Samsung's next "affordable" phone upgrade might not be as affordable as hoped – or much of an upgrade
Minimal changes seem to be on the cards for the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE this year, apart from the price
Quick Summary
Samsung makes a Fan Edition of its Galaxy S smartphones each year, but this year's Galaxy S26 FE might not be as enticing as previous models.
Rumoured specs suggest there won't be any major upgrades (apart from processor and battery tech), while an increase in price is also said to be coming for the range.
If you thought we had seen the last of Samsung phone launches for this year, you’ve clearly forgotten about the more affordable Galaxy S26 Fan Edition.
Rumoured to be coming sometime in September, images of the device have leaked via Android Headlines, along with the specifications via WinFuture, and you might be disappointed.
What is the Galaxy S26 FE expected to arrive with?
According to WinFuture, the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE will be very similar to its predecessor, the Galaxy S25 FE. It’s expected to come with a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x display with a 2340 x 1080 resolution, a peak brightness of 1900 nits and a 120Hz refresh rate.
The Samsung Exynos 2500 is claimed to be running the show, which is the same processor you will find in last year’s Galaxy Z Flip 7, supported by 8GB of RAM and storage options of 128GB or 256GB.
There is also claimed to be a triple rear camera, comprised of a 50-megapixel main sensor, along with an ultra-wide sensor and telephoto sensor with 3x zoom. An IP68 rating is also suggested in the list of specifications, while the battery capacity is said to be 4900mAh with 45W fast charging support.
None of that is particularly groundbreaking, especially when compared to the Galaxy S25 FE that has broadly similar specs aside from the processor. However, the Galaxy S26 FE is at least said to have a silicon-carbon battery like the Galaxy Z Flip 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra all introduced last month.
The design also appears to have changed slightly on the rear compared to the Galaxy S25 FE, closer matching the Galaxy S26, though the weight is said to be a little heavier at 196g compared to 190g.
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One last bit of bad news is that the price of the Galaxy S26 FE is expected to increase compared to the Galaxy S25 FE, too. That makes the traditionally affordable phone, well, less affordable.
According to WinFuture, the device will start at €799 (around £680), which would be €50 more than the previous model.
Britta is a freelance technology journalist who has been writing about tech for over a decade. She's covered all consumer tech from phones, tablets and wearables to smart home and beauty tech, with everything in between. She has a fashion journalism degree from London College of Fashion and previously did a long stint as deputy editor of Pocket-lint, but you’ll now find her byline on several titles including GQ, the Express, the Mirror, TechRadar, Stuff and iMore. You'll never find her without her Apple Watch on, aiming to complete her rings so she can justify the extra bar of chocolate and she loves a good iPhone trick.
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