Samsung Galaxy S25 FE Review: The fan favourite returns

Samsung’s Fan Edition (FE) series has long been the brand’s answer to those who want the essence of a flagship without the eye-watering price tag. Since the Galaxy S20 FE’s debut in 2020, the formula has remained consistent: pack in high-end performance, capable cameras, and reliable battery life, while trimming just enough to keep it in the premium sweet spot. The newly launched Galaxy S25 FE carries that baton forward, promising the refinement of Samsung’s flagship S25 line-up at a more accessible price. But does it manage to strike the right balance between value and performance in today’s fiercely competitive segment? Let’s find out.

Design

At first glance, the Galaxy S25 FE looks every bit a modern Samsung device, with its sleek aluminium finish and minimalist lines. I reviewed the Navy variant—a deep, understated blue—though it’s also available in classic black and white. Measuring just 7.4mm thick and weighing 190 grams, it’s the slimmest and lightest FE Samsung has ever made, yet it doesn’t compromise on durability. The phone features Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ on both sides and an upgraded Armor Aluminium frame that feels reassuringly sturdy. Add to that an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, and the S25 FE positions itself firmly in the premium league, while still being comfortably pocketable and easy to use one-handed.

The display is beautiful, colourful, and has negligible bezels, making it great to consume content on

The display is beautiful, colourful, and has negligible bezels, making it great to consume content on | Photo Credit: Bijoy Ghosh

Display

The S25 FE features a 6.7 Inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a refresh rate of 120Hz. The display is beautiful, colourful, and has negligible bezels, making it great to consume content on. The streets and atmosphere of Mumbai in the 1980s in Inspector Zende on Netflix were brilliantly displayed onscreen. Out of the box, this phone is a classic example of Samsung’s punchy colours on smartphones, which can be tweaked to look a little more natural under display settings. The dual speakers delivered impressive audio quality, making it a joy to listen to tracks such as Sid Sriram’s “Minnalvala” from Narivetta. Even at higher volumes, the sound remained clear and free of distortion, with both music and vocals coming through distinctly. It essentially functions as a small, portable boombox, offering a surprisingly great audio experience.

Camera

The Galaxy S25 FE’s camera system is a solid performer, featuring a 50 MP main lens, a 12 MP ultra-wide, and an 8 MP telephoto. Photos captured in good light were crisp, vibrant, and had excellent contrast. For low-light shots, the cameras managed to control noise effectively without sacrificing detail. The 12 MP front-facing camera takes detailed selfies with colour tones on the spot. For video, the phone supports up to 4K @ 60, with footage that remains detailed and tack-sharp even on moving subjects.

Performance

The S25 FE unit that I reviewed featured the Exynos 2400, which is Samsung’s flagship processor found in the Samsung S24+ and competes with the likes of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and the Apple A17 Pro. The review unit I had had 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage with dual SIM support and options for 256 GB and 512 GB storage versions as well.

On Geekbench 6, the S25 FE scored 2,100 in the single-core and 6,776 in the multi-core segment, which places it in the league of the Samsung Galaxy S24 and the Xiaomi 14 Pro. The Exynos 2400 is packed in a vapour chamber that’s 13 per cent larger and helps with keeping the device cool during extended gaming sessions and more.

Playing Shadow Fight 4 and button-bashing endlessly to get past each wave of fighters was fun on the bright screen with a 120 Hz refresh rate.

Battery

With a 4,900mAh battery, the S25 FE was able to last for up to 1.5 days with close to 7 hours of screen on time, including video calls, gaming, and clicking photos and capturing videos. The phone supports up to 45 W wired charging. With a standard 25 W fast charger, the phone took about 1 hour and 20 minutes to charge from 2 to 100 per cent.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE is a jack of all trades - display, sound, as well as performance - but not exactly a standout master of one. The Samsung S25 FE comes across as a good in-between offering in the S25 line-up, offering the best of the S25 ultra at a fan-friendly price point. Worthy competitors would be the likes of the Vivo X200 FE and the OnePlus 13s.