Samsung Galaxy S25 FE Review: The Best Mid-Range Smartphone You Can Buy

Overview

When you think of Samsung, the Galaxy S series immediately springs to mind. The current S25 generation offers premium devices ranging from the stylus-equipped S25 Ultra to the sleek S25 Edge. The compact Galaxy S25 brings the flagship experience to a manageable 6.2 inches, whilst the S25+ sits between models as a solid but unspectacular option.

The Galaxy S25 FE aims to deliver a flagship experience at an accessible £649 starting price, positioned as the budget-conscious choice that doesn't sacrifice the premium feel. We've tested it extensively for two weeks as our primary device to see how it performs in daily use.

Design and Build Quality

The Galaxy S25 FE's design pleasantly surprised me. At first glance, it closely resembles the S25+. However, detailed examination reveals subtle differences: the FE is slightly larger, wider, and marginally thicker at 7.4mm. The Gorilla Glass front and back use the slightly weaker Victus+ standard rather than Victus 2, whilst the aluminium frame is reportedly less robust than the Plus model's.

In everyday use, you'll barely notice these minimal differences. All fundamental qualities remain intact. The S25 FE looks excellent, particularly in the Navy version I tested, though Jet Black, Icy Blue (a very pale blue), and White also make strong impressions.

Build quality proves exceptional, with seamless integration of aluminium and durable glass. The matte rear surface resists fingerprints effectively. Combined with rounded corners, the device sits comfortably in hand even during extended use.

Samsung didn't include a case with my review unit, which provided the perfect opportunity to test the smartphone's durability. The smooth rear and my occasional carelessness meant it hit the floor several times during testing.

The S25 FE survived these minor drops without damage beyond barely visible scratches. Nevertheless, I'd still recommend a protective case given the slippery back surface.

The IP68 certification provides another selling point. The S25 FE thus protects against dust and can withstand submersion in up to 1.5 metres of fresh water for 30 minutes. Whilst this has become standard in this price range, it remains a welcome extra.

Despite its relatively large dimensions, the S25 FE weighs just 190g – exactly matching the S25+. After switching from the 232g Pixel 10 Pro XL, this felt like genuine relief.

Display and Audio

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The Galaxy S25 FE features a 6.7-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display. The screen delivers sharp, bright, and vibrant images with the rich colours and deep blacks expected from Samsung's OLED panels. The Full HD+ resolution sits slightly below the S25+'s 1440p, though you'll barely notice the difference in daily use.

The display offers a dynamic refresh rate up to 120Hz. Thanks to LTPO technology, the rate automatically drops to 1Hz to conserve power – relatively rare for a mid-range smartphone.

One minor drawback concerns maximum brightness. The 1,900 nits peak brightness isn't particularly impressive. My measurement using a professional colorimeter recorded only 422 nits, less than most smartphones we've recently tested. However, this rarely matters in practice. Even in sunny outdoor conditions, the display remained readable provided direct sunlight didn't hit the screen.

The in-display fingerprint sensor uses optical technology rather than the advanced ultrasonic sensor found in Galaxy S25 flagships. It functions reliably most of the time but proves slightly slower and more sensitive to moisture.

The S25 FE's stereo speakers provide a pleasant surprise. Samsung employs the standard combination of downward-firing speaker and earpiece. The sound delivers surprisingly full and rich audio.

Consequently, I rarely needed headphones at home, even during extended YouTube sessions. For serious listening sessions, I'd still recommend quality headphones. At higher volumes, the limited bass becomes noticeable and distortion sets in.

Performance and Specifications

The Galaxy S25 FE runs on Samsung's own Exynos 2400 processor. This means no Qualcomm Snapdragon or the current Exynos 2500. Despite this, the S25 FE's performance impressed me. For normal use including browsing, YouTube, messaging, navigation, emails, and occasional photos, the processing power proves entirely adequate.

The S25 FE also excels at multitasking. The smartphone easily handles multiple apps simultaneously or two applications side by side. Occasional crashes or brief screen freezes occurred, but these likely stemmed from software issues rather than hardware limitations.

