for a larger, S24+-matching, 6.7-inch display, making this the largest FE yet.
While that larger screen is welcome, I didn’t expect it to provide any extra volume. The S24 FE presents itself with noticeably 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 213 grams (the Plus weighs 196 grams), crossing the all-important 200 gram threshold at which you start to notice a phone’s weight after extended use.
It’s thick too, with the line’s signature contrasting metal frame (regardless of colorway) emphasizing its larger proportions (although the S23 FE was even thicker, at 8.2mm, compared to 8mm here).
Samsung has still made sure the S24 FE has the same level of fit as its more premium siblings (for one thing, it’s IP68 rated against dust and water), but the finish doesn’t look like it’s on the same level.
Even with the extra space provided by the new, larger screen, the battery (despite growing to 4,700 mAh this generation) is still smaller than expected.
At the same time, the uneven bezels around the screen cheapen the phone’s aesthetics, especially when devices like the Nothing Phone (2a) offer a neater and more premium design for almost half the price.
Fortunately, the design seems to be the biggest compromise compared to the S24+, with only fractionally reduced performance from the custom Exynos 2400e chipset (which has a 0.1 GHz lower clock speed than the international model of the Plus running the standard Exynos 2400 ) and a ceiling of 8 GB (instead of 12 GB) LPDDR5X RAM.
It seems like Samsung is hoping fans of the brand will choose the S24 FE over the S24+ despite the compromises, which is fine in the short term but seems to guarantee limited success given the Plus’ price drops. that already has experience, not to mention broader competition, offers better value.
If aesthetics aren’t that important to you, the S24 FE’s position as the new entry point for accessing Galaxy AI functionality might be all you’re looking for. But we’ll know for sure whether it’s worth the gamble once we’ve done a full assessment. Stay informed.
The Galaxy S24 FE is available now directly from Samsung and select third-party retailers, starting at £649/$649.99.