Verdict on the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE
Potential buyers will be pleased to hear that the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE has already dropped significantly in price shortly after its release. The smallest storage version with 128 GB, called the "Fan Edition" (MRSP $649.99), is now available for just under $550.
Plus, you get a lot of value for your money. The Galaxy S25 FE scores with a bright 120 Hz AMOLED display, solid communication features, a good triple camera, and long-term updates. What has been omitted compared to the Galaxy S25 sister models is not immediately noticeable during everyday use: an optical fingerprint sensor instead of the ultrasonic version, only an LTPS panel instead of an LPTO panel, and less performance with the Exynos 2400.
Even so, the Galaxy S25 FE doesn't make it easy for prospective buyers. Its biggest drawback is the weakest battery life within the Galaxy S25 series. Added to this are, among other things, its sometimes high excess heat and low PWM dimming frequency, which is twice as high in its Galaxy S25 colleagues.
If size isn't important to you, then the Fan Edition has a really tough sell despite its sharp price drop. For the same price as the 128 GB model, you can now get the Samsung Galaxy S25, which is better in virtually every area—even battery life.
Pros
Cons
Price and availability
At the time of writing, you can order the Galaxy S25 FE from Amazon for $548.99.
Table of Contents
- Verdict on the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE
- Specifications
- Case - The water-resistant Galaxy S25 FE with Gorilla Glass Victus+
- Connectivity - Up to 512 GB of storage in the Galaxy S25 FE
- Software - Android 16 and software updates until 2032
- Communication and GNSS - The Samsung phone with WiFi 6E and good GPS
- Telephone functions and call quality
- Cameras - Triple camera with a resolution of 50 MP and optical 3x zoom
- Accessories and warranty - The 40-watt power supply costs extra
- Input devices and operation - The Galaxy S25 FE with an optical fingerprint sensor
- Display - LTPS AMOLED at 120 Hz
- Performance - The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE with the Exynos 2400
- Games - Fast gaming platform despite its Exynos SoC
- Emissions - The hottest Galaxy smartphone
- Battery life - Charging at up to 40 watts
- Notebookcheck total rating
- Possible alternatives compared
Samsung's Galaxy S25 FE is the successor to the Galaxy S24 FE. "FE" stands for "Fan Edition", because its focus lies primarily on features that are particularly important to users of these devices. However, Samsung seems to have already found the ideal formula for this, because not much has changed compared to its predecessor.
Nevertheless, the Galaxy S25 FE has improved on a few things. For example, it features a larger battery that now charges more quickly. It has also become lighter, runs on Android 16, and is equipped with a faster processor.
With its Galaxy S25 FE, Samsung has set out to fill the gap between the affordable Galaxy A models and the Galaxy S smartphones, which is why the Fan Edition is positioned right between the two Galaxy families in terms of its price and features. Our review will reveal whether this formula still works in 2025.
Specifications
Case - The water-resistant Galaxy S25 FE with Gorilla Glass Victus+
Its angular design is strongly reminiscent of its predecessor, and so the Galaxy S25 FE also follows the design language of the current Galaxy S25 models. The front and back are again kept flat throughout, and are enclosed by a matte aluminum frame, regardless of the color variant. Speaking of which, buyers have the option to choose between White, Icy Blue, Jet Black and Navy.
Its IP68 water- and dust-resistant, excellently crafted case is 23 grams lighter and thinner than the Galaxy S24 FE. The front and back are both protected by Gorilla Glass Victus+. Gorilla Glass Victus 2 is reserved for the more expensive Galaxy S25 models.
An advantage for the successor model: the Galaxy S25 FE has noticeably thinner display bezels than the Galaxy S24 FE, giving it a more premium look. However, its display frame isn't entirely symmetrical, as the OLED panel still protrudes a few millimeters more at the bottom than at the sides and top.
Connectivity - Up to 512 GB of storage in the Galaxy S25 FE
Samsung offers its Galaxy S25 FE in three storage variants: 128 GB (UFS 3.1) and 256 and 512 GB (both UFS 4.0). Each comes with 8 GB of RAM. The manufacturer's official price for our 256 GB test model is $709.99.
