Item: Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
Rating: 8
Author: Carsten Drees

(Almost) every year, Samsung honors us with a Fan Edition of its Galaxy S flagships. The Galaxy S24 FE is no exception. Likewise, we always have something to complain about, even though they are not bad smartphones in any specific manner. Today, we review the Galaxy S24 FE, discovering what the smartphone offers apart from Galaxy AI. Once again, we wear our nitpicking hat and open old wounds.

Galaxy S24 FE: New Phone, Familiar Design

In terms of design language, Samsung relies on continuity and thus delivers a familiar look with the free-floating camera elements behind. The display is typically great for a Samsung device, but falls behind when compared to the Galaxy S24+.

Galaxy S24 FE design and display at a glance:

Great workmanship with Gorilla Glass, both front and back.
Four colors available: Blue, Graphite, Mint, and Gray.
At 162.0 x 77.3 x 8.0 mm, it is slightly larger than the S24+ and 17 g heavier at 213 g.
Display is now larger at 6.7 inches compared to the S23 FE.
"Only" a 1080p display with slightly too thick bezels.
No LTPO technology.

The Galaxy S24 FE has thick bezels. — The thicker bezels give away the fact that this is 2024's Fan Edition. / © nextpit

What's your preference? As we all know, there's no arguing with someone else about the matter since it is personal. With my professional, neutral eye, I see a very high-quality smartphone in my hand that lacks nothing compared to the more established Samsung handsets. Gorilla Glass Victus+ ensures that the display is protected in front and Gorilla Glass is also used behind.

My review unit arrived in Blue. While it is not my favorite color, what actually bothered me more than the color is the highly polished back that is more reflective than my sweaty, bald head. As I said, it's a matter of personal preference.

Overall, the device is very bulky and is both heavier and larger than the Galaxy S24+, although both feature a 6.7-inch panel. This means the S24 FE is 0.3-inch larger than the S23 FE.

I would like Samsung to offer more choices with the four models: You now have three massive handsets that measure 6.7 or 6.8-inch, with only the base model measuring 6.2-inch as an option. Although it is rather massive, the Galaxy S24 FE with its aluminum frame fits very well and securely in the hand.

You will find the openings for the speakers on both the top and bottom, and they are actually quite loud.

Also interesting: The best Samsung smartphones compared

The display is typical of Samsung's quality, although the panel is not that great compared to the Plus model. This means you get a 120 Hz refresh rate, but it is not variable while 1080p resolution will have to suffice. It's also not quite as bright (1,200 nits) as the S24+, but the lack of brightness was never a problem, even when outside under bright sunlight.

The S24 FE's display is undoubtedly good but not as good as its more expensive siblings. — The display is undoubtedly a good one, but not as good as the more expensive models in the S24 range. / © nextpit

I'm more annoyed by the fingerprint sensor, which sat a little too low for my liking and is “only” an optical sensor instead of an ultrasonic one. However, it still worked reliably and quickly once I've gotten the hang of it. Incidentally, the Always-on Display is preset, so you have to tap the display once for it to show. Of course, this can be adjusted in the settings.

Galaxy AI for the Smaller Purse

Long software support, Galaxy AI, and the latest software — the Galaxy S24 FE offers everything that the more expensive flagship models have.

Galaxy S24 FE software at a glance:

One UI 6.1 based on Android 14.
7 Android upgrades + 7 years of security updates.
Complete Galaxy AI suite.
DeX support.

Due to the fact that Android 15 was delayed this year, we are still working with Android 14 which the latest One UI version is based on, bringing a whole host of AI fun to your smartphone. While the A-Class was sporadically equipped with such Galaxy AI elements, the S24 FE gives you the full suite including the new functions that were introduced alongside the new Foldables.

Want to know more about the AI features? Then read our Galaxy AI review and take a look at our Galaxy S24 Ultra review. To round off the "I'll make it easy for myself" package here, I'll also throw you a link to our article on One UI 6. If you're new to Samsung/One UI, you're well covered.

