The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE (starting at $649.99) is the least expensive member of the Galaxy S25 line. It has an attractive design that's well-made, with a big and bright screen. It performs as quick as its competitors and produces high-quality images and video. Critically, the S25 FE packs all of Samsung's Galaxy AI tools, which work just as well as on the company's pricier handsets. If you want to be in Samsung's Galaxy for less money, the S25 FE is an excellent pick. Ultimately, the $499 Google Pixel 9a has just-as-smart AI, better cameras, and equivalent performance for $150 less, making it our Editors' Choice winner for midrange Android phones.

Design: It's Big, But It Won't Weigh You Down

The Galaxy S25 FE follows the basic Galaxy S25 ($799.99) playbook. It has a rectangular body with rounded corners, three camera lenses on the rear, flat aluminum sides with a power button and volume rocker on the right, and a USB-C port, speaker, and SIM tray on the bottom. Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ covers the front and back to help it withstand breakage and scratching. The phone lacks a microSD card slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack. 

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

Measuring 6.35 by 3.02 by 0.29 inches (HWD) and weighing 6.70 ounces, the S25 FE feels light for its size. For comparison, last year's Galaxy S24 FE is larger (6.38 by 3.04 by 0.31 inches) and significantly heavier (7.51 ounces). The Pixel 9a is more compact, but thicker and lighter than both (6.09 by 2.89 by 0.35 inches, 6.56 ounces). 

Like many modern phones, including the S24 FE and Pixel 9a, the S25 FE is rated IP68 to protect against dust and water. For biometrics, the S25 FE features a reliable under-display fingerprint sensor. Face unlock is an option via the selfie camera, but it is not secure enough for sensitive applications like banking. The Pixel 9a is among the few Android phones supporting secure facial authentication. 

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

Samsung sells the S25 FE in Icyblue (pale blue), Jetblack (black), Navy, or White. All have a matte finish that resists fingerprints. I received a Navy model to review, which I found fetching. Despite its lower price, the S25 FE's finish makes it look like it belongs in the S25 lineup, which exudes quality craftsmanship.

Display: Thin Bezels and a Bright Screen

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Samsung carries over the S24 FE's display to the S25 FE. It’s a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED panel with a resolution of 2,340 by 1,080 pixels, a variable refresh rate of 1Hz to 120Hz, and a peak brightness of 1,900 nits. Slim bezels surround three sides of the screen, with a slightly thicker chin below the bottom edge. 

(Credit: Eric Zeman)

Indoor lighting conditions are no problem for the S25 FE, though harsh sunlight can cause glare and other visibility issues. Samsung’s high-end Galaxy S25 Ultra has an anti-reflective coating, a feature I hope trickles down to more affordable Samsung devices eventually.

The Pixel 9a has a much smaller screen at 6.3 inches with a refresh rate of 60Hz to 120Hz, and a peak brightness of 2,700 nits, making it easy to see in any lighting scenario. With a resolution of 2,424 by 1,080 pixels and a pixel density of 422 pixels per inch (ppi), the 9a is sharper than the S25 FE's density of 385ppi, though the difference is difficult to discern with the naked eye. 

Performance: In Line With the Competition

The rest of the Galaxy S25 line is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor with 12GB or 16GB of RAM, which provides stellar performance. The S25 FE, on the other hand, uses a Samsung Exynos 2400 chip with 8GB of RAM. It is available in two storage configurations: 128GB ($649.99) or 256GB ($709.99). The Pixel 9a has Google’s Tensor G4 processor and 8GB of RAM, and is available with 128GB ($499) or 256GB ($599). Lower-cost phones typically have limited storage options such as these, so I regularly lament the loss of microSD card slots, which the S25 FE lacks.

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

To gauge performance consistently, I use a series of benchmark tests. On Geekbench 6, which measures pure CPU power, the S25 FE scored 1,967 on the single-core test and 6,703 on the multi-core test. Single-core performance aligns with the S24 FE (2,035), but the multi-core score is much better than the S24 FE (5,979). The Pixel 9a trailed both with scores of 1,704 and 4,425. 

The PCMark Work 3.0 test measures a phone's ability to handle general tasks. The S25 FE scored 15,674, which is lower than the S24 FE’s 17,025, but higher than the 9a’s 12,857 score.

For testing graphics, I use the GFXBench Aztec Ruins test, and the S25 FE produced 84 frames per second (fps). That’s just two frames better than the S24 FE, but much higher than the Pixel 9a’s 68fps. 

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

For real-world gaming performance, I play the resource-intensive Asphalt Legends. At the highest graphics settings and at 60fps, the game rendered well with no slowdowns or dropped frames during a 15-minute session. The area around the rear cameras became warm, but remained comfortable to the touch.

The S25 FE lags behind the base S25 on Geekbench (3,050 and 9,559), PCMark Work 3.0 test (19,060), and GFXBench (118fps). Although it delivers respectable performance, it's unsurprisingly overshadowed by its more expensive sibling. 

