The Galaxy S26 FE is out, but before paying the premium, it’s worth asking what the newer chip actually buys you over last year’s S25 FE. In most respects, the answer is: not much.
Design, dimensions, weight and build are essentially unchanged — both use Gorilla Glass Victus+ front and back with Samsung’s Enhanced Armor Aluminum frame. The display is the same 6.7-inch OLED panel with identical brightness behavior, and the stereo speakers carry over too.
The real difference is the silicon: the S26 FE runs last year’s flagship Exynos 2500 while the S25 FE has the 2024-era Exynos 2400. Benchmarks show roughly 16% higher CPU scores and nearly 25% better GPU results in 3DMark Wild Life, and the newer chip stretches battery endurance despite the identical battery. Charging stays at 45W wired, with only marginal gains in the charging curve.
Cameras are identical hardware — a 50MP GN3 main sensor, an 8MP 3x telephoto, a 12MP ultrawide and a 12MP selfie camera. Daylight shots are close, with the new model slightly cleaner; in low light the older phone can actually look more contrasty. Only the color options differ: Blueberry, Graphite and Pistachio versus Icyblue, Jetblack, Navy and White.
The trade-offs: the S26 FE costs about €50/$100 more — reportedly pushed up by memory chip prices — and loses wired DeX support entirely (no DisplayPort output). Both promise 7 years of OS upgrades, but the S25 FE’s clock started a year earlier.
Verdict: unless you need the newest chip and the longest support window, the discounted S25 FE delivers almost the same experience for less — which is the entire point of the FE series.