The Galaxy S26 FE proves that Samsung should’ve skipped a year
I love the Galaxy S25 FE.
After years of underwhelming ‘Fan Edition’ models, Samsung finally nailed it last year, offering a near-perfect balance between price and premium hardware.
Shortly after my S25 FE review was published in October, it was promptly installed as Tech Advisor’s best mid-range phone, where it has remained ever since.
As you might expect, I was excited for what Samsung could bring to the table for the upcoming Galaxy S26 FE. Could the company deliver back-to-back hits and set a new standard for mid-range phones?
Erm, no. The Galaxy S26 FE is an impressive phone, but so was its predecessor, so you’re now paying significantly more for a very similar device. Samsung should’ve taken a year off.
The bare minimum upgrades
2026 is the year of tiny smartphone ‘upgrades’, and the S26 FE isn’t immune.
Arguably the most significant change is a move to Samsung’s Exynos 2500. While undoubtedly an upgrade, it still falls short of the latest Exynos 2600 you’ll find in the European versions of the Galaxy S26 and S26+.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
That’s a significant step forward, but the real question is: does it make a noticeable difference? My hands-on time with the S26 FE would suggest not, and it’s not as if performance on the S25 FE is lacking.
As my review shows, everyday performance isn’t exactly lacking on the S25 FE. However, the power efficiency gains could yield a battery life improvement, despite the 4900mAh cell remaining the same.
Samsung has also refreshed the 12Mp ultrawide sensor and given the 10Mp selfie camera a wider field of view, but neither will make a huge difference to the camera experience.
And… that’s about it. There are new One UI 9 features, but they’re not exclusive to the S26 FE by any means. The improved chipset is the only meaningful hardware upgrade, which simply doesn’t justify a new release.
Just get the S25 FE instead
Seriously. Now that the Galaxy S26 FE is launched, I can confidently say that its predecessor is a better buy.
Almost everything I said in my 4.5-star S25 FE review still applies, with a flagship-quality build, impressive core cameras and solid battery life. You still get software updates until 2032, while the One UI bugs I encountered will almost certainly be fixed by now.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Basically, unless you want to game on your phone, the S25 FE remains the best mid-range phone on the market. And, with discounts highly likely, you could pick up the phone at a bargain price.
Samsung can point to software and AI all it likes, but the S26 FE simply doesn’t do enough. I understand the pressures of the ongoing global RAM shortage, but Samsung should’ve absorbed the cost of upgrades or simply skipped a year.
Comments
Post a Comment