(VIDEO) Samsung Launches Galaxy S26 FE at $699: 10 Things You Need to Know About This New Phone Today

SEOUL, South Korea — Samsung Electronics officially unveiled the Galaxy S26 FE on Thursday, introducing the latest entry in its "Fan Edition" lineup as a lower-cost alternative to its flagship Galaxy S26 series, with the device set to hit store shelves next week.

The launch continues a strategy Samsung has pursued for several years: offering a pared-down version of its flagship hardware and software at a more accessible price point, aimed at consumers who want many of the same features found in the company's top-tier phones without paying full flagship prices. Here are 10 things to know about the new device.

1. It's available starting next week

The Galaxy S26 FE will be available from select carriers starting Sept. 3, with nationwide availability in the United States beginning Sept. 4, according to Droid Life. Some carriers may offer the device a day earlier than the general release date.

2. It costs more than its predecessor

The new model will retail for $699 in the U.S., $50 more than the Galaxy S25 FE it replaces, according to How-To Geek. In Europe, the device is priced at €799. The price increase reflects a broader trend across Samsung's 2026 lineup, with several models this year costing more than their predecessors.

3. It runs on a new, more efficient processor

The Galaxy S26 FE moves to a 3-nanometer Exynos 2500 chip, an upgrade from the 4-nanometer Exynos 2400 found in the previous generation. The newer manufacturing process is expected to deliver both improved performance and better power efficiency compared with last year's model.

4. The display stays largely the same

The device features a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and peak brightness of 1,900 nits, according to Droid Life. That represents continuity rather than a major upgrade over the S25 FE's screen specifications.

5. It has a triple rear camera system

The Galaxy S26 FE ships with a 50-megapixel main wide-angle sensor, a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens, and an 8-megapixel telephoto lens offering 3x optical zoom. Samsung has also incorporated what it describes as advanced image processing improvements across the camera system compared with the prior generation.

6. The selfie camera got an upgrade

One of the more notable hardware changes is an upgraded 12-megapixel front-facing camera, which Samsung says is designed to capture more people in group shots, an improvement over the front camera used in the S25 FE.

7. Battery capacity increased slightly

The device comes equipped with a 4,900mAh battery supporting 45W wired charging, an increase over the battery capacity found in last year's model, giving users modestly longer battery life between charges.

8. It borrows premium features from Samsung's flagship lineup

Much of what sets the S26 FE apart from its predecessor comes through software rather than hardware. The device includes FanCam, a feature that debuted on Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8 devices, which uses intelligent tracking to keep a selected subject centered and properly framed during video or photo capture. It also includes Super Steady video recording with Horizontal Lock, designed to keep footage level, along with improved Nightography low-light photography and Photo Assist editing tools.

9. It includes Samsung's newest AI features

The Galaxy S26 FE ships with access to Now Nudge and Now Brief, AI-powered productivity features previously available on the Galaxy S26 and S25 series. Now Nudge is designed to help automate certain phone tasks, such as adding items to a calendar or surfacing relevant files based on context, according to Droid Life. The device runs Android 17 with Samsung's One UI 9 software layer on top.

10. It comes with long-term software support and multiple color options

Samsung is offering the Galaxy S26 FE with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, an IP68 water and dust resistance rating, and what the company says will be seven years of software updates, extending the device's usable lifespan well beyond typical smartphone upgrade cycles. The phone is available in three color options: Blueberry, Pistachio and Graphite.

Where it fits in Samsung's lineup

The Galaxy S26 FE occupies a specific niche within Samsung's broader Android lineup, positioned above budget options like the $550 Galaxy A57 5G but well below the pricing of Samsung's full flagship Galaxy S26 series. How-To Geek described the device as landing in "sweet spots in both Samsung's lineup and the Android phone market at large," even as the company's decision to raise the price by $50 over last year's model has drawn some criticism from potential buyers weighing the value proposition against competitors.

A response to rising phone prices industrywide

The launch comes amid a broader trend of rising smartphone prices across the industry, driven in part by higher component costs, including memory chips. Samsung's FE line has historically served as a counterweight to that trend, offering a way for budget-conscious consumers to access many flagship-level features without paying full price for the company's top-tier devices.

With the Galaxy S26 FE now officially announced and set to reach store shelves within days, attention turns to how the device performs against both Samsung's own more expensive Galaxy S26 lineup and competing devices from rivals like Apple, whose iPhone 18 Pro lineup is expected to launch later this month. For consumers deciding between generations, some reviewers have suggested that shoppers already satisfied with the Galaxy S25 FE may find the incremental upgrades in this year's model, concentrated mainly in the processor and software rather than the core hardware, insufficient to justify an immediate upgrade.