Samsung has omitted two Galaxy S25 features from the Fan Edition: WiFi 7 and UWB. Instead, it comes with WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, Samsung Dex, and USB-C 3.2 Gen. 1. Its USB-C port supports wired image output, which can be used for DeX or to mirror image content.
Software - Android 16 and software updates until 2032
Samsung has equipped the Galaxy S25 FE with Android 16 and OneUI 8.0. It also comes with the complete Galaxy AI suite found on its Galaxy S25 siblings and a new security feature called Knox Enhanced Encrypted Protection (KEEP). According to Samsung, KEEP creates an encrypted storage environment for each app so that each app can only access its own data.
OS upgrades and security updates will be available for a total of 7 years from the phone's release date. For the Galaxy S25 FE, support will run until September 2032. At the time of testing, the smartphone wasn't yet listed on Samsung's Mobile Security website, but like its predecessor, it is likely to receive monthly security updates. During our test in early October, the security updates were current as of September 1.
Sustainability
Samsung provides information about its sustainability efforts in its Sustainability Report 2025. In addition, the manufacturer uses Life Cycle Assessments to indicate the environmental impact of its mobile devices during production, use, and disposal. For the Galaxy S25 FE, Samsung estimates this impact at 45.9 kg CO₂ eq.
Recycled materials are used for the product's packaging. For its Galaxy S25 series, Samsung uses recycled and recyclable materials for plastics, rare earths, steel, glass, gold, copper, cobalt, and aluminum. Samsung provides original replacement parts and repair instructions through its Self Repair Service.
Communication and GNSS - The Samsung phone with WiFi 6E and good GPS
The Galaxy S25 FE supports all major 4G and 5G mobile frequencies, making it well-equipped for use abroad. However, the smartphone's WiFi performance is slightly limited, as the Exynos 2400 doesn't support WiFi 7.
Even so, high speeds are still possible using WiFi 6E. In combination with our reference router, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000, we measured peak speeds of around 1600 Mbps, and data transfers remained largely stable.
| Networking | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Average Wi-Fi 6E | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Average of class Smartphone | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
The Galaxy S25 FE delivers ideal conditions for navigation. It supports lots of satellite navigation services, including GPS, Galileo, Glonass, Beidou, NavIC and QZSS, and can even receive some of their signals in dual-band mode, allowing for even more precise positioning.
On a 10-kilometer bike ride, the smartphone quickly picked up a good signal, but it didn't always record our route as accurately as the Garmin Venu 2 fitness smartwatch. If you don't mind the occasional GPS deviation of a few meters, then this smartphone is a good navigator.
Telephone functions and call quality
The Galaxy S25 FE boasts good call quality. The smartphone transmits voices naturally and effectively filters out background noise. In addition to features such as VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling, users can utilize Galaxy AI for phone calls, as it can translate conversations in real time.
The Galaxy S25 FE can accommodate two physical SIM cards. Dual eSIM operation or a combination of physical SIM and eSIM is also supported.
Cameras - Triple camera with a resolution of 50 MP and optical 3x zoom
Comparing the camera system of the Galaxy S25 FE with that of its predecessor, virtually nothing has changed in terms of both technology and image quality. The biggest upgrade was given to its selfie camera, but only in terms of the number of megapixels. The front camera sensor now has a resolution of 12 MP instead of 10 MP and, as before, takes good self-portraits.
On the back, there are still three cameras arranged vertically: an optically stabilized main camera with a resolution of 50 MP, flanked by an ultra-wide-angle camera (12 MP) and a telephoto camera (8 MP) with 3x optical zoom.
The main camera takes beautiful photos in daylight, which, as is typical for Samsung, are characterized by vivid yet realistic colors, while shots in darker environments quickly appear blurry. The ultra-wide-angle camera also does a good job, although blurring can be seen at the edges of the image even when the subject is well lit.
We noticed the biggest difference in quality with regard to the telephoto camera, as photos taken with the Galaxy S25 FE look a touch better at higher zoom levels than those taken with the Galaxy S24 FE.
