When Samsung unveiled the new Galaxy S25 FE at IFA Berlin, I was excited to see what the South Korean tech giant would deliver. Like its forbears, its key appeal is that it offers a flagship-like Samsung experience at a more affordable $649 / £649 / AU$1,099 price point.
And, when I was able to get a look behind the curtain a few weeks ago, nothing I saw or felt dimmed that excitement. It’s considerably thinner and lighter than the S24 FE from 2024, is filled to the brim with Samsung’s latest AI smarts, and offers an improved 12 MP selfie camera.
But, despite its AI proficiency making it a more capable counterpart to its premium siblings, I thought its most important upgrade was flying under the radar. Tucked inside the S25 FE’s slimmer frame was a bigger battery. I hoped that this bigger battery, combined with its AI tools, larger display, and matching camera, would make it a better buy than the Galaxy S25 for most people – not just a great midrange alternative.
In our Samsung Galaxy S24 FE review from last year, our writer loved its battery life. The S25 FE improves on it not just with a higher battery capacity, but with a larger vapor-chamber cooling system that also (in theory) allows for better power efficiency.
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 around $600 / £600 / AU$1,000 – have to make compromises, battery life is the one area they must still nail. Nobody looking for value wants a phone that struggles to make it through the day, do they?
The S24 FE offered even better battery life than the classic S24 thanks to its 4,000mAh unit. Boosted up to 4,900mAh (just 100mAh behind the Galaxy S25 Ultra) I had hoped that the S25 FE would take the next step and become a true multi-day champion –making it the definitive best affordable phone for those who prioritise battery life.
It falls short of that title, but its battery life is still no less than excellent.
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.
As the owner of an iPhone 15 (who’s trying to resist the allure of the Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro) my day-to-day handset usually needs to be charged before I head out to lunch. The S25 FE didn’t have that problem – sitting well above 50% at lunch and 30% when I clocked out for the day if I didn’t put it on charge, it always had plenty of juice left to last through the evening until bedtime.
While I felt the S25 FE’s screen, cameras and battery were a big improvement over my aging iPhone 15, it’s far from special in the world of Android mobiles – and it’s not the S25 Ultra-level life I’d hoped it would be.
I wasn’t completely blindsided, though. I mentioned above that I feared the improved cooling and bigger battery would be cancelled out by more taxing tasks (performance-wise) on the device, but that wasn’t my only worry.
I was also given pause by the S25 FE’s Exynos 2400 chip. As mentioned in our hands-on of the Galaxy S25 FE, my colleagues have found that Exynos-powered phones draw more power than their Snapdragon counterparts. For example, the Galaxy S25 Edge (Snapdragon) recently outlasted the Galaxy Z Flip 7 (Exynos) in our tests, despite 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 a similar aim as the FE, also promises ‘all-day’ battery – it managed 13 hours, 18 minutes in our tests (you’ll have to wait for our full S25 FE review for complete tests). In short, anything that seriously outperforms the FE’s battery is either going to cost you a lot more, or offer less.
Anyway, even if the all-day battery isn’t quite enough for your needs, another key spec upgrade arguably makes it a moot point – faster 45W wired charging boasted by the Galaxy S25 and S25 Ultra. Upped from 25W last year, it lets you recharge to nearly 70% in half an hour – making its battery life a non-issue as long as you have a charger on hand.
At its MSRP, I think the FE is the clear choice over the flagship S25. While its camera and performance isn’t quite on par, the differences will be negligible for most people. As you can see below, the FE provides good camera results and the large display is a big win for those who want it. That said, the S25 isn’t new – and it’s now regularly available for close to the price of its new affordable sibling, and if you have the opportunity to pick up the flagship for around the FE’s price, we’d recommend the former.
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While I’d loved to have seen more of a battery upgrade, there should be no question of the S25 FE’s validity as a real member of the S25 family. The choice between the FE and the S25 simply depends on your budget and whether a bigger display (6.7-inch vs 6.2-inch) or better camera system (10MP vs 8MP telephoto lens) is more important.
However, if a big screen is your priority, I find it very difficult to recommend the S25 Plus over the S25 FE because the screens are the same size, the battery life is negligible and the camera performance isn’t worth the price difference.
The S25 FE is an excellent smartphone, and what it packs in for its price tag is incredible. If you balk at the idea of dropping $800 / £800 / AU$1,500 on a new flagship, the S25 FE should absolutely be on your shortlist if you’re looking to level-up from a budget mobile.
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