Why you should buy it over the Galaxy S24

It’s exhausting to make an vital Android flagship nevertheless even more durable to make an vital mid-range Android phone. With a flagship, you’ll be capable of let your ideas run wild, combining a robust chipset with high-end cameras and setting a value that bumps correct up in opposition to the $1,000 mark with out anyone batting a watch. As rapidly as you limit your self to a worth of, say, $600 or $650, you perceive merely what variety of sacrifices it’s a should to make. For a while, that’s the place Samsung struggled — its Fan Model launches always made cuts, nevertheless we’ve been not at all constructive within the occasion that they’ve been the right ones.

Now, though, Samsung is more likely to be turning a nook. It’s packed further power into the Galaxy S24 FE, seemingly with fewer omissions, and it’s put me in an honest spot. As so much as I want to proceed to beat the drum for the pocket-friendly Galaxy S24 that I carried in early 2024, I’m coming spherical to the idea that Samsung’s latest upper-mid-ranger is more likely to be among the many greatest values accessible in the marketplace. Proper right here’s why I’d stick with it for a bit longer.

At a glance, the Galaxy S24 FE appears to be nearly equal to its namesake sibling. That shouldn’t be a shock since all of Samsung’s 2024 launches look nearly the equivalent, nevertheless the Galaxy S24 FE takes its imitation further than most. It’s nearly the equivalent prime, width, and thickness as Samsung’s premium Galaxy S24 Plus, relying on a weight distinction of about 15 grams to set the two apart. In numerous phrases, it’s shut ample to fool almost anyone apart from the boulder that protects the golden idol initially of Raiders of the Misplaced Ark.

And also you acknowledge what? I’m glad that Samsung dealt with its Galaxy S24 FE further like a flagship this 12 months. In an age when Google stays to be using plastic for the once more of its Pixel 8a, the Galaxy S24 FE’s combination of an aluminum physique and Gorilla Glass Victus Plus on every front and back makes it actually really feel premium. And, identical to the sooner Galaxy S23 FE, Samsung’s upper-mid-ranger nonetheless has a sturdy IP68 rating for water and dirt. I even identical to the pale Blue and Mint coloration decisions that the phone is accessible in. Granted, I could do with out the shiny, fingerprint-loving finish on the glass, nevertheless it’s easy ample to stay away from by together with a case.

Perhaps a good greater trigger in order so as to add a case to your Galaxy S24 FE might be to soften the comparatively sharp edges of the aluminum physique. Fortuitously, the physique has a matte finish that ignores fingerprints, nevertheless the design is one factor identical to the iPhone 12 or iPhone 13, which isn’t an incredible issue. Once you used each of those telephones, you’ll don’t forget that Apple cut back a fairly sharp edge the place the rear glass met the aluminum physique, which made even its smaller 6.1-inch iPhones uncomfortable to hold after a while. Samsung’s Galaxy S24 FE is equivalent method — merely so much, so much bigger. While chances are you’ll reasonably preserve each of those older iPhones by the sides of its physique, the Galaxy S24 FE is a bit too huge and hefty. I typically uncover myself each supporting the gadget on one pinky or using two palms to hold it, neither of which is all that comfortable after a while.

Once you uncover a comfortable method to keep up the Galaxy S24 FE, it’s an easy phone to benefit from. Samsung’s 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED panel offers a great deal of precise property for each half from doom-scrolling to attempting to catch ’em all throughout the early phases of Pokémon TCG Pocket, and it packs a 120Hz refresh cost that nearly matches that of the flagship Galaxy S24 lineup. There’s a slight distinction in brightness — 1,900 nits vs 2,600 nits — nevertheless I haven’t had any trouble opening booster packs in good daylight. It’s been a few days since I’ve added one thing important to my Pokedex, nevertheless I can’t blame Samsung for that.

When you want to get nitpicky, chances are you’ll stage out that the Galaxy S24 FE’s bezels are thicker than these of Samsung’s right flagships. Technically, you’d be correct. Nonetheless, I don’t ideas the extra space, as I’m already tired of how easy it’s to activate gestures on certain completely different telephones. Take Type to Siri, as an example — I was excited when Apple launched it, as I assumed I could protect my dumber questions locked up inside. Nonetheless, after a few days of using it, I wanted to flip it off on account of I was triggering the double-tap activation far too usually on Apple’s tiny bezels. The Galaxy S24 FE’s bottom bar is more likely to be thick in contrast, nevertheless I’ll take that over the mounted headache of undesirable gestures.

