Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S24 FE: For me, the premium is worth it

Whenever I find myself in the market for a new Android phone, Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S series invariably tends to make it to the top of my shortlist. As one of the longest-running smartphone lines, alongside the iPhone, it has built a reputation for delivering top-tier hardware and features. But if you’re a value-seeking shopper like me, you might also have your eyes set on the company’s sub-flagship Fan Edition line instead. Specifically, that means making the difficult choice between Samsung’s Galaxy S25 and the S24 FE.

With only a few months separating the launches of the Galaxy S25 series and the Fan Edition, you’ll notice plenty of similarities between the models. As with most things, however, the devil’s in the details. While we haven’t reviewed the Galaxy S25 at Android Authority yet, I’ve upgraded to a new phone nearly every year for the past decade. So if I were picking between the Galaxy S25 and S24 FE in 2025, here’s which one I would personally buy and why.

As one of the first phones to release in 2025, the Galaxy S25 packs cutting-edge hardware and features. From Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chip to upgraded camera hardware, Samsung’s flagship offers top-of-the-line specifications that are perfect for a power user like me. The only caveat is that we’ve seen the Qualcomm chip become quite warm in our testing, and Samsung claims to have overclocked it further. Still, it’s entirely possible that Samsung has tamed it with the S25’s larger vapor chamber this year. After all, the Snapdragon 8 Elite bears the “for Galaxy” branding, which signals the South Korean giant’s close collaboration with Qualcomm.

The Galaxy S24 FE isn’t outdated by any means, but it does lag behind a bit in some areas. The most obvious difference on the spec sheet lies in the chipset department — the Fan Edition model packs Samsung’s own Exynos 2400e chip that’s technically one generation behind and slightly watered-down compared to last year’s Galaxy S24 series. The Exynos won’t get you the best gaming performance compared to the Snapdragon 8 Elite, but, in fairness, it will easily keep up with everyday tasks and even multi-tasking.

Speaking of multitasking, Samsung has bumped the minimum amount of RAM on the Galaxy S25 series to 12GB compared to 8GB on the S24 FE. This move coincides with the tech industry’s increasing adoption of AI models, which can take up a significant chunk of memory on their own. While most of the Galaxy AI features announced for the S25 family will trickle down to the S24 FE, the flagship clearly has much more headroom for the future.

Over the years, I’ve also noticed several smaller differences while holding Samsung’s Fan Edition phones alongside the company’s premium models such as the Galaxy S25.

Take the display size, for instance, which is a big differentiating factor between the two phones. The base S25 houses a 6.2-inch display, while the S24 FE has a much larger 6.7-inch panel. The latter is actually on par with the S25 Plus, which is another step up in price and touches the $1,000 price point. While my hands can easily accommodate a large phone, I can’t say the same for my partner who vastly prefers compact phones like the Galaxy S25. Depending on your preferences, the larger Galaxy S24 FE may not even be worth considering.

The Galaxy S24 FE’s less premium construction also means it weighs a considerable amount more than the smaller S25. In fact, it’s a full 23 grams heavier than even the similarly-sized S25 Plus.

On the subject of materials, the S24 FE uses the older Gorilla Glass Victus Plus while the S25 gets Gorilla Glass 2. I rarely drop my phone and install a screen protector upon unboxing, so I wouldn’t pick my phone based on this spec alone. However, the improved durability can be useful if you’re looking to use the phone for several years.

Setting aside the above for a bit, I have to admit that the Galaxy S24 FE is an equally solid choice — especially if you’re looking to get the most value for your money. The S24 FE retains many flagship-level features, such as eSIM support, an IP68 water resistance rating, seven years of software updates, and even Samsung DeX support. It truly does earn its place in the Galaxy S portfolio.

Moreover, if camera performance matters to you, the Galaxy S24 FE manages to deliver on that front without too many sacrifices. The Fan Edition phone features the same triple-camera setup as its flagship siblings, including a telephoto zoom lens. It won’t deliver the exact same results since the S25 family boasts larger sensors across the board, but we were very impressed by the S24 FE in our review. All in all, the Fan Edition’s cameras are more than capable for everyday shots and social media.

All of that would be reason enough to consider the S24 FE, but the price difference makes it even more attractive than the Galaxy S25.

While Samsung lists the S24 FE at $649, I have seen it go on sale for as low as $500. Even at its typical discounted price of $550, it’s a decent bit cheaper than the base S25’s $799 launch price. This $200 to $250 price gap has been a recurring theme over the years and was what motivated me to buy the Galaxy S21 FE over the S22 a few years ago. I didn’t regret my decision for the time I owned the phone, and it has aged very gracefully over the years in the hands of a family member.

Having said that, the Galaxy S25 will also eventually go on sale. With a narrower price gap between the Fan Edition and flagship models, you might want to weigh your options wisely.

As a power user, I can personally justify the S25’s premium price tag for many of the reasons outlined above. However, I might not enjoy the compact size of the regular S25 coming from a larger flagship and would have to spring for the S25 Plus instead. This is where the pendulum swings back in the S24 FE’s favor since it’s the perfect size at a fraction of the price. So to quickly summarize, here’s a quick rundown of which phone you should choose depending on your priorities and budget:

• You should buy the Galaxy S25 if you want one of the most powerful and feature-complete phones on the market, especially in a compact form factor.
• If you’re strapped for cash, consider the Galaxy S24 FE to get most of the flagship features at a significantly lower price point.
• The Galaxy S25 Plus is the true no-compromise smartphone, with a larger battery and all-round better specs than the S24 FE.
• You can expect a similar software experience across all devices, although the Galaxy S25 family will likely get new AI features for longer.
• Generally speaking, Samsung’s mainline flagships tend to hold better resale value if you plan on upgrading after a couple of years.

Which Samsung phone would you rather buy? Let us know in the poll above.