The triple camera can record videos in 4K at up to 60 frames per second. If you only use the main camera, up to 8K at 24 frames per second is possible.
Image comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Daylight photoDaylight photoUltra-wide angle5x zoomLow-light photo
In controlled lighting conditions, the Galaxy S25 FE demonstrated that it can display colors very accurately, and it was able to capture the entire test chart even in almost complete darkness. Overall, its color deviations are very low for a smartphone.
Accessories and warranty - The 40-watt power supply costs extra
The phone comes with a USB-C cable, a SIM tool, and a quick start guide.
Samsung offers a 12-month warranty with the option to extend it by adding the Care+ insurance package, the cost of which is based on the scope of coverage and duration of the insurance. The most affordable plan (accident coverage only, no theft protection) costs $3 per month until cancellation or a one-time fee of $49 for two years of insurance coverage.
Input devices and operation - The Galaxy S25 FE with an optical fingerprint sensor
Supported by the Exynos 2400 SoC and a responsive 120 Hz touchscreen, the Galaxy S25 FE feels very smooth to use. This is underlined by the smartphone's linear vibration motor, which provides crisp haptic feedback.
The function button located below the volume rocker launches the camera app when pressed twice and, by default, launches the Gemini voice assistant when pressed and held. However, it can also be converted back to a classic power button if desired.
An optical fingerprint sensor provides biometric security. It is located below the display and worked quickly and accurately during our test. Alternatively, users can set up 2D facial recognition, but this is considered to be less secure because it can be easily circumvented.
Display - LTPS AMOLED at 120 Hz
The phone's 6.7-inch AMOLED screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ and supports HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG. It can dynamically adjust its refresh rate, but it only has two fixed rates: 60 Hz and 120 Hz. This means it conserves battery power less than the LTPO panels of the other Galaxy S25 models, which can go all the way down to 1 Hz.
When displaying a white background during our test, the screen reached an average brightness of 1132 cd/m² and increased to up to 1863 cd/m² when showing small image sections (APL18). With HDR content, it could be coaxed into an even higher brightness of 1990 cd/m². Overall, its brightness values hardly differ from those of the Galaxy S24 FE.
PWM-sensitive users would certainly have liked Samsung to have dispensed with pulse width modulation for brightness adjustment or at least set a high dimming frequency. At 240 Hz, however, the screen flicker is anything but high-frequency and could therefore well trigger PWM-typical complaints such as headaches or nausea.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 98 %
Center on Battery: 1136 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE ColorChecker Calman: 3.5 | ∀{0.5-29.43 Ø4.8}
ΔE Greyscale Calman: 2.4 | ∀{0.09-98 Ø5.1}
99.5% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.02
CCT: 6322 K
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.7" | Nothing Phone (3) AMOLED, 2800x1260, 6.7" | Honor Magic7 Pro OLED, 2800x1280, 6.8" | OnePlus 13R AMOLED, 2780x1264, 6.8" | Samsung Galaxy S25+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 3120x1440, 6.7" | Samsung Galaxy S24 FE AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.7" | Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra Flow AMOLED, 3200x1440, 6.7" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 9% | 42% | 29% | 17% | 27% | 40% | |
| Brightness middle (cd/m²) | 1136 | 1548 36% | 1607 41% | 1213 7% | 1371 21% | 1211 7% | 1846 63% |
| Brightness (cd/m²) | 1132 | 1535 36% | 1609 42% | 1206 7% | 1370 21% | 1214 7% | 1850 63% |
| Brightness Distribution (%) | 98 | 98 0% | 95 -3% | 97 -1% | 96 -2% | 99 1% | 93 -5% |
| Black Level * (cd/m²) | |||||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.5 | 2.2 37% | 0.9 74% | 1 71% | 2.7 23% | 1.6 54% | 1.2 66% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 5.5 | 5.5 -0% | 1.8 67% | 2.3 58% | 4.2 24% | 2.4 56% | 2.9 47% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2.4 | 3.7 -54% | 1.7 29% | 1.6 33% | 2 17% | 1.5 37% | 2.3 4% |
| Gamma | 2.02 109% | 2.26 97% | 2.24 98% | 2.22 99% | 2.03 108% | 2.13 103% | 2.25 98% |
| CCT | 6322 103% | 6787 96% | 6346 102% | 6546 99% | 6450 101% | 6456 101% | 6707 97% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 240 Hz Amplitude: 15.31 % |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 240 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 240 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8205 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Series of measurements with fixed zoom level and different brightness settings (The amplitude curve at minimum brightness appears flat, but this is due to the scaling. The info box shows an enlarged version of the amplitude at minimum brightness.)
