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Samsung’s upcoming iPhone 16e rival is shaping up to be a value champion

Slimmer, lighter, faster, and charges as fast as the Galaxy S25 Ultra? That's quite some upgrade.

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Samsung Galaxy S24 FE.
Digital Trends

Samsung’s next flagship is also getting the slimmed-down treatment, following in the footsteps of the Galaxy S25 Edge and its latest foldable phone. But it seems the thinner waistline and 11% lighter weight profile on the upcoming Galaxy S25 FE will come with an odd mix of upgrades and expected downgrades in tow.

Though the design remains identical, the Galaxy S25 FE will reportedly be thinner (7.4mm vs 8mm), according to SammyGuru. Another notable upgrade is the front camera, which is reportedly getting a more powerful 12-megapixel sensor, similar to the mainline Galaxy S25 smartphone. 

The build is going to be IP68-certified for dust and water resistance, while Gorilla Glass Victus will shield the device. The Galaxy S24 FE received some flak for its “cheap and hollow” in-hand feel. We are hoping that with a thinner and lighter form factor, Samsung has also paid some attention to the build quality on its successor.

What could set it apart?

As per leaks account @MysteryLupin, the upcoming Fan Edition phone by Samsung will come fitted with a smaller 4,500 mAh battery. For comparison, the Galaxy S24 FE is equipped with a 4,700mAh battery. The difference is not huge, but it appears Samsung will make it worth the sacrifice. 

6.7″ AMOLED, 120Hz
Exynos 2400, One UI 8
50MP/12MP/8MP, 12MP front
4,500mAh battery, 45W wired, 15W wireless
IP68, Gorilla Glass Victus, 190g https://t.co/9nscwbZ5mI

— Arsène Lupin (@MysteryLupin) August 1, 2025

The latest leak claims 45W wired charging capability on the upcoming phone, up from 25W charging limit on its predecessor. To recall, Samsung only offers 45W charging on its top-end phones, such as the $1,299 Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. For comparison, the Galaxy S25 FE is going to cost nearly half as much.

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In addition to faster wired top-up, the next Samsung “budget flagship” will retain 15W wireless charging and the ability to juice up other devices using reverse wireless power share. From the looks of it, Samsung’s next could easily beat Apple’s iPhone 16e on practical merits.

What else is on the table?

On the software side, it will run Android 16-based One UI 8 software out of the box. So far, the latest One UI skin is only available on Samsung’s 2025 foldable phones, while the S25 series phones are still awaiting their turn after the beta testing kicked into action a few weeks ago.

As for the rest of the hardware, it seems not much is going to change, save for the year-on-year silicon upgrade. The Galaxy S25 FE is said to get the Exynos 2400 processor, which is slightly more powerful than the Exynos 2400e chip inside its predecessor. 

Over at the front, the phone will reportedly feature a familiar 6.7-inch OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. In the imaging department, it will likely offer a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel sensor for ultrawide capture, and a 10-megapixel sensor for long-range photography. 

If the price remains unchanged, somehow, the Galaxy S25 FE will have no trouble outshining the iPhone 16e at a $50 premium. So far, Samsung hasn’t made any official announcement regarding the Galaxy S25 FE, but given the past launch history, we’re expecting a market arrival in the coming weeks. 

Nadeem Sarwar
Nadeem is the Managing Editor at Digital Trends.
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