News in Short
- Samsung Galaxy S26 FE starts at ₹69,999 in India.
- It costs ₹10,000 more than the Galaxy S25 FE at launch.
- The S26 FE upgrades to the Exynos 2500 from the Exynos 2400.
- Its 6.7-inch AMOLED display remains largely unchanged.
- The triple-camera hardware is also the same as the Galaxy S25 FE.
Samsung’s FE series has always focused on bringing parts of the flagship Galaxy experience to a lower price. With the Galaxy S26 FE, Samsung is continuing that approach, but the price has moved up.
The Galaxy S26 FE starts at ₹69,999 in India. That is ₹10,000 more than the Galaxy S25 FE’s launch price. The new phone brings the Exynos 2500, a refreshed design and newer software, but several important specifications remain unchanged.
So, is the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE actually better than the Galaxy S25 FE? The answer depends on where you expect the biggest improvements.
Design: Galaxy S26 FE Gets the Edge
The Galaxy S26 FE gets a refreshed rear design. Samsung has placed its three cameras inside a single camera island, replacing the floating camera arrangement seen on the Galaxy S25 FE.
The phone has a glass back, aluminium frame and IP68 protection. It weighs 193 grams and measures 7.4mm in thickness. The new Pistachio colour also gives the phone a fresher look, alongside Graphite and Blueberry options.
However, Samsung has made an unusual change to connectivity. The S26 FE uses USB 2.0, while the Galaxy S25 FE had USB 3.2 Gen 1.
That means slower wired file transfers. It also removes wired DeX and DisplayPort Alt Mode support.
Section winner: Samsung Galaxy S26 FE for design, but Galaxy S25 FE for wired connectivity.
Display: Galaxy S25 FE Still Holds Its Ground
Samsung has not made a major display upgrade this generation. The Galaxy S26 FE retains a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with FHD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate.
The panel reaches 1,900 nits of peak brightness. It delivers strong contrast, deep blacks and smooth scrolling, which makes it well suited to everyday use and video streaming.
However, there is no LTPO technology. The refresh rate also cannot dynamically drop to 1Hz for additional power savings.
Since the core display experience remains similar to the Galaxy S25 FE, the extra ₹10,000 does not translate into a meaningful screen upgrade.
Section winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 FE for value, as the S26 FE offers no major display improvement.
Performance: Samsung Galaxy S26 FE Makes the Biggest Jump
Performance is where Samsung has made the clearest upgrade. The Galaxy S26 FE uses the Exynos 2500, replacing the Exynos 2400 found in the Galaxy S25 FE.
In everyday use, the S26 FE feels smooth across apps, multitasking, browsing, streaming and photography. Gaming performance is also dependable, although demanding titles can still produce occasional frame drops.
Benchmark results show a mixed but generally stronger picture. The S26 FE recorded 1,991 in Geekbench single-core and 7,509 in multi-core, compared with 2,109 and 6,843 respectively for the Galaxy S25 FE.
The S26 FE also recorded 2,578,431 in AnTuTu compared with 2,008,232 for the S25 FE.
Section winner: Samsung Galaxy S26 FE for overall performance.
Cameras: Galaxy S25 FE and S26 FE Are Closely Matched
Samsung has retained the same camera hardware on the Galaxy S26 FE. The setup includes a 50-megapixel main camera, 12-megapixel ultrawide and 8-megapixel telephoto camera.
The phone supports 3x optical zoom, 2x optical-quality zoom and up to 30x digital zoom. It can also record 8K video at 30fps and 4K video at 60fps.
The cameras deliver good daylight images, strong dynamic range and capable night photography. The 3x telephoto camera is particularly useful for distant subjects.
However, there is no hardware upgrade over the Galaxy S25 FE. The selfie camera also remains a 12-megapixel unit without autofocus.
Section winner: Tie between Samsung Galaxy S26 FE and Galaxy S25 FE.
Software and AI: Galaxy S26 FE Moves Ahead
The Galaxy S26 FE runs Android 17 with One UI 9. Samsung has also added AI features such as Call Screening and Now Brief.
Now Brief creates personalised cards using information such as weather, calendar events and other activity. Samsung’s wider ecosystem remains another advantage, with SmartThings, Galaxy accessories and wireless DeX support.
There is, however, plenty of pre-installed software. The phone includes several third-party apps, which may not appeal to users who prefer a cleaner setup.
Despite that, the newer software platform and AI features give the S26 FE a more current experience.
Section winner: Samsung Galaxy S26 FE.
Battery: Galaxy S26 FE Improves Efficiency, Not Capacity
The Galaxy S26 FE carries a 4,900mAh battery, exactly the same capacity as the Galaxy S25 FE.
Charging also remains at 45W wired and 15W wireless. So, there is no major hardware upgrade in this department.
The difference comes from the Exynos 2500. Its improved efficiency helps the S26 FE stretch the same battery further in everyday use.
With regular usage, the phone can last through most of the day. However, heavy gaming and camera use can drain the battery faster.
Section winner: Samsung Galaxy S26 FE for efficiency, while hardware specifications remain unchanged.
Verdict: Is the Galaxy S26 FE Better Than the Galaxy S25 FE?
The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE is technically the more advanced phone. Its Exynos 2500 brings a meaningful performance improvement, while the refreshed design and newer software give it a more current feel.
However, the Galaxy S25 FE remains surprisingly competitive. Its display, camera hardware and battery capacity are largely unchanged on the newer model. It also has a faster USB 3.2 Gen 1 port, which makes the S26 FE’s USB 2.0 downgrade particularly notable.
At ₹69,999, the Galaxy S26 FE therefore feels like an upgrade focused mainly on performance, software and design rather than a complete hardware refresh.
