Samsung's Galaxy S24 FE is here, but who is it for?

While most Android enthusiasts probably associate Samsung with its premium smartphones (foldable or otherwise) there's a whole world of budget and midrange devices out there that manage to sell particularly well. Sure, the Galaxy A-series makes up the bulk of these units, but the FE range fits somewhere in the middle of the brand's portfolio, and that's what we're seeing a new addition to today. Samsung is finally unveiling its long-rumored Galaxy S24 FE, the fourth in its modern "Fan Edition" lineup, but whether it's capable of capturing that long-elusive magic last seen on the Galaxy S20 FE remains to be seen.

If last year's Galaxy S23 FE existed somewhere in between the Galaxy S23 and S23+ — with weaker specs than both, of course — the Galaxy S24 FE is taking a different approach. This year's phone is more like an underpowered Galaxy S24+, with both phones rocking a 6.7-inch display. As with most of Samsung's non-foldables, the general design language is basically unchanged. The S24 FE is a slab of metal and glass with three protruding camera lenses on the back and a hole punch selfie camera up front — nothing you haven't seen before.

Related

Samsung Galaxy S24+ review: A safe bet

AI gimmicks aside, this is a very easy-to-recommend flagship

Of course, with the S24+ FE not being a true flagship, the overall design takes a bit of a hit. Larger bezels surrounding the screen means you'll be looking at a larger footprint overall: 77.3 x 162.0 x 8.0mm compared to the S24+'s 158.5 x 75.9 x 7.7 mm dimensions. It's heavier too, weighing in at a whopping 213 grams compared to the lighter 197 gram S24+. Other downgrades include the swap to a 1080p panel that peaks at 1,900 nits of brightness, a far cry from the 1440p, 2,600 nits panel on the more premium alternative.

Under the hood, you're looking at, well, more downgrades. The Galaxy S24 FE comes with 128GB or 256GB of storage, 8GB of RAM, and a 4,700mAh battery, all paired with the company's new Exynos 2400e processor. In comparison, the Galaxy S24+ gets you a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or a standard Exynos 2400 (depending on where you're buying it), a 4,900mAh battery, 256GB or 512GB of storage, and 12GB of RAM. Those are a lot of little differences in a device that looks so radically familiar.

The cameras are a similar story, as Samsung has opted to keep the same trio of lenses from last year's Galaxy S23 FE. The 50MP wide lens, 12MP ultrawide lens, and 8MP 3x telephoto lens didn't do much to impress us at the time, and I'm not sure improved "low-light portraits" are going to do much to change the conversation this year. In general, Samsung's camera systems are in need of a long overdue overhaul — even AP's resident Samsung aficionado Zachary Kew-Denniss has expressed his frustration with the company's poor processing.

Specifications

SoC
Exynos 2400e
Display type
Dynamic AMOLED 2X, Adaptive refresh rate (60/120Hz)
Display dimensions
6.7-inch
Display resolution
1080 x 2340
RAM
8GB
Storage
Up to 256GB
Battery
4,700mAh
Charge speed
25W
Charge options
Wired, Wireless, PowerShare
Ports
USB-C
SIM support
SIM, eSIM
Operating System
One UI 6.1, Android 14
Front camera
10MP F/2.4, FOV 80˚
Rear camera
50MP primary, OIS F/1.8, 12MP ultra-wide, F/2.2, FOV 123˚, 8MP telephoto, 3x Optical Zoom, OIS, F/2.4
Cellular connectivity
5G, LTE
Wi-Fi connectivity
Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.3
Dimensions
77.3 X 162.0 X 8.0mm
Weight
213g
IP Rating
IP68
Colors
Blue, Graphite, Gray, Mint, Yellow
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It's tough to say where the market is for the Galaxy S24 FE

Aside from carriers looking ahead to the holidays

If it seems like I'm leaning a little too heavily on comparing these two phones, it's because I'm not sure I understand why the Galaxy S24 FE exists. An argument can be made that, all together, these downgrades add up to $350 worth of savings compared to the $1,000 S24+. On the other hand, we're less than four months away from the rumored launch of the Galaxy S25 series, which means finding Samsung's current middle child on sale is really, really easy.

All three US carriers have the phone heavily marked down on three year payment plans, with AT&T literally willing to give it to you for free with a qualifying trade-in. At that point, this price difference only matters to the minority of customers buying their phones unlocked without a carrier subsidy — not exactly a great business strategy.

We'll reserve full judgment on the Galaxy S24 FE until we can get our hands on it. It's possible that this device blows us away in daily use, representing a far smarter buy than the Galaxy S24+ that's been around since January of this year. But if you're looking to upgrade your Android phone and you're on a budget, you'd be foolish not to take a look at carrier deals on Samsung's flagship hardware. The Galaxy S24+ is a great phone, shaky camera performance notwithstanding, and the S24 FE's greatest selling point might be pushing customers to a more premium device.

If, however, the trade-offs on display here won't bother you, and you're looking to buy an unlocked phone that can't take advantage of carrier deals, the Galaxy S24 FE might serve you well. It's going on sale October 3rd for a starting price of $650, and it'll be available in Blue, Graphite, Gray, Mint, and Yellow. While it's completely possible the overall experience leaves us surprised, I can't help but feel Galaxy fans deserve something a little more impressive than this particular Fan Edition.

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE

Samsung's Galaxy S24 FE looks to bring the experience of its flagship 2024 lineup to a more affordable smartphone. With a 6.7-inch display, a triple camera lineup, and all of the AI features you could ever hope for, this is effectively the Galaxy S24+ for two thirds the price. But it might be missing just enough to make some fans opt for the more expensive model.

$650 at Samsung