Samsung’s Galaxy S25 FE features several notable upgrades over last year’s phone

Samsung has held its late-summer Galaxy Unpacked event, unveiling a refreshed lineup of devices just ahead of IFA 2025 in Berlin. Shortly after debuting the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 a few months ago, the company is back with its entry-level Galaxy S25 Fan Edition (FE). I recently went hands-on with the Galaxy S25 FE at a recent preview event to see how it stacks up to last year’s Galaxy S25 FE and the S25 series.

For as long as I’ve been a fan of Samsung’s smartphones, the FE line has never really spoken to me. The bridge between the flagship Galaxy S series and the FE always felt far too big for me to humor the idea of using it as my daily driver. Even testing last year’s Galaxy S24 FE, I noted that while the value proposition is tantalizing, the Exynos 2400e doesn’t offer enough processing power to wow me. Thankfully, this year’s device opts for the slightly more powerful Exynos 2400 chip, alongside a few other notable upgrades.

The Galaxy S25 FE comes with a familiar yet comfortable design

This year’s FE opts to reduce thickness and weight compared to the Galaxy S24 FE

This year as a whole, Samsung has spoiled us with thin smartphones. Between the Galaxy S25 Edge and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 (my favorite device of the year), I’m becoming a snob about overtly thick smartphones. The Galaxy S25 FE attempts to address the concerns of its predecessor’s size. The device measures in at 6.3 × 3.× 0.29-inches (161.3 x 76.6 x 7.4mm). This marks a reduction of thickness by 4% over the Galaxy S24 FE. The thinness of the device isn’t as notable as the Galaxy S25 Edge, but it’s enough that it stood out to me during my hands-on time.

What stuck out to me is its weight. Even a year after conducting my review, I still remember how heavy the Galaxy S24 FE was. This year’s model weighs 6.7oz (190g), an 11% reduction compared to the Galaxy S24 FE, which weighs 7.5oz (213g). While the Galaxy S25 FE isn’t as light as the mainline Galaxy S25, it still features a welcome reduction in weight. Holding it, it was comfortable in my hands and, most importantly, it didn’t give me any strain on my wrists during use.

Beyond this, the overall design of the Galaxy S25 FE remains largely unchanged from last year’s model. It features the same 6.7-inch AMOLED display as its predecessor. The three-camera array on the rear is also carried over. As a refresher, you’ll find a 12-megapixel f/2.2 (ultrawide) lens, a 50-megapixel f/1.8 (wide) shooter, and an 8-megapixel 3x f/2.4 (telephoto) lens rounding the camera array out. While the rear camera has been left alone, Samsung has made improvements to the front-facing shooter (more on that in a moment). Storage options are also unchanged at 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB options, with pricing starting at $650.

Galaxy S25 FE features an improved selfie camera

At long last, Samsung is moving away from the FE’s 10-megapixel front-facing camera

Since 2023, Samsung’s Galaxy FE devices have been leveraging a 10-megapixel selfie camera. While adequate for the moment, an upgrade has been sorely needed. The Galaxy S25 FE now features a 12-megapixel f/2.2 lens housed on the front of the device. Finally, the FE supports the same sensor as the base model Galaxy S24 and this year’s Galaxy S25.

With this in mind, users can expect better-looking selfies compared to last year’s device. I was only able to play around with the camera for a short period of time, and the lighting at the hands-on venue wasn’t the greatest for showcasing possible improvements. If the opportunity arises, and I’m able to use the Galaxy S25 FE outdoors or in better lighting conditions, the selfie shooter is one that I’ll be spending more time experimenting with.

Adding to this, the Galaxy S25 FE includes several Galaxy AI features right out of the box. In an attempt to replicate the AI toolbox of the flagship S25 series, the Galaxy S25 FE includes features like Generative Edit and Audio Eraser when taking photos and videos. One of the AI features I’ll always give Samsung credit for is its Generative Edit. This feature is easier to use and more effective at removing unwanted elements than Apple Intelligence. Plus, Samsung includes the use of Instant Slowmo, which may speak to specific users and use cases.

Behold, the largest battery in a Galaxy FE device

This year’s FE features an upgrade to a 4,900mAh battery, which is larger than the base S25

One of the aspects I’ve complimented the FE in previous years is battery life. Keeping with tradition, Samsung improves on the Galaxy S24 FE by upgrading the Galaxy S25 FE to a 4,900mAh battery. This not only outsizes the 4,700mAh battery its predecessor features, but the Galaxy S25 as well. This year’s flagship sports a 4,000mAh battery and is still able to provide all-day use, Samsung says. With a 4,900mAh battery, the Galaxy S25 FE features the biggest battery in the FE series to date. To coincide with the 4,900mAh battery, Samsung is also supporting 45W wired charging, which should deliver stable charging speeds. It also supports 15W wireless charging, so getting a quick and convenient top-up should be faster.

That said, it’s difficult to quantify how impactful the battery upgrade will be in the long term. Although 200mAh isn’t a massive upgrade, the all-day longevity the device offers might be impacted by the extra processing power. However, like my issues with the Galaxy S24 FE’s Exynos 2400e, the fact that the Galaxy S25 FR doesn’t feature a Qualcomm chipset might end up being its biggest issue. It’s hard to say without spending more time with the device.

The Galaxy S25 FE is available to pre-order on Samsung’s website. The device launches in navy, icyblue and white colorways to choose from.