Samsung Galaxy S25 FE The Galaxy S25 FE offers great battery life, faster charging, and Samsung’s excellent software support. Average performance and dated cameras hold it back from being an instant classic, but there's enough here to recommend Samsung's 2025 Fan Edition phone to newcomers and anyone with an S23 FE or older.
The Galaxy S20 FE marked the debut of the Fan Edition for Samsung, and it was a sensation upon its release back in 2020. It was a genuine flagship-tier Android phone that didn’t break the bank. I’ve long felt like subsequent releases have failed to live up to that initial device, as the Galaxy maker chose penny-pinching conservatism over a truly exciting product.
Samsung has recently released the Galaxy S25 FE ($549.99 at Amazon), and I’ve spent just over two weeks with it. The good news is that the company is stepping up its game with a couple of long-overdue upgrades. But is this enough to make the phone worth buying? Let’s dive into our Galaxy S25 FE review.
A game of spot the difference?
Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
Upon unboxing the phone, I have to admit that I had a tough time telling this apart from the Galaxy S24 FE and Galaxy S23 FE. That’s not necessarily a problem, as you’ve still got a glass back that won’t attract fingerprints, along with a flat aluminum frame and rounded corners. The rear cover also has individual camera cutouts, much like the previous two phones. Fortunately, the phone is a little lighter and thinner than its predecessor. It’s not something I immediately noticed upon holding the phone, but it definitely grew on me as I’ve used the device, and I’ve come to appreciate this trimmer design.
Samsung has also opted for an IP68 rating along with Gorilla Glass Victus Plus on the front and back, so it should be well protected, even if that isn’t Corning’s very top glass.
Turn on the phone and you’ll see a 6.7-inch 120Hz OLED screen that’s effectively the same panel seen on last year’s phone. It’s even got the same 1,900 nits of peak brightness as the S24 FE, although I had no issues with outdoor viewing. This appears to be an LTPS panel rather than an LTPO screen, which means the phone isn’t capable of dropping down to 1Hz or even 10Hz. Instead, the screen generally dropped down to 60Hz, although I did notice a 30Hz refresh rate when watching a recorded video. I also noticed that the screen appears to simply not refresh at times (e.g., after a few seconds without touching the screen), ostensibly in a bid to save battery life. That’s not a bad strategy in lieu of more granular refresh rate options.
Another notable budget trapping is the choice to stick with an optical in-display fingerprint sensor for another year. Fortunately, I had no problem with this scanner during my time with the phone, as I found it to be fast and accurate. So while I would’ve liked to finally see an ultrasonic scanner (which also works with wet fingers), I didn’t really feel this cutback in everyday usage.
Charging and battery get a boost, but what about performance? Ever since the original Galaxy S20 FE, Samsung has stubbornly stuck to a 4,500mAh battery and 25W wired charging speeds. So I was deeply skeptical when I first heard rumors of a bigger battery and faster charging. Thankfully, the rumors turned out to be true.
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