If you're already familiar with Samsung's skin, you won't discover anything new. In addition to the obligatory apps from Samsung, Google, and Microsoft, only Spotify and Facebook arrive pre-installed. What I found exciting is how the Galaxy S24 FE also supports DeX, which effectively turns your smartphone into a desktop computer. As far as I know, this is not available on Samsung's expensive foldables.

What about other great stuff? Similar to the other flagships in the S24 series, Samsung will provide you with new Android versions and security updates for seven years with the Fan Edition.

The Exynos 2400e Delivers Decent Performance

Samsung is relying on an SoC from its own semiconductor forge with the Galaxy S24 FE. This is the Exynos 2400e, which we have not seen before. First things first: The Galaxy S24 FE is definitely not lacking in terms of performance.

Galaxy S24 FE hardware at a glance:

Exynos 2400e with absolutely adequate performance.
This is a slightly downclocked Exynos 2400.
8 GB RAM on board.
128 GB memory as an entry-level size in 2024 is nonsense.

The new Exynos 2400e is a slightly weaker version of the Exynos 2400, but one with plenty of reserves in its tank. This means owners of the Galaxy S24 or S24+ should not notice a dramatic difference. However, those who own a Galaxy S23 FE can look forward to a noticeable jump in improvement.

Unfortunately, I don't have a Galaxy S24+ to compare directly with the S24 FE. Instead, I took my Galaxy S24 Ultra (review), and, lo and behold! Some apps even launched faster on the Fan Edition. With more demanding games like Genshin Impact, I was able to start playing several seconds earlier on the Ultra.

As for the benchmark tests: Take a look for yourself in the table below. In fact, the Exynos 2400e hardly has to shy away from the Exynos 2400. However, I noticed that the S24 FE regularly got very hot in 3DMark's Nomad test, shut down, and restarted automatically.

For everyday use and also gaming, the chassis remained as cold as a dog's snout. However, stability in the Wild Life Extreme Stress Test was below 60 percent in each of my benchmark runs. If you're curious, you can let me know in the comments whether you're at all interested in the benchmark results or whether you're more interested in how a smartphone performs in everyday use.

	Galaxy S24 FE ^{(Exynos 2400e)}	Galaxy S24+ ^{(Exynos 2400)}	Galaxy S23 FE ^{(Exynos 2200)}
AnTuTu	1,620,641	1,939,484	-
3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test	Best loop: 3,968 Worst loop: 2,615	Best loop: 4,242 Worst loop: 2,637	Best loop: 2,370 Worst loop: 1,809
Geekbench 6	Single: 2,145 Multi: 6,606	Single: 2,131 Multi: 3,376	Single: 1,614 Multi: 4,073

I don't really want to complain about the rest of the hardware. Having 8 GB RAM is more than enough. However, it annoys me that the entry-level model still has to make do with 128 GB of storage space in 2024.

I can record 8K videos with the device, but a drunken weekend with friends is enough for me to exhaust the phone's storage with these clips (okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration). But seriously, dear people at Samsung, please pack 256 GB into the smallest device next year.

Almost As Good As the Galaxy S24+

The triple camera performed at a pleasingly high level and only faltered a little in low light conditions.

Galaxy S24 FE camera at a glance:

Powerful 50 MP main camera impressed both day and night.
12 MP ultra wide-angle and 8 MP 3x telephoto cameras complete the triple camera configuration
Decent 10 MP selfie camera.
8K video recording now at 30 fps.

I was sure that the S24 FE's camera was less powerful than the Galaxy S24+'s, and yes, it really can't quite keep up. However, the performance gap is a lot closer than I thought. What does that mean in concrete terms? The main camera and the ultra wide-angle camera performed exactly the same as the Galaxy 24+, which is no surprise at all due to the identical sensors.