Ultimately, though, I consider the biggest draw back with Samsung’s self-imitation is that this — I want a Galaxy gadget with some character as soon as extra. Recently, Samsung has stripped away the problems that made telephones resembling its Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S22 memorable, ditching the Contour Reduce digital digicam bump and rounded physique in favor of 1 factor that appeared and felt further like an iPhone. If I assumed the Galaxy S24 FE was meant to compete with an iPhone, I suppose I wouldn’t ideas that, nevertheless when it’s further throughout the personality-rich Google Pixel, Samsung has some vital catching as a lot as do.

Whereas I’m not completely glad by Samsung copying its private design advert infinitum, I’ll admit I’m impressed by what the Galaxy S24 FE does beneath the hood. As quickly as as soon as extra, it attracts carefully from its flagship family members, nevertheless this time, it takes after the worldwide variations of the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus, which acquired right here with Exynos 2400 chipsets. Samsung’s fairly priced flagship begins with the equivalent base RAM and storage as its smallest flagship (8GB and 128GB, respectively), nevertheless it’s the in-house Exynos 2400e chipset that bears the closest resemblance.

It has nearly the equivalent title, so in spite of everything, it ought to hold out equally, correct? Correctly, as we found with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, typically together with a letter makes an infinite distinction. Nonetheless, throughout the case of the Exynos 2400 vs Exynos 2400e, the excellence is fairly small. The two share the equivalent 10-core development, nevertheless the flagship Exynos 2400 has a barely elevated clock velocity on its largest core, topping out at 3.2GHz to the Exynos 2400e’s 3.1GHz. As chances are you’ll suppose, the small change spells good news for the Galaxy S24 FE by means of effectivity. It’s very nearly flagship-grade, merely not pretty, and nowhere near the opening we feared as soon as we first heard regarding the FE sequence’ shift from the Snapdragon-powered S23 FE to an Exynos processor for its latest model.

I, in spite of everything, didn’t depend on a great flagship effectivity from a phone that costs $150 decrease than Samsung’s smallest Galaxy S24, nevertheless I wasn’t constructive it’ll come this shut, each. No matter which test I picked, from the CPU-heavy Geekbench 6 to the graphically intensive 3DMark Wild Life stress test, the Galaxy S24 FE saved nearly good tempo with its siblings. It beat the Exynos 2400-toting Galaxy S24 that my colleague Rob Triggs used earlier throughout the 12 months no matter having the weaker chipset on paper. If I wanted to guess, that distinction acquired right here proper all the way down to the Galaxy S24 FE having further room for its cooling setup, nevertheless it was spectacular each method. Attempt our Galaxy S24 FE benchmarks deep dive for way more component on our synthetic effectivity assessments.

That effectivity is sort of as fixed in day-to-day life, too, which is the perfect issue you’ll be capable of say for an upper-mid-range phone. As talked about, I’ve been collaborating within the life out of Pokémon TCG Pocket, and I’ve however to notice the Galaxy S24 FE struggling beneath the burden of my massive Pokédex. Granted, the battles in TCG Pocket aren’t most likely probably the most demanding, nevertheless the phone has been clear as I’ve swiped spherical, debating which pack of enjoying playing cards to open.

Anyway, the Galaxy S24 FE was moreover my backup gadget for my newest journey abroad to Amsterdam. As such, it was resigned to a assist place, offering emergency safety must the iPhone 16 Pro I was moreover testing on the time not make it by way of an prolonged day of utilization (which was an actual fear). I turned out to not need Samsung’s fairly priced flagship whereas there, nevertheless it did give me a chance to take a look at for idle battery drain any time I pulled the phone out of my backpack. There was some drain — little doubt — nevertheless not as so much as I might have anticipated for a US-based gadget with a Samsung-provided Verizon SIM that I forgot to point out off.

