Samsung Galaxy S24 FE vs Google Pixel 8a: Which should you buy?

Samsung’s Fan Edition smartphones don’t arrive with as much fanfare as the mainline S series earlier in the year, but they nonetheless tend to offer excellent value. That trend continues in 2024, with the Galaxy S24 FE trickling down many flagship features to a more palatable price point. But the mid-range market has plenty of competition these days, with Google’s more affordable Pixel 8a even undercutting Samsung’s sub-flagship on price. So if you are in the market for a new smartphone, which one should you buy? Let’s find out in this Samsung Galaxy S24 FE vs Google Pixel 8a comparison.

Even though the Pixel 8a and Galaxy S24 FE are hundreds of dollars less expensive than their flagship counterparts, you won’t find many deficiencies on their spec sheets. Still, you’ll find plenty of differences that separate the two phones from each other.

The Pixel 8a houses a smaller 6.1-inch display, which almost seems like a dwarf in comparison to the Galaxy S24 FE’s 6.7-inch canvas. While previous Samsung Fan Edition phones straddled the line between compact and large, this generation has picked the latter. Most people do prefer larger phones, but this will come down to personal preference. Luckily, both phones boast similar display quality, refresh rate, and brightness specs otherwise.

Moving on to performance, Google kitted the Pixel 8a with its 2023 flagship Tensor G3 SoC while Samsung has employed its own Exynos 2400e in the S24 FE. We don’t know what the “e” in the Exynos 2400e stands for yet. However, rumors suggest that it’s an underclocked variant of the chip used in the mainline Galaxy S24 series internationally.

The last-gen S23 FE used a Snapdragon chip in North America, but this year, all regions get the Exynos 2400e. The latter uses newer cores and more efficient manufacturing than the Tensor G3, so you can expect the S23 FE to outperform the Pixel 8a. Samsung has also added a larger vapor chamber to cool the Exynos 2400e, which will only further help cement the performance gap. However, this chip difference will not matter much in average smartphone use, unless you’re a heavy gamer.

Both Google and Samsung offer seven years’ worth of software updates and security patches. However, the Galaxy S24 FE ekes out a slight durability win on the hardware side — it boasts newer Gorilla Glass Victus Plus protection than the Pixel 8a’s frankly outdated Gorilla Glass 3. Luckily, the Pixel 8a’s IP67 water resistance rating is nearly as good as the S24 FE’s IP68.

The Galaxy S24 FE and Pixel 8a have very distinctive looks that match their brand’s design language. It can be hard to tell the S24 FE apart from the S24 Plus at a reasonable distance, given their similar camera arrangement and size. The same holds true for the Pixel 8a and Pixel 8, although the slimmer horizontal bar on the rear reveals the less expensive phone.

On the front, the Pixel 8a has slightly thicker bezels than the Galaxy S24 FE. It’s clearly an area where corners were cut but it does not have any impact on usability whatsoever.

Moving to the rear, you wouldn’t be able to tell the Pixel 8a’s back panel is made out of plastic. It looks very similar to the Pixel 8, which has a glass back. The plastic translates to less weight, however, and the affordable Google phone tips the scales at just 188g. The Galaxy S24 FE is much heavier at 213g due to its larger size and Gorilla Glass 5 rear.

With three sensors on the rear, the Galaxy S24 FE is capable of capturing wide-angle, ultrawide, and telephoto shots. The Pixel 8a, meanwhile, only gets two cameras in the form of a standard and ultrawide lens. Based on this difference alone, the S24 FE may seem like the better choice but there are several caveats to note.

For one, both phones employ a crop of their primary sensors and software processing to achieve a 2x zoom at optical-like quality. You will have to zoom in to 3x, and perhaps beyond, for the telephoto sensor to kick in. We’re still testing the S24 FE’s camera system, so check back soon for our final results.

Nonetheless, Google tends to have a small advantage when it comes to image processing. In our testing of the S24 Ultra’s cameras earlier this year, we found that even Samsung’s best camera hardware suffers from motion blur. This makes it hard to capture usable shots of moving subjects such as babies and pets. Google also developed excellent processing algorithms to make up for the lower-end camera hardware in its early smartphones. These help the Pixel 8a achieve excellent image quality. Here are a few camera samples:

Having said that, the Galaxy S24 FE also has a very capable camera system. It may not offer the same reliability between shots as the Pixel 8a, but without comparing the two side-by-side, you will not find much to complain about on the S24 FE.

With its larger overall size, it’s not surprising that the Galaxy S24 FE also packs a larger battery. However, its 4,700mAh battery is only around 5% larger than the one you’ll find in the Pixel 8a. Given the 20% larger display then, the S24 FE may not deliver better battery life — in fact, the opposite might be true. The only saving grace is that the Exynos 2400e could be slightly more efficient and swing the pendulum back in Samsung’s favor.

Charging is one area of the spec sheet where the two phones diverge significantly. The Galaxy S24 FE pulls a respectable 25W from the wall when plugged in, using the modern USB PD PPS standard. I specify “modern” here because the Pixel 8a is limited to just 18W over USB PD. The latter may be good for compatibility with existing chargers you may already have lying around, but 18W is woefully last-gen otherwise. Expect an excruciatingly long wait to top-up the Pixel 8a — or over two hours for a full charge.

The same holds true for wireless charging — the Pixel 8a’s 7.5W spec is better than nothing, but it certainly won’t move the needle if you’re in a hurry. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24 FE matches its flagship counterparts as it supports 15W over the Qi wireless charging protocol. It also supports reverse wireless charging, which the Pixel 8a lacks entirely.

At $499, the Pixel 8a is clearly more affordable than Google’s flagship smartphones. We’ve also seen it go on sale as low as $399. The same cannot be said for the Galaxy S24 FE, which starts at $650 for the same amount of storage and RAM. Samsung and Google both charge an additional $60 for doubling the storage to 256GB.

The Pixel 8a released earlier in 2024, and it’s now available to purchase in stores and online. The Galaxy S24 FE, meanwhile, was announced on September 26 and can be pre-ordered ahead of its October 3 launch. Samsung is offering 50% off select accessories like the newly released Galaxy Watch FE alongside pre-orders.

The Galaxy S24 FE is a solid and well-rounded smartphone that earns its $650 price tag. It’s certainly a worthy option if you don’t mind spending a bit extra for premium features like the dedicated telephoto sensor and near-flagship processing hardware. However, it’s also not too far off from the mainline Galaxy S24 series.

With that in mind, I’d pick the Pixel 8a simply because of the excellent value it delivers over not just the S24 FE but also the rest of the smartphone market. In the US especially, few smartphones pack as many features as the Pixel 8a in the sub-$500 price category. Apart from the slow charging speeds, the Pixel 8a’s general specs aren’t that far off from the Galaxy S24 FE. Google’s Tensor G2 chip is still powerful even if it’s a generation behind and the camera system punches well above its weight. Which smartphone would you rather buy?