Samsung Galaxy S24 FE review: not enough fan fare

There’s something bugging me about Samsung’s “Fan Edition” phone line.

Is there anything wrong with the Galaxy S24 FE sitting in front of me — at $649, to be precise? No. It’s fine. Its battery goes all day. It plays demanding games. It’s reasonably priced. These are all good things.

It’s that Samsung’s definition of a “Fan Edition” phone, in 2024, doesn’t quite make sense.

It didn’t start that way. This FE phone series was originally a pandemic project for Samsung, launched in late 2020 as a low-cost alternative to its pricier flagships. It was a high-end device, stripped down to the essentials at a friendlier price — and it worked. It also made a lot of sense at the time, when a $1,000 phone felt more than ever like a luxury and midrange phones were more underpowered than they are today. The S20 FE came with a top-notch Qualcomm processor along with plenty of fun color options. It was a deal.

In 2024, the concept doesn’t work as well. Lower-cost midrange phones are much better, including Samsung’s own offerings. When the Google Pixel 8A exists and costs $499, a full-specced $600 phone just doesn’t hit the way it used to. Maybe that’s why the S24 FE feels more like an exercise in retail positioning than a phone for “fans.” 

The Galaxy S24 FE uses a Samsung-made Exynos 2400e chipset rather than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the S24 series, which is a step down in processing power depending on who you ask. In my experience, the Exynos chip performed just fine without getting too warm during an extended Pocket City 2 gaming session. It’s also capable of running all the AI features as the Qualcomm models — including live language translations for phone calls, note summarization, and a startlingly good way to doctor your photos — which are interesting at times but don’t feel essential. But if Galaxy AI really does arrive in a big way, the S24 FE will be ready, as is last year’s model.

The FE’s 6.7-inch screen is the same size as the one in the S24 Plus, but it comes with a lower 1080p resolution, which isn’t quite enough for a panel this size to remain crisp. It comes with 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM as standard, along with three rear cameras: a 50-megapixel main, an 8-megapixel 3x telephoto, and a 12-megapixel telephoto.

There’s 15W wireless charging, 25W wired charging, and a sizable 4,700mAh battery. Seven years of OS updates are promised for the S24 FE, which is great. All told, not too shabby for an upper-midrange phone, particularly the 3x zoom lens, which is hard to find for less than $800. 

That camera system is just fine, like it was on last year’s model, too. It’s not so good that you feel like you’re getting away with something by opting for the less expensive phone, but it’s not so bad as to disqualify it from consideration. The main 50-megapixel sensor is capable, but it damn well better be at $649.

To its credit, the 3x telephoto isn’t too eager to hand over zoom to the main sensor in dim indoor lighting, but I can see quite a bit of noise, even in shots at ISO 200. Autofocus with the main camera is unusually indecisive and flutters between subjects, and the live view in portrait mode is noticeably laggy. The camera system gets the job done, but I remain unconvinced that the S24 FE’s dedicated telephoto lens is the standout feature it appears to be. 

If you consider the above against the similarly sized S24 Plus and its $999 starting price, the S24 FE looks like an awfully good deal. The smaller S24 starts at $799, but its screen is much smaller, something only a few of us rare individuals prefer. But if we’re comparing to smaller phones, the obvious competitor is the Pixel 8A — hands down the best midrange phone you can buy in the US right now. 

There are a few compromises if you go with the Pixel. The Pixel 8A comes with a smaller, 6.1-inch screen, it lacks a dedicated telephoto camera, and its water resistance rating is a little less robust. But that’s kind of it as far as differences go. Wireless charging? A great camera? Software support for seven years? The 8A’s got all that covered. When you can get that list of features for $499, a $649 phone needs to work pretty hard to justify its price.

The S24 FE doesn’t feel like it brings enough high-end features down to the midrange. I can’t quite pinpoint it, but this phone just feels noticeably cheaper than the main S24 series. It has Gorilla Glass on the front and back panels, plus an aluminum frame. Maybe it’s the slightly bigger bezels or that the seams at the phone’s edges aren’t quite as tidy as on the higher-end phones. Maybe it’s the 1080p screen, which isn’t quite as razor sharp as it could be. And I mean, the S24 FE feels cheaper because it is cheaper. I get that. But it feels more like using a nice midrange Galaxy A-series phone than a flagship.

There’s a question bugging me as I consider the S24 FE: why does this phone exist? The answer might have more to do with carriers than any “fan” appeal. Right now, Verizon and T-Mobile are offering the S24 FE for $0, assuming you sign onto pricey unlimited plans and stay locked in for the next two years. This phone makes a lot more sense if you consider its main customers to be wireless retailers and not Galaxy superfans. 

There’s the Apple factor, too: Samsung can’t let those new iPhones sitting on the shelf this holiday shopping season go unchallenged. The Galaxy S24, S24 Plus, and S24 Ultra launched way back in January — an eternity ago! So the S24 FE enters the chat, presenting a “new” phone with a price conveniently lower than the base model iPhone. ’Tis the season to meet your year-end sales goals.

If, for some reason, you need a new Samsung phone right now and your carrier is making you a great offer on the S24 FE, then by all means! But if you don’t fit into that category, I don’t see a great reason to choose this phone. The Pixel 8A does most of the same things and is much more wallet-friendly. The S25 series will arrive sooner than later, no doubt, along with Samsung’s typically generous trade-in offers. Save yourself a little cash and go with the Pixel or hold off and get a deal on the S25. But Galaxy fans already know that.

Photography by Allison Johnson / The Verge