Samsung Galaxy S24 FE pros and cons
Stunning AMOLED panel with great peak brightness and 120Hz refresh rate.
Cracking triple camera set-up, resulting in impressive images.
All of Samsung's best AI features make it to a more affordable handset.
The Exynos 2400e processor may struggle on rare occasions.
Limited charging speeds with support for 25W wired charging.
Design and specifications
Samsung’s Galaxy S24 FE (for 'Fan Edition') is immediately recognisable as closely resembling its flagship S24 siblings, sporting a Gorilla Glass Victus+ front and a matte rear that pulls double duty in durability and resistance to fingerprints.
The device is slightly heavy at 213g, with an entirely flat display and curved aluminium bezel surround - bang on trend in terms of both smartphone materials used in its construction and aesthetics.
Available in an array of colours including Blue, Graphite, Mint (the model in for review), and Yellow, the S24 FE keeps with tradition in bringing a bit more verve and personality to its design stylings.
An IP68 rating ensures dust and water resistance - a welcome addition to what's firmly a mid-range device - though those bulkier bezels distinguish it from pricier models.
With a power button and unibody volume rocker on the right side being all we have when it comes to buttons, the S24 FE is a masterclass in minimalism, adeptly achieving a premium look and feel at a fraction of the cost.
Display and audio
The S24 FE’s 6.7-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display stands out, delivering a crisp 1080 x 2340 resolution at 385 PPI and reaching a peak brightness of 1,900 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even under direct sunlight.
The adaptive 120Hz refresh rate provides smooth scrolling and responsiveness, making it ideal for gaming and general usage.
Samsung’s Vision Booster and High Brightness Mode automatically adjust based on the environment, enhancing the visual experience across different lighting conditions.
The stereo speakers provide clear sound with balanced mids and trebles, though bass depth is somewhat lacking compared to high-end models.
Dolby Atmos support offers spatial enhancement but remains subtle, making the audio experience solid, if not exceptional.
Camera capabilities
The Galaxy S24 FE’s tri-camera system is a strong selling point, melding hardware with Samsung’s advanced AI tools to produce high-quality images across a variety of scenarios.
Its 50-megapixel primary wide-angle is particularly impressive, delivering vibrant and detailed shots with enhanced colour accuracy.
The 12MP ultra-wide effort provides an expansive 123-degree field of view, allowing users to capture both wide vistas and group photos alike.
Samsung’s AI helps maintain sharpness and corrects distortion, particularly at the edges, a common challenge for ultra-wide lenses.
Although the ultra-wide performs best in ample light, it still delivers decent results in less well-lit environments.
The 8-megapixel telephoto lens includes a 3x optical zoom, and Samsung’s Adaptive Pixel technology enhances clarity up to 2x using Optical Quality Zoom, delivering sharp results even at extended zoom levels.
Beyond the optical range, AI-driven corrections maintain quality and reduce noise, though higher digital zoom levels may see slight quality degradation.
The main 50-megapixel camera can capture video up to 4K at 60fps, delivering crisp, smooth content with excellent colour balance.
The Galaxy S24 FE’s video performance is enhanced by Samsung’s AI-driven Super HDR and Instant Slow-Mo features.
Super HDR ensures that videos shot in high-contrast scenes retain detail in both shadows and highlights, making it ideal for outdoor shots or bright environments.
This HDR mode is available in both 4K and 1080p resolution, ensuring quality isn't compromised when attempting to capture the best in colour accuracy.
As for selfies, the 10-megapixel front-facing camera comes equipped Samsung’s own Portrait Studio mode, which applies AI-driven (yep, more AI) enhancements to add artistic effects and lighting, offering users more creative options for those all-important moments.
All about AI
Samsung’s Galaxy S24 FE brings a suite of AI tools that enhance both photography and daily productivity, providing unique and versatile features to a more affordable price point.
Previously the preserve of Samsung's flagship devices, seeing Galaxy AI working - well - on the S24 FE truly opens the door to this novel functionality for more customers than ever.
The ProVisual Engine powers the AI enhancements for the camera, automatically adjusting settings for optimal results across different lighting and zoom scenarios.
Even more exciting are the everyday features which the S24 FE embraces AI to offer, making even the most mundane of tasks a breeze.
Circle to Search: Google's quickly-famous tool identifies objects within images and provides relevant information, making for swift comparisons while browsing or capturing images.
Live Translate: A great feature for travelers and multilingual users, Live Translate provides real-time translations for both written and the spoken word, displayed directly on the screen for easy access, as well as a 'listening mode' which enables you to enjoy conversations as all speakers are captured on-screen at the same time.
Note Assist: Organising notes becomes easy with Note Assist, which uses AI to convert handwritten notes into shareable text, as well as transcribes talkers - perfect for people who want to capture every nuance of a meeting or lecture.
Together, these AI-powered tools provide a great set of quality features - at no additional cost - to those who sign up for a Samsung account, and take almost no time to get accustomed to - it's a real plus point to see them arrive on the S24 FE.
Performance and software
Powered by Samsung’s own Exynos 2400e processor, the Galaxy S24 FE handles most tasks smoothly, from casual browsing to multitasking.
A marked, but expected departure from the more powerful variant found in the flagship S24 in the UK, but still more than capable for the price.
As such heavy workloads, such as multiple intensive apps, can find a rare stutter but certainly nothing to worry about during daily use.
The device includes an upgraded vapor chamber cooling system to keep things cool and retain high performance, but we did get the odd hitch during a particularly intense side quest whilst playing our test game of Genshin Impact.
Running on One UI 6.0 with Android 14, the S24 FE integrates Samsung’s AI features smoothly into a cohesive and user-friendly experience.
Samsung’s commitment to seven years of security and software updates is a key advantage, offering users a device that remains relevant and secure well into the future.
This extended support makes the S24 FE a sound investment for those looking for long-term value.
Battery and charging
With a 4,700mAh battery, the Galaxy S24 FE delivers reliable all-day usage, even with moderate to heavy activity.
However, the device only supports 25W wired charging, falling short of the speeds offered by some competitors in this segment.
Wireless charging is also available, though at a lower speed of 15W, which may leave users waiting longer for a full charge - around an hour and fifteen minutes in our tests.
Nevertheless, Samsung’s power-efficient One UI and the Exynos chipset ensure good battery life, helping the S24 FE go the distance between charges.
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE UK pricing
Priced at £649 for the 128GB model with 8GB of RAM and £699 for the 256GB + 12GB variant at the time of writing, the Galaxy S24 FE competes well within the mid-range market.
Pair that with frequent trade-in and accessory offers such as a free Watch FE worth £199, it quickly becomes a great value purchase.
Standout features like a high-quality display, advanced AI camera, and extended software support.
While facing competition from alternatives like the Pixel 8 and the impressive OnePlus Nord 4, the Galaxy S24 FE’s value lies in its robust ecosystem, long-term updates, and well-rounded feature set.
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Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE is a well-balanced mid-range device that brings flagship-like features to a broader audience.
Its standout display, versatile camera set-up, and useful daily AI tools make it a unique choice for users who value both quality and functionality.
Samsung’s commitment to software support for seven years reinforces its appeal, especially for those who want a device that will last.
Although it faces challenges with its slower charging speed and performance inconsistencies under heavy loads, the Galaxy S24 FE remains an entirely compelling option that balances performance and value, yet delivers innovation.
