Samsung Galaxy S26 FE review: false economy

Date:
Thu, 24 Sep 2026 20:07:31 +0000

Description:
There's little actually wrong with the Galaxy S26 FE, but in costing more
than its predecessor, it's harder to recommend than other S26 models.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Samsung Galaxy S26 FE: Two-minute review Picking the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE to be your next phone would be a good decision. But whether its the best decision is the chewier question.

As has been the case for the past several years, Samsung has launched one final version of its Galaxy S flagship phones just before summer is out (in the US and UK, at least). This Fan Edition device aims to provide a more streamlined experience, focused on camera capabilities and AI, at a more approachable price. However, Samsung has this all backwards. The Galaxy S26 FEs cameras range from OK to weak, and the AI tools will soon be available on older models. Plus, the price hike this year makes the phone a little less of a bargain. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

Arguably, the real reasons youll want a Galaxy S26 FE are its big screen,
fast charging, strong battery life, and surprisingly good gaming performance. But then, if those are your priorities, you may still be better off looking elsewhere.

Confused yet? Hopefully the rest of my Galaxy S26 FE review will clear things up. Samsung Galaxy S26 FE review: Price and availability Starts at $699 /699
/ AU$1,149 The Galaxy S26 FE first went on sale on September 4, 2026. It
costs $699 / 699 / AU$1,149 for the standard version, which is $50 / 50 / AU$50 more than the Galaxy S25 FE cost when it launched.

As a result, it means theres a $200 / 180 / AU$400 difference between this phone and the cheapest full-fat Samsung Galaxy S26 , or a $400 / 400 / AU$700 gap if you compare it to the similarly-sized Galaxy S26 Plus . However, those Galaxy S26 models have twice as much storage as the S26 FE by default, which makes direct comparison a little complicated. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Also, keep in mind that you get six free months of Google AI Pro (worth about $120 / 114 / AU$200 at current subscription prices) with the purchase of the S26 FE. Its an offer worth taking advantage of for the 5TB of cloud storage capacity alone, let alone the extra Gemini powers. Samsung Galaxy S26 FE pricing Swipe to scroll horizontally Row 0 - Cell 0

US price

UK price

AU price

128GB

$699

699

AU$1,149

256GB

$799

799

AU$1,299

512GB

Not available

949

AU$1,599 Value score: 3.5 / 5 Samsung Galaxy S26 FE review: Specs Before we continue, heres a rundown of the Galaxy S26 FEs hardware. Swipe to scroll horizontally

Dimensions:

161.6 x 76.9 x 7.4mm

Weight:

193g

Display:

6.7-inch FHD+Dynamic AMOLED 2X

Resolution:

1080 x 2340

Refresh rate:

60/120Hz

Peak brightness:

1,900 nits

CPU:

Exynos 2500

RAM:

8GB

Storage:

128GB / 256GB / 512GB

OS:

Android 17 with One UI 9, 7 years of updates

Cameras:

50MP wide (f/1.8), 12MP ultra-wide (f/2.2), 8MP 3x telephoto (f/2.4)

Selfie Camera:

12MP front camera (f/2.2)

Battery:

4,900mAh

Charging:

45W wired, 15W wireless

Colors:

Blueberry, Graphite, Pistachio Samsung Galaxy S26 FE review: Design (Image credit: Richard Priday / TechRadar) No major updates from previous model
other than new colors Worthy of the Galaxy S name in terms of looks and durability Looks-wise, there are no major body changes between the Galaxy S26 FE and the S25 FE not that Samsung really needed to make any.

You still have three camera lenses embedded directly into the back of the phone, then flat rails with rounded corners around the sides, leading to a
big display with a single centered selfie camera on the front.

Unless youre able to tell the S26 FE apart from a regular S26 by the color of the handset, the big telltales that youre holding an FE are the shiny back panel, instead of a matte texture, and the larger chin bezel under the display. (Image credit: Richard Priday / TechRadar) Speaking of colors, Samsungs three offerings are Graphite, Blueberry and Pistachio (pictured).
The gray option will satisfy anyone who isnt fussed about the color of their phone, or who knows theyll be using a case to add some style to their new handset, but I do like both the blue and pale green options for the balance they strike between boldness and subtlety.

Like the other Galaxy S26 models, the S26 FE is rated IP68 for water/dust-resistance, which we expect from any flagship phone launching today. However, it uses Gorilla Glass Victus Plus on both sides to protect against scratches and smashes, which is a generation behind what you get on the S26 or S26 Plus. Design score: 4 / 5 Samsung Galaxy S26 FE review:
Display (Image credit: Richard Priday / TechRadar) Big and colorful, but lower-spec resolution and brightness Larger bezels than other Galaxy S phones The 6.7-inch AMOLED display of the Galaxy S26 FE matches the size of the Galaxy S26 Plus display, but thats where the similarities end. The FEs panel only reaches an FHD resolution, rather than the Plus more detailed QHD, and peaks at 1,900 nits of brightness according to Samsungs testing, rather than the 2,600-nit rating of the other S26 models.

