Buy or wait: Samsung Galaxy 25 FE is currently still too expensive – NotebookCheck.net News
The Galaxy S25 FE is the cheapest Galaxy S model to date and proves to be a solid device in our review. However, its price is currently a bit of a hindrance. However, those willing to wait could snap up a real bargain.
With the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE, Samsung is following a well-known principle that debuted with the Galaxy S20 FE. The “FE” suffix in the product name stands for “Fan Edition” and denotes a slightly slimmed-down smartphone with a particularly good price-performance ratio.
Users of the 6.7-inch Fan Edition get slightly less performance and features than the four other Galaxy S models: Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, Galaxy S25 Edge and Galaxy S25 Ultra. However, the Galaxy S25 FE also costs less and is still tailored to the wishes of Samsung customers without compromising on the core qualities of the Galaxy S.
Sharp price decline has begun
In practice, it is primarily the purchase price that determines whether a smartphone sells or becomes a shelf hugger. The Galaxy S25 FE initially faced a tough sell in this regard. With Samsung’s ambitious RRP of $649 for the smallest 128 GB storage variant at its market launch in September, the Galaxy S25 FE costs as much as the Galaxy S25+, which also has a 6.7-inch screen. However, the latter is better equipped in every respect.
In the meantime, however, the purchase price has shifted in favor of the Galaxy S25 FE. Within a month, it has now fallen to just under $550 if you opt for the 128 GB version, while the 256 GB model is now available for around $610 (RRP $710). The top-of-the-line 512 GB model, not available in the USA due to a strategic business decision by Samsung, costs the equivalent of $932 in Europe.
This puts the Galaxy S25 FE at roughly the same price level as the Galaxy S25, which, with its 6.2-inch form factor, isn’t for fans of large smartphones. On the other hand, the Galaxy S25’s features differ only in minor details from those of the Galaxy S25+, which in turn speaks against the Galaxy S25 FE.
If the price falls below $500, which is probably only a matter of time, the Galaxy S25 may become even more interesting for buyers. This is also because its slightly slimmed-down features mostly revolve around things that are hardly noticeable or not noticeable at all in everyday use. Examples include WiFi 6E instead of WiFi 7, an LTPO panel with refresh rates of 60 and 120 Hz instead of an LTPS panel.
Find all pros and cons of the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE in our detailed review.
My fascination for computers started with the C64. Since then, I’ve put everything that comes my way in terms of hardware through its paces. From the C64 to the Amiga 500 and the first PC with an 8088 CPU, my list of projects has grown increasingly longer. For more than 20 years now I have also turned my hobby into my profession and have been active in the mobile section of Notebookcheck since 2021. Before that, I worked as a hardware editor for IDG Media (tecChannel.de) and VNU Business Publications (PC professional), among others.
Translator: Jacob Fisher – Translator – 2397 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2022
Growing up in regional Australia, I first became acquainted with computers in my early teens after a broken leg from a football (soccer) match temporarily condemned me to a predominately indoor lifestyle. Soon afterwards I was building my own systems. Now I live in Germany, having moved here in 2014, where I study philosophy and anthropology. I am particularly fascinated by how computer technology has fundamentally and dramatically reshaped human culture, and how it continues to do so.