During our analysis with a photo spectrometer, the display displayed high color fidelity. It delivered the best image quality in Natural mode (the second color profile, Vivid, comes pre-set) because then, all image parameters were within the optimal range.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1.36 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.7005 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.6615 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 6 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.3 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 1.34 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.6555 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.685 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 5 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (31.8 ms). | ||
The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE is nice to use outdoors, as display content remains clearly visible even on bright days. In doing so, however, it is essential to keep the brightness sensor activated. Without sensor support, the maximum brightness of the viewing angle-stable screen drops to a meager 416 cd/m².
Performance - The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE with the Exynos 2400
The hierarchy within the Galaxy S25 model series is most evident when it comes to the choice of processor. While the Galaxy S25 FE has to make do with the Exynos 2400, the other Galaxy S25 smartphones operate at a much higher performance level with the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy.
The power of Samsung's own creation is still easily sufficient for everyday use, as long as that doesn't involve editing 4K videos on your smartphone or running very demanding apps in general. Our test candidate won the performance comparison with the Galaxy S24 FE and calculated about as fast as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, if you exclude the AI tests.
| UL Procyon AI Inference for Android - Overall Score NNAPI | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3769 - 81594, n=135, last 2 years) | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 2400 (11342 - 11781, n=3) | |
| Geekbench AI | |
| Single Precision NPU 1.5 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (153 - 5210, n=34, last 2 years) | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 2400 (n=1) | |
| Half Precision NPU 1.5 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (178 - 35890, n=34, last 2 years) | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 2400 (n=1) | |
| Quantized NPU 1.5 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (133 - 49889, n=34, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 2400 (n=1) | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
Due to the Exynos 2400's not particularly fast Xclipse 940 graphics unit, the Galaxy S25 FE only ranked in the lower midfield during the GPU tests. Among the comparison devices, it only impressed the Galaxy S24 FE with the performance it delivered.
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7: T-Rex Onscreen | 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen
GFXBench 3.0: on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL | 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen
GFXBench 3.1: on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen
GFXBench: on screen Car Chase Onscreen | 1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | 2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | 3840x2160 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme Unlimited | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Unlimited Score | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| 3DMark / Solar Bay Score | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| 3DMark / Solar Bay Unlimited Score | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| 3DMark / Steel Nomad Light Unlimited Score | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| 3DMark / Steel Nomad Light Score | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Onscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / Manhattan Onscreen OGL | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / 1080p Manhattan Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Onscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| GFXBench / 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
The Samsung phone performs well when surfing the web, loading websites quickly and displaying them without any noticeable delay. This was reflected in the good results it achieved in our browser tests.
