Beebom
Rating7.5
The Galaxy S26 FE strips away a few luxuries to offer core flagship thrills. It features a razor-thin design, a stunning AMOLED screen, and a polished UI backed by 7 years of software support. The camera setup could have been better stacked, and the recycled Exynos 2500 runs toasty under load. But out in the wild, those compromises fade fast. For a hefty price of Rs 72,999, the S26 FE is still a dependable low-cost entry to Samsung’s elite club, minus the heavy baggage.
Pros
- Slim and lightweight design
- Vibrant, smooth display
- Delivers high-end performance
- Highly customisable OS experience
- Cameras capture natural looking shots
Cons
- Gets warm during extended gaming
- Telephoto camera needs an upgrade
I like to think of the Galaxy S26 FE as the sports version of a premium car. Same engine, same platform, without the leather seats and the sunroof to save on cost. But with a starting price of Rs 79,999, many are wondering whether to go for the FE or if it makes more sense to pick the flagship S26 instead. I have been using the phone for a week now, and let me answer your doubts in this Galaxy S26 FE review.
Samsung Galaxy S26 FE Review Unboxing
As is typical with Samsung, the Galaxy S26 FE includes a limited number of items in the box. Here's what you get:
- Samsung Galaxy S26 FE smartphone
- USB Type-C to C cable
- SIM Ejector tool
- Paperwork
Make sure you take a quick look at the key specs of the phone before reading the rest of the review.
Samsung Galaxy S26 FE Key Details
Note: Our testing, opinion, and rating for this review are based on the phone's launch price. We recommend checking the current price before making a purchase decision.
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Build and Design
- 7.4 mm thickness, 194 grams weight
- Corning Gorilla Glass Victus Plus protection on front and back glass
- Aluminium body, IP 68 dust and water protection
I have been using the Pistachio colourway of the Galaxy S26 FE for this review. And the first thing that registered was how premium it feels in the hands. The slim profile, metal rails, and glass back invoked the same uber sensation as the Galaxy S26. And I mean that without any caveats.
But in size, the S26 FE bears an almost striking resemblance to the Galaxy S26 Plus, with bigger proportions, a raised camera island, and a clean back. Even the weight is nearly the same between the two phones. If I slapped the case on it, one couldn't even tell the difference between the two.
Coming back to the in-hand feel, it is solid, and I enjoyed carrying it around with me daily, without a case. But given the glass back, it attracts a tonne of fingerprints and also makes the device a little slippery.
I accidentally dropped it on my way to the office during this Galaxy S26 FE review period, but the phone didn't show any marks of damage anywhere on its body, which is always a relief.
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Display and Audio Quality
- 6.7-inch (2340 x 1080) Full HD+ AMOLED display
- 120 Hz refresh rate, HDR 10+ supported
- 1900 nits peak brightness, 1600 nits tested
As with most Samsung phones, the display is a stunning AMOLED panel that looks good from the moment I turned it on. The colours are slightly saturated, with a vivid profile; blacks are deep, and everything on screen has that iconic Samsung vibrancy that I also noted in my Galaxy S26 Ultra review.
I watched hours of YouTube videos and reels throughout my Galaxy S26 FE review period, and the content quality never disappointed. The brightness is also sufficient when using the phone outdoors in sunlight. However, the in-display optical fingerprint sensor felt slow to register and unlock the phone.
The phone sports a stereo speaker setup, and the audio is loud enough that you wouldn't complain about it in an empty room. I also like that it has a crisp quality, which makes some songs really pop. But the speaker output is split 30:70, with the bottom speaker doing most of the work.
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Performance Tested
- Exynos 2500 processor
- 8 GB LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512 GB UFS 3.1 storage
Under the hood, this phone packs the Exynos 2500 processor, which is the same chipset seen on last year's Galaxy S25. It is still a powerful SoC, capable of delivering flagship numbers in these benchmark results, but I was hoping to see the new Exynos 2600 processor used in the recent Galaxy flagships.
In daily usage, the Galaxy S26 FE is a smooth operator. Apps open quickly, multitasking does not stutter, and the experience of using it as a daily driver did not raise any complaints. The Exynos 2500 handles everything the average person will throw at it without breaking a sweat.
Gaming is where things get more interesting. BGMI only runs at 60 FPS on Smooth or HDR settings, and the gameplay stays consistent with no major drops. Call of Duty: Mobile does even better, hitting 120 FPS at Low settings and 60 FPS at Max graphics, though the frame rate fluctuates between 90 and 120 during gameplay. Genshin Impact at maxed-out graphics and 60 FPS plays well for the most part.
