Why Is The New Model More Expensive?

Samsung simply launched the Galaxy S26 FE at its Unpacked August 2026 launch event. The corporate’s newest Fan Version smartphone is a comply with as much as the Galaxy S25 FE that was launched in September 2025. One factor you may discover is the upper worth. The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE began at $649 whereas the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE begins at $699, which is $50 extra.

There are a number of doable causes for this enhance, together with a slight bump in specs. It probably additionally has one thing to do with the RAM provide disaster, which has resulted in rising costs for tech throughout the board. When taking a look at how these two telephones evaluate and what you get with the Galaxy S26 FE that you do not with the Galaxy S25 FE, nonetheless, there is not an enormous distinction. That may provide you with pause when deciding which one to get or if it is well worth the improve.

Each telephones have an identical screens with the identical specs, together with a 6.7-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x show with as much as 120Hz refresh price. However the new Samsung Galaxy S26 FE runs on a barely boosted Exynos 2500 (3nm) processor in comparison with the Exynos 2400 (4nm) processor within the Galaxy S25 FE. Whereas we have not but examined them in opposition to each other, face to face benchmarks for these two processors recommend that you’re going to get higher gaming efficiency with the Exynos 2500 together with barely improved battery effectivity.

The Galaxy S26 FE comes with Android 17 and One UI 9 out of the field. Being a 12 months previous, the Galaxy S25 FE comes with Android 16 and One UI 8, however you possibly can replace it to the brand new OS. 

Each storage choices accessible within the US (128GB and 256GB) faucet out at 8GB of RAM, just like the S25 FE. The 2025 and 2026 telephones each have 4,900mAh batteries and help the identical 45W wired charging speeds as nicely (together with quick wi-fi). Nevertheless, a 30-minute cost will get you to 69 % battery ranges with the Galaxy S26 FE versus 65 % with the Galaxy S25 FE. That may not sound like loads, however if you’re within the crimson, each little bit of energy counts!

Surprisingly, there isn’t any bump to the digicam specs, which might have at the least helped justify the worth hike in addition to the existence of the S26 FE altogether. Each have a 12MP ultrawide digicam, 50MP primary digicam, 8MP telephoto digicam with 3x optical zoom and 12MP entrance digicam.

Whereas Samsung touts the Galaxy digicam and AI experiences of the Galaxy S26 FE, you possibly can entry most of these with the Galaxy S25 FE as nicely. There are new options like My FanCam that come natively with the Galaxy S26 FE, in addition to the brand new Galaxy Z Fold 8 line announced in July. With this characteristic, you possibly can choose a selected topic from a video and alter framing to comply with them, very like you possibly can monitor with a gimbal digicam. This reduces the quantity of guide enhancing wanted for a video. The characteristic is a part of One UI 9, however it requires superior neural processing, so you will not be capable to entry it on the Galaxy S25 FE.

There’s additionally Horizontal Lock, introduced with the Galaxy S26 series phones, an improve to Tremendous Regular mode that captures video in a constant orientation, even for those who bodily rotate the gadget. Whereas it is doable this characteristic may come to the Galaxy S25 sequence, it is not confirmed.

The brand new telephone additionally brings ahead options like New Temporary, Now Nudge and Circle to Search. However there are enhancements. With Now Temporary, you get customizable briefing playing cards for issues like climate and wellness, and might even create your personal. Now Nudge now consists of help for third-party apps and notifications. And with Circle to Search, you possibly can lookup a number of objects in a photograph on the identical time. However once more, all these options include an OS replace that ought to carry over to the Galaxy S25 FE as nicely.

So, if you break it down, the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE’s primary updates are its boosted processor, presumed barely higher battery effectivity and charging velocity (depending on real-world testing), doubtlessly unique digicam and AI options like My FanCam, the newest OS model out of the field and one further 12 months of help. It is doable these all added as much as price you $50 extra. Greater than probably, nonetheless, the largest cause for the improve in worth is the RAM provide disaster, which sadly reveals no indicators of slowing down.

The same specs between these telephones confirms that the Galaxy S26 FE is nothing greater than an iterative replace. That is disappointing contemplating that our Galaxy S25 FE reviewer identified that this last-gen telephone was additionally an iterative replace from the Galaxy S24 FE earlier than it. So, there isn’t any cause to improve, and for those who’re shopping for new, you might even discover extra worth in saving that $50 and going for the Galaxy S25 FE as an alternative.

Conversely, you might need to think about spending the additional $100 to get the bottom Samsung Galaxy S26, which is on sale on the time of this writing for $799.99. With it, you get double the beginning storage at 256GB, a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and extra RAM at 12GB. Although it does have a smaller battery, it’s also a extra compact gadget with a 6.3-inch show. However you may discover you get extra worth out of that mannequin.