For casual gaming, the S25 FE performs well. During extended sessions with particularly demanding games like "Genshin Impact", "Call of Duty: Mobile", or "Real Racing 3", it reaches its limits. The Exynos 2400 and 8GB RAM constraints become apparent, with frequent stuttering and considerable heat generation.

Regular players of performance-hungry games should look elsewhere. For most users, however, the S25 FE delivers more than sufficient power.

The base model offers only 128GB internal storage without microSD expansion. Therefore, upgrading to the 256GB version for just £60 more makes sense. The S25 FE is also available with 512GB internal storage.

Wi-Fi 7 support is absent, though this will likely prove irrelevant for most buyers. Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, and 5G are all present.

Camera System

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The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE's camera system appears somewhat reduced compared to S25 flagships, but not as dramatically as you might expect. The 50MP main camera with f/1.8 aperture is marginally smaller but otherwise identical. I can detect no difference in image quality, which is highly positive for a more affordable handset in this class.

Everything I wrote about cameras in the Galaxy S25+ review applies equally to the S25 FE. In good lighting conditions, it produces excellent photos with sharp details, high dynamic range, and realistic shadows.

Samsung has reduced contrast enhancement in its software over recent years, resulting in more natural-looking images. Colours remain more vibrant than reality, but the effect is subtle.

Even on grey autumn days, the S25 FE usually delivers excellent shots. Occasionally it struggles with exposure, particularly when simultaneously capturing dark shadows and bright sky.

In low light, the long-exposure "Night Shot" mode activates automatically, though you can disable it if preferred. It reliably brightens images without appearing unnatural or generating excessive noise. Nevertheless, I find the Pixel's Night Sight mode works better.

By default, the main camera handles portrait shots. When edge detection proved accurate, portraits appeared surprisingly professional. However, results were often mixed, requiring several attempts for a truly good portrait.

Samsung offers the option to step back and use the 8MP telephoto camera with f/2.4 aperture for portraits instead. This lens represents a slight step down from the S25 and S25+, and proves significantly weaker than the main camera.

The 3x optical zoom provides useful functionality, though image quality doesn't always match the main camera's standard. Digital zoom extends to 30x, but quality degrades significantly beyond 5x. AI tricks like the Pixel 10 Pro's 100x Super Res Zoom are absent here, though I don't consider this a significant loss.

I particularly appreciated the 12MP ultra-wide camera's flexibility with f/2.2 aperture, offering a slightly wider 123-degree field of view than the S25 and S25+. Colour accuracy suffers slightly and some detail is lost, but overall shots prove good.

The selfie camera is probably the best in the set. It "only" captures 12 megapixels but delivers consistently clear images and realistic skin tones both day and night. Faces and backgrounds retain detail, whilst the convincing portrait mode can also blur backgrounds. I'm impressed.

The S25 FE can record 8K video. To conserve internal storage, however, you should stick with the standard 1080p mode. Footage proves solid, with adequate detail and good colours, suitable for family videos or concert recordings. Optical image stabilisation (OIS) on the main and telephoto cameras ensures relatively steady footage.

Overall, the Galaxy S25 FE's camera system is solid but not spectacular. It features two excellent and two rather average lenses. For most users this poses no problem. Those seeking the absolute best camera smartphone, however, shouldn't choose the S25 FE.

Software and User Interface

When I started using Samsung smartphones, software was their greatest weakness. TouchWiz proved cluttered, bloatware-laden, and often slow. This no longer applies. One UI 8, which ships with the Galaxy S25 FE, appears modern, streamlined, and responds quickly, whilst offering extensive customisation options.

The S25 FE runs on Android 16, though the user experience differs markedly from a Google Pixel. Compared to the Pixel interface, the design stands out as the biggest upgrade. With some adjustments, One UI 8 can look impressive without compromising functionality.

