I Tried The Samsung Galaxy S25 Fe, And It Got Big Upgrades In Several Ways

2 days ago

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

The Samsung S25 FE lineup has officially launched pinch a starting value of $649.
It features a amended beforehand camera, battery, and chipset, arsenic good arsenic a much compact shape factor.
With vacation waste play connected nan horizon, you tin expect discounts connected nan flagship phones soon, making nan value quality little enticing.

As phones proceed to get flashier features, much unsocial factors, powerful cameras, and much precocious processors tin of supporting nan expanding request for on-device AI processing, prices besides continuously go steeper. Luckily, for consumers who conscionable want nan essentials, fund phones exist, and Samsung conscionable unveiled its newest lineup: nan Samsung Galaxy S25 FE.

Also: The champion Samsung phones to bargain successful 2025

At a glance, nan S25 FE is almost indistinguishable from its flagship counterparts. It sports nan aforesaid signature Galaxy artistic pinch a rectangular shape, rounded edges, a three-camera array connected nan back, and cleanable matte finishes. However, aft holding it, nan differences that make nan $150 value spread a point became apparent.

After spending a greeting pinch nan S25 FE, present is simply a roundup of nan caller phone's biggest standouts and what you could expect if you make nan switch.

1. Enhanced Galaxy AI features

At nan January Unpacked event, Samsung launched its flagship S25 instrumentality lineup, and 1 of its biggest standouts was nan plethora of AI features. Now, each of those aforesaid productivity and connection features are disposable successful nan FE type too, enabling you to acquisition nan suite without shelling retired nan other cash.

"Galaxy S25 FE plays an important domiciled arsenic a gateway into nan broader Galaxy AI ecosystem, making these AI-powered
experiences much attainable for a broader scope of users," said Jay Kim, EVP and Head of Customer Experience Office, Mobile eXperience Business astatine Samsung Electronics successful nan release.

Also: The secrets that made Pixel 10 Pro nan world's smartest telephone camera - from wrong Google

As expected, galore of nan AI features use nan camera and photograph acquisition of nan phone. In summation to Photo Assist, already disposable connected past year's S24 FE, nan caller exemplary features a Generative Edit feature, which detects photobombers successful nan inheritance of your photos and suggests what to remove. Audio eraser allows you to set nan measurement of various sound elements successful your videos, specified arsenic voices, wind, noises, and more. Meanwhile, nan Auto Trim characteristic automatically slices your video to item nan champion moments.

The halfway of nan caller features is geared toward much personalized experiences successful an effort to marketplace nan offerings arsenic a "true AI companion." For example, users tin now entree their Now Brief, which gives them insights that summarize and expect their regular needs, specified arsenic surfacing navigation suggestions aliases schedule reminders.

The Now Bar connected nan fastener surface besides surfaces different devices and applicable information.

Purchasing nan S25 FE comes pinch six months of free entree to Gemini Advanced, Google's premium AI plan, which retails for $20 per month. The plan's perks see Gemini successful Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, Deep Research, Canvas, and more.

2. Better specs for powerfulness users

The S25 FE sewage improved specs wherever it matters to present nan astir optimal performance. This starts pinch nan inclusion of nan Samsung in-house Exynos 2400 chipset, a measurement up from nan S24 FE's Exynos 2400e. While nan 2 chipsets sound astir identical, nan faster CPU timepiece velocity of nan S25 FE should, successful theory, connection a capacity boost.

Of course, nan Exynos spot won't compete pinch nan Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite recovered connected nan pricier S25 models -- that's a sacrifice you'll beryllium making by opting for nan FE.

On a much affirmative note, nan S25 FE features a larger 4,900mAh artillery this year. This, paired pinch nan 45W wired charging, should supply amended endurance overall. We'll person to spot for ourselves during nan review.

The selfie camera has besides been upgraded to a 12MP sensor that Samsung says should output crisper and much vivid pictures. While that is nan only camera upgrade connected this year's FE model, nan three-camera array connected nan backmost of nan telephone still consists of a versatile 12MP ultra-wide, 50MP wide, and 8MP telephoto. Paired pinch nan AI features above, you tin expect an improved photo-taking experience.

3. Lighter and thinner shape factor

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET

Recently, location has been an influx of lighter and slimmer telephone designs, arsenic seen by the S25 Edge, and nan S25 FE is nan latest to subordinate nan trend. While it's not to nan aforesaid grade of slimmness arsenic nan Edge model, a Samsung spokesperson tells maine that nan institution took nan Edge conception and carried it to nan S25 FE.

Also: I've tested each azygous Galaxy S25 telephone - and my favourite isn't nan flagship model

Weighing conscionable 190g, nan S25 FE is not only lighter than its predecessor, which weighed 213g, but besides 0.6mm slimmer. The dimensions are reasonably akin to nan Galaxy S25 Plus, truthful if you for illustration nan look and consciousness of that device, you will bask this one.

Despite nan compactness, nan show was not compromised. It still sports a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, nan aforesaid size arsenic that of nan Galaxy S25 Plus, pinch up to a 120Hz refresh complaint for a soft browsing experience. Even successful my constricted clip pinch nan phone, nan image was not thing to scoff at, pinch rich | contrasts and vibrant colors, arsenic seen successful nan Star Trek app visuals below.

Pricing and availability

The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE retails for $649 and tin beryllium purchased coming from nan Samsung website. It is disposable successful Navy, Jetblack, White, and Icyblue. From my short clip pinch nan devices, Samsung seems to person delivered a coagulated telephone pinch each nan essentials, perfect for personification who isn't a powerfulness personification and doesn't request nan further specs and capacity boost that comes pinch pricier flagships.

While you see making nan purchase, it is worthy noting that nan vacation play is connected nan horizon, which intends sales galore. It is very apt that nan flagship Galaxy S25 lineup becomes discounted, closing nan spread betwixt those models and nan S25 FE. However, this isn't guaranteed and will require immoderate patience, truthful if you conscionable want a telephone without each nan bells and whistles, nan S25 FE whitethorn beryllium a much sensible pickup today.