Battery: Fast Charging and Long Lasting

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The Galaxy S25 FE has a 4,900mAh battery that charges at up to 45W wired and 15W wirelessly. It can also wirelessly charge other devices at 4.5W. The S24 FE has a smaller 4,700mAh battery with a lower maximum charge of 25W wired, so this is a welcome upgrade. Meanwhile, the S25 has a 4,000mAh battery with 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging.

To test battery life, I stream a 1080p video on the phone with the screen set to full brightness. The Galaxy S25 FE lasted an impressive 17 hours in testing, improving on the S24 FE’s 15 hours and 50 minutes and the S25's 14 hours and 15 minutes. The Pixel 9a has a larger battery at 5,100mAh, but it only lasted 13 hours and 15 minutes in testing. 

When connected to a compatible charger, the Galaxy S25 FE reached a 34% charge in 15 minutes, a 62% charge in 30 minutes, and a 100% charge in 1 hour and 15 minutes, which is 5 minutes faster than the S24 FE but 10 minutes slower than the S25.

Connections: Quick Up and Quick Down

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For connectivity, the S25FE supports 5G (sub-6GHz and C-Band, but not mmWave), Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, and Wi-Fi 6. The Galaxy S25 FE can hold one physical SIM and one eSIM, or two active eSIMs. 

On Verizon’s 5G UW network in New York City, the S25 FE reached a maximum download speed of 606Mbps and an upload speed of 95.4Mbps. For comparison, the Google Pixel 9a reached 693Mbps down and 61.3Mbps up on the same network and in the same location. 

When connected to a Wi-Fi 6 access point, the S25 FE reached peak speeds of 535Mbps down and 22.4Mbps up. The Pixel 9a did even better at 681Mbps down and 22.8Mbps up when tested from the same spot. When I took the phones to the limits of my Wi-Fi network, the S25 FE achieved fast download speeds, reaching 503Mbps down and 22.7Mbps up, while the Pixel reached 393Mbps down and 22.8Mbps up. 

Audio Quality: Clear Calls and Loud Media Playback

In a test recording, the S25 FE does a fine job rejecting background noise on calls, though some is still faintly audible. Voices sound clear and comprehensible. 

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To measure maximum volume, I use a decibel meter placed right on top of the earpiece speaker. I place the meter six inches away to measure the speakerphone and media playback volume. 

During a test call, the earpiece speaker reached 79.2dB, while the speakerphone reached 81.5 dB. I find volumes at or around 70dB easy to hear in most environments, and the FE exceeded that threshold. 

The earpiece and down-firing speaker work together to generate stereo sound. Metallica’s “Enter Sandman" reached 90.9dB from the speakers, which is plenty loud. However, the S25 FE just barely reproduced the lowest notes of The Knife’s “Silent Shout.” Music sounds OK, but could be fuller. Consider getting a pair of Bluetooth earbuds for a better audio experience. 

Cameras: The Signature Samsung Look

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The S25 FE shares two of its three rear cameras with the Galaxy S25 and S25+ ($999.99). They all have a 50MP main camera with an aperture of f/1.8 and optical image stabilization (OIS), and a 12MP ultra-wide with an f/2.2 aperture. The FE features an 8MP telephoto camera with an aperture of f/2.4 and 3x optical zoom, whereas the S25 and S25+ use a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. 

Generally, images are brightened by slightly oversaturated colors (typical of Samsung phones), while all three cameras produce consistent color. The main camera takes sharp images with the best detail capture of the trio. The ultra-wide lens and telephoto camera produce pleasant images, but details lose definition when you zoom in. 

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

The 12MP f/2.2 front-facing camera is the same one found on the other S25 phones. It lightens colors and shadows, though contrast is a little low, leading to somewhat flat-looking pictures. The Portrait mode is decent, but it has trouble with glasses or messy hair and sometimes produces unnatural results. 

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Video capture tops out at 8K resolution and 30fps with plenty of detail but the same oversaturated colors. The OIS yields steady-looking footage at any resolution, which means you get usable results when moving while filming. The front-facing camera captures video at up to 4K60 in the same style as the rear, but the lack of stabilization is obvious.

Software: Galaxy AI Lives Up to Its Reputation

The S25 FE ships with Android 16 and will receive seven years of OS updates and security fixes. Samsung’s seven-year commitment is tied with Google as the longest support period for Android phones. 

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Galaxy AI, Samsung’s suite of AI tools, is at your command. I found Galaxy AI on the Galaxy S25 FE operated like on other Galaxy S25 phones. For a detailed breakdown of every Galaxy AI feature, see my Galaxy S25 Ultra review. Here are some highlights. 

Google Gemini handles cross-app actions well. I tested it by asking for a list of pet-friendly restaurants in Clearwater, Florida, to text a contact. Sure enough, Gemini went online to find places, generated a list, and put it in the body of a text message. 

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Portrait Studio lets you reimagine photos of people in various styles. The FE creates the same style of AI-generated images as the other S25 phones—inexplicably, all of them changed my race. They may be wrong, but at least they're consistently wrong.

Audio Eraser in the Gallery app, meanwhile, is excellent. The feature runs on-device and lets you change the level of voices, noise, and/or music within a video in real time. In a noisy test video, the FE successfully separated three different classes of sound to modify.