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Samsung Galaxy S24 FE: Fast Impressions Review

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE

For the past week, I’ve had my SIM firmly inside the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, the so-called fan version of Samsung’s flagship smartphone. It goes on sale in October and starts at $649, so at least the FE bit doesn’t stand to be expensive. It’s not exactly what you’d call cheap though, and you’ve got plenty of options like the recently launched Xiaomi 14T Pro at this price point.

So the question is, is the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE a field experiment or a full-on evolution?

Galaxy S24 FE Design

The Galaxy S24 FE is considerably larger than previous Fan Edition phones, which is a bit of a pain for someone like my stubby-fingered self who prefers more compact devices. It gets the same screen size as the Galaxy S24 Plus at 6.7 inches, which is quite an increase over the previous 6.4 inches. And actually, you’ve got some reasonably chunky bezels, especially here below the screen. The dimensions are similar to Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro Max, a 6.9-inch.

One-handed use on the Galaxy S24 FE feels great, though thankfully the phone isn’t uncomfortable to clutch despite those flat iPhone-esque edges—a situation that is probably helped by the nice curvy corners. And the Galaxy S24 FE isn’t just a chunkster; it’s also a hefty device, weighing in at 213 grams.

It’s the light blue model, but you can grab the FE in mint, yellow, graphite, and grey. Victus Plus has some Gorilla Glass on the front. It’s older Gorilla Glass 5, though thankfully, touching wood, there are no scratches or dents after a week of fairly intense abuse.

I’ve had this thing in my pocket with the iPhone 16 Pro Max for most of the week, and yes, it’s holding up well so far. And you’ve got full IP68 water and dust resistance, just like those flagships, so no worries if you accidentally drop it in the bath or sink or something—it’ll be fine. It should be fine; wipe it off with a good towel to be sure. I’ve certainly been more than happy belting out a good bit of pirate metal in the shower these past few days.

Galaxy S24 FE Display

The screen size has increased for the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE model, so you now get a 6.7-inch Super Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, the same technology as that full-fat flagship. The resolution is, sadly, scaled back a bit on the S24 FE to Full HD, so those visuals aren’t as satisfyingly sharp, especially since it’s a pretty bloody huge panel.

But it’s hard to complain about the screen for anything else, because, like other Samsung screens, it’s brilliantly vibrant, especially at the default color settings. There’s full HDR10 support and compatibility with the likes of Netflix. It’s a nice, eye-pleasing contrast on the go, and it’s bright enough to comfortably use even when Mr. Sunshine decides to show his face for a change—lazy git. There’s a 120Hz refresh rate here too. As for audio, well, you’ve got a built-in stereo speaker setup.

Galaxy S24 FE Camera/AI

Main camera

50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide),
8 MP, f/2.4, 75mm (telephoto),
12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultrawide)

Selfie camera

10 MP, f/2.4, 26mm (wide)

You’ve got a camera setup similar to the regular Galaxy S24, although some of the hardware has been tweaked. You won’t notice much difference when using the camera, as it looks and works like the regular Galaxy S24. All the usual camera modes we know and love are here, including Single Take. If you want to mess around with settings like ISO levels, white balance, etc., there’s a whole host of dedicated Pro modes. But for testing purposes, I left it in standard auto photo mode, which is what most people would use.

I was generally quite happy with the results from the 50-megapixel main sensor. There’s almost no lens flare, and it handles seriously bright lights and contrasts well, though there’s sometimes an unnatural darkening in shadowed areas. The S24 FE is a crowd-pleaser, much like those iPhones, but photos are generally pretty true to life—at least when the lighting is decent. Some of the more vivid colors are right off that screen.

50-megapixel main sensor

samsung galaxy s24 fe camera quality — 50-megapixel main sensor

Some image processing is handled by the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE’s new Pro Visual Engine, which, of course, is powered by our great friend AI. This can help sharpen and enhance shots, for example, by reducing grain in low-light photography. You’ll still see some grain in moodily lit environments, and some of my test shots on the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE looked a bit flat with dull colors. However, others came out much better than expected, revealing a surprising amount of fine detail.

low-light photography

You’ve also got a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle shooter. For striking shots with similar processing to the regular lens, it works fine, although it does struggle and flicker a bit in low light.

12-megapixel ultra-wide shooter

You’ve also got an 8-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom on the Galaxy S24 FE. In the camera app, you’ll notice you can zoom up to 2x using the Galaxy S24 FE’s main camera sensor with a bit of sharpening, again thanks to the Pro Visual Engine. Once you hit 3x zoom, the telephoto lens on the Galaxy S24 FE kicks in, and you’ll notice some impressive stabilization, especially at higher zoom levels. Those 2x zoom shots on the Galaxy S24 FE look pretty slick, and the telephoto lens performs well up to around 20x zoom, though beyond that, things start to get a bit too abstract.

At night, when you zoom in a bit on the Galaxy S24 FE, the results are often blurry and grainy, as expected.

samsung galaxy s24 fe camera night mode zoom — night mode zoom

As usual, the Galaxy S24 FE has all the AI-enhanced editing features, so you can easily highlight subjects, touch and hold them to drag them around. Editing photos on the Galaxy S24 FE is seamless, allowing you to resize them with ease.