Even though the S26 FE cant deliver as much brightness or as many pixels as Samsungs top-tier displays, the detail and the colors of the FEs panel are still strong, and the screen remains fairly legible even out in what remains of the summer sun.

The bezels around the Galaxy S26 FEs display are thicker than they are on the Galaxy S26 Plus or other premium Samsung phones, which is an understandable limitation given the FEs lower price. It doesnt interfere with whatever you want to watch on the screen, but its a difference youll notice if you have used other recent Galaxy S phones. Display score: 3.5 / 5 Samsung Galaxy S26 FE review: Software (Image credit: Richard Priday / TechRadar) Samsungs
latest OS comes pre-installed Seven more generations of updates have been promised The Galaxy S26 FE comes pre-installed with OneUI 9, Samsungs take on Android 17. That actually puts it ahead of the other Galaxy S26 models, which currently can only access OneUI 9 as a beta version.

OneUI 9 gives the FE a lot of tools to play with. My FanCam the video
subject tracking tool which just debuted on the much more expensive Galaxy Z Fold 8/ Galaxy Flip 8 series is here and works just as capably. Thats joined by other AI-powered editing features like Photo Assist and Audio Eraser. (Image credit: Richard Priday / TechRadar) Meanwhile, for productivity, you have Now Brief and its new custom cards option to give you even more personalized updates all in one place, more supported apps for Now Nudge,
plus expanded cross-app functions and Gemini.

Perhaps most importantly for the Galaxy S26 FE, it comes with Samsungs full seven generations of Android and seven years of security updates promise. Thats the same as other Galaxy S models, and one additional year over what
the cheaper Galaxy A57 gets, which is crucial for the value proposition of
the S26 FE. Software score: 4 / 5 Samsung Galaxy S26 FE review: Cameras
(Image credit: Richard Priday / TechRadar) Minor upgrades but identical sensors to previous model The main and selfie cameras are good, but the ultra-wide and telephoto cameras lag behind The Galaxy S26 FEs camera loadout has a 50MP main rear lens as its centerpiece. You also have 12MP ultra-wide and 8MP 3x telephoto cameras on the back, as well as a 12MP selfie camera embedded in the display. This is the same basic setup as the Galaxy S25 FE, and also what you'll find on the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus, except that the more expensive phones get a higher-resolution 10MP zoom camera instead. Image 1 of 6 (Image credit: Richard Priday / TechRadar) (Image credit:
Richard Priday / TechRadar) (Image credit: Richard Priday / TechRadar) (Image credit: Richard Priday / TechRadar) (Image credit: Richard Priday /
TechRadar) (Image credit: Richard Priday / TechRadar) Image 1 of 6 View Original Image 2 of 6 View Original Image 3 of 6 View Original Image 4 of 6 View Original Image 5 of 6 View Original Image 6 of 6 View Original Our first example is a main camera shot of some brightly colored buildings in Londons Soho neighborhood. Its a tricky one for any camera to balance due to the shaded shopfronts on the left side and the sky and brightly lit building in the center and right side. The Galaxy S26 FE still has some detail to offer
in the shadowed brickwork, but Samsungs strength in bright colors is on full display on the other half of this particular image.

Keeping with the main camera but looking out at the London Eye at night, we see another strong attempt from the Galaxy S26 FE. Theres some softness in
the details, but the balance of colors between the lights and the night sky still makes for an appealing shot.

Looking across a sun-scorched park with the ultra-wide camera, we see a shot with plenty of scenery in it, with little to no distortion at the edges. The brightness and colors could use work, though, as even accounting for the patchy grass and overcast sky, things look overly drab.

The two shots of the church bell tower, one at 2x magnification using the S26 FEs main camera and the other using the 3x telephoto camera, reveal how best to zoom in with this phones particular cameras. The in-sensor 2x zoom still keeps the subtleties of the colors and markings within the brickwork and foliage of the shot, thanks to the 50MP main sensor having plenty of pixels
to spare even when zoomed in. However, while the telephoto camera has greater reach, the resulting image is darker and flatter, as you might expect from
the lower-resolution sensor. Its more of a trade-off than Id like to see on a flagship phones zoom camera.

Im normally a fan of Samsung selfies, but Im not sure I like how the highlights are exposed in this particular shot. Samsungs excellent portrait algorithm has applied the perfect level of bokeh to this image, however, cutting around my head, and especially my glasses, accurately and applying a gentle blur to the leaves behind.