However, the phone does start to get warm during extended gaming sessions, and after an hour, it goes from warm to toasty. The same happened with the camera, as I was taking samples for this Galaxy S26 FE review. It never reached a point where the phone throttled, but the heat management could be better.
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Software and Updates
- One UI 9 based on Android 17
- Up to 7 major OS updates and security patches
Software is one area where Samsung has left absolutely nothing on the table. One UI 9 is the most polished version of Samsung's skin yet, and it is so good that I am genuinely running out of things to nitpick.
The depth of how much you can customise here is baffling; from the control centre to the app drawer, and I have already spoken about my first experience with One UI 9 at length in my Galaxy Z Flip 8 review, so I will not repeat myself here.
The short version is that anything and everything that could reasonably be customised on a phone is available somewhere in One UI 9, and it never feels overwhelming because Samsung has gotten very good at organising it all. However, it does not support Samsung DeX.
The company is also promising 7 years of OS updates and security patches, so it should continue to receive updates till 2033, which is quite a long stretch for a smartphone today.
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Cameras Reviewed
- 50 MP main, f/1.8, OIS, video recording up to 8K @ 30 FPS
- 12 MP ultrawide + 8 MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom
- 12 MP front-facing camera, video recording up to 4K @ 60 FPS
Where Samsung seems to have gone lazy is the camera setup. It appears to be almost similar to the Galaxy S24 FE, with a 50 MP main, 8 MP telephoto and 12 MP ultrawide. So let's find out if there are any improvements in image quality itself.
Main Camera
The 50 MP main camera is a competent shooter that leans toward natural, clean output with a little pop. Details hold up well even in darker regions; shadows retain texture, and it handles exposure quite well. Whether it was the street light, the hanging lamp at the mall or the McDonald's sign.
It also keeps the highlights in check, and the colours have a slight pop to make them stand out, but not too oversaturated either.
Night shot quality does not fall off, thanks to OIS. And the processing stays restrained even when it would be easy to over-sharpen a shot to make it look detailed. The one trade-off is that the images carry a slightly softer texture when zoomed in, and compared to the Pixel 11, the fine detail rendering is not quite at that level. But I would prefer the softness over AI-improved imagery.
Ultrawide Camera
The ultrawide handles grand shots well without needing to step back, and the colour tuning matches the main camera. Image quality takes the expected step down given the smaller sensor, but it remains a genuinely capable option, even in low-light scenarios.
Telephoto Camera
The telephoto here is the same 8 MP 3x optical sensor carried over from the S24 FE and the Galaxy S25 FE. During my S26 FE review period, the images captured with the telephoto stayed sharp and detailed up to 5x, but the quality drops off noticeably beyond that point.
I still managed to capture some good shots in both day and night, but this camera is in dire need of an upgrade.
Front-facing Camera
The selfies from the S26 FE look natural, with no excessive over-sharpening or skin smoothing applied to the face. Portrait mode, however, carries over a problem I flagged in my Galaxy Z Fold 8 review, where multiple subjects in a single shot confuse the depth detection, and the person behind the first subject ends up with an unnatural blur on them.
Video Quality
The S26 FE can record 8K video at 30 FPS, but during my Galaxy S26 FE review period, I typically resorted to using 4K at 60 FPS, and the footage holds up well in both daylight and low light. The one limitation is that 4K recording is restricted to the main camera and the front camera only.
Battery Life and Charging
- 4,900mAh battery capacity
- Supports 45W wired charging
- 15W wireless charging, Qi2 compatible
As for the battery life, given everything above that I have tested this phone with, I got around 6.5 hours of screen-on time throughout my week with the Galaxy S26 FE. In terms of charging, it supports 45-watt charging, and it took me around 1 hour 30 minutes to charge it from 0–100%.
Samsung Galaxy S26 FE Review Verdict: Should You Buy It?
The Galaxy S26 FE continues the same formula that Samsung has been using for the past couple of years. It brings the new design language with a thin and lightweight aesthetic, a sharp and vibrant screen, decent battery life and a well-rounded software experience.
At the same time, Samsung has also cut some corners. Like the lack of DeX support, a 1080p screen, and last year's chipset, along with telephoto and ultrawide cameras. The phone has also jumped in price, now available at Rs 79,999, which is the same as the launch price of the Galaxy S26.
So, if you can find a better deal for the S26, I would recommend picking that instead. Or in case the Galaxy S26 FE is available at significant discounts during this festive sale, then you can go for it too.
