Samsung Galaxy S25 FE Review: A Reliable All-Rounder That Plays It Safe

The Galaxy S25 FE picks up the torch from last year’s S24 FE, with the same idea as before, which is to offer a near-flagship Galaxy experience with a fairly lower price. Samsung’s FE line has always lived in that grey area between premium and practical, and this year’s model doesn’t stray from that path.

What’s different is what’s under the hood. The S25 FE swaps the toned-down Exynos 2400e from last year for the full-fledged Exynos 2400, the same chip used in the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus from last year. At ₹65,999, the S25 FE is now rubbing shoulders with compact flagships like the Xiaomi 15, OPPO Find X8, and a few others that don’t hold back on performance or cameras. So, should you buy the S25 FE? Let’s find out in this review.

PROS

• Bright and colour-rich AMOLED display
• Premium design with a comfortable in-hand feel
• 7 years of OS + security updates
• Clean software, Useful AI features
• Exynos 2400 performs consistently
• Decent battery life

CONS

• Charging still feels slow compared to rivals
• Rear camera setup remains unchanged from last year
• Slight heating under sustained intensive gaming load

Design and Build Quality

Samsung isn’t trying to reinvent anything with the Galaxy S25 FE, and that’s actually fine. The phone follows the same design language as the rest of the Galaxy S25 lineup, right down to the minimalist camera layout. You can get it in Icy Blue, Jet Black, Navy, and White. I’ve been using the Navy version, and it looks great in person. The hue is very similar to what you see on the Galaxy Z Fold7 and even the Galaxy A17 5G, for that matter.

The S25 FE is also slightly slimmer and around 23 grams lighter than last year’s model. You can feel that immediately when you pick it up. While the latter can be felt instantly, the former is not that evident. The matte finish on the back keeps smudges away, feels smooth to the touch, and adds a nice, soft contrast to the metal frame. Speaking of which, the aluminium frame has that raw metallic look that gives the phone a bit more character. The Galaxy S25 FE is IP68 rated for water and dust resistance, has Gorilla Glass Victus+ on the back, and has a solid overall build.

Display and Audio

The Galaxy S25 FE features a 6.7-inch Full-HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a resolution of 1,080 x 2,340 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate. Just like the back panel, the display also gets a layer of Gorilla Glass Victus+ for safety against everyday scratches.

It’s a classic Samsung display, so if you have used one in the past you’ll feel right at home. Colours look rich, contrast is spot on, and you’ll rarely find yourself wishing for anything better. Outdoor visibility is solid too; the screen gets bright enough to stay readable under harsh sunlight. In my tests with a lux metre, it returned 1512 nits of peak brightness.

The bezels are fairly thin on all sides, except for the bottom chin, which is slightly thicker. You’ll notice it only if you go looking for it. Day to day, it’s immersive enough to pull you right into whatever you’re watching or playing. The panel supports HDR10 playback and Widevine L1 on Netflix, so you can stream your favourite shows in their best possible quality. The in-display fingerprint sensor is also placed on the bottom, so its easy to access, and it works flawlessly.

Audio quality holds up well, too. The stereo speaker setup produces a balanced soundstage that’s great for watching movies or scrolling through YouTube. I even played a quick round of BGMI when my earphones ran out of charge, and the separation between left and right channels was surprisingly good. Volume gets plenty loud without distorting.

Performance and Software

Powering the Galaxy S25 FE is the Exynos 2400, the same chip that runs the Galaxy S24 series in India. That’s a jump from last year’s Exynos 2400e, which was an inferior version of the chip.

In benchmarks, the Exynos 2400 holds its own. The phone scored around 7,160 in Geekbench 6 multi-core and 2,105 in single-core, while 3DMark Wild Life Extreme returned a best loop score of 4,620 with about 70% stability over extended runs. Gaming performance is decent, too.

The Xclipse 940 GPU, based on AMD’s RDNA 3 architecture, easily handles BGMI, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Genshin Impact at high settings. Frame rates stay stable, and while there’s a bit of warmth after 20–30 minutes of gaming, it never becomes uncomfortable.

