Samsung's Galaxy AI Expands to More Affordable Phones, Challenging Market Dynamics

The Samsung phone that I recommend to most people just got unseated by a surprise pick

The new Samsung Galaxy S24 FE undercuts the standard Galaxy S24 but has mostly the same features -- including the main camera. If the saying, "Jack of all trades, master of none," was a smartphone, it would be the Galaxy S24 FE, Samsung's new mid-range handset that slots right beneath the Galaxy S24, S24 Plus, and S24 Ultra. It doesn't have the same industrial charm as its more premium siblings -- the lighter build and thicker bezels are a giveaway that you're no longer in flagship territory -- but the Galaxy S24 FE has just about everything else that you'd want for $649. Also: Forget iPhone 16: Samsung's $649 Galaxy S24 FE may be the new mainstream phone to beat I spent a good hour and a half using the Galaxy S24 FE during Samsung's launch event this week, and while I won't get into the nitty-gritty of every spec (my colleague, Cesar Cadenas, has you covered), there were some standout features that made the phone more memorable than I was expecting. That list includes the flagship-tier camera system, seven years of software updates, and Galaxy AI features. I'll start with the last point, which makes the Galaxy S24 FE one of the most affordable phones to field AI tools like Circle to Search, live translations, generative editing, and more. Only the Google Pixel 8a comes close as far as AI accessibility goes, but it's a much smaller handset (6.1 inches versus 6.7 inches) with a much smaller battery (4,492mAh versus 4,700mAh). Considering how visual and interactive these features can be, I found the larger canvas of the Galaxy S24 FE more practical, whether I was circling items to Google Search or scanning a translated PDF. Also: Galaxy AI is coming to mid-range Samsung phones. These models will get it first The Galaxy S24 FE's camera system captures photos with excellent detail and vividness. That shouldn't come as a surprise, as it packs the same 50MP main sensor and 12MP ultrawide lens as the flagship Galaxy S24, while the telephoto lens (with 3x optical zoom) falls just short at 8MP (instead of 10MP). I took a couple of pictures throughout the event space, which had areas that varied in brightness, color temperature, and lighting angles, and the Galaxy S24 FE handled the inconsistencies gracefully. I also did a selfie test with Milesabovetech and Parker Burton, who TikTok for a living (read: they know the most optimal poses and angles for being on camera), and the images captured were quite detailed, though my skin appeared paler than normal. Also: Samsung's new Galaxy Tab S10 series may be the iPad Pro for Android users (but better) The desaturated look extends to the back of the Galaxy S24 FE, which comes in four pastel finishes, including Graphite, Gray, Blue, and Mint. None of the color options this year will necessarily strike a chord, but my advice is to stick with a lighter color like Blue and Mint. The glossy glass layering means the phones collect more fingerprints than an FBI agent, and the darker hues make that more apparent. Samsung's really pushing the Galaxy S24 FE as the phone that will bring AI to the masses, and the timing couldn't have been better. Earlier this month, Apple launched the iPhone 16 series, and while it's clearly spent all its marketing budget promoting Apple Intelligence, none of the company's on-device AI capabilities are readily available. At $649, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE not only undercuts the base-level iPhone 16 and Galaxy S24 by $150, but it also comes with AI features, among other benefits, right out of the box. My buying advice is to take advantage of Samsung's Offer Programs. For example, students can get the Galaxy Buds FE bundled for free, and you can save up to $500 by making an eligible trade-in.

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE actually has a reason to exist this year -- here's why

