Samsung Galaxy S26 FE vs S25 FE: Should you upgrade? — Explained
Samsung has just pulled back the curtain on its big mid-range phone for the year: the Galaxy S26 FE. Taking a few cues from the flagship Galaxy S26 phones but with a lower price, the S26 FE is a step above the Galaxy A-series phones, making it ideal for those who want a phone that feels like a flagship but doesn’t cost the same as one.
Long-time readers will know that we rate the existing Samsung Galaxy S25 FE, in fact it currently sits as our top recommendation from the best mid-range phones. Unfortunately, as we found out before the phone was even announced thanks to various leaks and rumours, the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE doesn’t represent a major leap forward for Samsung’s mid-range line-up.
If you’re thinking about upgrading to a new phone this year, you might be wondering if it’s worth buying the Galaxy S26 FE, or opting for last year’s S25 FE, given that the older model can be found for a lower price if you shop around. To help you decide, we’ve whittled down the key differences between the Galaxy S26 FE and its predecessor.
The S26 has a more expansive camera experience
Samsung isn’t exactly known for introducing major camera upgrades with each new phone generation and, on the hardware front, that’s very much the case for the Galaxy S26 FE, but it’s a different story altogether when it comes to software. There are several updates that could be particularly alluring to content creators.
As we expected, given that it appeared on the other S26 phones, the FE boasts the Horizon Lock feature during video capture which, much like an action camera, can keep the recording completely still no matter how you twist the phone in your hands. It works a charm on the other Samsung handsets and it largely does away with the need to have a dedicated smartphone gimbal to capture smooth footage.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
However, the FE will be the first of the S26 range to pinch the My FanCam feature which debuted on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the Fold 8 Ultra. This nifty trick uses AI to focus on a single subject from any video that you’ve captured, something that would’ve previously required a bit of editing to achieve.
The ultra-wide camera has also seen its HDR performance upgraded to make it more effective at capturing scenes with unique lighting. For example, it could make sunsets look a lot better, as they can either be too dark or overblown in less well-equipped cameras.
One UI 9 out of the box
Although the latest version of Samsung’s Android overlay is only now rolling out in beta form to select Galaxy S26 handsets, One UI 9 will be available in its completed form on the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE. It’s not the first phone to boast this software, as that honour goes to the recently released Z Flip and Z Fold phones, but this is the first Galaxy S phone to see a finished version out of the box.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
There are quite a few upgrades here, including Now Nudge, which more intelligently opens up an app following a notification, all without ever closing the app you’re currently using. Audio Eraser has also been expanded to work on videos from YouTube, Instagram and Netflix. Samsung has shown how the feature can be used to minimise ambient sound from a football match so you can hone in on the action.
An upgraded Exynos chipset
Last year’s S25 FE utilised the same Exynos 2400 chipset previously found in the Galaxy S24, and it offered exactly the type of dependable performance that made the phone such an easy upgrade to recommend. Well, Samsung is looking to double down on that approach as the S26 FE now uses the more fully-featured Exynos 2500 processor.
Samsung fans might remember that the same chipset was used to power the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and, in our testing of that phone, we found the 2500 to more than hold its own under daily use. The chip didn’t buckle when we had a ludicrous amount of tabs open in Google Chrome, and it had no issues with gaming sessions in Call of Duty Mobile or Real Racing 3.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The only thing we did pick up on was a noticeable buildup of heat on the Z Flip 7 when using more taxing apps, so hopefully Samsung has done its due diligence to help with heat dissipation on the S26 FE.
Battery life is almost identical
One thing that the S25 FE had to be commended for was its battery life. Even though it packed a comparatively small 4900mAh cell, Samsung’s optimisations went a long way to ensuring that it could last through a heavy-duty day without any worry. In fact, we struggled to get the device to drop below 50% on most days.
Still, anyone hoping that the S26 FE might go even further here will be largely disappointed. It’s still the same 4900mAh cell under the hood, although Samsung now claims that thanks to some fine-tuning, the phone can now get an extra hour of video playback compared to its predecessor.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The price hikes made us double-take
The one thing that’s sure to be the key talking point of the S26 FE’s arrival is its new price tag. Thankfully, the entry-level price isn’t anywhere near as bad as it could have been, with the 128GB model having gone up by £50 to £699/$TBC. Where things get a bit eye-watering is when you want to bring more storage into the mix.
The 256GB and 512GB models of the S26 FE are now vastly more expensive, with an increase of £100/$TBC and £150/$TBC respectively. At a time when people are trying to save money amidst the cost of living crisis, it won’t be too surprising if a lot of potential adopters end up going for the S25 FE instead.
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