"Savings" and "affordability" are terms facing extinction due to the RAM crisis. On average, smartphone prices in Malaysia have risen by around RM600 compared to last year's models with identical storage configurations.
The Galaxy FE series began as a way to relaunch the problematic Note7, but it is now better known as a more affordable alternative to the rest of the Galaxy S lineup—while simultaneously offering higher performance than other Galaxy series models. With the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE, the company has truly delivered a device that offers great value for its specifications. Specifications
Samsung Galaxy S25 FE
Screen 6.7″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz,
FHD+, HDR10+
Processor Exynos 2500 (3nm)
Chip 1x 3.3GHz Cortex-X925
2x 2.74GHz Cortex-A725
5x 2.36GHz Cortex-A720
2x 1.8GHz Cortex-A520
Graphics Chip Xclipse 950
RAM 8GB LPDDR5X
Internal Storage 128/256/512 GB UFS 4.0
Main Camera 50MP f/1.8 OIS (Wide-angle)
12MP f/2.2 (Ultra-wide)
8MP f/2.4, OIS 3x Optical Zoom (Telephoto)
Selfie Camera 12MP f/2.2
Battery 4900 mAh
45W wired charging
15W Qi2 wireless charging
4.5W reverse charging
SIM/Telephony 1 Nano, 1 eSIM
5G
NFC Yes
Audio Jack None
Water Resistance IP68
Biometrics Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
Retail Price RM 2,899 (8/128GB)
RM 3,299 (8/256 GB)
RM 4,099 (8/512 GB)
SCREEN and DESIGN
Featuring a 6.7″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz screen, it shares the same display size as the S26+. While the size is identical, it lacks LTPO technology, offering only fixed refresh rates of 60Hz or 120Hz. Peak brightness is also lower at 1,600 nits, compared to 2,600 nits on the S26+. Another distinguishing feature between the two models is the S26 FE's chin bezel, which is thicker and uneven. The S25+ screen has been reused without any upgrades.
The display supports FHD HDR10+ playback across apps like Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max, Disney+, and YouTube. It features an under-display optical fingerprint scanner. The biometric system operates quickly, and face unlock is also available if needed.
It borrows the boxy aesthetic of the early-year Galaxy S26 devices. The flat sides make the device comfortable to hold. The frame is constructed from "Enhanced Armor Aluminum," and the entire body meets IP68 water and dust resistance standards.
S26 FE (left) and S26+ (right)
The power and volume buttons are located on the right side, while the bottom houses one of the stereo speakers, the USB-C charging port, and the SIM tray. The SIM tray supports only a single nano-SIM; a second cellular connection requires an eSIM. There is no microSD card support. The back panel is made of a polycarbonate-like material, enabling 15W Qi2 wireless charging.
The Galaxy S26 FE’s build is neat and practical. It doesn't easily attract grime, as it lacks a glossy finish. The three rear camera bumps feature ring accents that give them a stylish look, though this design prevents the device from lying perfectly flat on a table.
The three cameras remain identical to last year's: a 50MP wide-angle lens, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and an 8MP 3X optical telephoto lens. The front-facing selfie camera also remains at 12MP. Keeping with Samsung's theme for the year, the camera hardware itself hasn't changed. What has changed is the housing for the three rear lenses; they are now set within a plastic bump that sits flush with the body, eliminating the protruding design that used to trap dirt on the S25 FE. I prefer this design because it aligns with the design language of the other Galaxy S26 series models.
This year's battery capacity is 4,900 mAh—matching last year's model—and supports 45W wired charging. It also features 15W Qi2 wireless charging and reverse wireless charging (PowerShare).
USAGE AND SOFTWARE
It runs on One UI 9, based on Android 17. This makes the Galaxy S26 FE the first device in the S26 series to launch with One UI 9, following in the footsteps of the Z Fold8, Z Fold8 Ultra, and Z Flip8. Consequently, it supports the various new features offered by One UI 9.
The device operates smoothly despite being powered by the Exynos 2500—the same chip used in last year's Z Flip7. It is paired with 8GB of LPDDR5x RAM and up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage. Yes, 8GB is a modest amount of RAM for a flagship device, but this reflects the reality of 2026, where a RAM crisis has led to reduced memory capacities in devices.
Speaking of RAM, the "RAM Plus" feature allows for an additional 8GB of virtual memory. Users can disable this if they do not wish to allocate a portion of their storage to expand RAM; there are also options to add only 2GB, 4GB, or 6GB of virtual RAM.
My Fancam
All Galaxy AI features—such as Translate, Writing Assist, Sketch Assist, Now Bar, Now Brief, and Circle to Search—are included. A new addition is Google Gemini and Gemini Voice, which can be activated using the power button.
Samsung's strength continues to lie in its software, as the Galaxy S26 FE will receive support for seven Android OS version updates and seven years of security patches—a duration far longer than that offered by other Android manufacturers, with the exception of Google Pixel.
