TechRadar Review: Galaxy S26 FE Offers Big-Screen Experience but Price Rise Limits Value

TechRadar said the S26 FE starts at $699 / £699 / AU$1,149 for the standard version, which is $50 / £50 / AU$50 more than the Galaxy S25 FE cost at launch. That leaves a $200 / £180 / AU$400 difference between the S26 FE and the cheapest full-fat Galaxy S26, or a $400 / £400 / AU$700 gap compared with the similarly sized Galaxy S26 Plus, the review said. It noted that those Galaxy S26 models have twice as much storage as the S26 FE by default, making direct comparisons complicated. TechRadar also said buyers get six free months of Google AI Pro, worth about $120 / £114 / AU$200 at current subscription prices, an offer it said is worth taking for the 5TB of cloud storage alone. The review listed 128GB and 256GB versions in the US at $699 and $799, with no 512GB option there; UK prices were £699, £799 and £949, and Australian prices were AU$1,149, AU$1,299 and AU$1,599.

The review listed the S26 FE's hardware as a 6.7-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 1080 x 2340 resolution, a 60/120Hz refresh rate and 1,900 nits peak brightness. It runs on an Exynos 2500 chip with 8GB of RAM and comes with 128GB, 256GB or 512GB of storage, according to TechRadar. The phone ships with Android 17 and One UI 9 and will receive seven years of updates, the review said. Its cameras include a 50MP wide camera with f/1.8 aperture, a 12MP ultra-wide camera with f/2.2 aperture and an 8MP 3x telephoto camera with f/2.4 aperture, plus a 12MP front camera with f/2.2 aperture. TechRadar listed a 4,900mAh battery, 45W wired charging, 15W wireless charging and Blueberry, Graphite and Pistachio color options.

TechRadar said the design has no major body changes from the Galaxy S25 FE beyond new colors. The S26 FE still has three camera lenses embedded directly into the back, flat rails with rounded corners, a large display and a single centered selfie camera, according to the review. It said the telltale signs of an FE model are a shiny back panel instead of a matte texture and a larger chin bezel under the display. Like other Galaxy S26 models, the S26 FE is rated IP68 for water and dust resistance, but it uses Gorilla Glass Victus Plus on both sides, a generation behind the protection on the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus, TechRadar said. The review gave the design a score of 4 out of 5.

In its verdict, TechRadar said picking the Galaxy S26 FE would be a good decision but whether it is the best decision is a harder question. The review praised the phone's premium design in new colors, a display it called flagship-worthy, surprisingly good gaming performance and strong battery life. It criticized the higher price, AI tools that will soon come to older Samsungs, and telephoto and ultrawide cameras that lag behind. TechRadar said Samsung has the approach backwards because the cameras range from OK to weak, the AI tools will soon be available on older models and the price hike makes the phone less of a bargain. The review said the real reasons to want the phone are its big screen, fast charging, strong battery life and good gaming performance, but added that buyers with those priorities may still be better off looking elsewhere. TechRadar gave the S26 FE a value score of 3.5 out of 5.

Editor's Summary

TechRadar's review finds the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE delivers a large-screen Galaxy S experience with strong battery life and gaming performance. The phone's higher launch price, weaker telephoto and ultrawide cameras, and AI features headed to older Samsung models limit its value. The S26 FE went on sale on September 4, 2026, starting at $699 / £699 / AU$1,149.