Samsung Galaxy S26 series has added the Galaxy S26 FE as one of the most economical smartphones in the series, and titled it a 'Fan Edition' device. The smartphone is available for sale in various storage options:
- 8GB RAM and 128GB storage
- 8GB of RAM and 256GB storage
- 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage
The company has launched the 8GB RAM and 256GB storage variant in the Indian market, which is priced at Rs 79,999. The device is available in three colour options:
- Pistachio
- Blueberry
- Graphite
We tested the Pistachio colour variant, and here is our hands-on review after using the smartphone as the primary device for almost 2 weeks.
Let us start with the look and feel of the new Galaxy S26.
Maintaining the structured look, the phone looks premium, and for those who have been Samsung users, ensuring visual uniformity. It is visible that the company has made enough efforts to make the device lightweight. And with an aluminium frame, along with a glass back panel, it feels really premium as well as delicate too.
The phone weighs just 193 grams, and the smartphone is easy to use with one hand. The volume and power buttons are located on the side of the phone, which is further reachable while using it from a hand. The charging port, speakers, and SIM card slot are positioned at the bottom.
Talking about phone protection, it comes with an IP68 rating; this means it will be protected against damage from water and dust. Furthermore, the display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus Plus on both the front and back.
Display experience
This flagship Samsung phone comes with a large 6.7-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display that supports a peak brightness of up to 1,900 nits- bright enough to use outdoors as well as indoors.
Viewing content on this display will not be an issue either, as it offers an immersive experience. With a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels, the images appear quite sharp, as always.
The colours are brighter and natural, so video viewing and binge-watching are not an issue, and it is certainly engaging too.
Performance: Never disappointing
This handset is powered by an upgraded Exynos 2500 chipset and paired with an 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The device further supports dual 5G Nano SIM cards and runs on a 3nm octa-core processor, which has been manufactured in-house by Samsung.
Talking about the flagship chipset, it delivers smooth and lag-free performance. I faced no issues while hopping from one social media platform to another- using Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter) and more simultaneously. I must appreciate that the device did not heat up too, even while watching long-format video at a stretch of 20 minutes.
But there was a shortcoming noticed while playing heavy graphic games on the phone- like prolonged gaming sessions for extended periods like 30minutes and above. Then you may notice that the back panel heats up.
The phone cools down after a short while, which enables you to resume gameplay, but the heat is something which interrupted my successful gameplay.
Battery: Decent performer during heavy use
Talking about the battery, the device is backed by a 4900mAh battery and further supports 45W fast charging. It also features 15W wireless charging.
With a single charge, the phone can easily last for a day with average multitasking. Since no adapter is included, I charged it with a POCO charger, which worked well but took around an hour to juice up the device from 0% to 100%.
Operating system and security
The device runs on One UI 9.0, which is based on the latest Android 17 OS, and further features multi-layer security, including the company's Knox security system.
The OS is highly user-friendly, and Samsung phones offer superior security layers as well. However, the smartphone comes with several pre-installed apps that might be a little annoying, as they take up a lot of space, but they can be removed easily (simply delete them).
Camera: The wow effect!
This Samsung "Fan Edition" flagship Galaxy S26 FE features a triple-camera setup that includes:
- 50MP main camera with OIS
- 12MP ultra-wide camera
- 8MP telephoto camera
- The telephoto camera supports 3x optical zoom.
- On the front, it has a 12MP shooter.
It is impressive, like most of the devices in the series, delivering sharp, clear, crisp, and bright photos.
It delivers great daylight photos, and even in low light, it is decent, but at times, it does get grainy.
That said, the quality is fine if we use the flash.
Final verdict: What did we think of the phone?
Samsung Galaxy S26 FE is an attractive choice for those who are looking for a uniform design and premium build. It is indeed durable and easy to carry, without weighing much. Talking about the performance, the phone delivers decent results when performing multitasking, gaming and photography with the phone. It certainly is not a disappointment when it comes to software and security.
The camera is another of the best parts of the phone that delivers bright and vivid photos, only lagging a little in low light, but rest assured, it is brilliant with colours- not letting the users down.
Priced at almost Rs 80,000 in the Indian market, it indeed is on the higher side, and with the kind of trend this year is following, the phone’s capability could face stiff competition in the market from leading phone brands like Apple iPhone 17, OnePlus, Motorola and more, which also come with premium devices but with a lower price tag.
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