| Jetstream 2 - 2.0 Total Score | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ (Chrome 133.0.6943.137) | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro (Chrome 131) | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra (Chrome 134) | |
| Nothing Phone (3) (Chrome 138.0.7204.179) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE (Chrome 141.0.7390.43) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE (Chrome 130) | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 2400 (128.6 - 210, n=3) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 387, n=148, last 2 years) | |
| OnePlus 13R (Chrome 133) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result 2.0 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ (Chrome 133.0.6943.137) | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro (Chrome 131) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE (Chrome 141.0.7390.43) | |
| Nothing Phone (3) (Chrome 138.0.7204.179) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE (Chrome 130) | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 2400 (260 - 366, n=3) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (15.2 - 621, n=130, last 2 years) | |
| Speedometer 3 - Score 3.0 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ (Chrome 133.0.6943.137) | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro (Chrome 131) | |
| Nothing Phone (3) (Chrome) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE (Chrome 141.0.7390.43) | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 2400 (n=1) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE (Chrome 130) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (1.03 - 41.7, n=119, last 2 years) | |
| OnePlus 13R (Chrome 133) | |
| WebXPRT 4 - Overall | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ (Chrome 133.0.6943.137) | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro (Chrome 131) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE (Chrome 141.0.7390.43) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE (Chrome 130) | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 2400 (176 - 188, n=3) | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra (Chrome 134) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (27 - 302, n=143, last 2 years) | |
| Nothing Phone (3) (Chrome 138.0.7204.179) | |
| OnePlus 13R (Chrome 133) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ (Chrome 133.0.6943.137) | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra (Chrome 134) | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro (Chrome 131) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE (Chrome 141.0.7390.43) | |
| Nothing Phone (3) (Chrome 138.0.7204.179) | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 2400 (63452 - 78009, n=3) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE (Chrome 130) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 119218, n=196, last 2 years) | |
| OnePlus 13R (Chrome 133) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Average of class Smartphone (263 - 28190, n=151, last 2 years) | |
| OnePlus 13R (Edge 133) | |
| OnePlus 13R (Chrome 133) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE (Chrome 130) | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 2400 (483 - 662, n=3) | |
| Nothing Phone (3) (Chrome 138.0.7204.179) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE (Chrome 141.0.7390.43) | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro (Chrome 131) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ (Chrome 133.0.6943.137) | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra (Chrome 134) | |
* ... smaller is better
The Galaxy S25 FE's UFS 4.0 storage achieved high data throughput, but, like its predecessor, performed worse than the competition in the 4KB Random Writes test.
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | Nothing Phone (3) | Honor Magic7 Pro | OnePlus 13R | Samsung Galaxy S25+ | Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | Average 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 60% | 27% | 52% | 24% | -45% | 34% | 26% | -5% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB (MB/s) | 3756.44 | 3720.79 -1% | 3910.81 4% | 3987.44 6% | 4057.35 8% | 1783.43 -53% | 4002.68 7% | 3658 ? -3% | 2216 ? -41% |
| Sequential Write 256KB (MB/s) | 2450.19 | 3270.73 33% | 3683.81 50% | 3201.32 31% | 3311.02 35% | 631.23 -74% | 3464.43 41% | 2703 ? 10% | 1821 ? -26% |
| Random Read 4KB (MB/s) | 382.44 | 438.57 15% | 282.34 -26% | 374.54 -2% | 294.51 -23% | 312.98 -18% | 311.24 -19% | 379 ? -1% | 295 ? -23% |
| Random Write 4KB (MB/s) | 198.68 | 585.11 194% | 357.04 80% | 542.13 173% | 351.16 77% | 127.53 -36% | 411.78 107% | 393 ? 98% | 339 ? 71% |
Games - Fast gaming platform despite its Exynos SoC
The Galaxy S25 FE's Xclipse 940 isn't the fastest GPU, but it still delivered such high image output during our test that we were even able to run demanding games like Genshin Impact smoothly at maximum detail. This was especially true for the graphically simpler PUBG Mobile, which ran at up to 60 frames per second before the game's internal FPS limiter kicked in.
We measured the game frame rates using Gamebench.
Emissions - The hottest Galaxy smartphone
Temperature
The Exynos 2400 doesn't seem to like maximum load over a longer period of time. During our test, the SoC responded to this not with pronounced throttling, causing its performance to drop by up to 40 percent in the 3DMark stress tests. Reaching temperatures of up to 46.7 °C, its surface temperatures were also pretty elevated.
During normal operation, on the other hand, its temperatures remain moderate throughout. Although the smartphone can get warm when gaming, it never reached uncomfortable temperatures during our test.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 46.5 °C / 116 F, compared to the average of 35.2 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 247 °C for the class Smartphone.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 46.7 °C / 116 F, compared to the average of 34 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.5 °C / 76 F, compared to the device average of 32.9 °C / 91 F.