Having gone through these samples, youll see that the Galaxy S26 FEs photography potential is reasonable, at least for what are arguably the two most important cameras. For future generations of S FE, though, Samsung could do with upping its game if it wants to continue claiming this is a flagship product. Camera score: 3 / 5 Samsung Galaxy S26 FE review: Performance (Image credit: Richard Priday / TechRadar) The Exynos 2500 chip is a good performer, especially for graphics 8GB of RAM is limiting for a premium phone in 2026 Heres an area where I was pleasantly surprised by the Galaxy S26 FE. Samsungs own Exynos 2500 chipset sits inside the S26 FE, rather than the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip that basically all the other top Samsungs of 2026 are using. But that hasnt stopped the S26 FE from turning in some decent scores.

As the table below reveals, the Exynos 2500 lags behind slightly in CPU single-core results, but is on par with or ahead of the pack on the rest of the tests. Its a long way out in front on the Solar Bay benchmark, no doubt thanks to the Exynos GPU, which is well-suited to the ray-tracing graphics that this test focuses on. Samsung Galaxy S26 FE benchmark scores Swipe to scroll horizontally Row 0 - Cell 0

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE

Geekbench 6 single-core

2,361

Geekbench 6 multi-core

7,831

3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test best

5,116

3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test low

3,456

3DMark Solar Bay

10,526 Bearing only 8GB of RAM compared to the 12GB in other premium Samsung phones, the Galaxy S26 FE does struggle with multitasking or intensive apps. While you can still game on this phone happily, its not a handset youll want to do anything more practical on than standard browsing and messaging. Performance score: 4 / 5 Samsung Galaxy S26 FE review: Battery (Image credit: Richard Priday / TechRadar) The same battery/charging hardware as the more expensive S26 Plus Battery life day-to-day is good, while charging is plenty fast enough Samsung offers the same 4,900mAh battery capacity in the Galaxy S26 FE as it does in the Galaxy S26 Plus. However, according to Samsungs official battery estimates, the S26 FE doesnt offer the same battery life, managing 29 hours of video playback compared to the S26 Plus 31 hours or the S26s 30 hours.

For me, I used about 40% of the phones battery during a typical days use.
This included some work, some photography, and some social media scrolling
and video watching. The Galaxy S26 FE could definitely survive two days of regular use before needing to charge, as you would hope from a phone with
this size of battery.

The Galaxy S26 FE is still equipped for 45W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. Thats the same wired speed as the S26 Plus and Ultra, but the wireless charging is slower, since the FE is not Qi2 compatible.

Using a 45W charger, Samsung estimates a 69% refill for the S26 FE in half an hour. In my own test, I found the S26 FE managed to fill to 43% in 15 minutes and to 100% in 58 minutes. Considering the battery life this phone can
manage, a complete refuel in under an hour and getting over two-fifths full
in a quarter-hour isnt bad at all, even if faster options are out there. Battery score: 4 / 5 Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE? Samsung Galaxy S26 FE scorecard Swipe to scroll horizontally

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

The cheapest Galaxy S26 model, although not by much post-price hike.

3.5/5

Design

Looks like any other Galaxy S26, except with some fun, unique colors and slightly less durable materials.

4/5

Display

Big and colorful, but lacking detail.

3.5/5

Software

Samsungs best features come pre-installed, but will soon be available on
older phones too.

4/5

Camera

The main and selfie cameras produce strong photos, but the phones let down by its ultra-wide and telephoto lenses.

3/5

Performance

A below average RAM capacity is understandable for the price, and the phone still plays games really well.

4/5

Battery

Less efficient than other S26 models, but still long-lasting and fairly fast-charging.

4/5 Buy it if

You want the big premium Samsung experience for the smallest possible price The Galaxy S26 FE is the cheapest Galaxy S26, and joint second largest. If
you want a big display and long battery life from Samsung for less, then this is the model for you.

Exclusive software and AI features dont interest you You do get some excellent tools and toys to play with within One UI 9, but since this update will come to older Samsungs soon enough, this isnt a phone to buy for this reason alone.

Your performance needs are about average If you like to play games on your phone, or know youll spend long days away from a charger, the S26 FE will
suit you well. It doesnt offer the very best in either power or battery life, but arguably its a case of diminishing returns if you spend any more than this. Dont buy it if

You care about photography Taking snaps with the main and selfie cameras on the S26 FE is easy and results in great photos. But if you want more detail
or know you like taking ultra-wide or zoom shots, there are many other phones that will suit you better.

