The Galaxy S26 FE is official, and Samsung still isn’t shaking things up much

Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy S26 FE, a device that largely mirrors the hardware of its predecessor, the Galaxy S25 FE. The phone runs on the Exynos 2500 chipset, retains the 4,900mAh battery, and features a triple-camera system. However, the most noteworthy updates occur on the software front. This model is the first in the Galaxy S26 series to come with One UI 9 pre-installed, alongside several upgraded camera and Galaxy AI features.

It boasts a 6.7-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a brightness of 1,900 nits. The Exynos 2500, coupled with 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage, powers the device, with a 512GB version available in select markets. The camera setup remains largely unchanged, with a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and an 8MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom.

The front camera is a 12MP shooter. Samsung also reintroduces Nightography for low-light photography. Battery life remains at 4,900mAh, but Samsung claims that 45W charging can replenish the battery to around 69% in just 30 minutes. Other features include 15W wireless charging, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4, and IP68 protection. Samsung has introduced My FanCam, which automatically keeps a selected person centered while recording, and Super Steady with Horizontal Lock to maintain a steady video while in motion.

Galaxy AI receives additional attention too. Brief now offers customizable briefing cards, while Now Nudge expands compatibility with more third-party apps and notifications. Circle to Search can now recognize multiple items within a single image, and Photo Assist allows edits through natural language prompts. The Galaxy S26 FE is also eligible for seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates.

Samsung will begin selling the phone on September 4 in Blueberry, Graphite, and Pistachio colors. The 128GB model starts at $700, marking a $50 price increase from the Galaxy S25 FE's launch price. Samsung offers a six-month Google AI Pro trial for the device, which includes 5TB of cloud storage. The company plans to roll out the phone starting September 4 in Blueberry, Graphite, and Pistachio colors. The 128GB variant launches at $700, $50 more than the original Galaxy S25 FE's price upon release.