Image quality hardly differed from the Galaxy S24+ due to the same sensors. — The design hardly differed from the S24+ ... and the camera quality is actually not that different, either. / © nextpit

In daylight, you get crisp, sharp results in strong but still natural colors. In terms of color reproduction, Samsung was always a little over the top, but has now developed a more realistic experience. I also really liked the night photos, at least those captured using the main camera.

The 8MP telephoto camera is slightly less powerful than the one in the more expensive models, and the difference becomes more noticeable in night shots. However, night photos also experienced a noticeable drop in quality with the ultra-wide-angle lens. The richness of detail is mostly lost here, and the images becomes really tattered, especially towards the edges. Even Night Mode failed to redeem it.

Nevertheless, I don't want to complain, as the cameras are really versatile and also deserve a thumbs up for quality. The camera app menu is almost identical to the one in my S24 Ultra, so photo enthusiasts shouldn't miss anything here, either. Samsung's selfie camera also delivered a confident performance, without standing out in particular. What cool thing did I discover? You can now shoot your 8K videos at 30 frames per second.

Sample photo taken by the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE — Selfie © nextpit

Galaxy S24 SE Battery Life

Samsung increased the battery size compared to the previous year's model, which was overdue given the more powerful SoC and significantly larger display. Battery life is by no means disappointing.

Galaxy S24 FE battery at a glance:

Still only 25 W fast charging, 15 W wireless.
Capacity: 4,900 mAh.
Of course, no charger is included in the box.
Achieves a full charge in around 80 minutes.

We can't wait for the day to arrive when we can charge Samsung handsets faster. — The day will come when we can also charge Samsung smartphones faster ... / © nextpit

Here, too, there is suspiciously little difference if we compare it with previous Samsung smartphones: There is no included charger, the charging speed is too slow, but at least the battery life is decent. The PC Mark battery test certified the Galaxy S24 FE has a battery life of 13 hours and 47 minutes. That's really decent, which is one and a half hours more than the S23 FE.

If you're used to charging Xiaomi phones in no time at all, it's annoying when you have to wait around 80 minutes for a full charge. However, I almost don't care when I can get through the day with a smartphone in such a relaxed manner. Even on the days when I pushed the S24 FE harder because of my review, I still had more than 30 percent battery left at night.

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE Technical Specifications

Should You Buy the Galaxy S24 FE?

Ever since I knew that I was reviewing the Galaxy S24 FE, I had an idea of what I would write here in the conclusion. I imagined I would berate Samsung for offering an 'OK' phone for a price that is not okay because it is far too expensive. But to be honest, it's not quite like that. So yes, of course, the device is too expensive for my preference with an asking price of $649.99. You don't get an average handset at that price, but a really good one instead.

A decent, large display, decent battery, good performance, flagship design, long software support, and the complete AI suite—what's there to complain about? That would be a really great overall package if the Galaxy S24+ didn't have a better one. You've probably noticed that I've often used the Plus model for comparison—it's obvious, given the identical display size and the features that the two devices share.

That's the usual crux of these Fan Edition phones: By the time they hit the market, the original price of the flagships has long since dropped.

Would I recommend the Galaxy S24 FE? Yes, go for it by all means but please, please, not just yet and certainly not for $649.99! If you can snag the handset for under $600, which should not be too long from now, you would do really well.

Where to Buy the Galaxy S24 FE

The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE that was unveiled at the end of September went on sale on October 4, making it the cheapest device in the Galaxy S24 series based on its RRP. The 128 GB version is available for $649.99 while the 256 GB version costs $709.99. You can choose from Blue, Graphite, Mint, and Gray colors.

You can still benefit from Samsung's launch promotions at the moment. If you order the Galaxy S24 FE via the Samsung online store or the Samsung Shop app, you will receive a 50% discount off the Galaxy Buds FE. In addition, if you trade in an old device, you will receive up to $400 trade-in credit.

Once again, I think Samsung set the price far too high for comfort. By the way, the market thinks so too because a few days after its release, the price has dropped well below the $600 mark based on different online vendors. Hence, do keep an eye out for our deal articles!