The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE is a phone that leaves you scratching your head. At $650, it’s the most affordable entry point to the S24 series, boasting many of the same features as the pricier Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus. On the surface, it seems like a fantastic deal. And in some ways, it is! If you crave a large phone with a massive display, impressive performance, and long battery life, the Galaxy S24 FE delivers. But it makes some compromises to achieve this, and other phones at lower prices make things even more complicated. Should the Galaxy S24 FE be your next smartphone? Let’s dive in and find out.
The Galaxy S24 FE starts off on the wrong foot. First impressions are crucial, and unfortunately, the S24 FE doesn’t make a great one. While I initially lauded its hardware after a quick hands-on, extended use has left me less impressed. After spending a few days with the S24 FE, I’ve noticed a distinct feeling of cheapness. The aluminum frame feels sharp around the display, and the glass back feels hollow and low-quality. It’s hard to explain, but there’s a lack of polish that was so enjoyable in the Galaxy S24 Plus. Objectively, the S24 FE is well-built, using aluminum and glass with no plastic in sight, but it clearly doesn’t match the build quality of its more expensive siblings.
The other major issue is the S24 FE’s sheer size. A 6.7-inch display isn’t outrageous for a smartphone in 2024, but the overall dimensions make it more akin to phones like the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. I’ve used large phones before without much trouble, but the combination of size and lesser build quality is a tough pill to swallow. Perhaps I’m more sensitive to it after coming from the compact iPhone 16, but I never truly adjusted to the S24 FE’s size during my review period. If you’re a fan of giant phones, this is great news, but if you prefer something more manageable, this is not the phone for you.
Speaking of the display, it’s a good one! Mostly. As mentioned earlier, it’s a 6.7-inch screen with Samsung’s Dynamic AMOLED 2X technology – the same tech found in the other S24 handsets. Colors are vibrant and vivid, blacks are deep, and the 120Hz refresh rate feels incredibly smooth. It’s all very solid. However, don’t expect the exact same display quality as the S24 Plus or S24 Ultra. The 2340 x 1080 resolution is considerably lower than the 3120 x 1440 resolution found on Samsung’s more expensive S24 phones. It’s not a deal-breaker, but I did notice the S24 FE’s screen lacking some sharpness compared to what I’d prefer. Additionally, it’s not an LTPO panel, meaning the lowest refresh rate drops to 60Hz. You can still enable an always-on display on the S24 FE, but it lacks the customization options available on Samsung’s other S24 models. You’re stuck with a black background and the time, and there’s no option to see a darkened version of your wallpaper. Finally, there’s the brightness. The S24 FE’s 1,900 nits of peak brightness are good, but it falls short of the S24 and S24 Plus, which offer 2,600 nits. If you live in a sunny area, it’s another factor to consider.
Heading into my Galaxy S24 FE review, I was initially concerned about its performance. Inside the phone is an Exynos 2400e chip. Samsung’s Exynos chipsets have a mixed track record, and we rarely see smartphones released in the U.S. with Exynos silicon. Thankfully, those worries were unfounded. Paired with 8GB of RAM, the S24 FE delivers excellent day-to-day performance. Apps open instantly, scrolling is buttery smooth, and not once did the phone feel slow or sluggish. It also handles gaming effortlessly. Playing Star Wars: Hunters at 60 frames per second with Ultra graphics settings is a great experience, with the S24 FE providing fluid gameplay with just a few occasional stutters. In our benchmark tests, the Galaxy S24 FE performs admirably against the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip inside the Galaxy S24 Plus. It also handily outperforms the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset powering the OnePlus 12R. The Exynos 2400e has proven remarkably reliable, putting any worries about a Samsung phone with an Exynos chip to rest.
Battery life has been equally impressive. With moderate usage, the Galaxy S24 FE’s 4,700mAh battery easily lasts for two days on a single charge. To give you an idea of my usage, I started one day with 100% battery at 7:30 a.m. After nearly two hours of screen time – including 50 minutes watching YouTube, 20 minutes on Reddit, and some time on TikTok and Star Wars: Hunters – I ended the day at 11 p.m. with 70% battery remaining. The next day, I had 67% battery at 8 a.m. and logged over two hours of screen time – this time with over 30 minutes on the NFL Fantasy app, over 20 minutes on X, more than 10 minutes scrolling on TikTok, and frequent camera use. I didn’t hit 10% battery until 10:30 p.m. For context, I didn’t have the always-on display enabled. If you push the S24 FE relentlessly, constantly gaming, streaming, etc., you might be able to drain it in a single day. But for almost everyone, this will be a two-day phone, and that’s exceptional.
What about charging speeds? The 25W wired charging speed isn’t particularly inspiring, but surprisingly, I found the S24 FE to charge at roughly the same rate as the Galaxy S24 Plus with its 45W charging. After 30 minutes using my reliable Anker 747, the S24 FE went from 2% to 61% in 30 minutes and reached a full battery after about an hour and 10 minutes. That’s not the fastest in the world, but it’s not bad either – especially for a battery just 200mAh smaller than the one in the S24 Plus.
