Samsung S25 FE review: For that flagship feel without the sticker shock
Samsung’s latest Fan Edition phone inches closer to true flagship territory—but some serious flaws hold it back
Ever since the first Galaxy Fan Edition appeared on the scene in 2020 with the S20 FE, the premise has been rather simple: offer a premium, nearly-there S series flagship experience without the flagship price tag. Over the years, that distance has narrowed, with the latest S25 FE ( ₹59,999 onwards) stepping up its game with some long-overdue upgrades that bring it perilously close to the standard S25 series, both in features and pricing. Is this what the fans wanted, or are there better alternatives around?
Now, unless you’re a Galaxy aficionado, you’ll have a hard time telling the S25 FE from the bigger brother in the lineup, the S25 Plus, thanks to the consistent design language, nearly identical displays, camera hardware, and batteries with matching charging speeds. Not a ding on the device, as the Navy colourway with its dark blue rear panel and silver aluminium railings makes for one of the most elegant looking phones one has seen this year.
In terms of durability, you’re getting IP68 dust and water resistance, along with Gorilla Glass Victus+ for the display and Armor Aluminum for the frame, but in a 7.4mm form factor that weighs a light 190 grams (the previous S24FE was 213g). Owing to its substantial size in the hand, the lighter weight is appreciated.
In terms of durability, you’re getting IP68 dust and water resistance, along with Gorilla Glass Victus+ for the display and Armor Aluminum for the frame, but in a 7.4mm form factor that weighs a light 190 grams (the previous S24FE was 213g). Owing to its substantial size in the hand, the lighter weight is appreciated.
The size allows for a large 6.7-inch display, and the expansive canvas is great for watching videos on the go and while using touch controls for gaming. The 120Hz refresh rate screen isn’t as sharp as the one on the S25 Plus and peak brightness is a bit lower at 1900 nits, but on its own, the screen is as vibrant and contrasty as Samsung’s LTPO AMOLED displays get and doesn’t feel particularly compromised for the price. The stereo speakers are impressive for the times when you don’t want to slip on a pair of earphones.
Of course, this is a Fan Edition phone, and to avoid cannibalizing its own S25 brethren, the S25 FE skips the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite muscle in favour of the Exynos 2400 chipset—the same chipset that powered the previous-generation Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus. Coupled with 8GB of memory across all three variants (128, 256 and 512GB), the S25 FE clearly doesn’t have the blazing fast speeds and raw performance of the top-tier Qualcomm chipset, but it doesn’t really leave one with the feeling of being hobbled in any sense.
OneUI 8.0 atop the latest Android 16 is clean and fully featured, and all the Galaxy AI features one saw and liked on the rest of the S25 series are available, but one should expect slower on-device AI performance and the odd stutter after extended duration gaming, likely on account of throttling to contain excessive heating. And if you’re the sort who pushes the phone while multitasking, you’ll wish, as I did, that Samsung offered at least one 12GB memory variant, even if it was on the higher 512GB model. There’s dual-SIM 5G connectivity, Bluetooth 5.4 and the faster USB-C 3.2 port, wired Samsung DeX support plus seven years of software support, something you rarely see in phones in this segment.
Powering the setup is a 4,900mAh battery, compatible with 45W wired charging, 15W Qi2 wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, but as expected, a charger is not included in the package, so you’ll need to pick up Samsung’s 45W adapter (or a compatible charger that supports the required Power Delivery PPS charging profile) for maximum charging speeds. Again, not the fastest charging on the block, but it’s good to see that the FE variant wasn’t held back as compared to the rest of the S25 lineup. With the frugal Exynos chipset, the phone lasts a full day of moderate use with a couple of hours of doomscrolling, using the wireless hotspot and Maps for directions, taking a moderate number of photos and videos, and streaming content and music. Not great, not terrible.
On cameras, for whatever reason, S25 FE sees the least upgrades this generation, and the rear cameras are identical to last year’s S24 FE, with a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide and an 8MP 3x telephoto—the selfie shooter sees a bump up from 10MP to 12MP. The lack of exciting upgrades doesn’t make the setup less competent, and while putting the phone through its paces, very rarely did I come across results which didn’t please, even in this horribly overcast weather we’ve been having in Bangalore. The 50MP primary camera is clearly the star of the show, showing off the dynamic range at play while still capturing colours accurately, and the overall aesthetic is retained with the ultrawide, even if one does have to deal with the downgrade in overall detail. Getting a telephoto is a minor win too—remember you have to pay extra for the telephoto on the iPhone 17 Pro series—but the 8MP sensor doesn’t do well if you’re the sort who likes to dig into the details. Portrait mode works reasonably well, and close-up macro shots are on point as well.
It may be a bit cheaper than the smaller S25 and the similarly sized S25 Plus, but pit against its peers like the Vivo X200 FE and the OnePlus 13s, you’re getting significantly better cameras, better performance and better battery endurance and charging in the competition, with Samsung retaining an edge for software and long-term updates.
Verdict
Here’s the rub with the S25 FE—it’s sleek and polished, and has that premium Samsung feel, which extends to the screen and speakers and overall software and AI chops. Cameras are dependable as well, particularly in low light. Yet, how the device might age as the years roll on might be the biggest questions fans should consider before picking the S25 FE up.
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