Samsung Galaxy S26 FE First Impressions

Since 2020, Samsung's Fan Edition (FE) models have served as the entry point into the company's flagship Galaxy S lineup, without premium cost that is usually associated with them. The idea is fairly simple: take the flagship experience and trim a few corners so that it becomes more accessible to the masses. The new Samsung Galaxy S26 FE, launched globally last month, continues that approach. This year's model, however, feels more like an evolution of the formula than a major departure.

While its India launch has yet to happen, I got a chance to experience the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE. While there is plenty that still needs to be tested, the design is where the S26 FE makes its first impression.

The first thing you will notice is the familiarity. The South Korean tech conglomerate hasn't changed things much this year. It retains the same flat-frame design that runs across its current Galaxy S series. It features a relatively large display, slim bezels and a metal frame. The handset weighs 193g and is about 7.4mm thin, despite its relatively large footprint.

Samsung has introduced three colourways of the S26 FE. The Pistachio variant stands out in my opinion. The back panel has a slight light green tint that does not scream for attention but doesn't look boring, either. The rear panel itself, however, has received some changes. I loved the matte texture on the Galaxy S25 FE because it looked premium and resisted fingerprints. The Galaxy S26 FE, meanwhile, has a glossy finish that became a fingerprint magnet in the brief time I experienced the phone. I would recommend slapping on a case as soon as you unbox the S26 FE if you do not want to be constantly wiping down smudges.

Another small change is to the camera design. Instead of three individual camera rings sitting directly on the rear panel, the three sensors are now housed within a single raised vertical camera section, exactly like the flagship Galaxy S26. The camera bump does slightly protrude from the back, though.

The rest of the design is fairly straightforward. The power and volume buttons are placed on the right side, while the USB Type-C port is at the bottom, along with the speaker. The phone also carries an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, while the display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+.

Up front, the Galaxy S26 FE has a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a Full-HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. It is virtually unchanged compared to last year's model, which we talked about extensively in our review, and you can check it out here. Based on my initial impressions, the panel produces sharp visuals with deep blacks, vibrant colours, and plenty of contrast. Samsung claims peak brightness of up to 1,900 nits, although I will reserve judgement on outdoor visibility until I've spent more time with the phone in harsher lighting.

Powering Samsung's latest Fan Edition model is the Exynos 2500 chip, which debuted with the Galaxy Z Flip 7 last year. In our review, we found the chip to be no slouch as it capably handled both everyday operations as well as casual gaming. However, the Galaxy S26 FE may yet have a different story to tell, so stay tuned for our review.

The phone runs One UI 9 based on Android 17, and the software experience is familiar if you've used the Galaxy S26 series or the company's latest foldables. Samsung brought many of the Galaxy AI features from its flagship S models to the FE, including Horizon Lock, My FanCam, and Audio Eraser. It also comes with a promise of seven years of software and security updates, which is still the industry best.

The back of the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE has the same triple-camera setup as the S25 FE. You'll find a 50-megapixel primary camera, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, and an 8-megapixel telephoto shooter with 3x optical zoom. There's also a 12-megapixel selfie shooter on the front. It is far too early to make any meaningful judgement about image quality or low-light performance, though.

The Galaxy S26 FE also gets a 4,900mAh battery with 45W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. These figures are again virtually unchanged from last year. The Galaxy S25 FE just about got me through an entire day with moderate usage, but I think One UI 9 improvements should give its successor slightly longer endurance. This is another area where I would rather wait until I have used it as my primary smartphone for a considerable amount of time before drawing conclusions.

Based on the initial impressions, I think the Galaxy S26 FE looks and feels like a Galaxy S device without going all the way up to flagship pricing. The bigger questions, however, are performance, cameras, battery life, and, perhaps most importantly, how much value the S26 FE offers. All of these I will answer in our full review of the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE, which drops soon. So, stay tuned.