The Galaxy S24 FE has a fairly standard camera setup. It features a 50-megapixel primary camera, an 8MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide camera with a 123-degree field of view. So, how’s the image quality? If you’re taking a well-lit photo of flowers, food, or a very still animal, the Galaxy S24 FE can produce some decent-looking photographs. I’ve captured a handful of pictures I’m happy with, and as you get closer to your subject, the S24 FE’s primary camera creates a pleasing natural bokeh effect. However, the S24 FE can also capture some rather mediocre-looking pictures. Like other Samsung phones, it struggles with moving objects – especially animals. The photo of my cat Polo (the white and brown one) came out very blurry. He was moving around a little bit but was mostly still for the photo I took. Despite that, the S24 FE focused on the wrong edge of the hammock instead. The camera also has a hard time with black fur. My cat Minnie is a beautiful princess, but the S24 FE did a poor job with her black coat. Comparatively, the telephoto and ultrawide cameras are completely unremarkable. Photos from these secondary sensors lack any depth or detail and consistently deliver bland images. The extra versatility they offer is useful, but there’s nothing memorable about them. Similarly forgettable is the 10MP selfie camera. Does it work in a pinch? Sure. But you won’t want to use it for much beyond that. Shots look decent at first glance, but zoom in a little bit, and you’ll quickly see the grainy background, poor focus, and lack of detail.
As a Samsung phone released in 2024, it’s no surprise that the Galaxy S24 FE includes the full suite of Galaxy AI features. This means you get features like real-time translation during phone calls, note formatting and summarizing, AI-powered photo editing tools, and more. Some of these features, like Samsung’s object eraser tool for photo editing, are quite good! Others, like all of the Chat Assist tools, are embarrassingly bad. I’ve used Galaxy AI a few times throughout this year on multiple Samsung phones, and once again, my conclusion is the same. Some of these features are cool and helpful, but they aren’t enough to justify buying the S24 FE over a competitor without Galaxy AI. Whether you care about Galaxy AI or not, the rest of the S24 FE’s software is no different from any other Samsung phone. It ships with Android 14 and Samsung’s One UI 6.1 interface. While not my personal favorite Android interface, One UI 6.1 is fast, reliable, packed with extra features, and highly customizable. From numerous multitasking options to systemwide themes, there’s plenty to explore. Looking ahead, Samsung promises seven years of Android upgrades and security patches for the Galaxy S24 FE – ensuring it should keep receiving updates through September 2031. That’s the same level of support offered on Samsung’s more expensive S24 flagships, and it’s great to see it also offered on the FE.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE is available now. The 128GB model starts at $650, while the 256GB version costs $710. It comes in Blue, Mint, Graphite, and Gray colors. If you’re shopping for a budget Android phone, you need to check out the OnePlus 12R. It has an outstanding 6.7-inch display, two-day battery life, incredible 80W wired charging, and a much more appealing design. It lacks wireless charging and a telephoto camera, but for $500, it’s an unbelievably good deal. There’s also the Google Pixel 8a. It boasts a better camera, similar AI features, and a more compact 6.1-inch 120Hz display. If you can handle the smaller size (and shorter battery life), it’s a fantastic bargain at $499.
Okay – but what if you want a Samsung phone? As mentioned at the start of the review, the S24 FE is cheaper than the retail prices of the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus – $800 and $1,000, respectively. At first glance, that’s significant savings, but you need to look beyond the surface. Right now, T-Mobile is offering up to $800 off the Galaxy S24 Plus when you trade in a phone as old as the Galaxy S9 or iPhone 11. Verizon is giving away the Galaxy S24 for free when you add a new line. Depending on which phone you trade in on Samsung’s website, you can get the Galaxy S24 Plus for just $50 more than the S24 FE. At the time of publication, you can buy the Galaxy S24 Plus outright – no trade-in or carrier deal required – for just $750 on Amazon. Considering it has 256GB of storage by default, that’s just $40 more than the 256GB Galaxy S24 FE. Because these other (and objectively better) S24 phones have been out for a while, it’s very easy to find incredible deals for them. There are promos for the S24 FE, too, but when you can get the S24 and S24 Plus at such great prices, why bother with the S24 FE in the first place?
As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE is a confusing smartphone. Viewed in isolation, it offers plenty to like. If you want a large phone with a 120Hz display, two-day battery life, and excellent performance, the S24 FE might seem like a bargain. However, even through this hypothetical lens, you still have to accept compromises like cheap hardware, a less impressive display, and mediocre cameras. As I explained above, the S24 FE doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Want a large Android phone with exceptional performance and battery life? The OnePlus 12R is a far better choice. It outperforms the S24 FE in some key areas and costs $150 less. If you’re absolutely determined to get a Samsung phone, your money is much better spent on a discounted S24 or S24 Plus – which are very easy to find these days. If you can snag the Galaxy S24 FE at an incredible discount – like $200 or $300 off – then sure, go for it. But if you’re considering spending $650 on the FE, do your research and get something else for that kind of money. The Galaxy S24 FE isn’t a bad phone, but it’s one that gets outclassed and overpriced.