That said, for serious gaming for longer periods, this is far from a choice because the S25 FE does not prioritise performance, but rather a balanced output. You are better off with the iQOO 13, OnePlus 13s, and even the more camera-focused contenders, the OPPO Find X8 and Xiaomi 15. For a deeper dive into our gaming sessions and detailed benchmark breakdowns with comparisons, check out my Galaxy S25 FE performance review.

The Galaxy S25 FE runs Android 16 with One UI 8.0 right out of the box, and it’s as feature-packed as any of Samsung’s premium models. All the AI-powered tools are present, including Object Eraser, Generative Edit, and Samsung’s new Now Bar that gives you quick access to contextual AI suggestions and shortcuts.

The biggest advantage, though, is longevity. Samsung continues to lead the Android pack when it comes to updates. The S25 FE promises seven years of OS and security updates, which is something even many flagship phones outside Samsung’s ecosystem still don’t match.

Cameras

If you’ve used a Samsung Galaxy S series phone before, the S25 FE’s camera output will feel instantly familiar. The post-processing is classic Samsung with vibrant, contrast-heavy, punchy colours.

In terms of hardware, it carries forward the same triple-camera setup as last year’s model, which is a bit disappointing considering this was a good opportunity for an upgrade. You still get a 50MP primary sensor, 12MP ultra-wide, and an 8MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom. The only real change is on the front; the selfie camera is now a 12MP f/2.2 shooter, up from 10MP.

Daylight shots look great, with the typical Samsung colour treatment, with greens, blues, and reds all coming out lively and saturated. There’s plenty of detail too, and dynamic range holds up well in most cases. In tougher lighting, shadows can get crushed occasionally, but for the most part, the photos are bright and social-media-ready. The shutter speed is quick enough to capture moving subjects without noticeable lag.

The 8MP telephoto lens does a good job for portraits and close-up shots of people or objects. It’s sharp in daylight and keeps colours consistent with the main sensor. Even at 10x digital zoom, images remain usable, and at 30x, you can still make out text, though fine detail obviously takes a hit. The ultrawide camera keeps the same overall colour science as the main sensor but loses some detail and dynamic range, especially around the corners.

The new 12MP selfie camera is actually quite nice. Skin tones look natural, sharpness is balanced, and exposure handling has improved. Against harsh light, details get a little softer, but for the most part, it delivers bright, social-media-ready shots that don’t need much editing. That said, it’s not really a revolutionary jump in terms of upgrade.

Low-light performance is decent but not exceptional. The main sensor captures usable photos in dim conditions, although noise becomes visible when the light gets really low. Selfies in low light can look a bit oversharpened, especially outdoors at night, but they are manageable for casual use.

For videos, the S25 FE can shoot up to 8K at 30fps and 4K at 60fps. The latter is the sweet spot, footage looks sharp, colours are accurate, and stabilisation is impressive even when walking.

Battery and Charging

The Galaxy S25 FE gets a small but welcome upgrade in battery capacity, 4,900mAh, up from 4,700mAh on the previous model. In daily use, the phone comfortably delivers around 5 to 6 hours of screen-on time with moderate usage — that’s a mix of social media, camera use, streaming, and a bit of gaming. Heavy users will see that number dip, but it still gets through a whole working day.

Charging speeds have also improved. The S25 FE now supports 45W fast charging, up from 25W on the S24 FE. It’s a noticeable upgrade, but still not the fastest in the segment. In my testing, the phone takes a little over an hour to go from zero to full. The S25 FE can also wirelessly charge at 15W.

Verdict

The Galaxy S25 FE is easily the most refined Fan Edition yet. It gets the performance mostly right this time, offers a bright and reliable display, dependable cameras, and all the premium touches you’d expect from a Galaxy device. The Exynos 2400 does its job well, battery life holds steady, and Samsung’s seven-year update promise seals its long-term appeal.

Sure, the design and camera hardware don’t break new ground, but the overall experience feels cohesive and well-balanced. If you’re looking for a phone that nails the fundamentals without unnecessary flash, the Galaxy S25 FE fits that brief perfectly.

But, if you want to push your device more, you’ll be better off with other options in this segment like the iQOO 13, OnePlus 13s, OPPO Find X8 and Xiaomi 15. The latter two are good options if cameras are also a part of your priority list. That said, none of these provide the same longevity.