Samsung Galaxy S26 FE Review: Same as Before, but for More Money
Samsung is resting on its laurels with the midrange S26 FE, with an unwelcome price bump and only a new processor to show for it.
Snapping shots in daylight with the main camera resulted in lovely photos I’d be happy to share. There’s plenty of detail, decent sharpness, pleasing dynamic range, and vibrant but not over-the-top colors. Samsung’s automatic Night Mode helps with low-light performance, as long as you hold still. The 2X zoom crops from the main camera and mostly does a good job.
If you want to get closer, the telephoto supports 3X optical zoom. It’s not as sharp as the main camera, but it’s nice to have for capturing distant subjects. You can zoom in further digitally, up to 30X, but I recommend you don’t, as the results are very muddy. The ultrawide is okay if you need to cram more in, and does a good job of color matching, but expect more noise, and it lacks autofocus. The selfie camera is passable but also can’t autofocus.
Photograph: Simon Hill
Main camera
Video quality is good with the main camera (4K at 60 fps or 8K at 30 fps), and it has solid stabilization to reduce shakiness, including horizontal lock to keep a fixed orientation even if you rotate the phone (though you must turn it on before you start recording). Samsung includes handy editing tools to remove unwanted audio, and the new My FanCam feature helps you automatically frame subjects and crop to focus on them. It’s worth playing around with and seems to work with any videos you have, not just the ones you shot with the phone.
At $700 for the 128 GB model, the S26 FE is a tough sell. I’ve seen the regular S26 discounted to this price. Accept a slightly smaller screen, and you get better everything (a faster processor, more RAM and storage, and a better telephoto camera). If you’re wedded to the big screen, wait for a sale, and you can get the S26+ for around $100 more. You could also save $100 or more on last year’s S25 FE and not lose very much. The Samsung Galaxy A37, Google Pixel 10a, Motorola Moto G Stylus, or Nothing Phone 4(a) Pro are all at least $200 cheaper.
The 256 GB model, at $800, seems like an even worse deal. The regular S26, which starts with 256 GB, is cheaper than this. The Pixel 11 is a far more interesting phone, and only $100 more. Ultimately, the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE isn’t a bad phone. I’m just struggling to find a reason you should buy it at this price. That said, Samsung likes to run promotions, and you can expect discounts in time, so if you like the look of it, keep an eye out for a deal.