When Samsung unveiled the brand new Galaxy S25 FE at IFA Berlin, I used to be excited to see what the South Korean tech big would ship. Like its forbears, its key attraction is that it provides a flagship-like Samsung expertise at a extra inexpensive $649 / £649 / AU$1,099 value level.
And, once I was in a position to get a glance backstage a number of weeks in the past, nothing I noticed or felt dimmed that pleasure. It is significantly thinner and lighter than the S24 FE from 2024, is crammed to the brim with Samsung’s newest AI smarts, and provides an improved 12 MP selfie digicam.
However, regardless of its AI proficiency making it a extra succesful counterpart to its premium siblings, I assumed its most essential improve was flying below the radar. Tucked contained in the S25 FE’s slimmer body was a much bigger battery. I hoped that this larger battery, mixed with its AI instruments, bigger show, and matching digicam, would make it a greater purchase than the Galaxy S25 for most individuals – not only a nice midrange various.
In our Samsung Galaxy S24 FE review from final 12 months, our author cherished its battery life. The S25 FE improves on it not simply with the next battery capability, however with a bigger vapor-chamber cooling system that additionally (in principle) permits for higher energy effectivity.
However, before getting my hands on the device, I’d worried that the larger capacity of the S25 FE might not actually equate to improved battery life. After spending two weeks with the device, I’m a little disheartened to say that those concerns turned out to be warranted.
Let’s back up a little bit. While I’m disappointed with the S25 FE’s battery life, it still offers all-day life – it’s just not the S24 FE upgrade I thought it could be. I would guess that the reason for that is because the larger vapor chamber and increased capacity are counteracted by the phone being slugged with more battery-draining tasks thanks to a bigger lean into AI. So, while there’s a faster processor and larger battery, neither get to truly shine due to the more demanding functionality of the phone.
The real story is that, despite not hitting the highs I’d hoped for, for a mid-range price Samsung has delivered a device that feels unquestionably premium in every other way that matters.
Flagship-matching battery
While the best cheap phones – which max out at round $600 / £600 / AU$1,000 – should make compromises, battery life is the one space they have to nonetheless nail. No one in search of worth desires a cellphone that struggles to make it via the day, do they?
The S24 FE supplied even higher battery life than the traditional S24 because of its 4,000mAh unit. Boosted as much as 4,900mAh (simply 100mAh behind the Galaxy S25 Extremely) I had hoped that the S25 FE would take the subsequent step and turn into a real multi-day champion –making it the definitive greatest inexpensive cellphone for individuals who prioritise battery life.
It falls wanting that title, however its battery life remains to be at least glorious.
Its stamina in reality
It goes without saying that how long your phone lasts per charge will differ from person to person, but my day starts at around 5am, and I’m using my phone for a lot of the morning prior to work. For example, I’m often listening to music or podcasts while walking the dog, watching a show during breakfast, and reading the news (scrolling TikTok) for an hour on my commute. I usually do the same thing on the way home 8 hours later. All in all, that’s about 6 to 7 hours of screen time a day, mostly made up of social media, text messaging and watching the best streaming services.
Because the proprietor of an iPhone 15 (who’s attempting to withstand the attract of the Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro) my day-to-day handset often must be charged earlier than I head out to lunch. The S25 FE did not have that downside – sitting nicely above 50% at lunch and 30% once I clocked out for the day if I did not put it on cost, it at all times had loads of juice left to final via the night till bedtime.
Whereas I felt the S25 FE’s display, cameras and battery had been a giant enchancment over my growing older iPhone 15, it’s miles from particular on the earth of Android mobiles – and it isn’t the S25 Extremely-level life I would hoped it could be.
I wasn’t utterly blindsided, although. I discussed above that I feared the improved cooling and larger battery can be cancelled out by extra taxing duties (performance-wise) on the system, however that wasn’t my solely fear.
I used to be additionally given pause by the S25 FE’s Exynos 2400 chip. As talked about in our hands-on of the Galaxy S25 FE, my colleagues have discovered that Exynos-powered telephones draw extra energy than their Snapdragon counterparts. For instance, the Galaxy S25 Edge (Snapdragon) lately outlasted the Galaxy Z Flip 7 (Exynos) in our assessments, regardless of the Edge having a smaller battery.
The rabbit up its sleeve
Overall, I found the S25 FE’s battery to be more than adequate. While it isn’t class-leading, users who prioritize battery life and want flagship power without the premium price shouldn’t write it off. While the budget-priced Galaxy A56’s 5,000mAh battery might equal or even last longer than, it doesn’t offer quite the same flagship-like experience as the S25 FE.
The Pixel 9a, which has an identical goal because the FE, additionally guarantees ‘all-day’ battery – it managed 13 hours, 18 minutes in our assessments (you may have to attend for our full S25 FE evaluation for full assessments). In brief, something that significantly outperforms the FE’s battery is both going to value you much more, or provide much less.
Anyway, even when the all-day battery is not fairly sufficient on your wants, one other key spec improve arguably makes it a moot level – quicker 45W wired charging boasted by the Galaxy S25 and S25 Extremely. Upped from 25W final 12 months, it allows you to recharge to just about 70% in half an hour – making its battery life a non-issue so long as you have got a charger available.
At its MSRP, I believe the FE is the clear alternative over the flagship S25. Whereas its digicam and efficiency is not fairly on par, the variations will likely be negligible for most individuals. As you’ll be able to see beneath, the FE supplies good digicam outcomes and the massive show is a giant win for individuals who need it. That mentioned, the S25 is not new – and it is now recurrently accessible for near the worth of its new inexpensive sibling, and when you have the chance to select up the flagship for across the FE’s value, we’d advocate the previous.
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Whereas I would cherished to have seen extra of a battery improve, there needs to be no query of the S25 FE’s validity as an actual member of the S25 household. The selection between the FE and the S25 merely is determined by your finances and whether or not a much bigger show (6.7-inch vs 6.2-inch) or higher digicam system (10MP vs 8MP telephoto lens) is extra essential.
Nevertheless, if a giant display is your precedence, I discover it very tough to advocate the S25 Plus over the S25 FE as a result of the screens are the identical dimension, the battery life is negligible and the digicam efficiency is not definitely worth the value distinction.
The S25 FE is a wonderful smartphone, and what it packs in for its price ticket is unbelievable. Should you balk on the thought of dropping $800 / £800 / AU$1,500 on a brand new flagship, the S25 FE ought to completely be in your shortlist should you’re trying to level-up from a finances cell.
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