A strange mix of AI smarts and middling design
The latest in Samsung’s ongoing line of ‘Fan Edition’ phones, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, was unveiled at the end of September and is on sale now in many markets, including the UK and US.
It offers the lowest launch retail price of any member of the Galaxy S24 series, while still offering the latest Galaxy AI feature set, a capable camera system and a full seven years of updates. Don’t reach for your credit card just yet, though.
Even before I got hands-on with the S24 FE, Tech Advisor reviews editor Chris Martin made some important points about this latest entry’s position within the wider smartphone market. Newcomers such as the similarly-priced Xiaomi 14T Pro and even Samsung’s existing base Galaxy S24 (whose price has had time to drop since its debut at the beginning of 2024), perhaps make for better alternatives.
With that in mind, I was left wondering “who is the Galaxy S24 FE for?”, but I think I’ve figured it out. If you’re a Samsung fan, looking to upgrade and you 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 account for external factors like the reduction in price of other Samsung phones (namely Galaxy S phones from earlier in the same launch year), or indeed rivals boasting better value.
This generation’s FE does, admittedly, look like a more noteworthy upgrade than usual; being the first of the line to pack the full suite of Galaxy AI functionality out the box. What’s more, a new larger body allows for a larger, S24+-matching, 6.7-inch display, making this the largest FE to date.
While that larger screen is welcome, what I wasn’t expecting was the added bulk of the thing. The S24 FE presents itself with notably less cohesion than the Galaxy S24+ after which it’s modelled, or even the more modest mid-range Samsung Galaxy A55.
It’s a surprisingly weighty phone, clocking in at 213g (the Plus weighs 196g), breaking that all-important 200g threshold where 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 colourway) highlighting its bulkier proportions (although the S23 FE was even thicker, at 8.2mm, compared to 8mm here).
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE hands on side
Samsung has still ensured the S24 FE has the same level of fit as its more premium siblings (for one, it’s IP68-certified against dust and water), but the finish doesn’t look as if it’s on the same level.
Even with the additional space provided by the new larger display, the battery (despite having grown to 4,700mAh this generation) is still smaller than expected.
At the same time, the uneven bezels surrounding the display cheapen the phone’s aesthetics, especially when devices like the Nothing Phone (2a) offer a cleaner and more premium design for almost half as much.
Thankfully, design looks to be the biggest compromise compared to the S24+, with only fractionally pared back performance from its tweaked Exynos 2400e chipset (it has a 0.1GHz slower clock speed than the international model of the Plus that runs on the standard Exynos 2400) and a ceiling of 8GB (rather than 12GB) of LPDDR5X RAM.
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE hands on front angled
It seems as though Samsung’s hope is that fans of the brand opt for the S24 FE over the S24+, in spite of its compromises, which is fine in the short-term, but seems to guarantee limited success, considering the price drops the Plus is already experiencing, not to mention wider competition the boasts better value.
Of course, if aesthetics aren’t all that much of a concern for you, the S24 FE’s position as the new entry point for access to Galaxy AI functionality might be all you’re after. But we’ll know for sure whether it’s worth taking a gamble on once we’ve carried out a full review. Stay tuned.
The Galaxy S24 FE is available now directly from Samsung and selected third-party retailers, starting at £649/$649.99.