Fortuitously, after I could give it an accurate test run, the rest of the Galaxy S24 FE’s battery effectivity turned out to be pretty good, too — or in any case okay. The S24 FE landed utterly in the middle of the road when put up in opposition to Samsung’s completely different models from the 12 months, along with every variations of the Galaxy S24 and the Snapdragon-equipped Galaxy S24 Plus. It handled a simulated Zoom meeting greater than every Galaxy S24 fashions and solely acquired right here up shy of the power-sipping Galaxy A35 5G when snapping footage. Admittedly, I might have anticipated further out of the 4,700mAh battery — notably compared with merely 4,000mAh on the Galaxy S24 — nevertheless I nonetheless made it comfortably from sooner or later to the following sooner than needing a charger.

As if to crib one other attribute from its premium family members, the Galaxy S24 FE offers the equivalent charging setup as Samsung’s top-end models. It helps 25W wired charging with an appropriate USB-PD PPS charger, or you must make the most of 15W wi-fi charging from a Qi-certified pad. From my testing, it appears to be identical to the Galaxy S24 FE maintains that prime 25W velocity greater than Samsung’s flagships, too, as a result of the phone reached a full price within the equivalent 75 minutes that it took the Exynos-equipped Galaxy S24 — not unhealthy when you’re saving $150.

When Samsung is piping this plenty of its private choices from the flagship market to its completely different decisions, it’s ample to make you nervous. To this point, I haven’t really hit on any vital cost-saving omissions from the Galaxy S24 FE, and we’re figuring out of points to talk about. By technique of elimination, which can make you suppose the Galaxy S24 FE’s cameras stink. Correctly, the good news is that they don’t — in any case not if you like how Samsung normally handles its image processing or depend on effectivity on the extent of the very best camera phones in the marketplace.

For starters, the three cameras on the Galaxy S24 FE look exactly like these on the Galaxy S24 or Galaxy S24 Plus — stop me if you’ve heard this sooner than. The standard, ultrawide, and telephoto sensors sit of their very personal aluminum-guarded ring, accompanied solely by a flash that sits off to the facet. Of the three, the 50MP essential digital digicam is the closest to what you’d uncover on actually certainly one of Samsung’s flagships, shrinking by solely a fraction of an inch. From there, the peripheral cameras start to tail off barely bit, with the 3x optical telephoto sensor dropping to 8MP from 10MP and the ultrawide sensor shrinking from 1/2.55 inches to 1/3.0 inches, resulting in smaller explicit individual megapixels that will’t seize pretty as so much delicate.

Nonetheless sooner than you start to spell doom and gloom about some downgrades, it’s time to say Samsung’s not-so-secret weapon: Galaxy AI. I’ve largely prevented talking about Samsung’s AI rollout to date, nevertheless the addition of the ProVisual Engine presents the Galaxy S24 FE’s cameras a raise that usually overcomes the shrinking sensors. Samsung’s upgraded engine significantly acts identical to the image processing wing of Google’s Tensor chip, breaking down and enhancing your pictures whereas sustaining as so much accuracy as doable. It’s not always good, nevertheless I respect the soar from when you press the shutter to when you get your closing finish consequence. Anyway, let’s get to some sample pictures.

Correct off the bat, you’ll be capable of inform these pictures acquired right here from a Samsung phone. Although Samsung’s complete coloration science has shifted to develop right into a bit further pure over the previous few cycles, it’s not all one of the simplest ways there however — most noticeably with the reds and greens. And, on account of it’s fall proper right here in Maryland, all I’ve purchased are reds and greens. That signifies that good colors identical to the neon inexperienced of the blow-up spider are even brighter than actuality, and the colorful leaves nonetheless clinging to the tree look nearly like they’re on fire. Nonetheless, there are a few spots the place the color science doesn’t work for Samsung, identical to the shot of the wetland throughout the first row, the place all the colors seem to bleed collectively.

On the extreme facet, the Galaxy S24 FE seems to nail particulars all through the board. Sure, there’s somewhat little bit of distortion throughout the perimeters of the tree to the left, nevertheless the sting detection throughout the skeletal flamingo is spot-on, and also you’ll merely make out every wrinkle and ridge on the Boygenius sculpture to the right.

