With the exception of the Galaxy S22, we’ve seen Samsung release a Fan Edition of its flagship smartphone every year since 2020. Back then, the FE was seen as a “flagship killer” of sorts, offering incredible value compared to the “regular” Galaxy devices. Last year’s Galaxy S23 FE was no exception, but I’m not sure if the same can be said about the Galaxy S24 FE.
Understandably, Samsung cut corners in different areas, while simultaneously sprinkling in some of the same features and specs shared by the Galaxy S24 FE’s more expensive counterpart. To be frank, after spending some time with Samsung’s latest phone, I came away feeling a bit confused.
The Galaxy S24 FE looks really familiar
Let’s get some of the basics out of the way. Samsung slimmed down the bezels a bit, resulting in the S24 FE sporting a 6.7-inch display. This matches up with the Galaxy S24 Plus while being 0.3 inches larger than the S23 FE. Samsung’s Dynamic AMOLED makes its return, offering a 120Hz refresh rate, and is HDR10+ compliant. However, in a year where one of the focuses seems to be on making screens brighter, the S24 FE is no different, as it’s capable of reaching up to 1900 nits of peak brightness.
Much like the Galaxy Tab S10 series, it’s difficult to really notice any differences between the S24 FE and the S23 FE. Making matters even more confusing, good luck trying to tell the S24 FE apart from even the S24 Plus from earlier this year. There are some very minor differences in dimensions, not to mention the variances in color options, but again, from an appearance standpoint, it’s pretty darn similar.
I bring this up because it’s part of the reason why I’m confused about Samsung’s direction. Sure, these two phones aren’t actually the same, even if they share many similarities. Which, by the way, includes the S24 FE “borrowing” the 50MP primary camera from the Plus. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good thing to see, it just continues to leave me scratching my head.
The biggest difference
As I’ve mentioned, there are differences to be found, but you won’t see them at first glance. The biggest change is Samsung making the switch away from Qualcomm, but instead of opting for a MediaTek chip, Samsung’s own Exynos 2400e is at the helm with the S24 FE. This is paired with 8GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage, just like the S23 FE, but offering less RAM than the S24 Plus.
Although it might come as a surprise to those of us here in the U.S., the reality is that this isn’t anything new for Samsung phones. In regions and markets outside of the States, the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus are powered by the Exynos 2400. At the end of the day, the only thing between the Exynos 2400 and 2400e, is that Samsung lowered the clock speeds of the latter by 100MHz (3.21GHz vs. 3.11GHz.)
Galaxy AI for everyone
As expected, Samsung continued to drive home the idea that Galaxy AI should be easily accessible and readily available for anyone and everyone. While the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Z Fold 6 had their time to shine, those features are now making their way to more affordable smartphones.
You won’t find hardly any features on the S24 FE that aren’t already available on Samsung’s other 2024 flagship devices. This includes the likes of Generative Edit, Portrait Studio, Instant Slow-mo, Circle to Search, and other key Galaxy AI features.
What remains to be seen is how the S24 FE will hold up over time, especially as Galaxy AI expands. Perhaps more importantly, I have to wonder how long it will be before we see Samsung introduce new Galaxy AI features, but leave the S24 FE behind.
It’s an important question to ask, as the Galaxy S24 FE is getting the same treatment as its more expensive counterparts. Samsung announced that its latest phone will receive seven years of software and security updates. It’s great to hear and to see on paper, but only time will really tell how much performance degradation there will be when Android 22 and One UI 13 roll out.
The Exynos 2400e feels snappy
In the meantime, the Galaxy S24 FE felt just as fast and snappy as you’d expect from a brand-new phone. That included messing around with some of the Galaxy AI features, such as Generative Edit, even if the end results weren’t what I expected. Then again, I kind of chalk this up to being a “victim of the environment” and don’t really put the onus on the S24 FE.
Super Slow-mo was another cool feature to see working in action, managing to easily capture and playback from someone else messing around with a Newton’s Cradle. The S24 FE never felt hot to the touch; it only felt warm because of the number of people passing their phones around to get different photos or try different things.
There are some things that we’ll just have to wait and test out, such as battery life, and putting the other Galaxy AI features through their paces. Seeing as I’m entrenched in the world of retro game emulation on devices, I’m interested and excited to see whether I can use the S24 FE to enjoy some of the more modern Zelda games.
Looking at the broader picture
Okay, so what is it about the Galaxy S24 FE that leaves me feeling confused? It all comes down to price. At retail, the S24 FE is $649.99, which would seem like a steal compared to the $999 retail price of the S24 Plus. When factoring in Samsung’s current trade-in offerings, you can get the former for $249 or the latter for $399. Again, this is a nod in the FE’s favor, as it should be.
But the 2024 holiday shopping season is right around the corner, which means that you’re sure to find a deal somewhere for one of, if not both the S24 FE and the S24 Plus. On the one hand, the cheaper phone is probably going to be the better seller of the two.
However, if both phones are priced the same, would you rather have the phone that was released alongside two other flagships, or the one that’s positioned as being more budget-friendly? Not to mention that the S24 Plus does offer more RAM and storage in its base configuration, which will surely be beneficial in the long run.
I do think that there’s a place in Samsung’s portfolio for the Galaxy FE to exist. I just think that this would be a much more compelling option if the price was somewhere around $500-$550. It would make even more sense considering that the Galaxy A33 5G starts at $399, and while it seems to be a great phone and value, Samsung might be missing out on an opportunity.
