Samsung Galaxy S25 FE review – Great phone, awkward price point
-
- Battery Score
4
- Camera Score
4
- Design Score
4
- Performance Score
3.5
- Battery Score
4
Summary
Verdict: The Samsung Galaxy S25 ‘Fan Edition’ is a pretty good mid-range smartphone, delivering a near-flagship experience. It’s lighter, slick to use, and takes stunning daytime photos. The main drawback is that it feels like a slightly hard sell when the base S25 is available for not much more.
- Slim and lightweight design
- Great cameras
- Solid battery life with fast charging support
- 7 years of operating system updates
- Comes equipped with AI smarts
- Gets warm when running heavy tasks
- May not be worth it if you pay full price
- Iterative improvement to S24 FE
Details
Pricing & Availability
| RRP | $1,099 |
| Launch date | 4-September-2025 |
Would I recommend the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE?
There's no doubt the Galaxy S25 FE is a good - or even great - phone in the midrange category. But that's mostly if you're looking at it as a standalone.
The problem is the price. Starting at $1,099, it sits close to the flagship Galaxy S25 at $1,399, making the Fan Edition feel like a harder sell.
Timing doesn't help either. The base S25, launched earlier in 2025, can often be found for less.
With Android phones, prices drop quickly, so you could get a true flagship experience without compromise.
That said, the S25 FE is definitely worth considering if you find it at a good discount.
It's a solid choice if you don't need flagship performance but want a big screen, a light design, and really good daytime cameras.
| Specification | S25 FE | S25 | S25 Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.7-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display 120Hz refresh rate (60/120Hz) Vision Booster | 6.2-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display Super Smooth 120Hz refresh rate (1~120Hz) Vision booster Adaptive colour tone | 6.7-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display Super Smooth 120Hz refresh rate (1~120Hz) Vision booster Adaptive colour tone |
| Dimensions & Weight | 76.6 X 161.3 X 7.4mm, 190g | 70.5 x 146.9 x 7.2mm, 162g | 75.8 x 158.4 x 7.3mm, 190g |
| Camera | 12MP Ultra-Wide Camera 50MP Wide Camera 8MP Telephoto Camera (3x Optical Zoom) | 12MP Ultra-Wide Camera 50MP Wide Camera 10MP Telephoto Camera (3x Optical Zoom) | 12MP Ultra-Wide Camera 50MP Wide Camera 10MP Telephoto Camera (3x Optical Zoom) |
| Memory & Storage | 8GB RAM + 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | 12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB | 12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB |
| Battery | 4,900 mAh | 4,000 mAh | 4,900 mAh |
| OS | Android 16 One UI 8 | Android 15 One UI 7 | Android 15 One UI 7 |
| Water Resistance | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 |
| Colours | Navy, Jetblack, Icyblue | Navy, Silver Shadow, Icyblue, Mint Samsung online exclusive colours: Blueblack, Coralred, Pinkgold | Navy, Silver Shadow, Icyblue, Mint Samsung online exclusive colours: Blueblack, Coralred, Pinkgold |
Galaxy S25 FE does design and display right
Image: Mariam Gabaji/Finder
One of the best updates with the Galaxy S25 FE is that it's slimmer and lighter. Even with a 6.7-inch screen, it weighs 190g and is 7.4 mm thick, compared to the S24 FE's 213 g and 8 mm.
You'll notice the difference immediately when you hold both phones side by side.
The glossy back has been replaced with a nice matte finish, giving the phone a more premium feel while keeping smudges at bay. The rear also sports the familiar trio of cameras.
I reviewed the navy version, and it's easily my colour of choice.
Then there's the large Full HD+ display, and as you'd expect from Samsung, it's bright and sharp, though not as bright as the S25 or S25 Plus (2,600 nits versus 1,900 nits).
The bezels are thinner, and for everyday use, it's hard to fault.
Other than that, it does everything you'd expect from a phone at this price - including a fingerprint scanner, facial recognition, and an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.
Galaxy S25 FE performance and battery life are good for everyday use
The Galaxy S25 FE is powered by the Exynos 2400 chipset, which delivers solid performance and lets you take full advantage of Samsung’s AI features for productivity and creativity.
This includes Gemini Live, Audio Eraser, Browsing Assist, Live Translation and image editing tools.
The performance doesn’t quite match the flagship S25 series. You’ll notice it during heavy tasks like longer gaming sessions when the phone starts to heat up. For anyone who doesn’t push their phone that hard, it won’t be an issue.
I don’t usually do that unless it’s for a phone review, so for me, this is more than enough power.
Unlike any of the other S25 models, the S25 FE also runs on One UI 8 for Android 16 straight out of the box.
The battery has been bumped from 4,700 mAh to 4,900 mAh, and it easily lasts a full day with low to moderate use.
The caveat is that if you’re running AI prompts or tackling heavier tasks, you might need to top it up by evening.
The good news is you get fast charging at 45W wired and 15W wireless.
Galaxy S25 FE has familiar cameras but they get the job done
The triple camera setup includes a 50-megapixel wide, 12-megapixel ultra-wide, and 8-megapixel telephoto lens.
It’s similar to the S24 FE, though the selfie camera’s been boosted from 10MP to 12MP.
I won’t be singing praises for low-light photography, but the daytime photos are pretty darn great. They’re bright and sharp, and the landscapes deliver strong results.
I was also happy with the 3x zoom. I don’t usually zoom in that much anyway, so how the camera feels / what it’s missing really comes down to personal preference.
Image: Mariam Gabaji/Finder
Image: Mariam Gabaji/Finder
Image: Mariam Gabaji/Finder
Image: Mariam Gabaji/Finder
Image: Mariam Gabaji/Finder
Image: Mariam Gabaji/Finder
Image: Mariam Gabaji/Finder
Image: Mariam Gabaji/Finder
Image: Mariam Gabaji/Finder
All opinions expressed in this review are based on the author's own experience with the phone. Use this review for informational purposes only.
How to buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE on a phone plan
You can sign up for a 12-, 24-, or 36-month phone repayment plan with Vodafone and Telstra.
How to buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE outright
Sources
Your reviews
Mariam Finder
Senior Utilities Editor & Tech Expert
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