Samsung Galaxy S25 FE First Impressions

The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE has finally been launched in global markets, after surfacing online several times over the past few months. It arrives with brand-new hardware, but it is a package that we have seen before. The FE or 'Fan Edition' models are usually a popular choice among consumers for various reasons. They bear a resemblance to the top-of-the-line Galaxy S series models and feature high-end specifications, but at a considerably lower price point. Like previous iterations, the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE sits between the most expensive A-series handset and the entry-level S-series model.

It is also priced as such. The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE price begins at $649 (roughly Rs. 57,200) for the base configuration with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. It is also available with 256GB and 512GB of storage, priced accordingly. The company is yet to announce the price of the Galaxy S25 FE in India.

Here are our first impressions of the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE, which falls in a highly competitive price bracket with plenty of offerings from brands such as iQOO, Vivo, and OnePlus. 

Samsung Galaxy S25 FE: Design and Display

Just like its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE carries forward the company's tried-and-tested formula of adopting the design of its flagship Galaxy S-series models. It closely resembles the Galaxy S25, with the same three distinct camera rings vertically arranged on the back of the phone.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE is 0.6mm thinner than Galaxy S24 FE, as per the company

The rear panel has a matte texture that is smooth to the touch, doesn't easily attract fingerprints, and feels premium. It is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus+ (like the smartphone's display), while the frame is made using Samsung's Aluminium Armor. As per the brand, the Galaxy S25 FE is 0.6mm thinner and 23g lighter than its predecessor. In terms of ergonomics, the phone doesn't feel too heavy to hold.

The handset is available in Jet Black, Navy, and White colourways. I got to see the Navy and White options during a hands-on session, and the Navy colour option looks more premium, in my opinion.

Similar to the flagship Galaxy S25 models, you get a speaker grille, SIM slot, microphone, and the USB Type-C port at the bottom. The Galaxy S25 FE has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, respectively.

The phone has a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display

Moving on to the display, the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE sports a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen with a Full HD+ resolution, and a 120Hz refresh rate. Based on my initial impressions, the panel produces sharp visuals with deep blacks and vibrant colours.

There is also an in-display fingerprint sensor for biometric authentication, but I did not get a chance to test it. We will thoroughly test the screen quality and discuss it in our in-depth review, which should be out soon.

Samsung Galaxy S25 FE: Camera, Features, and Battery

The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE is powered by the company's proprietary Exynos 2400 chipset, borrowed from last year's Galaxy S24 lineup. In our Galaxy S24 review, we found the chip to be no slouch when compared to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. However, the Galaxy S25 FE may yet have a different story to tell, so stay tuned for our review of the handset.

You also get 8GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. Interestingly, the 128GB variant of the Galaxy S25 FE ships with UFS 3.1, while the 256GB and 512GB variants get UFS 4.0. One good thing here is that the brand continues to offer one of the longest periods of software support in the industry, promising seven years of OS and security updates. It's also only the third handset in Samsung's Galaxy smartphone lineup to ship with Android 16-based One UI 8.

Galaxy S25 FE is only the third Samsung phone to ship with Android 16-based One UI 8

The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE also comes with several built-in AI features. There's the entire Galaxy AI suite, with features such as Sketch to Image, Interpreter, Audio Eraser, Generative Edit, and Auto Trim. It also features Google's Circle to Search and Gemini Live. The handset also gets the Now Bar and Now Brief features, which were introduced with the flagship Galaxy S25 series. However, using them requires a Samsung account login and an active internet connection. The inclusion of flagship-grade AI features on a non-flagship model certainly makes it an interesting proposition.

In the camera department, the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE sports a triple rear camera unit, comprising a 50-megapixel wide-angle main rear sensor, alongside an 8-megapixel telephoto shooter and a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens. On paper, the wide and ultrawide cameras are the same as the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus models. You also get a 12-megapixel sensor on the front for selfies and video calls. The phone is capable of recording videos at up to 8K/ 30fps. We will test the cameras thoroughly in our upcoming review to see if they match expectations.

White colourway of the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE

The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE packs a slightly bigger 4,900mAh battery compared to the Galaxy S24 FE. On paper, the handset should deliver more hours of usage, but you should wait for our detailed battery benchmarks and tests which will be part of our review. It supports the same 45W wired and 15W Qi2 wireless fast charging as its predecessor.

Samsung says that customers who purchase the Galaxy S25 FE will get six months of access to Google AI Pro at no additional cost. This gets you access to advanced Gemini models, increased rate limits, integration of Gemini in Google apps, and 2TB of cloud storage across Drive, Docs, and Google Photos.

This could potentially add to the value-for-money factor of the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE. But will the handset deliver on all the promises it makes? Stay tuned for our in-depth Samsung Galaxy S25 FE review to find out.