Transferring on to zoom capabilities, I’ve most certainly not at all been so utterly comfortable to have an 8MP telephoto sensor. It’s not good, sitting as a result of the smallest sensor of Samsung’s trio, nevertheless it reveals its worth when you study the Galaxy S24 FE to completely different upper-mid-range decisions identical to the Motorola Edge (2024) or Pixel 8a. The telephoto sensor offers barely further flexibility with its 3x optical focal measurement, allowing me to punch in on the flag over Fort McHenry and seize robust component. Outcomes are nonetheless first fee at 10x zoom, though the sphere of blue stars is barely more durable to make out as I was taking footage within the route of the photo voltaic. Moreover, whereas I’m impressed by the creases that the Galaxy S24 FE captured throughout the flag at 20x zoom, the image suffers some ghosting throughout the flagpole itself.

Although I can dwell with the reality that even fairly priced flagships most certainly gained’t take good 30x zoom footage for a while, I’ve a further important bone to decide on with Samsung — it merely can’t take care of motion in footage. I was attempting to grab a few new profile footage for the shelter canine above, nevertheless I could not at all catch her completely in focus. If her head acquired right here out sharp, her paw was blurry. If I purchased her physique in focus, her face blurred. It’s additionally potential to see the blurring on my good buddy’s hand the place she’s scratching the canine. As any person who normally shoots with computerized settings, I’d love for Samsung to bump up its default shutter velocity.

Moreover, if you’re after an upper-mid-range phone with spectacular video specs, the Galaxy S24 FE might match the bill. It helps 4K determination at 30 and 60fps and 8K video at 30fps. You’ll most certainly burn by way of your 128GB of base storage if you shoot so much in 8K, and in addition you gained’t have the power to view the clips in full determination on the Full HD Plus present, nevertheless the stabilization is spectacular — even when you’ll be able to solely zoom as a lot as 5x throughout the highest determination.

Now that I’ve opened the Galaxy AI door, let’s hold awhile. In any case, the Galaxy S24 FE is the first non-flagship Samsung phone to return again with this many AI-powered choices correct out of the sector. And, if nothing else, that makes it most likely probably the most attention-grabbing sub-flagship launch from Samsung as a result of it revived the Fan Model lineup in 2020. Granted, it’s competing with a Galaxy S21 FE that launched a few months too late and a Galaxy S23 FE that solely equipped Circle to Search, so which will not be a extreme bar.

Each method, I’m further receptive to the Galaxy S24 FE’s style of on-device AI than I might have anticipated. It doesn’t punch you throughout the face with choices like Purchasing Assist or Interpreter mode with a pushy solutions app, as a substitute letting you come throughout them as soon as they might fit your desires. As such, I’ve prevented the devices I don’t need (like Reside Translate and Portrait Studio) whereas using these I like, like Rapid Sluggish-Mo after I took a shelter canine for a day stroll.

I’ve moreover prevented the additional generative Galaxy AI choices — those who I’m nonetheless glad need most likely probably the most work. See the shot of the painted pumpkin above? Cute, correct? Correctly, it’s not carrying a hat throughout the genuine image. I used Sketch to Image to draw a pointy witch hat on excessive of its orange head, only for Samsung to generate a cowboy hat as a substitute. It’s nonetheless Halloween-appropriate, nevertheless not what I anticipated due to this. Probably I can blame my fingers for not drawing very successfully, nevertheless I’d say a witch hat and a cowboy hat look utterly completely different ample for Samsung to know the excellence.

Anyway, a couple of of Samsung’s completely different Galaxy AI choices larger than make up for what I dislike about its generative abilities. Significantly, I’m contemplating of how the Galaxy S24 FE interacts with the health-tracking choices of the Galaxy Watch 7. Whereas reviewing Samsung’s latest smartwatch, I found myself appreciating metrics identical to the Energy Score, which took into consideration my diploma of train and the way in which successfully I’d slept the sooner night time time to forecast how I’d actually really feel every single day. It was an easier-to-understand mannequin of Garmin’s Physique Battery, and I usually agreed with its assessments. It could not have been good, nevertheless in any case it felt like a wise use of AI.

