Samsung’s Fan Edition phones have usually offered a way to get a Galaxy S-series experience without paying flagship prices. The new Samsung Galaxy S26 FE follows the same idea. It does not bring a complete redesign, but there are a few changes that make this year’s model different from its predecessor. I recently got a…
Samsung’s Fan Edition phones have usually offered a way to get a Galaxy S-series experience without paying flagship prices. The new Samsung Galaxy S26 FE follows the same idea. It does not bring a complete redesign, but there are a few changes that make this year’s model different from its predecessor.
I recently got a chance to spend some time with the Galaxy S26 FE, and my first impression is that Samsung has focused more on refining the existing formula than changing it completely. The phone continues to use a flat frame with slim bezels and a large display. At around 193g and 7.4mm thick, it also feels reasonably manageable considering its size.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE is available in three colours, including the Pistachio option. This particular colour has a subtle light green shade and gives the phone a slightly different look without being too loud. However, Samsung has moved away from the matte finish seen on the previous model. The glossy rear panel looks clean when new but picks up fingerprints quite easily.
The camera design has also been updated. Instead of three separate camera rings, the sensors are placed inside a single raised vertical camera section. It looks similar to the design used on the Galaxy S26 series. The camera module does protrude slightly from the rear panel, but it does not feel unusual for a phone in this segment.
On the front, the Galaxy S26 FE features a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with Full-HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. During my initial use, the screen looked sharp and produced good contrast, deep blacks and vibrant colours. Samsung claims peak brightness of up to 1,900 nits, although outdoor visibility needs more testing.
The phone is powered by the Exynos 2500 chipset and runs One UI 9 based on Android 17. Samsung has also included several Galaxy AI features, along with seven years of software and security updates.
For photography, the phone has a 50-megapixel primary camera, 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera and 8-megapixel telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. A 12-megapixel front camera handles selfies and video calls.
The Galaxy S26 FE packs a 4,900mAh battery with support for 45W wired and 15W wireless charging. Battery performance will need more testing before any conclusion can be made.
Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE feels like a familiar Galaxy S phone with some useful refinements. The real test will be its performance, camera quality, battery life and pricing. Those areas will determine how much value the new FE model actually offers.
