The Samsung Galaxy S24 series was launched early last year at a somewhat less affordable price. As usual for H2, Samsung will offer a more pocket-friendly Galaxy S FE series. With slightly lower specifications, is it still worth buying the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE this year?
SPECIFICATIONS
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
6.7″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen, LTPO
FHD+, 120Hz, HDR10+
Exynos 2400e processor (4nm)
1 x 3.11 GHz Cortex-X4 chip
2 x 2.9 GHz Cortex-A720
3 x 2.59 GHz Cortex-A720
4 x 1.95 GHz Cortex-A520
Xclipse 940 Graphics Chip
RAM 8GB LPDDR5X
Internal Load 256 /512 UFS 4.0
Primary Camera 50MP f/1.8, OIS (Wide Angle)
12MP f/2.2 (Ultra Wide Angle)
8MP f/2.4, OIS (3X Telephoto)
Selfie Camera 10 Megapixel f/2.4
4700 mAh battery
Wired charging 25W
Wireless charging 15W
Dual SIM/Telephony nano / 5G
NFC Yes
Audio jack No
Waterproof IP68
Scanning System Under-screen fingerprint scanner
Selling price RM 3299 (8/256GB)
RM 3899 (8/512GB)
SCREEN
The 6.7″ FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen supports a 120Hz LTPO refresh rate, the same size as the S24+ but with FHD+ resolution only. At first glance, the resolution difference between the two device screens is not noticeable. The bezels are still quite thin with a flat screen surface. Samsung's panel is bright enough under bright sunlight and responsive when used.
Color reproduction is satisfactory with HDR displays from Max, Prime Video, Netflix and YouTube applications being displayed well. One feature that is not provided is the anti-glare coating which is still exclusive to the S24 Ultra and the Tab S10 tablet series. What is given is a Gorilla Glass Victus+ screen that is quite durable.
The haptic system is satisfactory but not the best in its class. The haptic capabilities of Samsung devices are a bit behind compared to those offered by Apple and Oppo this year.
BIOMETRICS
The under-screen fingerprint scanner is of the optical type which is still quite fast. This is a big change because on the three previous S24 devices, ultrasonic fingerprint scanners were used. The face scanning system is still given and it works quite well.
DESIGN
The design of the S24 FE is similar to the Galaxy S24+ and also the Galaxy A55. This year Samsung is using the same design on more than one device so I had a hard time distinguishing them at a glance. The body frame is made of regular aluminum instead of the durable Armor Aluminum. The sides are flat but still comfortable in the hand. On the back there is a glass panel that traps dirt quite easily.
On the right side there is a power button and audio knob made of metal. The buttons are comfortable to press and look solid. The USB-C charging port, audio grille and SIM tray are placed at the bottom of the device. The device is also equipped with a stereo audio system to provide a balanced audio experience.
The three cameras on the back are arranged vertically, consisting of a 50MP wide-angle lens, a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens and an 8MP telephoto. The difference between this camera system and the Galaxy S24+ is that the telephoto lens is larger at 10MP. Changes have also been made to the 10MP selfie camera, which is smaller than the 12MP on the Galaxy S24+. Among the ways Samsung has reduced the cost of this year's FE model is to change the camera specifications.
Although the camera bump is not very high, it still prevents the camera from being placed flat on a table. Samsung does not provide a frame with every purchase, so you have to buy your own frame to provide protection for the body and allow the device to be placed flat on a table surface.
The device also still passes the IP68 waterproof and dustproof standards, which is necessary for a flagship device. Samsung also provides NFC support but no audio jack, micro SD support or infrared emitter.
Usage and Software
The One UI 6.1.1 operating system based on Android 14 is used, which is the same as the Z Fold6, Z Flip6 and the recent S24 series. In terms of interface design, it is simple, easy to use and smooth when we used it even for a relatively short period. This is not surprising because the S24 FE is equipped with an Exynos 2400e chip paired with 8GB of RAM.
This processor is a more economical version than the Exynos 2400 used in the Galaxy S24+. The difference is that the 10 CPU cores operate at a lower speed. Admittedly, 8GB of RAM is small for a flagship device. To remedy this problem, the RAM Plus feature can add another 8GB of RAM virtually when needed. Why not just 12GB of RAM as Samsung's competitors do? This is a mystery like the Bermuda Triangle that makes the S24 FE less competitive than its competitors out there.
The similarities are not limited to the operating system features alone as Samsung is providing support for 7 Android versions and 7 years of security patches on the Galaxy S24 FE as well. This puts it on par with the S24 series, Z Fold6 and Z Flip6.
Sketch to Image
Galaxy AI is once again given a focus with support for Sketch to Image, Portrait Studio, Composer, Note Assist, Interpreter and Circle to Search. Galaxy AI support is free until the end of 2025 only. All Galaxy AI features provided on other flagship Samsung devices are included on the S24 FE without any changes.
