Galaxy S26 FE reviewed: What Samsung's most affordable S-series smartphone can do
19/10/2026
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Jan Johannsen
The Galaxy S26 FE is the most affordable entry point into Samsung's S-series. The weaker version of the S26 Plus offers full access to Galaxy AI, but you have to sacrifice a few other things in return.
Samsung took the Galaxy S26 Plus and looked at where they could cut costs without cutting too much. The result is the Galaxy S26 FE. For less money, you get a smartphone that is very similar to the Plus variant, yet slightly inferior in many areas. The question is: which of these are relevant enough for you to spend more money?
Ultimately, the choice between the Galaxy S26 FE and the Galaxy S26 Plus is also a question of price. You can currently get the FE for a recommended retail price of 479 francs – with only 128 gigabytes. With 256 gigabytes of storage, it rises to 599 francs, which is still cheaper than the S26 Plus with the same storage capacity for 749 francs.
Wider display bezel and less premium materials
Visually, the Galaxy S26 FE and the S26 Plus are very similar. The differences only become apparent in a direct comparison. The FE is slightly larger – 3.2 mm taller, 1.1 mm wider, and 0.1 mm thicker – and weighs three grams more. The base S26 is significantly smaller.
The AMOLED display also measures 6.7 inches diagonally. However, the bezels are slightly wider. On the FE, it only covers 88.7 percent of the front, while it is three percent more on the S26 Plus. At the same time, Samsung has reduced the resolution, but with 2340 × 1080 pixels, it still achieves a pixel density of 385 ppi. While this is significantly less than the 516 ppi of the Plus model, it is still sufficient for a sharp display. I don't see that as a disadvantage.
If your smartphone needs to be a bit more durable, another cost-cutting measure might be more relevant to you. Instead of Gorilla Glass Victus 2, Samsung uses the Victus Plus variant for the S26 FE. I cannot find a direct comparison between the two types of glass, only the distinction that the Plus version is supposed to be particularly resistant to micro-scratches, while Victus 2 is designed for break resistance in the event of drops.
For the frame, Samsung uses an aluminum alloy instead of the even more robust Armor Aluminum 2 found in the rest of the S26 series. The materials used do not affect water resistance. The FE also survives a 30-minute immersion in 1.5 meters of clean fresh water unscathed, in accordance with IP68.
The Galaxy S26 FE is not quite on par with the S26 Plus in terms of casing and display. However, the features are still good enough that I would prefer it over the Plus model due to the lower price.
Slightly less performance and the same battery
In terms of performance, the Galaxy S26 FE also lags behind the Plus model, but it is far from being too slow. Samsung trusts the built-in Exynos 2500 chipset to handle the full range of «Galaxy AI» features, among other things. Last year, the chip was even used in the top foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Flip 7.
With the Exynos 2600, the S26 Plus has about 25 percent more CPU and GPU performance across various benchmarks. It also has twelve gigabytes available instead of just eight.
A side effect of the older chipset is the supported wireless connections. The Galaxy S26 FE offers Wi-Fi 6e and Bluetooth 5.4, while the S26 Plus gives you Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0. If the differences between these standards don't mean anything to you off the top of your head, then they are meaningless to you.
To make the starting price of the Galaxy S26 FE really affordable, Samsung also offers it with 128 gigabytes of internal storage. The S26 Plus has at least 256 gigabytes of storage space. The FE takes a big price jump there. Neither smartphone allows for a memory card to be inserted.
If you transfer a lot of data to or from your smartphone via the USB-C port, then the S26 FE is the worse choice for you. It only supports USB-C 2.0 with a maximum data transfer speed of 480 Mbit/s. The S26 Plus reaches up to 5 Gbit/s with USB-C 3.2.
The battery capacity is identical at 4900 mAh, and the measured battery life is also in a similar range. The S26 FE lasts 13 hours and 51 minutes, while the S26 Plus lasts 14 hours and 18 minutes. Charging via cable is up to 45 watts for both smartphones. Wirelessly, the FE charges at 15 watts, which is five watts slower than the Plus.
Software without restrictions
There are no differences in the software. The One UI 9.0 user interface based on Android 17 also runs on the FE – including all the AI tools of Galaxy AI. Any limitations are at most in the local processing speed.
The FE even offers a small advantage over the Plus: since it is delivered with Android 17, it will receive updates for one generation longer than the Plus from the spring.
Only one camera convinces in all lighting conditions
Samsung uses the same main and front camera for the Galaxy S26 FE as it does for the S26 Plus. For the telephoto camera, however, the resolution is reduced from ten to eight megapixels and the sensor area shrinks to 1/4.4 inches. The ultra-wide-angle camera retains its 12-megapixel resolution, but its sensor also becomes smaller at 1/3.2 inches.
The main camera satisfies me both in daylight and at night. The colors look natural and the level of detail is high. In the dark, the long exposure times of the night mode ensure a good balance of bright and dark areas – including good sharpness.
The ultra-wide-angle camera, on the other hand, does not convince me. Even in daylight, its shots are blurry. This is not noticeable at first glance on the smartphone display. But it is at the latest when you look at the pictures on a larger monitor.
The telephoto camera acts as a bridge between the other two cameras, so to speak. In daylight, it delivers convincing shots where everything is right and the tiny sensor does not have a negative impact. In the dark, the illumination still works decently, but the level of detail is lost.
The front camera performs similarly. In daylight, it delivers excellent selfies with a high level of detail. In the dark, the image quality decreases, with a lot of AI involved here. If I switch to the gallery quickly enough after taking the shot, I see a terrible original shot that looks significantly better after a few seconds, but is still not perfect.
In a nutshell
Only worth it if you want to use the entire Galaxy AI for little money
With the Galaxy S26 FE, Samsung delivers a solid mid-range smartphone. It doesn't stand out, but it handles all tasks reliably and well. It is particularly worth considering if you want access to all Galaxy AI features for as little money as possible. The build quality is good, the battery offers decent runtime, and the performance is sufficient for more than just everyday applications. However, apart from the main camera, the cameras are not consistently impressive. For the lower price of the Galaxy S26 FE, you get the same software and an identical battery. For the extra cost, the S26 Plus offers higher-quality materials for the casing and display, more performance, and in some cases, better cameras. If none of these three points are important to you, you can choose the FE model without hesitation. Personally, I would still rather spend my own money in this price range on a Nothing Phone (4a) Pro. However, you can also get an even better deal within the Samsung ecosystem. If a telephoto camera and Galaxy AI are not important to you, the Galaxy A57 is an even more affordable option.
Pro
- affordable way to Galaxy AI
- seven years of software updates
Contra
- slow USB-C port for data transfer
- Ultra-wide-angle camera also shows blurriness in daylight
- only really affordable with 128 gigabytes of storage capacity
Header image: Jan Johannsen
Jan Johannsen
Senior Editor
Jan.Johannsen@galaxus.deAs a primary school pupil, I used to sit in a friend's living room with many of my classmates to play the Super NES. Now I get my hands on the latest technology and test it for you. In recent years at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, now at Digitec and Galaxus.
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