You want the best long-term value While the S26 FE is cheaper to buy right now, wed recommend looking at one of Samsungs more expensive S26 models, or those of another Android brand, if youre hoping to get as many happy years
out of your new phone as possible.

If youre willing to spend even a few dollars/pounds more The Galaxy S26 FE sits just below the starting price of typical flagship phones. That means you could save yourself 100 bucks or so, or you can spend the extra and unlock
the next tier of hardware and features that could provide far more value to you. Samsung Galaxy S26 FE review: Also consider

Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus

Its quite a bit more expensive, but as an investment, it may be worth
spending the extra money over the Galaxy S26 FEs price to secure a phone that outperforms it on every important metric.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus review

Samsung Galaxy S26

Costing only two hundred bucks more than the S26 FE, the standard S26 gives you the premium Samsung experience at the best possible price, even if the display is quite a bit smaller.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S26 review Swipe to scroll horizontally Row 0 - Cell 0

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE

Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus

Samsung Galaxy S26

Price (at launch):

$699 / 699 / AU$1,149

$1,099 / 1,099 / AU$1,849

$899 / 879 / AU$1,349

Dimensions:

161.6 x 76.9 x 7.4mm

158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3mm

149.6 x 71.7 x 7.2mm

Weight:

193g

190g

167g

Display:

6.7-inchDynamic AMOLED 2X

6.7-inch Dyanmic AMOLED 2X

6.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x

Resolution:

1080 x 2340

3,120 x 1,440

2340 x 1080

Refresh rate:

60/120Hz

120 Hz adaptive

120 Hz adaptive

Peak brightness:

1,900 nits

2,600 nits

2,600 nits

Processor:

Exynos 2500

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy

RAM:

8GB

12GB

12GB

Storage:

128GB / 256GB / 512GB

256GB, 512GB

256GB, 512GB

OS:

Android 17 with One UI 9, 7 years of updates

Android 16 with One UI 8.5, 7 years of updates

Android 16 with One UI 8.5, 7 years of updates

Cameras:

50MP wide (f/1.8), 12MP ultra-wide (f/2.2), 8MP 3x telephoto (f/2.4)

50MP main (f/1.8), 12MP ultra-wide (f/2.2), 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom (f/2.4)

50MP main (f/1.8), 12MP ultra-wide (f/2.2), 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom (f/2.4)

Selfie cameras:

12MP front camera (f/2.2)

12MP (f/2.2)

12MP (f/2.2)

Battery:

4,900 mAh

4,900 mAh

4,300mAh

Charging:

45W wired, 15W wireless

45W wired, 15W wireless

25W wired, 15W wireless

Colors:

Blueberry, Graphite, Pistachio

Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, White, Black, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold

Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, White, Black, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold How I tested the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE Why you can trust TechRadar 100s of smartphones reviewed 15 years of product testing Over 16,000 products reviewed in total
Nearly 200,000 hours testing tech I reviewed the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE over the course of two weeks as a work phone, using it for writing stories, answering emails and messages, watching video and playing games. I did this both at home and on the move with a SIM card installed.

Specific tests included running Geekbench 6 CPU benchmarks and 3DMark
graphics benchmarks, a charging speed test using a compatible third-party charger, the taking of hundreds of photos across all of the S26 FEs cameras
to test image quality, and the careful monitoring of battery drain during use to figure out how reasonable the manufacturers battery life promises are.

Read more about how we test First reviewed: September 2026 Price comparison: Find the best deal for your next phone Contract Deals Sim Free Recommended Data (high to low) Data (low to high) Monthly cost (high to low) Monthly cost (low to high) Price (high to low) Price (low to high) Contract Deals Sim Free See all prices (5447 found) Filter Recommended Data (high to low) Data (low
to high) Monthly cost (high to low) Monthly cost (low to high) Price (high to low) Price (low to high) voucher gift Samsung Galaxy S26 FE (128GB Black) 48 months data 5GB 30 upfront Monthly 22.54 /mth 30 upfront 22.54 /mth Visit Website at EE voucher gift Samsung Galaxy S26 FE (128GB Green) 36 months data 1GB 30 upfront Monthly 24 /mth 30 upfront 24 /mth Visit Website at Vodafone Ltd voucher gift Samsung Galaxy S26 FE (256GB Green) 48 months data 5GB 30 upfront Monthly 24.85 /mth 30 upfront 24.85 /mth Visit Website at EE voucher gift Samsung Galaxy S26 FE (128GB Black) 48 months data 25GB 30 upfront Monthly 25.54 /mth 30 upfront 25.54 /mth Visit Website at EE voucher gift Samsung Galaxy S26 FE (128GB Green) 36 months data 5GB 30 upfront Monthly 27.71 /mth 30 upfront 27.71 /mth Visit Website at EE Show more Show less



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