Samsung Galaxy S26 FE in Digit Test Labs: Flagship experience, hopefully for less

I have been an Apple fanboy for as long as I can remember, but the recently launched Samsung Galaxy S26 FE has made me step outside my usual comfort zone. I currently use the iPhone 15 as my primary device after years with the iPhone 11 Pro Max. While I’ve recently spent six to seven months using the OnePlus 15, I never seriously considered leaving Apple’s ecosystem or switching to Samsung. However, that notion changed after countless conversations with tech-obsessed colleagues who kept raving about Samsung’s devices and the latest One UI 9 experience.

Their enthusiasm eventually got the better of me. And here’s me testing the brand-new Samsung Galaxy S26 FE. 

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE: Design

The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE will remind you of the last generation, as the overall design remains almost the same with some small but noticeable differences. The latest Fan Edition model comes with a translucent pill-shaped camera island housing its triple-lens setup, akin to the rest of the Galaxy S26 family. 

Other than that, one thing that drew me to the Galaxy S26 FE was its pistachio finish. The finish looks muted and fresh when compared to typical smartphone greens. It’s important to note that the handset comes with a glass back that attracts fingerprints quite easily. However, the good part is that the pistachio colour I have received ensures that the fingerprints aren’t very noticeable during normal use. Rather, you need to hold the device at an angle to spot them.

Speaking of how the phone feels in hand, I already had a clear idea of its specifications and weight before picking it up. On paper, the thickness of the device remains the same as last year’s Galaxy S25 FE, but the weight has increased by 3 grams.  However, in reality, when I held the S26 FE for the first time, it felt light, and more importantly, the overall weight and thickness felt balanced.

The Galaxy S26 family has continued to feature a flat-edge design that Samsung has stuck with for a few generations now, and why not? If something is working for you, then why experiment with it? The flat-edged design provides the device with a sturdy look along with a comfortable grip.

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE: Display

Displays are one area where Samsung has consistently delivered for years now. The one on the Galaxy S26 FE looks fantastic. Fun fact: companies like Apple, Google, and many others also use displays made by Samsung in their phones. 

In terms of specs, the Galaxy S26 FE features a 6.7-inch AMOLED 2X panel with a 120 Hz refresh rate. Not only that, but the company also claims that the display can reach a peak brightness of 1,900 nits when used outdoors, and in my initial testing, the device did hold up well outdoors. However, I’ll share more details in my full review after putting the display through a more comprehensive outdoor visibility and colour accuracy test under different lighting conditions before forming a definitive opinion.

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE: Performance

Under the hood, the Galaxy S26 FE runs on the Exynos 2500, which is expected to deliver a solid step up over last year’s Exynos 2400. Samsung has consistently trusted its in-house Exynos chipsets for the Fan Edition lineup. While some early FE models did ship with Snapdragon chips, and some regions still get Snapdragon variants today, Samsung has clearly placed its bet on the indigenous Exynos chip for the Indian market.

On the memory front, the device comes with 8GB of RAM and storage options going up to 512GB. In my initial round of testing, switching between multiple apps, jumping in and out of a few games, and running through everyday tasks, the S26 FE handled everything smoothly. I didn’t run into any noticeable lag during regular use.

While we are at the performance aspect, it’s important to note that the USB port has been downgraded compared to the previous generation. The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE used to offer USB Type-C 3.2, while the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE comes with USB Type-C 2.0, which would surely affect the data transfer speed.

Heating is yet another area that has traditionally been a pain point for Exynos-powered Samsung devices, but the S26 FE hasn’t shown any signs of that during my time with it. However, it’s important to note that my usage until now has been fairly light, so I’ll reserve a final verdict until I’ve pushed it through more demanding tasks and tested it under different weather conditions.

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE: Battery

The Galaxy S26 FE comes equipped with a 4,900mAh battery, along with support for 45W wired and 15W wireless charging. On paper, these are similar specs to those we got with the last-generation S25 FE that used to barely last an entire day under moderate use.

However, I’m hoping that the optimisations introduced with One UI 9 may help the S26 FE get a much-needed boost. I’ll be sharing the exact battery life details in my final review.

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE: Camera

The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE boasts a triple camera setup at the rear end of the device, which includes a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide, and an 8MP telephoto lens. Aside from that, it also comes with a 12MP front camera for selfies and video calls. The camera specs of the Galaxy S26 FE are exactly the same as those on the Galaxy S25 FE, but users can expect better image quality because of the improved image processing through a newer chip.

In my initial testing, the camera output felt familiar. Unlike some brands that capture images and process colours to deliver more social-media-ready results, this device produced a more raw-looking image, which I liked. It gives you more flexibility to adjust the details later to your liking. Moreover, detail retention also seemed solid in well-lit conditions. Of course, it is far too early to make any meaningful judgement about overall image quality or low-light performance, though.

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE: A promising start, but plenty left to prove

My early experience with the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE has been quite positive. It doesn’t make big changes to the FE series, but it does have some key improvements. The phone feels light and well-balanced, the display looks good, and everyday performance is smooth. I also like that the cameras seem to produce more natural-looking photos.

However, I still need to test a few important things, which include the battery life, long-term performance, heating, camera quality in low light, and more. Once I complete that, only then will I be able to say how good the Galaxy S26 FE really is.

For now, I can only confirm that the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE feels like a device that gets the basics right without making too many compromises.