Samsung Galaxy S24 FE in test: slim premium smartphone

With the “Fan Edition”, Samsung is once again introducing a slightly slimmer version of its Galaxy S smartphone that aims to offer first-class technology at an affordable price. Compared to its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE (test report), the S24 FE makes a significant technological leap. However, the smartphone has been growing considerably and is now very similar to the Samsung Galaxy S24+ (test report).

Given the similar features and higher recommended retail price (RRP), the unique selling point of the Fan Edition comes into question. The test report reveals whether this is a deal with top technology or just a confusing package.

Until now, the 6.4-inch FE model held a special place in the Galaxy S series between the 6.1-inch compact model and the 6.7-inch Plus version. However, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE has become significantly larger and now has a diagonal of 6.7 inches. It’s a shame, the author of this review really appreciated the intermediate size.

At first glance, it is difficult to distinguish the Galaxy S24 FE from the Galaxy S24+ (test report). The fan edition of the S24 uses an almost identical design with a glass back and matte metal frame. In addition, there are three camera lenses with metal edges that are known since the S23 and arranged in a row.

Only upon close inspection and direct comparison with the Plus model do some differences become apparent. Despite having the same screen diagonal, the FE model is slightly larger at 162 × 77.3 × 8 mm. So it’s about 4mm taller and 2mm wider, which is due to the wider display edges. It is also a little heavy at 213 grams. There is a certification for IP68, which means that the cell phone should survive being immersed in fresh water for 30 minutes at a depth of 150 cm. The workmanship is impeccable.

As already mentioned, the diagonal of the OLED display is 6.7 inches. However, the resolution of 2340 × 1080 pixels is less than that of the S24+ with 3K. Still, with a pixel density of 385 ppi (pixels per inch), the display remains sharp enough that the pixels cannot be seen with the naked eye. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus+, not Victus 2 like the S24+.

The refresh rate is automatically controlled between 60 and 120 Hz, in contrast, the Galaxy S24+ is controlled from 1 to 120 Hz. Image quality is also excellent as always with the FE model. When it comes to peak brightness, the S24 FE doesn’t quite keep up with the S24+, but it remains on the higher end at around 1600 nits, according to Samsung. In testing we were able to read it outside even in good weather. Mirroring seems to be a little more pronounced than other models in the S24 series.

The triple camera consists of a main lens (f/1.8) with 50 megapixels and optical image stabilization (OIS), a wide-angle lens (f/2.2) with 12 megapixels and a telephoto lens with OIS and just 8 megapixels (f/ 2.4) Provides. , In comparison, the S24+ has a 10-megapixel telephoto lens. The selfie camera has also become slim with 10 megapixels.

The Galaxy S24 FE takes great photos during the day. Image details are clear and dynamic range is high. The colors appear natural, even if they sometimes appear a little light for our tastes. Night mode effectively brightens subjects in darkness and gives good photos. Image noise is visible, but still limited. In difficult lighting conditions the camera doesn’t quite reach the level of the Galaxy S24 and S24+, but it’s close enough.

The ultra wide angle has been slightly improved compared to the predecessor Galaxy S23 FE and is almost indistinguishable in color from the main lens. The telephoto lens delivers 3x optical zoom with attractive shots, even if image detail is a little less clear than the S24+. Zoom up to 30x is possible with digital support. Selfies are also impressive. Videos have excellent effects and are possible at 4K resolution with 60 fps (frames per second) or 8K with 30 fps.

The processor used is the Samsung Exynos 2400e, which is a slightly downclocked version of the chip from the S24 and S24+. However, it is only slightly weaker in terms of performance, as the benchmarks show: 17,000 points in PCMark and 3900 points in “Wild Life Extreme” from 3DMark is a declaration at the flagship level. The operating system responds quickly, and gaming at a high level is also possible with the S24 FE. However, under sustained load in the “Wildlife Extreme” stress test, the S24 FE overheats significantly and loses about 50 percent of its initial performance after several runs.

Compared to the S24 and S24+, memory has been reduced: 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB or 256 GB of internal memory are available; There is no extension option. We therefore strongly advise against the first option, as space may be limited. The rest of the equipment is at the top level: Wi-Fi 6E, USB-C 3.2, Bluetooth 5.3 and NFC are not left wanting. Navigation uses GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS and NavIC.

The S24 FE runs Android 14 and Samsung user interface One UI 6.1. As always, the Koreans are exemplary when it comes to updates; Security patches were in place at the time of testing – updates have been available monthly for an impressive seven years, including version upgrades for Android! Nothing can be better than this.

Samsung introduces Fan Edition with latest Galaxy AI services. These include tools for editing photos. This way you can rotate objects or people in photos. This sometimes works surprisingly well; The more extensive and daring the change, the more artificial the result looks, as shown in our picture gallery. AI also removes shadows or reflections from photos or automatically straightens crooked subjects. AI-edited photos are marked with a star to prevent abuse such as deepfakes. The AI ​​feature “Portrait Studio” creates an avatar from a selfie, which can be displayed as a 3D cartoon, comic drawing, painting or pencil sketch.

A well-known feature is live translation of telephone calls in multiple languages. However, translation takes time, which can lead to overlap in new conversation contributions. Accuracy varies and there is still room for optimization. The S24 FE can also work offline as a translation tool.

Text summary is not ideal because it does not always accurately reflect the essential content of the text. The spell checker is sometimes inconsistent. However, one interesting function is image search: by pressing the home button and marking an image area on the display, a search can be launched – and it works surprisingly well, but in reality this is a Google feature. .

At 4700 mAh, the battery is slightly smaller than the S24+. Battery life is still a strong 12 hours, according to PCMark’s battery test – even if that’s about 2 hours less than the Galaxy S24+’s level. This means that the smartphone can still easily last a whole day with reserve. Charging happens at a leisurely pace via a 25-watt cable or 15-watt Qi.

The RRP is definitely very high at 749 euros for 8/128 GB and 809 euros for 8/256 GB. At the time of publishing, the difference compared to the S24+ was too small to justify a purchase. In some cases the Plus model was even cheaper. The price of Fan Edition has now reduced significantly. Small memory version available 540 eurosWe advise against the 256GB variant 609 eurosThe colors available are anthracite, light blue, light green and yellow.

The Galaxy S24 FE has made a significant leap in performance compared to its predecessor and is possibly the best fan edition yet. Performance is very close to the level of the Galaxy S24+, the camera, battery life as well as the display and design are convincing – only slightly behind the other models in the current S series.

However, in some cases a real unique selling point is missing as the S24 FE has adopted the dimensions of the Plus model. After a very high initial RRP, prices are currently falling, making the mobile device a cheaper alternative to Samsung flagships with excellent technology – just like previous models.