Assuming you don't skip this section, here's everything you need to know. The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE is the same phone as the S25 FE. Someone's just given it a little push down the hill. At its launch price of R18,000, it was overpriced. At its discount price (at the time of writing) of R16,000, it's overpriced. Just buy last year's phone and wait for the software update.
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Design
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Performance
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Battery
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Display
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Camera
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Value
No smartphone maker is having a good time this year, but Samsung might be especially boned. The Galaxy S26 FE follows the company’s trend of very incremental updates, but it’s also been whacked with the ‘it’s not a flagship’ stick. The increments are even smaller than usual this year.
By which we mean there is precisely one upgrade over the Galaxy S25 FE, and it’s something Samsung makes itself. The Exynos 2400 chipset from last year’s phone has made way for the [fanfare] Exynos 2500. Pretty much everything else you need to know is in last year’s Fan Edition review.
We’re not kidding
Samsung has ever so slightly tweaked the Galaxy S26 FE’s dimensions. The company has shaved off 0.3mm from the phone’s length and width. That’s not enough for you to notice the difference visually. The three rear camera sensors (the same hardware as 2025… and 2024) now sit inside a little plastic island. You can do the same mod to your S25 FE if you’re handy with a Dremel and two-part epoxy.
Otherwise? It’s the same phone as last year. No placements have shifted, the screen hasn’t changed, there’s no charger in the box… Okay, we’re assuming that last one because Samsung sent us a non-retail version of the phone to test. It’s probably an accurate guess, though.
Your handling of the phone, assuming you used the S25 FE, will be thrown off by a third of a millimetre. That’s… incredibly small, by any standards. But at least it’s more top-heavy now. By about three grams.
Performance-enhancing?
Don’t go expecting the Galaxy S26 FE to do anything more than its predecessor did. (Seriously, just go read last year’s review.) Expect marginal performance gains from the move to the Exynos 2500 chipset, but most of those are invisible to the average user. The speedier cycles are going towards the Galaxy AI software the South Korean brand expects you to start paying monthly for (eventually).
RAM and storage options? Identical. The upside is that if you choose the 128GB model, you’ll only pay R14,000 to take this one home. Of course, you’re stuck with that. Samsung won’t let you upgrade storage with your own preposterously priced microSD.
The S26 FE remains fast enough to keep up with almost any user. Those who need more from their Samsung phone should seriously consider paying marginally more for the full Galaxy S26. 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and Samsung’s flagship-grade(ish) Exynos 2600 will provide enough of a boost to make a visible difference. The current price for that phone is the same as the one the S26 FE launched at – R18,000.
Yes, there are AI features present in this one. No, you don’t need to buy this phone just for them, even if they’re slightly more useful. Read the last paragraph to find out why.
Looks the same, Samsung
The little camera island around the three sensors found on the back of the S26 FE is supposed to give you the impression that something’s different. Technically, something is. The camera island. Otherwise? It’s the same hardware found in 2025 and 2024’s Fan Edition phone. Down to the millimetre. The only performance difference you’ll see here is a result of software tweaks. Samsung eventually rolls those out to older phones, so if you want 2026 performance from your older FE… wait.
Last year, we told everyone to check what we said about the Galaxy S24 FE’s camera performance. Nothing has changed on this front, so you might as well do that again in 2026. Our ‘Seeing triple’ subheading from that review has suddenly taken on another meaning, too.
The only change from 2024’s performance is that Samsung has placed a 12MP front-facing camera inside this phone. It’s the same sensor found in the S25 FE, so that familiar face should have a good time photographing your familiar face. The upside is that Samsung’s camera performance at this price point is usually uniformly good. If you’re coming from a device that doesn’t already include this array in the front and rear, you’ll be pleased with the shots you get.
Samsung Galaxy S26 FE verdict
Is the Galaxy S26 FE worth your money this year? That depends. If you haven’t bought a new smartphone since 2023, then maybe. If you’ve acquired something from 2024 onwards, you can definitely wait until something new happens to the FE range. You might be waiting longer than you think. It’s not that Samsung has run out of ideas (entirely). It’s more that the company isn’t implementing any of them here.
We’re just going to quote last year’s closing statement, ever so slightly altered. “[T]here’s a chunk of the Galaxy S25 S26 FE that was already around in 2024 2025 when it was called the S24 S25 FE. If you jumped into the FE pond twelve months ago, you’re still wet enough to avoid it for another cycle. Yes, even if it’s only R15,000 R16,000. No, you don’t need the slightly faster processor. Yes, you’ll probably get the software upgrades in an update.”
