Samsung Galaxy S24 FE review: a near-flagship model that doesn’t have it easy this year

Appearance and overall processing:

This year, Samsung saved as much as possible on the FE series, and as part of “preserving a unified design”, the less trained eye practically cannot tell the difference between the Galaxy S24+ models and the Galaxy S24 FE tested today. Previously, the FE series was a symbol of a more affordable ticket to Samsung’s flagship segment, usually also with more compact dimensions. This year seems to have ended the trend for good, and if you were hoping for the return of a relatively compact model, I will have to disappoint you.

Compared to last year’s sibling, the Galaxy S24 FE has swelled in terms of size and weight, and to my displeasure, the size of the display as well. With dimensions of 162 x 77.3 x 8 mm and a weight of 213 grams, it even surpasses the dimensions of the flagship Galaxy S24+. Unfortunately, it’s nice to see Samsung’s answer to the topic of smaller phones here.

In terms of design, the FE is practically indistinguishable not only from the more expensive models of the S24 series, but also, paradoxically, from the cheaper Galaxy A55. Yes, if you focus strictly on the details, you will find small differences and you can tell the two models apart. However, I dare say that a less experienced eye will not find the differences and will probably confuse the individual models with each other.

The phone is available in four color variants (blue, graphite black, mint green and yellow). By the way, the shades are identical to the color variants of the Galaxy S24/S24+, but with a more pastel touch.

The glass back is complemented by the well-known trio of cameras, which protrude a few millimeters above the flat back and cause an unpleasant wobble on the table without the cover. The back and the display are covered with Gorilla Glass Victus+, the frame is also made of brushed aluminum this year. Thumbs up for increased IP68 resistance.

Parameters:

Display:

One of the most significant intergenerational changes is probably the increase in display. While last year’s S23 FE stayed at a relatively acceptable 6.4″, this year’s novelty has given up on compactness and offers a straight 6.7″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. With a resolution of 2340×1080 (which is the same as the Galaxy A55, by the way), we’re looking at 385 PPI finesse, more than enough for a fine, non-screen display.

On the one hand, I praise for the 120Hz refresh rate with adaptive mode and the intergenerationally higher maximum brightness of up to 1900 nits, sufficient for use in daylight. On the other hand, Samsung could forgive the wide frames around the display, which unnecessarily spoil the overall impression.

Fortunately, there is no need to save on the software side, and we can find everything we need in the display settings – full-fledged Always On, eye comfort mode and settings related to improving vision.

User interface:

The Galaxy S24 FE comes with One UI 6.1 (i.e. still Android 14), which probably doesn’t need to be complicated to introduce. Rather, we can look forward to the new One UI 7, which is almost knocking on the door and which is supposed to bring a lot of cosmetic and functional changes. One UI is supposed to arrive in beta on selected models later this year, and the Galaxy S24 FE is supposed to be among the lucky ones.

The system is literally loaded with various functions, including Galaxy AI artificial intelligence. It brings the possibilities of generative editing of images, live translation of subtitles and other functions, which we have talked about here many times.

I have to praise the excellent tuning of the system and the high-quality haptic response. The optical fingerprint reader is too low for my taste and the more modern ultrasonic one does not even reach the ankles at speed, its shortcomings are at least partly compensated by reliability. But what I praise Samsung for is the exemplary 7-year software support.

Performance:

As with this year’s flagships and the FE series, Samsung is trying it with Exynos, specifically the 10-core Exynos 2400e built on 4nm technology with a clock speed of up to 3.1GHz. Although the processor does not break the peaks of benchmarks, the performance is more than sufficient for normal work and some more demanding gaming. During testing, I practically did not come across any activity where the processor would slow me down.

The Galaxy S24 FE can be purchased with 8 GB of RAM and 128 or 256 GB of internal storage. You have to choose wisely, there is no memory card slot here.

Stamina:

Compared to the previous generation, the Galaxy S24 FE brings not only an increase in dimensions, but also a higher battery capacity. With a capacity of 4700 mAh, it surpasses last year’s model by 200 mAh, on the contrary, it loses the same value to this year’s Galaxy S24+ (which, by the way, has slightly smaller dimensions).

However, I rate the overall battery life as generally positive. With normal use including several calls a day, social media and some gaming, the phone lasted a day and a half without any problems. Of course, it also applies here that if you really sink the phone under the boiler, it will be begging for a charger in the evening.

Charging is possible via USB-C with 25 W support, or wirelessly up to 15 W. The phone also supports reverse charging, for example to charge headphones.

Camera:

In this year’s FE series, Samsung deployed practically the same photo equipment as last year’s S23 FE. Yes, all cameras are virtually identical except for the 1/4.5″ telephoto lens size (instead of 1/4.4″) and the ability to shoot 8K at 30 FPS (instead of 24 FPS). Fortunately, last year’s FE didn’t have to be shy about the photos, and it’s the same with this year’s series.

So we are still looking at the set of three rear cameras, where the main driver is a 50 Mpx camera with optical stabilization and dual pixel PDAF focusing. The camera maintains consistent photo quality on both sunny and cloudy days, although it tends to “Samsung-saturate” the photos a bit too much for my taste.

Optical stabilization and PDAF focusing can also be found in the 8 Mpx telephoto lens with 3x zoom, which color matches the photos from the main camera and you can rely on it during the day and use it without any worries. Plus, if you’re lucky, you’ll also get some nice macro shots with the telephoto lens. The latest 12 Mpx ultra-wide-angle lens with a 123° angle of view again gives excellent results in good light, and photos from its workshops are beautifully sharp.

And now we have night. The photo application itself recognizes and activates the night mode, which greatly helps the quality of night photos. I enjoyed the night photography the most with the main and telephoto lenses, which surprised me with their quality and amount of detail. For example, try looking at photos of street lights at night. The warm white light from the lamp “spilled” beautifully over the photo and gave it a pleasant, unique touch. This is exactly how I imagine the photo I want to take at night.

The quality of the front 10 Mpx selfie camera does not disappoint either, which takes pictures very well and can handle 4K video at 60 FPS at the same time. In addition, thanks to optical stabilization, the video will be more or less stable, even if your hand shakes occasionally. The rear camera can handle up to 8K video at 30 FPS, I find 4K video at 60 FPS with stabilization far more useful at work.

Conclusion:

Although this designation does not suit the phone, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE is a bit of an underdog in its own class. When the first FE-branded phones hit the market, people were excited about a product that took the best of current flagships and offered them in a compact body at an order of magnitude lower price. Last year, with both eyes narrowed, this claim could still be recognized by Samsung, unfortunately this year it is the opposite.

Personally, I feel like Samsung is keeping the FE series going out of inertia until people are willing to pay for it. Don’t get me wrong, the Galaxy S24 FE isn’t exactly a bad phone, but its hefty price tag can hardly justify its quality. Although the phone has been out for a few months, it still holds the price of around 17,000 for the basic 8/128 GB version.

For similar money, you can buy this year’s flagship Galaxy S24 or last year’s Galaxy S23, which is selling out this year at interesting prices. From my point of view, buying a Samsung Galaxy S24 FE currently makes no sense, although it must be recognized that the phone will serve its owners reliably for many years. If you’re willing to accept its price, you’re getting a solid device. But the competition in a similar price category offers more.