I nonetheless advocate this older Samsung telephone to most individuals – here is why

What is the deal?

On Amazon, Samsung’s Galaxy S24 FE has obtained a big low cost. Each storage choices are at present $150 off the unique value.

One of many greatest advantages of catching up with family and friends (aside from the plain) is I get the chance to be in contact with “the common shopper”. I’m able to gauge curiosity in new options, perceive which of them matter most to folks, and know simply how a lot cash customers are prepared to spend on a brand new handset, headphones, laptop computer, and so forth.   

I additionally do that factor the place I go the most recent telephone I am testing across the room and ask folks to guess its value. With the brand new Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, the ballpark worth was round $1,000 — about $350 greater than its precise price. Good.

Additionally: The most effective Android telephones you should purchase (and the way the Galaxy S25 Extremely stacks up)

At a beginning value of $649, the Galaxy S24 FE isn’t as premium as Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Extremely or as budget-friendly because the model’s Galaxy A35 5G. So, who can buy the Galaxy S24 FE — and why? I have been asking myself these questions all through my weeks of testing, and the reply, it seems, is a bit more apparent than anticipated.  

To Samsung’s credit score, the S24 FE has a big, vibrant, and sharp-looking show that provides off a really sturdy first impression. The Dynamic AMOLED panel measures 6.7 inches and helps Samsung’s Imaginative and prescient Booster characteristic, permitting it to peak at 1,900 nits of brightness. The result’s a handset that is refreshingly simple to see (and use) once you’re out within the solar.

Additionally: The Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely was practically unusable for me – till I downloaded this one app

I am much less enthusiastic in regards to the thick bezels and slightly uninspiring industrial design, although the general public I confirmed the telephone to did not thoughts that it appears eerily much like the costlier Galaxy S24 Plus. I simply want Samsung had made the sides of the S24 FE curve into the again cowl rather less and used lighter supplies. At 212 grams, the telephone’s heftiness makes it really feel like a slippery sandwich of frosted metallic and glass. A protecting case is mainly necessary.

Happily, the remainder of the S24 FE’s drawbacks — the rare stutter, lack of a far-distance telephoto lens, and fewer sturdy glass construct than flagships — are simpler to miss. Whereas the telephone is powered by Samsung’s in-house Exynos 2400 — and never a extra examined Qualcomm Snapdragon chip — the processor has confirmed able to every day use. We’re within the thick of sports activities season, so I usually play YouTube TV in picture-in-picture mode whereas on social feeds and Reddit to maintain up with commentary. 

This intermixing and swift navigation between apps sometimes offers me a way of how properly a telephone handles multitasking and managing background duties. In addition to just a few hiccups, the place Threads took just a few seconds to load movies, the S24 FE carried out gracefully. What impressed me probably the most was how persistently the 120Hz refresh fee stayed on. 

Additionally: Samsung Unpacked 2025 recap: 5 greatest product bulletins that you simply would possibly’ve missed

Whereas extra producers are aggressively dialing down the refresh fee to protect battery life (and stabilize efficiency), the S24 FE stays at 120Hz for many duties, together with scrolling via media-filled webpages.

In spite of everything of that, I am nonetheless ending most of my days with roughly 30% battery left, which is healthier than most telephones I’ve examined, not to mention mid-range ones. Now, if solely Samsung can velocity up the wired charging fee from 25W to no less than 45W. That is a narrative for an additional day.

At its $649 value level, the S24 FE is without doubt one of the most reasonably priced telephones that helps Samsung’s suite of Galaxy AI options. These embody Sketch to Picture, Circle to Search, observe summaries, and an improved Bixby. Whereas I have never discovered an urge to make use of the AI instruments — they’re principally gimmicky and nonetheless inconsistent in output — the flexibility to run them on-device offers the S24 FE added utility that you will both ignore or tremendously respect. There is no draw back right here.

Additionally: Why I like to recommend this Samsung laptop computer probably the most for enterprise and artistic professionals

Lastly, I have been happy with the 50MP-led digital camera system of the S24 FE. Coming from the Google Pixel 9 sequence, I anticipated the S24 FE digital camera to dial up the saturation and sharpening of photographs and movies, however that wasn’t the case. As an alternative, topics usually got here out natural-looking, with simply sufficient dynamic vary to painting the various climate situations in October. 

Samsung tries to compensate for its telephoto lens with a mere 2x optical zoom by filling in misplaced particulars by way of software program, and this usually works for photos captured so far as the 10x vary. Something additional mainly leaves you with a water-painting-like output.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

That is all to say: I like to recommend the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE to anybody who needs a reliable, big-screen handset that will not break the financial institution. In lieu of ergonomics and flashier options, the S24 FE nails the necessities, from day-to-day efficiency to battery life to digital camera output. Whereas AI should not be the primary purpose you purchase the S24 FE, the telephone is slated to obtain seven years of Android OS upgrades, so you possibly can anticipate extra helpful software program instruments to return as firms like Samsung higher perceive the market and buyer wants.

If you need higher efficiency, the Galaxy S25 is an effective various, because it homes a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. However I recommend sticking with the S24 FE. Not solely is the Exynos 2400 strong {hardware}, however the smartphone additionally has a bigger FHD+ show and a much bigger battery. The S25 is extra compact.