Larger however, I gained’t be surprised if the Galaxy S24 FE’s Galaxy AI experience continues to develop and alter as Samsung rolls out new choices to its flagship lineup. In any case, the Exynos 2400e chipset have to be merely as succesful as a result of the full-strength Exynos 2400 when it comes to coping with on-device requests, and Samsung’s seven years of software program program updates shouldn’t hurt each. It’s another enhance over the 4 years that the sooner Galaxy S23 FE equipped, and easily ample to keep up the Galaxy S24 FE in line with the most recent from Google and Apple, too.

Merely perceive that a couple of of Samsung’s Galaxy AI choices are restricted to its in-house apps. Purchasing Assist, as an example, can generate a summary of an entire website online in a few seconds, nevertheless it solely works on the Samsung Internet browser, although Chrome is the default browser on the Galaxy S24 FE. A couple of of those nicely being monitoring choices will disappear if you change away from a Samsung phone or wearable, too, so it’s a should to have the ability to spend some time throughout the Galaxy to make it worth your whereas.

We questioned in our preliminary hands-on (video on the excessive of this consider) if the Galaxy S24 FE was really a phone for the followers based on a couple of of Samsung’s choices; it appears the definitive reply was a strong certain.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE appears to be like a flagship, benchmarks nearly like a flagship, charges like a flagship, and is $150 cheaper than most likely probably the most fairly priced Galaxy S24. So, who could ever presumably attain for Samsung’s flagship over its fairly priced flagship that provides nearly the equivalent value on all fronts? Correctly, I’d — nevertheless I don’t suppose most people must. I wouldn’t depend on most people to study massively from the small digital digicam modifications, complete supplies upgrades, or the marginally faster updates that Samsung’s flagships get — the S24 FE does ample to hold its flooring for a lot of would-be shoppers.

The one trigger I’d personally choose the underside Galaxy S24 ($859.99 at Amazon) over the Galaxy S24 FE is that I really like small telephones. It’s well-documented that I’m not an enormous man, which makes wrangling a 6.7-inch gadget (or greater) a headache I don’t want to maintain. Add a case that makes the sharp aluminum physique even greater, and I might as successfully carry an iPad Mini spherical for my day-to-day duties.

Nonetheless, if you’re not like me, I’d inform you to grab the Galaxy S24 FE over nearly each different phone in Samsung’s lineup in case you’re cost-conscious nevertheless nonetheless want an vital experience. It’s way more succesful than the cheaper Galaxy A35 5G ($359.99 at Amazon), sporting greater assemble top quality, longer exchange assist, and sharper, further versatile cameras. The Galaxy S24 FE makes further sense for most people than the Galaxy S24 Plus ($1119.99 at Amazon), too, nevertheless for varied causes. It doesn’t beat Samsung’s $1,000 flagship in any certainly one of many courses above, nevertheless it’s so much nearer than the $350 value distinction would suggest. Even if you select the finer bins that the Galaxy S24 Plus checks, I’m not sure you’ll uncover a deal that makes the price really aggressive, notably if carriers present the Galaxy S24 FE freed from cost or when the latter’s value moreover begins to drop in product sales. In actuality, it’s on sale on the time of this writing for ~$550, which is an unbelievable value.

There’s, nonetheless, one deal in town which can make the Galaxy S24 FE sweat — Google’s Pixel 8a ($499 at Amazon). It’s after primarily the equivalent group of Android followers that Samsung’s Fan Model hopes to courtroom docket, nevertheless Google can present its suppliers at a barely cheaper value stage due to a deeper set of cuts. It’s a should to dwell with two cameras comparatively than three, a smaller present, a plastic once more panel, and slower charging, nevertheless on the flip facet, you’ll get Google’s delicate, clear Pixel UI, an ever-growing guidelines of Gemini AI choices, and the image processing we’ve praised ever given that earliest days of the Pixel — all whereas saving $150 over the Galaxy S24 FE. The one question is which you’d comparatively protect in your pocket for the following seven years, as every are supported for Android updates for the same time frame.

If I’ve been selecting between these two, I’d nonetheless seize the Galaxy S24 FE and inform you to do the equivalent.