For years, I've struggled to figure out why Samsung makes an FE version of its Galaxy S flagship phones. And with the Galaxy S24 FE hitting retail shelves on October 3, that struggle figures to continue. It's not that past FE models have been subpar. I've used the last two versions, and my Galaxy S21 FE review and Galaxy S23 FE review were generally positive. But both times, I found myself at a loss when forced to explain who should buy one of those phones. Take the Galaxy S23 FE, which I called "a phone I can recommend, though with not a lot of enthusiasm. It tries to thread the needle between higher-end flagship phones and lower priced midrange models without fully convincing you that you'd be better off opting for either of those instead." You can probably find fainter praise somewhere, but I wouldn't recommending searching. The FE phones have been at their best when there's been a significant gap between their price and what Samsung charges for the entry-level Galaxy S flagship at the time. The Galaxy S20 FE was easily the most successful FE model, and the fact that it cost $300 less than the Galaxy S20 likely contributed to that. (Samsung flagships were crazy expensive four years ago.) Even the Galaxy S23 FE managed to undercut the Galaxy S23's price by $200. With the Galaxy S24 FE, though, the gap has narrowed. Samsung is charging $649 for this version, which is $150 less than the starting price for the Galaxy S24. That's not an insignificant amount of savings, mind you -- it's just easier to swallow hard and pay up for the more expensive flagship when you're not saving $200 or more. Or, if you prefer, go in the other direction, and opt for a less expensive yet still capable midrange model like Samsung's $399 Galaxy A35. If it's not necessarily the price difference with the Galaxy S24, then why should would-be shoppers consider the Galaxy S24 FE? Quite simply, it comes down to the telephoto lens -- a feature you don't find on too many phones in this price range. If you want an Apple or Google handset with a dedicated telephoto camera, you're paying $999 for either the iPhone 16 Pro or Pixel 9 Pro. (Admittedly, the $799 iPhone 16's 48MP main camera can crop in on shots to approximate a 2x optical zoom, but it's hardly the same thing.) The OnePlus 12 offers a 3x zoom lens, but that phone costs $799, although a trade-in does help you knock down the price by $100. But all those caveats just underscore how rare it is to find a telephoto lens on the cheap. The sensor used by the Galaxy S24 FE's telephoto lens doesn't pack in as many megapixels as the S24 does -- we're talking 8MP vs. 10MP. That said, the Galaxy S24 FE does offer the same 3x optical and 30x digital zoom as the Galaxy S24, so perhaps the trade-off in megapixels will be minimal. We'll have to compare what each camera can produce to see if you're getting good value along with your cheaper asking price. But the Galaxy S24 FE could be packing another feature this time around that makes it a better choice than less expensive midrange phones while making people feel like they're getting the Galaxy S experience without the higher price tag. You're getting access to Galaxy AI capabilities when you buy the Galaxy S24 FE -- a lot of them. That's a stark contrast to the Galaxy A35, which can support Circle to Search -- a great addition to a $399 phone, by the way -- but not much else. In contrast, Galaxy S24 FE users will be able to turn videos they've shot into slow-motion shots after the fact and put generative editing to work on their photos with the Photo Assist feature. Additionally, Live Translate, Interpreter Mode, Note Assist and Sketch to Edit will work on the Galaxy S24 FE, too. So will Circle to Search, as you might imagine. It speaks well of Samsung's attitude toward how AI features should be implemented. Basically, it wants to get those features into the hands of as many of its customers as possible, regardless of whether they're paying top dollar for their phone. We've got a lot of testing ahead of us before we see if the Galaxy S24 FE can finally provide the answer to the question that I've been asking for the last two FE models. But more affordable Galaxy AI sounds like a good reason to keep coming out with new versions of this Galaxy S off-shoot.

I love that Samsung is making Galaxy AI phones more affordable

The S24 FE is essentially a stripped-back S24 Ultra, and I'm excited to try it. Samsung has officially announced its new Galaxy S24 FE model, a mid-range AI smartphone with prices starting at just $649.99 / £649. While this might not necessarily fit the category of one of the best budget smartphones, I love that Samsung is at least attempting to make affordable AI-ready devices that are accessible to more users (not everyone can afford $1,300 for a new phone each year). Compared with some of the best camera phones on the market, such as the flagship Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (my current smartphone) and Apple's iPhone 16 Pro models, the new Galaxy S24 FE is roughly half the price of next-gen premium smartphones. Surely, there must be some compromise on quality here to allow for such competitive pricing. I'll be getting hands-on experience with the S24 FE next week, and I'm excited to see how the performance of this budget-friendly handset matches up to my S24 Ultra model. From what we know so far about Samsung's S24 FE, it will have all of the same Galaxy AI features as its siblings, including the Samsung Z fold 6 and Z Flip6 models. This includes the Circle to Search feature with Google, live translations during in-person conversations and phone calls, AI Note Assist for organising your thoughts, plus transcript assistance. There's no mention of whether the popular AI feature sketch-to-image will be available on this model, although it will undoubtedly be a standout feature of the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 and S10 Ultra models also announced this week. The Galaxy S24 FE boasts a generous 6.7-inch AMOLED display (larger than the standard S24) with a 120Hz refresh rate, an all-day battery life, plus a 1.1x larger vapour chamber for enhanced gaming performance. All of this combined with the Exynos 2400 series chipset makes for an extremely capable handset for creatives on the go, and the inclusion of premium Galaxy AI tools is a bonus that you rarely get for under $700. As for the camera specs, the S24 FE will come equipped with a 50MP main camera that matches the standard Galaxy S24 model, plus an 8MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 10MP front camera. The smartphone will also benefit from the company's AI-driven ProVisual camera engine, plus AI tools such as Photo Assist, generative editing, the ability to remove objects from photos, instant slow motion for videos, and a portrait studio to enhance your selfies. The S24 FE might not be a match for some of the best iPhones for photography, but it sounds like consumers will certainly be getting a lot for their money. If you're sold on the S24 FE, you can preorder it directly from Samsung. Prices start at $649.99 / £649 for 128GB of storage or $709.99 / £699 for the 256GB model. With that said, If you're looking for a reasonably priced smartphone that takes exceptional photos then I would highly recommend the Honor 200 Pro as an alternative. This camera phone is endorsed by pro photographer, Rankin, and prices start at £699.99 in the UK, which is just £50 more than the entry-level S24 FE. For more mid-range smartphone deals, check out our widget below.