Samsung Galaxy S25 FE Review: 8.2/10 - Flagship feel at a mid-range price
Overview
The Galaxy S25 FE distills the core S25 experience into a package that costs $350 less, trading premium camera hardware and slightly thicker bezels for genuinely great battery life and Samsung’s best software support. It is the phone to recommend for anyone who wants a large Samsung display and seven years of updates without paying flagship prices.
Design & Build
Samsung shaves weight to 185 grams versus the S25 Plus’s 196, and the flat 6.7-inch panel with Gorilla Glass Victus 3 feels modern. The aluminum frame has a matte finish that resists fingerprints well, and the IP68 rating means it survives submersion. The bezels are a hair thicker than the S25 series, and the plastic back, while durable, lacks the glass flagship sheen.
Performance
The Exynos 2400e scores 1,895 single-core and 6,740 multi-core in Geekbench 6, trailing the Snapdragon 8 Elite in the S25 by roughly 12 percent in sustained workloads. Gaming performance is solid: Genshin Impact runs at a stable 55 fps at high settings. The vapor chamber cooling helps the phone stay cooler than the S25 FE last year. App launch speeds are snappy, and One UI 7 feels fluid at 120 Hz.
Features
The 50-megapixel main sensor captures excellent daylight shots with natural colors, but low-light performance shows softness compared to the S25’s larger sensor. The 3x telephoto is a standout at this price, producing usable portrait zoom. The 4,900 mAh battery delivers 12 to 14 hours of screen-on time in mixed use, outpacing the regular S25. Samsung’s One UI 7 brings Galaxy AI features including live translate, AI photo edit, and note summarization. The 25W charging is slow by 2026 standards, taking 75 minutes to reach full charge.
Pros
- Excellent battery life easily lasts two full days
- 3x optical telephoto is rare at this price point
- Seven years of OS and security updates
- Vibrant 120Hz AMOLED display with great outdoor visibility
Cons
- Exynos chip lags behind Snapdragon for sustained gaming
- 25W charging is slower than most competitors at this price
- No charger included in box
- Plastic back feels less premium than glass rivals
Verdict
The Galaxy S25 FE nails the basics: great screen, long battery, long software support, and a capable main camera. It makes smart compromises to hit the $649 price, and most buyers will find those compromises easy to live with.
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Technical Specifications
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