The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE is now official, and once again Samsung is pushing its Fan Edition formula—bringing flagship-like features to a more realistic price point. At ₹57,100 the S25 FE nails the essentials — premium display, strong battery, capable cameras and Samsung’s newest One UI 8 on Android 16 — while asking buyers to accept a handful of trade-offs.
Design and finish
On first look the S25 FE is almost indistinguishable from the S25 Plus: a 6.7-inch, flat-edged silhouette with Samsung’s rounded corners. It’s marginally longer and thicker than last year’s FE, but the change is negligible in hand.
Gorilla Glass Victus+ replaces Victus 2 here — a sensible downgrade to hit the price — and Samsung keeps IP68 dust and water resistance. Colour choices are safe (Haze Blue, Smoke Black, Navy Blue, Snow White); if you wanted the flashier palettes of older FE editions, this year’s range won’t thrill you.
Screen and display quality
Samsung’s strengths show up where they always do: the 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel is sharp, punchy and unapologetically bright. Full HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate deliver smooth motion; LTPO for adaptive refresh rates is missing, but most users won’t notice in day-to-day use.
Bezels are slimmer than the S24 FE, and peak brightness of 1,900 nits makes outdoor viewing comfortable. Yes, it’s not QHD+, but the practical difference is minor for typical viewing — trading peak resolution for battery and cost is an intentional decision here.
Performance
Under the hood sits the Exynos 2400, an incremental step up from the 2400e in the previous FE model. RAM and storage options (8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB) use LPDDR5X and UFS 4.0, so multitasking and app loading feel snappy.
Samsung also beefed up thermals with a 13% larger vapor chamber and a new liquid thermal interface material to keep performance stable during long sessions. Still, this chip won’t match Snapdragon 8 Elite–class flagships for peak GPU workloads. If you want the fastest possible performance for 4K editing or top-tier gaming, that’s a clear trade-off buyers need to accept.
Camera system
The S25 FE’s triple camera array is familiar: 50MP main with OIS, 12MP ultrawide and an 8MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom. Samsung leans hard on software — the ProVisual Engine and AI features refine colours, reduce noise, and lift low-light shots without changing hardware.
Selfies move to a 12MP sensor from 10MP, though front autofocus is still absent. The telephoto is perfectly adequate for portraits, but it won’t out-resolve the S25 Plus’s 10MP telephoto at extreme zoom — another deliberate compromise.
Software and features
The S25 FE ships with One UI 8 based on Android 16 — arriving earlier than some Samsung flagships — and brings new AI tools like Now Brief, Now Bar and Gemini Live. Circle to Search with Google and creative tools such as Instant Slow-Mo, Generative Edit and Audio Eraser make content creation easier.
DeX remains a compelling feature for users who want a desktop-like workflow from their phone. Samsung’s promise of seven years of OS and security updates is an important long-term win and shifts the FE from short-term value to durable ownership.
Battery and charging
A 4,900mAh battery (up from 4,700mAh in the S24 FE) plus 45W wired charging is one of the S25 FE’s practical wins. Qi2 wireless at 15W is supported, though Samsung hasn’t added magnetic alignment like some rivals.
Real-world use should comfortably cover a full day of mixed tasks, but the Exynos platform is not as power-efficient as the top Snapdragon silicon, so battery endurance won’t beat the S25 Plus in stress tests.
Should you buy the Galaxy S25 FE?
If you want much of the Galaxy S25 experience without flagship pricing, the S25 FE is the smartest compromise Samsung offers right now: standout display, dependable cameras enhanced by AI, DeX for productivity and a long software support window.
This choice won’t please everyone — the Exynos 2400, the modest telephoto and conservative colour lineup show where cost-saving decisions were made. Buy it if you prioritise value, software longevity and a big, bright screen. Skip it if absolute top-tier performance or the best possible telephoto is your priority.
Verdict
Samsung has made the FE playbook predictable — cherry-pick flagship strengths and trim where it hurts least. The Galaxy S25 FE is an accomplished near-flagship that reads as a practical phone for most buyers: confident, capable and unusually future-proof for its segment.
Ramesh is a technology writer at gemch.in, covering smartphone launches, leaks, and comparisons. His articles focus on real-world features, performance, and value-for-money insights to help readers make informed buying decisions.