Galaxy AI – Sketch to Image
BENCHMARK – Exynos 2400e
Only the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE is offered with the Exynos 2400e chip which has lower specifications compared to the Exynos 2400 used on the S24 and S24+. So I compare this phone with S24 Ultra (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3), Vivo X100 Pro (Dimensity 9300), Oppo Find X8 (Dimensity 9400), Realme GT7 Pro (Snapdragon 8 Elite), Galaxy S24+ (Exynos 2400), iPhone 15 Pro Max (A17 Pro), iPhone 16 Pro Max (A18 Pro), Google Pixel 9 Pro XL (Tensor G4)
AnTuTu 3D
Exynos 2400e -1,574,170
Exynos 2400 – 1,643,090
Snapdragon 8 Elite – 2,642,097
MediaTek Dimensity 9400 – 2,629,017
Apple A18 Pro – 1,720,751
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 – 2,200,000
Apple A17 Pro – 1,542,050
Tensor G4 – 1,016,712
MediaTek Dimensity 9300 – 1,852,552
Geekbench 6
Exynos 2400e – 2030/6589
Exynos 2400 – 1539/6510
Snapdragon 8 Elite – 2789/9002
MediaTek Dimensity 9400 – 2663 / 8959
Apple A18 Pro – 3359 / 8129
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 – 2329/7526
Apple A17 Pro – 2793/6925
Tensor G4 – 1916/4644
MediaTek Dimensity 9300 – 2071/5032
Geekbench AI
Exynos 2400e – 2594/2603/4131
Exynos 2400 – N/A
Snapdragon 8 Elite – 2307/2323/3027
MediaTek Dimensity 9400 – N/A
Apple A18 Pro – 4516 / 7744 / 6204
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 – 1704 / 1829/ 2773
Apple A17 Pro – 3705 / 6515 / 5696
Tensor G4 – 2058 / 2017 / 3129
MediaTek Dimensity 9300 – N/A
3DMark Wild Life Extreme
Exynos 2400e -2475
Exynos 2400 – 2813
Snapdragon 8 Elite – 5,922
MediaTek Dimensity 9400 – 6251
Apple A18 Pro – 4560
Apple A17 Pro – 3746
Tensor G4 – 2567
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 – 4717
MediaTek Dimensity 9300 – 4067
The Exynos 2400e benchmark scores are not as high as flagship chips like the A18 Pro, Dimensity 9400 and Snapdragon 8 Elite. However, the S24 FE operates very smoothly so that there is no real difference with the Galaxy S24+ with Exynos 2400.
Smoothness can be enjoyed when launching applications and also high-graphics games. There are no overheating issues just lukewarm when running Genshin Impact, COD Mobile, MLBB, PUBG and many other games. Overall, the experience of using the S24 FE is comparable to using other flagship devices with more powerful chips.
CAMERA
The main camera uses a 50MP wide-angle lens configuration, 12MP ultra-wide-angle, 5X telephoto and 8MP 3x telephoto. Meanwhile, on the front, a 10MP sensor is used for the telephoto camera. The wide-angle lens of the S24 FE is smaller than the S24+ which uses a 10MP sensor. The use of this relatively small sensor is disappointing because other manufacturers such as Xiaomi and Oppo have no problem providing a 50MP sensor for telephoto.
The image quality using the wide-angle lens is good, looks sharp, beautiful color reproduction and has quite satisfactory details. On par with the images taken with the S24+. When changing to the ultra-wide angle, the image looks a little soft due to the lack of OIS.
The zoom image quality also has the same issue due to the small sensor size. Images look good up to 3X zoom only. Beyond this limit, the image starts to lose sharpness, colors start to fade and there is a noticeable noise effect. The camera can zoom up to 30X but at this setting the image quality taken is blurry.
BATTERY
The device's 4700 mAh battery can last all day with around 10% remaining around 10 pm before we went to bed. Satisfactory usage life but not as good as the S24+ or S24 Ultra. Not surprisingly, the S24 FE has a smaller battery capacity than the previous two devices.
In heavier usage like streaming YouTube, the device only lasted around 7 hours. The battery recharge time is 70 minutes which is quite slow as the charging is only 25W. A charger is also not included in the box.
AUDIO
There is stereo and there is also Dolby Atmos support via two speakers, one of which shoots to the side. Audio with speakers in this configuration is often less balanced. The speakers are loud and clear with no issues of sounding broken at higher audio settings. There is no audio jack but this has been the norm for the past four years.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX?
Here's what you get in the box with your purchase.
1x Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
1x USB-C to USB-C charging cable.
1x Manual.
1x SIM Pin.
CONCLUSION
The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE is a cheaper alternative to the three S24 models that were launched around 10 months ago. It's fast, has a beautiful screen, decent performance, decent camera capabilities, and decent battery performance. At a starting price of RM3299, it may be cheaper than the three S24s but it's not competitive with competing devices.
The Realme GT7 Pro with Snapdragon 8 Elite and Xiaomi 14T Pro are cheaper in terms of selling price. Each with a more powerful processor and a much better Leica camera system. The only advantage of the S24 FE is the best 7+7 year software support in the market. If you're really looking for a phone that can be used for up to a year at an affordable price, the S24 FE is the best option from Samsung.
Pros
The flat body design feels comfortable in the hand.
The Exynos 2400e is a still-powerful processor.
Various Galaxy AI features that aren't just gimmicks.
Support for seven Android versions and seven years of security patches.
IP68 water and dust resistance.
Cons
Charging is still only 25W.
Base RAM is only 8GB while competitors offer 12GB.
Dual-core design similar to the A55.