BENCHMARKING
The Galaxy S26 FE is powered by the Exynos 2500 chip, the same processor used in the Z Flip7; this chip is Samsung's choice for its affordable flagship devices. Consequently, the Galaxy S26 FE is well-suited for comparison with the devices listed below. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 – Exynos 2600
Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold – Tensor G6
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 – Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
Oppo Find X9 Ultra – Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra – Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
Vivo X300 Pro – Dimensity 9500
Apple iPhone 17 Pro – A19 Pro
Antutu 3D
Score Device
Samsung Galaxy S26 FE 2,331,764
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 2,463,934
Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold 1,212,510
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 1,747,012
Oppo Find X9 Ultra 4,120,640
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 3,136,285
Vivo X300 Pro 3,507,869
Apple iPhone 17 Pro 2,634,345
Geekbench 6
Single Core Multi Core Device
Samsung Galaxy S26 FE 2204 6558
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 1923 5091
Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold 1764 4688
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 2745 9060
Oppo Find X9 Ultra 3505 10277
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 3651 10819
Vivo X300 Pro 3507 10469
Apple iPhone 17 Pro 3560 8835
3DMark Wildlife Extreme
Chip Score
Samsung Galaxy S26 FE 4078
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 4099
Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold 3318
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 5633
Oppo Find X9 Ultra 7391
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 7375
Vivo X300 Pro 7075
Apple iPhone 17 Pro 5873
The recorded scores are not the highest, yet performance throughout the review period was extremely smooth, even though the device is equipped with only 8GB of LPDDR5x RAM. This memory is sufficient for various common applications as well as high-end mobile games. Memory can be virtually expanded by up to another 8GB via RAM Plus; by default, this feature is enabled with an additional 4GB of virtual RAM.
Various modern games run without issues—unsurprisingly, given that the Exynos 2500 chip has been powerful since last year. Despite being a year old, it still offers better gaming performance than the Tensor G6 found in the previously reviewed Pixel 11 Pro Fold. In short, while the FE might be the "weakest" device in the S26 series, its real-world performance does not disappoint.
CAMERA
The main camera setup consists of a 50MP wide-angle lens, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and an 8MP 3x optical telephoto lens. The front-facing selfie camera remains at 12MP. No upgrades were made compared to the S25 FE, so it is no surprise that the S26 FE's image quality remains unchanged.
Images captured using the 50MP main sensor are sharp and bright, particularly in ideal lighting conditions. The camera operates very quickly. In low-light situations, images remain sharp and bright thanks to the OIS system. However, the image quality does not match that of the S26 Ultra, Oppo Find X9 Ultra, Xiaomi 17 Ultra, or Vivo X300 Ultra, as the sensors on those devices are significantly larger.
Below are images taken at 1x, 2x, 3x, 10x, and 30x zoom settings. Image quality remains good only up to the 3x setting, as that marks the limit of the optical zoom. Beyond this point, the digital zoom system kicks in, causing the image to lose sharpness and colors to appear washed out. Image quality deteriorates significantly when zooming in at night. Overall, the S26 FE's zoom capability is merely average.
1x
2x
3X
10X
30X
BATTERY
The 4,900 mAh battery supports 45W wired charging and 15W wireless charging—unchanged from the S25 FE. It is unclear why the S26 Ultra's battery wasn't used here, especially since competitors are offering batteries with larger capacities.
With heavy usage, a Screen-On Time (SOT) of 8–9 hours is consistently achievable, while lighter use allows the device to last a full day (around 15 hours). Although battery performance remains solid, a larger capacity battery would undoubtedly have made the phone even more competitive.
The Oppo Reno16 Pro, for instance, can last nearly 24 hours thanks to its 6,700 mAh battery. Even mid-range devices from Redmi and Realme are already offering 10,000 mAh batteries. Samsung cannot afford to remain complacent with "copy-and-paste" specifications, as competitors are advancing rapidly and aggressively capturing market share that once belonged to Samsung.
IN THE BOX
Here is what is included in the box with your purchase:
1x Samsung Galaxy S26 FE
1x USB-C to USB-C charging cable.
1x Manual.
1x SIM ejector pin.
CONCLUSION
In my opinion, the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE could well be nicknamed the "Galaxy S25 FE Remastered." It is a device that is similar yet distinct in terms of design, features, battery, and capabilities. The only differences are that the S26 FE comes with a more powerful chip and the latest operating system based on Android 17.
After a week of use, the app launch performance, interface smoothness, and Galaxy AI features offered are on par with the rest of the Galaxy S26 lineup. With a starting price of RM2,499 (8/128GB), the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE is the most affordable Galaxy S26 model on the local market. After applying Samsung's rebates, the price of this year's model is also lower than that of last year's S25 FE for the same memory/storage configuration.
I recommend the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE to those looking for a flagship phone with long-term update support and to Samsung enthusiasts. Other alternatives currently on the market with comparable price points include the Poco F9 Pro and Google Pixel 11.
Pros
Sleek and premium design.
Powerful Exynos 2500 chip.
Runs on One UI 9 based on Android 17.
IP68 water resistance.
Support for 7 Android OS versions and 7 years of security patches.
Cons
No upgrade to the main camera sensor.
Limited to 8GB of RAM.
Relatively small battery and moderately fast charging.
Essentially an S25 FE with an upgraded chip.
