Samsung Galaxy S26 FE

At Rs. 231,995 for the 8GB/256GB model on W4Mobiles, the Galaxy S26 FE is a good phone priced a little too close to better options.

• Strengths: excellent main camera, a bright AMOLED display, clean One UI 9, IP68 and seven years of updates.
• Weaknesses: average battery life, no LTPO screen, a USB 2.0 port, a weak ultrawide and average video.

The Galaxy S25 FE is listed at Rs. 219,999 and offers nearly the same experience, with an LTPO display and faster USB, so it is the smarter buy for most people unless you want the cooler-running Exynos 2500 and newer software. If the price of the regular Galaxy S26 comes close, that is the better phone. Our verdict: a solid buy once its price drops; at launch price, consider the S25 FE first.

The S26 FE has a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel at 1080 x 2340 with a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ and up to 1900 nits in high-brightness mode, protected by Gorilla Glass Victus+.

In daily use the colours are vivid, outdoor visibility is strong, HDR plays well across most apps and touch response is excellent, so it suits streaming, scrolling and gaming.

Two compromises matter. There is no LTPO, so the refresh rate only switches between two steps and cannot drop very low to save power. The screen also does not dim as far as the regular S26, which can feel uncomfortable in a dark room. The bottom bezel is slightly thicker than the others, and the fingerprint reader is optical rather than ultrasonic, though it works reliably.

The Exynos 2500 moves to a 3nm process and brings modest CPU and GPU gains over the Exynos 2400 in the S25 FE, with 8GB of RAM in every variant.

• Everyday use: One UI runs smoothly; app switching and multitasking feel fast.
• Gaming: PUBG Mobile averaged around 112 FPS, while the heavier Genshin Impact held about 55 FPS with high graphics in hands-on testing.
• Heat: the phone still gets warm when pushed in games, though it is more manageable than last year. Lab stress tests show performance dropping noticeably over long runs, so long gaming sessions are not its strength.

Rival chips in this price range offer stronger sustained gaming, so serious gamers have better options, while for most buyers the speed is more than enough.

The S26 FE keeps the familiar FE setup: a 50 MP main camera with OIS, an 8 MP 3x telephoto with OIS and a 12 MP ultrawide, plus a 12 MP selfie camera.

• Main camera: the highlight. Colours are punchy and pleasing, dynamic range is strong, and in some scenes it beats the iPhone 17. Night shots handle glare well.
• Portraits and selfies: rich, bright skin tones with balanced highlights; the selfie camera's field of view is fairly narrow.
• Telephoto: good detail at 3x in daylight and usable up to about 10x; in low light, stay at 3x.
• Ultrawide: the weak link, with soft detail and grain in low light.
• Video: nice colours but less smooth than the iPhone 17, and 4K 60fps only works on the main camera.

Neither the telephoto nor the ultrawide can shoot macro close-ups.

The S26 FE keeps the same 4900 mAh battery as last year, with no silicon-carbon upgrade.

Results vary with usage. A heavy camera and social media user found it did not last a full day, needing a charge around early evening, and only slightly outlasting the regular S26; the lack of LTPO does not help. A lab test with lighter use rated it at a full day. Plan on daily charging and a top-up if you use it heavily.

45W wired charging takes roughly an hour from empty to full with Samsung's charger, which is sold separately. Wireless charging tops out at 15W, slower than many rivals.

The S26 FE is Samsung's first non-folding phone to ship with Android 17 and One UI 9. Our database lists up to seven major OS updates, and Samsung commits to seven years of OS and security updates, among the longest support at this price.

One UI 9 brings subtle refinements; it feels well optimised, one-handed use is easy and there is no bloatware. Galaxy AI tools such as Circle to Search and Note Assist are included, though Call Brief is missing.

Because the USB port is now USB 2.0, wired Samsung DeX is not supported; DeX still works wirelessly.