Ever since information started appearing about Samsung’s newly announced Galaxy S26 FE, we’ve been doubtful about just how exciting the device would be. It’s now entirely official, and it looks like our initial impressions were correct.
Yesterday afternoon’s announcement attempted to put some spin on it for fans, at least. According to the company, its newest Fan Edition focuses on “what users value most”. Turns out, users value the Galaxy S25 FE rather highly.
Seen the S26 FE before
Samsung is punting its “enhanced” cameras and AI integration, both features that are essentially software updates. The Galaxy S26 FE’s camera setup is, as far as we can make out, functionally identical to the previous model. The 50MP, 8MP telephoto (3x zoom), and 12MP rear lenses are unchanged from last year’s model. The 12MP front-facer is similarly stagnant.
What has arrived are MyFanCam, a person-tracking function that needs a Samsung account to work, and Super Steady (which “may vary depending on editing method and/or shooting conditions”) software functions from other Samsung models.
The 6.7in AMOLED display from the S25 FE is also unchanged from last year. Literally. Brightness levels, refresh rate, resolution, and HDR support haven’t budged. Nor have the battery capacity (4,900mAh), charge speeds (45W wired), and included wireless support (Bluetooth 5.4, WiFi 6E). The only difference we’re able to find is the processor upgrade. Samsung’s Exynos 2400 steps back to make way for the Exynos 2500.
If the Galaxy S25 FE is any indication, we can expect its apparent successor to arrive here around R18,000 when it’s listed on the local Samsung store. 128GB/8GB and 256GB/8GB models are likely, with the 512GB version skipping the country. Officially, the phone launches on 4 September in selected markets. Local communication hasn’t said whether South Africa is one of those.