3DMark stress tests
| 3DMark | |
| Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| Solar Bay Stress Test Stability | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| Steel Nomad Light Stress Test Stability | |
| Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra | |
| OnePlus 13R | |
| Honor Magic7 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25+ | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | |
| Nothing Phone (3) | |
Speakers
The Galaxy S25 FE uses stereo speakers that can play relatively loudly at up to 92 dB(A). The phone's sound could be more balanced in the midrange and the bass could be more present, but overall, its sound quality is fine.
External audio devices can be connected via USB-C or Bluetooth 5.4. The Galaxy S25 FE's Bluetooth codec support is limited to SBC, AAC, aptX, LDAC, and SSC (Samsung Seamless Codec).
Samsung Galaxy S25 FE audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (92 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 19.3% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (4.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.7% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.9% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 10% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 82% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 35%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 31% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 61% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (89.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 23.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.3% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.5% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 11% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 81% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 35%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 32% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 60% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Battery life - Charging at up to 40 watts
Power consumption
The Galaxy S25 FE can be charged at up to 40 watts, with wireless charging working at up to 15 watts. Reverse wireless charging is also supported.
According to Samsung, the 4900 mAh battery can be charged to up to 65 percent in 30 minutes. We didn't quite manage this in our test with our third-party Anker 317 (100 watts) power adapter, but a full charging cycle still only took a relatively short 1:17 hours. It took us 28 minutes to charge the phone to 50 percent and 46 minutes to charge it to 80 percent.
When it comes to power consumption, the Samsung smartphone is largely unremarkable, but it consumes a comparatively high amount of power when idle.
| Off / Standby |   0.13 / 0.47 Watt |
| Idle |  0.87 / 1.48 / 1.52 Watt |
| Load |
6.76 / 12.89 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE 4900 mAh | Nothing Phone (3) 5150 mAh | Honor Magic7 Pro 5270 mAh | OnePlus 13R 6000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy S25+ 4900 mAh | Samsung Galaxy S24 FE 4700 mAh | Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra 5300 mAh | Average Samsung Exynos 2400 | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 42% | -13% | -20% | -8% | -18% | 7% | 4% | 2% | |
| Idle Minimum * (Watt) | 0.87 | 0.4 54% | 0.94 -8% | 0.81 7% | 0.45 48% | 0.78 10% | 0.89 -2% | 0.573 ? 34% | 0.856 ? 2% |
| Idle Average * (Watt) | 1.48 | 0.7 53% | 1.5 -1% | 2.11 -43% | 1.09 26% | 1.31 11% | 1.19 20% | 1.083 ? 27% | 1.422 ? 4% |
| Idle Maximum * (Watt) | 1.52 | 1.21 20% | 1.57 -3% | 2.17 -43% | 1.13 26% | 1.36 11% | 1.22 20% | 1.18 ? 22% | 1.599 ? -5% |
| Load Average * (Watt) | 6.76 | 11.03 -63% | 9.2 -36% | 14.41 -113% | 13.23 -96% | 8.76 -30% | 9.65 ? -43% | 7.17 ? -6% | |
| Load Maximum * (Watt) | 12.89 | 11.68 9% | 11.12 14% | 16.37 -27% | 16.23 -26% | 9.3 28% | 15.3 ? -19% | 11.1 ? 14% |
* ... smaller is better
Power consumption: Geekbench (150 cd/m²)
Power consumption: GFXbench (150 cd/m²)
Runtimes
During our test, the Galaxy S25 FE's runtimes didn't really impress us. Although it lasted longer than its predecessor, this is no great achievement, as the Galaxy S24 FE performed disappointingly in terms of its battery life.