You can also randomly add things to a photo on the Galaxy S24 FE, and they’ll magically appear courtesy of that AI wizardry. Obviously, within reason—you can’t add a giant penis monster to any given photo. Sadly, I tried.

You’ve also got the good old Portrait Studio on the Galaxy S24 FE to turn yourself into a 3D cartoon or comic character. I love that the Galaxy S24 FE’s AI seems to think I’m almost 60 years old already.

For video, like the regular Galaxy S24 FE, you can shoot in 8K resolution at 30fps or opt for 30 or 60fps in lower resolutions. I mostly kept it at 4K on the Galaxy S24 FE, and the results were as solid as ever. Stabilization is good enough to handle shots on the move, while the Galaxy S24 FE’s audio recording tech helps reduce jitters when you’re shooting outdoors. You can easily zoom in and out while filming.

When re-watching a video on the Galaxy S24 FE, you can tap and hold your finger on the screen to slow it down. The AI frame-filling can sometimes be a bit heavy-handed, but usually, it does a pretty impressive job.

Up front, the Galaxy S24 FE features a 10-megapixel selfie shooter. I’m not a selfie fan, but it’s just fine for your basic, shareable shots.

Galaxy S24 FE Performance

Performance is often a slightly sensitive topic when I discuss Samsung phones, especially when there’s a bit of Exynos involved. The same goes for the Galaxy S24 FE. The brains of the operation here are the Exynos 2400E, paired with a solid 8GB of RAM. I found the daily performance to be quite good, though it’s often not perfectly smooth.

Apps load almost instantly, multitasking isn’t an issue, and gamers should be satisfied too. The likes of Wuthering Waves, one of the most intensive Android titles out there, can run at maximum graphics settings with everything turned on. I found the frame rate to be stable, even after a full-on hour of hard gaming.

Some of the top parts of the phone did get a little warm to the touch while gaming, but Samsung has packed a slightly larger vapor chamber into the Galaxy S24 FE, so the phone doesn’t overheat, and performance remains stable over time.

Galaxy S24 FE OneUI & AI features

It’s your typical Samsung UI shenanigans on the Galaxy S24 FE, so if you’ve used a Samsung phone before, you know exactly what to expect. With the S24 series, I don’t notice much difference from the A series in terms of software. And yes, Samsung has completely packed this thing with its apps, many of which you don’t need because Android already provides them. So, you’ve got another browser, another file explorer, another smart home app, contactless payments, health tracking, and all that stuff.

To be perfectly honest, I ignore most of these and replace them with Google’s versions. For example, I immediately get rid of the Samsung keyboard and switched to the superior Gboard. Seriously, Samsung’s autocorrect is like a broken watch—it’s right about twice a day, and the rest of the time it’s just disappointing.

You’ve got a choice of 128 or 256 GB of storage on the S24 FE, but sadly no room for expansion via a microSD memory card. There’s only a dual-sided SIM tray, with full eSIM support, but many flagship features seem to be missing in this Fan Edition. Samsung DeX is included, though, so you can hook it up to a monitor and essentially turn it into a makeshift computer on the go.

And in case you’re wondering, Samsung has crammed in its Galaxy AI features as well. The S24 FE is a solid offering from the regular flagship lineup. Plus, Samsung is providing the Galaxy S24 FE with 7 years of OS updates and security support.

Galaxy S24 FE Battery

Battery life is slightly worse on the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE. You have a 4700mAh capacity cell, which is smaller than the 4900mAh inside the S24+. I was expecting the capacity to be at least the same, if not slightly larger. I found that it provides about 5-6 hours of screen time on average, which isn’t terrible, but on some days, I had to top it off before going out in the evening because I didn’t trust it to last all night until I tucked up with Teddy.

However, in the past, I’ve found that when reviewing Samsung smartphones, the battery life sometimes improves after a week or two of full-time use as it begins to learn your habits, perhaps better-managing background apps. I don’t know—maybe the S24 FE will improve in a week or two.

Charging tops out at a painfully sluggish 25W, so if you need to top it off, make sure you give it at least half an hour or so to charge; otherwise, you’ll barely make a dent. A full charge feels like an eternal embarrassment—we’re talking about Zack Snyder’s directorial time-consuming. Oh, and you’ve got fast wireless charging support here too.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE could be an attractive deal for those looking for flagship-level performance at a more affordable price. It features Samsung’s high-quality Super Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, delivering sharp visuals and smooth refresh rates, making it great for media and gaming. The device is similar to the S24 and handles multitasking and gaming well, providing a solid user experience. One of its strengths is long-term software support, as Samsung typically provides updates for up to four years.

However, to keep the price low, the S24 FE has a plastic build, though it retains the camera features of the flagship Galaxy S24. It offers excellent value for users who want premium performance without paying a premium price. Battery life wasn’t great, and there are plenty of strong rivals at this price point, including the Google Pixel 8 and the newly launched Xiaomi 14T Pro.

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Alvi Hosain

I am a tech enthusiast with over 1.5 years of experience in phone reviews and gadgets. Passionate about making technology easier for everyone, I focus on creating smartphone reviews and detailed tech guides. Whether exploring the latest devices or providing tips on how to get the most out of your gadgets, I love helping others navigate the world of technology. Known among my friends for solving phone-related problems, I enjoy discussing technology and staying up-to-date with the latest industry trends.