The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE is the company’s more affordable flagship, and this year it inherits nearly all of the software capabilities that first appeared on Samsung’s premium handsets. That expanded feature set comes with a cost, however: the S26 FE carries a EUR 43 increase over last year’s model. Pricing now starts at EUR 601 for 128GB of storage and EUR 687 for 256GB.
Announced Thursday, the phone arrives in three colors: pistachio, blueberry and graphite. Its most notable hardware update is the 12-megapixel front-facing camera. While the megapixel count matches last year’s selfie shooter, the new lens offers a wider field of view, letting you capture more of the scene around you. Samsung also improved the 30x digital zoom compared with the previous generation.
Camera and Software Features Trickle Down From Pricier Models
The standout addition is the suite of camera software features borrowed from higher-end devices like the EUR 773 Galaxy S26 and the EUR 1,030 Galaxy Z Flip 8. Super Steady Video with Horizontal Lock keeps footage stable during shaky or moving shots. My FanCam, first introduced on Samsung’s foldables, automatically frames and centers a chosen subject within a video. Samsung’s Audio Eraser strips background noise from recordings and also works with Netflix and YouTube.
These tools are part of Android 17 and Samsung’s One UI 9, and the S26 FE’s lower price makes them more accessible than on any other phone in Samsung’s lineup. The device also supports the new Smart Switch app, which simplifies moving apps, data and texts from an iPhone by connecting directly with iOS 26’s Transfer to Android feature.
How the S26 FE Compares on Price and Specs
The biggest upgrade will come to owners of the Galaxy S23 FE or earlier, thanks to the larger 6.7-inch display, the year-old but still capable Exynos 2500 processor and the new camera features. The screen reaches a peak brightness of 1,900 nits, which suits most conditions, though rivals such as the Google Pixel 10A hit 3,000 nits.
Storage is another consideration. The 128GB base configuration can fill quickly for anyone shooting a lot of video, making the 256GB option the safer choice for long-term use. Samsung promises seven years of software and security updates.
Even so, the S26 FE remains more expensive than comparable competitors, including the EUR 429 Google Pixel 10A and Apple’s EUR 514 iPhone 17E. The EUR 43 bump is milder than the EUR 86 increases applied to the base Galaxy S26, Google’s Pixel 11 and Motorola’s Razr, all attributed to rising memory costs. Much of the S26 FE’s remaining hardware carries over from last year’s S25 FE.
