Samsung Galaxy S25 FE launched: affordable flagship with bigger battery, 45W charging, and 7 OS upgrades
Samsung has launched another member of the Galaxy S25 series, and possibly the last one. As expected, it’s the Galaxy S25 FE, which will serve as an ‘affordable’ alternative to the flagship Galaxy S25 lineup. Samsung hasn’t revealed the pricing details yet, but the Galaxy S25 FE will be available to purchase in India soon. With its latest launch, Samsung continues the Fan Edition series, offering a scaled-down version of its flagship phone. The device borrows several features from the Galaxy S25 lineup, while making a few compromises to hit a lower price point. However, this doesn’t place it in the mid-range bracket, as the previous Galaxy S24 FE itself debuted at a starting price of Rs 59,999.
While the Galaxy S25 FE is positioned below the flagship S25, it actually outshines it in one key area – the battery. The phone houses a 4,900mAh unit, matching the Galaxy S25+ and coming within just 100mAh of the S25 Ultra. What makes it even more impressive is the addition of 45W fast charging, a step up over the standard S25, which is limited to 25W. In real-world use, the S25 FE should comfortably deliver a full day of battery life, similar to the S25+, which lasted an entire day with moderate settings like 120Hz enabled. On top of that, you also get 15W wireless charging and Wireless PowerShare support.
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Powering the Galaxy S25 FE is the Exynos 2400, which is found in last year’s Galaxy S24 and S24+ phones. This shouldn’t be surprising, as Samsung usually puts a generation-old chipset in its FE models. The Exynos 2400 is a 4nm chipset, which is claimed to offer improvements in speed, AI performance, heat management, and overall performance over its predecessors. Based on our experience with the Galaxy S24, it delivered a swift and smooth experience for your regular tasks like multitasking, browsing, social media scrolling, or streaming, and handled gaming quite well. We should know more in our review of the S25 FE, but we can expect a similar performance.
The Galaxy S25 FE continues with the same 6.7-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate like the S24 FE. The new model is surprisingly lighter, weighing 190 grams compared to the S24 FE’s 210 grams. It’s also thinner and slightly smaller than the S24 FE. The new FE model has also been equipped with a more than 10 per cent larger vapour chamber and an enhanced Armour Aluminium frame.
In the camera department, there’s a notable upgrade for the selfie camera from 10MP on the S24 FE to 12MP on the S25 FE. As for the rear camera setup, it remains the same with a 12MP ultra-wide camera, a 50MP wide camera, and an 8MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. We haven’t yet tested the Galaxy S25 FE’s camera, but based on the S24 FE’s review, we can expect vibrant colours and ample detail in well-lit environments. However, we did notice a bit of light flare and noise in low-light shots.
The Galaxy S25 FE is the first S-series phone to launch with One UI 8 (Android 16) out of the box. The smartphone will also get seven OS upgrades and security updates. Like the flagship models, the Galaxy S25 FE has IP68 water and dust resistance. It comes in Icyblue, Jetblack, Navy, and White colours.
Samsung hasn’t revealed the Indian prices and availability details yet. In the US, the Galaxy S25 FE starts at $650 (Rs 57,300 approx) for the 8GB + 128GB variant and $710 (Rs 62,600 approx) for the 8GB + 256GB variant. We expect it to launch at around the same price here. For context, the Galaxy S24 FE launched at a starting price of Rs 59,999.
The Galaxy S25 FE introduces notable upgrades in key areas, including battery, chipset, and design, which are areas that matter to users on a day-to-day basis. The 4,900mAh battery with 45W fast charging means fewer worries about mid-day top-ups. The lighter, thinner build also makes it more comfortable to hold compared to its predecessor. At the same time, those looking for cutting-edge performance may find the Exynos 2400 slightly dated compared to rivals on newer chipsets.
Its pricing also places it firmly in the flagship category. When compared to rivals such as the OnePlus 13, currently retailing for under Rs 60,000, and the Vivo X200 FE at Rs 54,999, the S25 FE may struggle to match their overall performance. However, Samsung is banking on its suite of Galaxy AI features and commitment to long-term software updates, which could tip the scales once real-world usage paints a clearer picture. If you’re a Samsung loyalist or value long-term software updates and AI features, the Galaxy S25 FE could be a smart buy, but we’d still advise waiting for reviews for a better buying decision.
