Samsung has just launched the newest addition to its flagship lineup, the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE, featuring the latest One UI 9 and advanced camera capabilities.
Last August 25, 2026, we had the chance to try the new Samsung Galaxy S26 FE at a media preview event. There are a lot of opinions about this phone, especially regarding its pricing, but Samsung still says that it is dedicated to delivering a flagship experience.
With our limited time to check out the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE, we are sharing our initial impressions.
Samsung Galaxy S26 FE
Design
In terms of design, it looks almost the same as the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE, and it seems like only the camera island has changed. Instead of having just the camera modules, it now has a frosted plastic camera island, which also looks good and provides additional protection for the cameras.
It is also slightly larger and thicker than its predecessor, measuring 161.6 x 76.9 x 7.4 mm and weighing 193g.
Its colorways are also similar to those of the Galaxy S25 FE, with just the names changed. It is available in Blueberry, Graphite, and Pistachio. The device now features a glossy back, similar to the Samsung Galaxy A27 5G that we recently reviewed.
I am not a fan of this back finish since I have sweaty hands. During the preview, almost dropped it several times because it became slippery when my hands were sweaty. Buying a phone case when you purchase one is recommended.
Display
The new Samsung Galaxy S26 FE still features the same 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with an FHD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and up to 1,900 nits of peak brightness. There is actually nothing new with its display.
Don’t get me wrong, the display quality is good, and it is also large, so you will definitely enjoy media consumption on this device. But of course, if you already have the Galaxy S25 FE, it will still give you the same experience.
Camera
While I haven’t tried or reviewed the Galaxy S25 FE, the camera experience and image quality of the new Galaxy S26 FE are very decent. It still features a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, an 8MP telephoto camera, and a 12MP selfie camera.
I just wish Samsung had upgraded its camera setup. However, in terms of camera features, the Galaxy S26 FE now comes with the My FanCam feature that we first saw on the recently released Galaxy foldables. It also features Super Steady mode with Horizontal Lock, which is a game-changer for me.
It also boasts the Nightography signature feature of the Galaxy S series, which helps deliver great-quality low-light shots.
With my short experience with its camera, I can say that the quality is already good, especially if you love posting your photos on social media.
Performance
The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE has upgraded performance because it now comes with the 3nm Exynos 2500 chipset. However, its memory configuration still comes with 8GB of RAM and up to 512GB of internal storage.
8GB of RAM today is just right, but it can sometimes feel lacking, especially when multitasking. For sure, the memory could compromise its performance, but it will still depend on software optimization.
Its performance seems enough for everyday use, especially if you are not a heavy user or a professional who really needs powerful performance.
UI/Software
This device is the first in the Galaxy S26 series to run One UI 9 based on Android 17 out of the box. We haven’t really explored its software due to our limited time with the device, but it feels smooth and snappy. However, that could still change once you have a lot of apps installed or when you are multitasking with resource-hungry apps.
Samsung also promises seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates. That’s a very long time, and it assures you that the device will continue to receive optimized software throughout the years.
Battery
As for the battery, Samsung also did not upgrade this department. It still features a 4,900mAh battery capacity that supports 45W wired charging and 15W wireless charging.
Samsung claims that it can reach up to 69% charge in around 30 minutes using a supported 45W charger. However, it is still considered slow, especially at this price point.
Initial Thoughts
This is my first time covering an FE variant of the Galaxy S series, and I had slightly different expectations when it came to the features of an FE model. I expected it to get some features from the Ultra variant, or at least have one or two features that you would not find on the other models in the series.
It is quite disappointing that it received a price increase while having almost the same specs and features as its predecessor, which is now way more affordable. We understand that there is an issue with the current memory shortage, but I wish Samsung had upgraded other departments of this phone, such as the battery, display, and camera.
But since we haven’t really used it as a daily driver, we can’t give a verdict on this phone yet. Hopefully, we get the chance to test and review it so we can also share whether it is worth buying.
If you’re also considering Samsung’s more affordable Galaxy A series, I previously reviewed the Samsung Galaxy A27 5G, which offers a different balance of features and value.
Weeks after I wrote this, Samsung lent us a review unit for three weeks. You can check out 5 features of the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE that stood out to me.
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