Unlike Google, Samsung grants full control over the home screen. Numerous attractive widgets are available and app labels can be removed – essential for me as a clean design enthusiast. Initially I was sceptical about the iOS-like separation of notifications and quick settings, but Samsung has implemented it excellently.

The main settings menu includes a powerful search function that finds everything through natural language. One UI's greatest weakness remains bloatware. Samsung ships almost every Google app in its own version and additionally pre-installs numerous Microsoft apps. However, these can easily be uninstalled or disabled, restoring order to the app drawer.

For artificial intelligence, the S25 FE offers the same Galaxy AI suite as S25 flagships. This includes tools for writing, transcribing, summarising, and editing, plus real-time translations for calls and in-person conversations.

You can also generate images or bring hand-drawn sketches to life. After extensive testing, I find these features sometimes entertaining and useful, but rarely use them in daily life.

The AI tools I regularly use come from Google. Gemini is currently the best virtual assistant on any smartphone in my opinion, reliably handling everyday tasks. "Circle to Search" proves equally helpful.

Overall, few smartphone interfaces currently surpass One UI 8. The seven years of OS and security updates make the device even more attractive, though they don't always arrive promptly. As One UI 7's rollout demonstrated, the likelihood of receiving a new Android version near its original release date decreases as devices age.

Battery Life and Charging

I'm delighted Samsung hasn't reduced battery capacity or charging speed on the Galaxy S25 FE. The 4,900mAh battery and 45W wired charging match the S25+, which is excellent for a significantly cheaper handset.

Battery life benefits substantially from this. Working from home, I regularly achieve two days without charging, even with around three hours of daily use.

During a trip to London, I fully charged the phone in the morning and used it intensively for over two and a half hours – including high display brightness, Google Maps navigation, and nearly continuous mobile data connection. When I returned home 13 hours later, over 50% battery remained. This is impressive.

Unfortunately, our usual PCMark battery test wouldn't run on the S25 FE, preventing direct comparison. In my experience, however, battery life significantly exceeds average and ranks amongst the device's strengths.

This doesn't apply to the mediocre charging speeds. Samsung doesn't include a 45W charger, though I used one supporting this speed. After 15 minutes, the battery reached 31%, after 30 minutes 63%. This is faster than we're accustomed to from mid-range Samsung phones and often suffices for getting through the day comfortably. Full charging took around 75 minutes.

Wireless charging at 15W is also supported. Qi2, however, only functions when using a compatible case, as the device itself lacks magnets like the Pixel 10 series. Samsung might add this feature with the Galaxy S26 range.

Value and Competition

The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE with 128GB internal storage is available from £649. The 256GB version costs £797, whilst the 512GB model sells for £929 through Samsung's online shop.

For most users seeking excellent value, the S25 FE represents the sweet spot in Samsung's lineup, delivering flagship features at a mid-range price.

Specifications Summary

The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE combines premium features with accessible pricing. Running One UI 8 on Android 16, it features a 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, Samsung's Exynos 2400 processor with 8GB RAM, and storage options from 128GB to 512GB without expansion.

The camera system includes a 50MP main sensor (f/1.8), 12MP ultra-wide (f/2.2), 8MP 3x telephoto (f/2.4), and 12MP selfie camera (f/2.2). Video recording reaches 8K at 30fps. The 4,900mAh battery supports 45W wired and 15W wireless charging.

Measuring 161.3 × 76.6 × 7.4mm and weighing 190g, it features IP68 certification, dual-SIM with eSIM, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.4. Available in Icy Blue, Jet Black, Navy, and White.

Verdict

The Galaxy S25 FE is currently the best mid-range smartphone available, sharing enough features with the S25+ to represent genuine value. The only real compromises are mediocre gaming performance and somewhat weaker auxiliary cameras.

The S25 FE proves exceptionally well-balanced – a device I'd happily use long-term as my primary smartphone. For those who can accept the relatively few compromises, I unreservedly recommend the S25 FE.

This is a smartphone that punches well above its weight class, delivering a flagship experience without the flagship price tag.