Samsung Galaxy S24 FE review: The full Galaxy AI experience for less

When costs of the Galaxy S sequence began to skyrocket, Samsung determined just a few years in the past to launch a slimmed-down model, with all the important thing options and the most recent software program model, at a extra affordable value. They referred to as them FE, which is brief for Fan Version.

The timing was a bit odd at occasions, they tended to come back simply earlier than the brand new yr’s high telephones have been launched. The Galaxy S23 FE went on sale in November 2023, earlier than its successor arrived nearly a yr later.

However is it any good? I examined the Galaxy S24 FE to seek out out.

Design & Construct

The Galaxy S24 FE is heavier and barely bigger in dimensions than the already sturdy Galaxy S24+. It has the identical measurement display screen – 6.7 inches – so the additional millimetres are a couple of extra merely constructed machine that doesn’t have the identical skinny display screen bezels.

Construct high quality continues to be excessive, with an aluminium body and glass back and front. There’s Gorilla Glass Victus Plus within the display screen and Gorilla Glass 5 on the again as an alternative of Victus 2, so the aluminium chassis isn’t of the additional sturdy sort used within the S24+.

This makes it barely much less scratch and scuff-resistant, nevertheless it’s nonetheless higher than many different top-end mobiles. After all, you additionally get mud and water resistance with an IP68 ranking.

Specs & Efficiency

The system circuit is a model new variant, the Samsung Exynos 2400e, which is similar to the Exynos 2400 from the S24 and S24+ in Europe, nevertheless it has a touch decrease clock price on a few of the cores.

That appears to be the one distinction, and it’s so minimal that it’s not essential. It’s the identical graphics, the identical connectivity assist and the identical NPU.

In brief, it’s true premium efficiency. Even when it doesn’t ship document numbers in any benchmarks, it doesn’t lag behind. The circuit appears to be barely tougher to overheat than the S24+, however that will additionally should do with the chassis design and inner cooling resolution.

With a strong NPU offering the identical energy for the S24 sequence’ many nice AI options, it’s only a matter of giving thanks and receiving. You don’t lose out on any of them right here, aside from the Notes-specific options you solely get on the S24 Extremely and the most recent Galaxy S10+ and S10 Extremely tablets.

Show

The 6.7-inch display screen is a 1080p AMOLED that doesn’t fairly rise up to the sharpness and peak brightness of the highest fashions, nevertheless it doesn’t make a idiot of itself.

Good anti-glare safety within the display screen floor and Samsung’s Imaginative and prescient Booster know-how for its 1,900 cd/m2 peak brightness imply there’s by no means an issue with readability in daylight, though the picture can be much less enticing for displaying video.

Nevertheless it’s definitely a downgrade from the S24+, which has 2,600 cd/m2, 1440p decision and real LTPO know-how to regulate the display screen refresh price. It’s nonetheless dynamic right here, although it might solely robotically change between 60- and 120Hz fairly than going all the way in which all the way down to 1Hz.

Mattias Inghe

Battery Life & Charging

You can even set the show to a hard and fast 60 Hz, however why would you do this? It doesn’t save sufficient battery to be conclusive – I get the identical ends in my battery life measurements in each modes.

Reasonably, what places the Galaxy S24 FE at a drawback is that the battery is definitely smaller, 4700mAh versus 4900mAh within the S24 Plus. One thing else should additionally have an effect on the ability consumption, as a result of it’s increased right here, and in energetic work, the battery lasts for 13 hours as an alternative of 16.

Is it underpowered? Under no circumstances, and in additional sporadic use with durations in your pocket, some images in the course of the day and video streaming within the night, it might nonetheless final a few days between costs. Total, Samsung and the One UI system are good at conserving vitality.

Nevertheless, charging is questionable – at finest you possibly can rise up to 25W through USB-C and also you want, as ordinary, to offer your individual suitable charger.

My two 65W common chargers find yourself somewhat beneath 25W in energy and the result’s patience-testing semi-fast charging. And not using a charger within the field or good steerage within the retailer for an appropriate charger (not even on Samsung’s personal on-line retailer), there could also be issues getting the suitable charging velocity.

I don’t perceive why this needs to be so tough. No producer is consumer-friendly on this space. Now I really get nearly as quick battery charging wirelessly. The S24 FE helps as much as 15W that means. And yep, it helps reverse charging so you possibly can put your Galaxy Buds on it to cost.

Mattias Inghe

Cameras

The third large factor that’s scaled down is the cameras. A minimum of a few them, the zoom on the again and the selfie digital camera have gotten smaller sensors, 8Mp as an alternative of 10.

The huge angle with its 12Mp and the primary digital camera’s 50Mp, so seems to match the S24 and S24+. I don’t discover any distinction in the long run results of images, which in daylight offers good white stability, sturdy dynamic vary and correct colors – together with pure pores and skin tones.

All three lenses on the again match one another on that time, and so long as I don’t digitally zoom past the 3x that I get optically with the zoom lens, it’s sharp and simple to shoot.

In night gentle I get occasional issues with obscure noise in darkish areas, and even the color stability might be off with the huge angle and zoom cameras. All three cameras lose some element, however so long as you don’t zoom in an excessive amount of in post-processing the images look sharp.

The digital camera shoots steadily with dependable color and light-weight dealing with and easy autofocus. You’ll be able to shoot at as much as 120Hz at 4k and it might additionally seize 8k video. I wouldn’t suggest making a behavior of it although, each modes are big battery drainers. The microphones within the telephone are of a excessive commonplace and clever noise cancellation does a superb job.

Value & Availability

The Galaxy S24 FE begins at £649 within the UK, the place it’s accessible from the likes of Samsung and Amazon,

On contract, it’s accessible on the next networks:

Within the US, the telephone begins at $549.99, and might be discovered on the likes of Samsung and Amazon. On contract, see beneath:

Do you have to purchase the Galaxy S24 FE?

On this evaluate, I’ve in contrast lots to the S24+, as a result of the S24 FE largely appears to be based mostly on it. And the checklist of compromises to maintain the worth down is lengthy, however not excessive.

There are numerous little issues that don’t make a major distinction in on a regular basis life, like barely worse cameras, barely decrease efficiency and an optical fingerprint reader as an alternative of the quicker ultrasonic reader.

Samsung

But additionally others that will decide extra, just like the battery life, dimmer display screen and even bigger dimensions, increased weight and no choice with a lot storage. However because you don’t should pay practically as a lot for it, it could be value it, particularly in order for you the complete Galaxy AI expertise with out shopping for a flagship.