The Galaxy S25 FE should be able to handle a day of intensive use without much trouble. However, it doesn't fare well in comparison with the competition, such as the Galaxy S25+, which also has a 6.7-inch display and an equally large battery. Nevertheless, the Galaxy S25 lasted several hours longer during our simulated web surfing test and continuous video playback.
| Samsung Galaxy S25 FE 4900 mAh | Nothing Phone (3) 5150 mAh | Honor Magic7 Pro 5270 mAh | OnePlus 13R 6000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy S25+ 4900 mAh | Samsung Galaxy S24 FE 4700 mAh | Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra 5300 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery runtime | 22% | 26% | 34% | 30% | -17% | 22% | |
| Reader / Idle (h) | 40.6 | 42.1 4% | 38.3 -6% | 56.6 39% | |||
| H.264 (h) | 25.1 | 30.1 20% | 40.5 61% | 30.1 20% | |||
| WiFi v1.3 (h) | 15.1 | 18.4 22% | 24.7 64% | 25.3 68% | 19.8 31% | 12.5 -17% | 18.4 22% |
| Load (h) | 3.1 | 3.6 16% | 3.5 13% | 4 29% |
Notebookcheck total rating
The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE offers a lot of features and performance for very little money. Even so, little has changed compared to its predecessor, and its battery life is significantly weaker than all other Galaxy S25 models in some scenarios.
Samsung Galaxy S25 FE
- 10/11/2025 v8
Manuel Masiero
Total Sustainability Score: Possible alternatives compared
Image | Model / Review | Price | Weight | Drive | Display |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. 85.6%  | Samsung Galaxy S25 FE Samsung Exynos 2400 ⎘ Samsung Xclipse 940 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 256 GB | Amazon: 1. $8.99 3 Pack Glass Screen Protecto... 2. $9.74 SPIDERCASE Designed for Sams... 3. $7.99 Supershieldz (3 Pack) Design... List Price: 809€ | 190 g | 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | 6.70" 2340x1080 382 PPI AMOLED |
2. 84.8%  | Nothing Phone (3) Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 SM8735 ⎘ Qualcomm Adreno 825 ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 512 GB | Amazon: $899.00 List Price: 899 Euro | 218 g | 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | 6.67" 2800x1260 460 PPI AMOLED |
3. 89.2%  | Honor Magic7 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite ⎘ Qualcomm Adreno 830 ⎘ 12 GB Memory, 512 GB | Amazon: 1. $11.99 Ibywind for Honor Magic7 Pro... 2. $9.99 Anbzsign (2+2 Pack) for Hono... 3. $7.99 Lucyliy (3 Pack) Compatible ... List Price: 1300€ | 223 g | 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | 6.80" 2800x1280 453 PPI OLED |
4. 82.9%  | OnePlus 13R Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 ⎘ Qualcomm Adreno 750 ⎘ 12 GB Memory, 256 GB | Amazon: 1. $7.99 Supershieldz (3 Pack) Design... 2. $17.99 Hiooloon for OnePlus 13R Mag... 3. $9.98 JZG 3 Pack Screen Protector ... List Price: 749€ | 206 g | 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | 6.78" 2780x1264 450 PPI AMOLED |
5. 88.4%  | Samsung Galaxy S25+ Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy ⎘ Qualcomm Adreno 830 ⎘ 12 GB Memory, 256 GB | Amazon: 1. $9.72 Ferilinso 3 Pack Privacy Scr... 2. $7.98 firtstnow 3 Pack Glass Scree... 3. $6.70 amFilm Auto-alignment OneTou... List Price: 1149 Euro | 190 g | 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | 6.70" 3120x1440 513 PPI Dynamic AMOLED 2X |
6. 85.7%  | Samsung Galaxy S24 FE Samsung Exynos 2400e ⎘ Samsung Xclipse 940 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 128 GB | Amazon: 1. $5.89 amFilm Auto-Alignment OneTou... 2. $7.99 Supershieldz (3 Pack) Design... 3. $8.99 3 Pack Glass Screen Protecto... | 213 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.70" 2340x1080 385 PPI AMOLED |
7. 85.3%  | Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite ⎘ Qualcomm Adreno 830 ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 512 GB | Amazon: 1. $11.99 Ibywind For Xiaomi Poco F7 U... 2. $7.99 Suttkue for Xiaomi Poco F7 P... 3. $5.99 Anoowkoa 2 Pack for Xiaomi P... List Price: 800€ | 212 g | 512 GB UFS 4.1 Flash | 6.67" 3200x1440 526 PPI Flow AMOLED |
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The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was provided to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or retailer for the purpose of this review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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