Samsung Galaxy S24 FE: Premium performance without the premium price tag
Fe Samsung Samsung S24 Pictures: Galaxy
The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE (Fan Edition) aims to bring a near-flagship experience to a more budget-friendly price point, positioning itself just below the premium S24 lineup. Boasting a large screen, premium design, and an array of impressive features, it seeks to strike the perfect balance between performance and affordability.
The S24 FE closely follows the design language of its premium siblings. It features a glossy Gorilla Glass 5 back and a matte aluminium frame, lending it a sleek, premium feel. The separate camera rings align with the current Galaxy design trend, giving the phone a cohesive family aesthetic. Though slightly heavier than the S24 Plus, it retains the IP68 rating, offering reliable dust and water resistance.
The S24 FE sports a 6.7-inch OLED display with a 1080p resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. While comparable in size to the S24 Plus, its bezels are marginally thicker. With HDR10+ support and Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection, the screen delivers vibrant colours and sharp visuals, perfect for multimedia consumption. Brightness levels are impressive, with a peak of 1,900 nits and excellent outdoor visibility. However, it lacks LTPO technology, meaning the refresh rate toggles between 60Hz and 120Hz rather than dynamically adjusting.
The stereo speakers provide good loudness and sound quality, with clear vocals and decent bass — an optical under-display fingerprint reader, rather than the ultrasonic one found on the S24 Ultra. However, I found it quick and reliable unlocking.
Powered by Samsung’s Exynos 2400e chipset and paired with 128GB or 256GB of non-expandable storage, the S24 FE delivers near flagship-level performance for everyday use. It easily handles intensive gaming and multitasking.
Samsung promises seven years of OS and security updates, which is on par with its flagship S24 models. Running One UI 6.1 on Android 14, the phone offers a polished software experience with features like DeX mode and AI-driven enhancements.
The 4,700mAh battery is larger than its predecessor’s but smaller than the S24 Plus’s. Charging speeds lag behind competitors, with 25W wired charging, but it also supports wireless and reverse wireless charging, though no charger is included in the box.
The triple-camera setup includes a 50MP main camera, an 8MP telephoto sensor, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. The main camera captures detailed daylight shots with excellent contrast, vivid colours, and a wide dynamic range. Though some noise can appear, low-light performance is solid thanks to the automatic Night Mode. The dedicated Night Mode further reduces noise but requires longer capture times.
The telephoto lens offers a 3x zoom and produces sharp images with accurate colours and contrast, but the 8MP sensor is upscaled to 12MP, introducing some softness. Low-light zoom shots are acceptable but somewhat noisy.
The ultrawide lens provides a broad field of view, making it ideal for landscapes and group shots. Daytime images are good, but contrast and dynamic range lag slightly behind the main sensor. In low light, the ultrawide shots are decent but prone to noise.
The 10MP front camera delivers sharp, vibrant selfies with natural skin tones and excellent dynamic range. While the lack of autofocus is a minor drawback, it’s unlikely to be a dealbreaker for most users.
The S24 FE’s main camera supports 4K recording at 120fps and 8K at 30fps. Videos are sharp, with impressive detail and stabilisation, even in low-light conditions. The telephoto and ultrawide cameras produce slightly softer footage, but the quality remains satisfactory.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE strikes a balance between premium features and affordability. Its large, vibrant display, versatile cameras, and flagship-grade performance make it a compelling option for those who don’t want to splurge on an S24 Plus.
€779 Samsung