Samsung, Google, and OnePlus are all chasing the same buyer right now: someone who wants near-flagship performance without paying four figures. The problem is that their midrange lines are starting to collide, and the Galaxy S24 FE is the most aggressive example so far.
On paper, this is supposed to be Samsung’s “fan” phone — a cheaper way to get the Galaxy S24 experience. In reality, it’s a $650 device trying to convince you to skip the $500 Pixel 8a and OnePlus 12R, and sometimes even the discounted base Galaxy S24. That has real consequences for how much value Android users are actually getting.
Color refresh and a familiar design, for a higher price
Samsung is clearly planning to keep the S24 FE visually aligned with the rest of its 2024 lineup. Leaks point to a design that mostly mirrors the Galaxy S23 FE, just with some tweaks like moving the SIM tray to the top instead of next to the USB-C port.
The bigger change is cosmetic: five color variants — black, gray, light blue, light green, and yellow. These likely map to Samsung’s usual marketing shades like Graphite, Mint, and Indigo, with yellow and gray stepping in where Cream and Tangerine used to sit.
None of this is bad. The flat, rectangular chassis with lightly chamfered edges matches current flagship trends. Next to a Pixel 9, Galaxy Z Fold 6, or iPhone 16, the S24 FE doesn’t look like a cheaper cousin. Compared with the Pixel 8a’s plastic back and the OnePlus 12R’s curvier profile, Samsung’s approach simply feels more premium.
The catch: you’re paying for that look. At $650, this isn’t a “budget” phone. It’s a midranger that’s creeping into flagship deal territory, especially when the standard Galaxy S24 regularly drops to similar prices.
Exynos 2400 power: finally, the chip isn’t the problem
For years, Android reviewers told people that processors didn’t matter much once you hit a certain threshold. That stopped being true when phones started running on‑device AI and promising seven years of updates.
Samsung dumped the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 used in the Galaxy S23 FE and went with its own Exynos 2400 in the S24 FE. Based on the benchmarks, that was the right call. In Geekbench 6, the Galaxy S24 FE lands at 1,896 single-core and 4,820 multi-core.
Stack that against the direct competition:
– Galaxy S23 FE (Snapdragon 8 Gen 1): 1,552 / 4,015
– OnePlus 12R (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2): 1,563 / 5,153
– Pixel 8a (Tensor G3): 1,683 / 4,340
– Galaxy S24 (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy): 2,228 / 6,656
The S24 FE clearly outpaces Samsung’s own last-gen FE, beats the Pixel 8a, and comes close to the OnePlus 12R in multi-core. It doesn’t touch the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the S24, but that’s expected.
In real use, the phone holds up. Swapping from heavy hitters like the Pixel 9, iPhone 16 Pro, or Galaxy Z Fold 6 to the S24 FE didn’t cause any obvious slowdowns in day-to-day tasks. That’s a big deal for a midranger that’s supposed to last years while running more complex AI workloads.
The blunt truth: the $500 crowd finally has to care about silicon again. Tensor G3 already struggles with on-device AI like Gemini Nano on the Pixel 8a, and that’s before years of updates pile on. Exynos 2400e in the S24 FE might age better under Samsung’s One UI and Galaxy AI roadmap.
Display and build: big, flat, and on trend
There’s a clear pattern here: Samsung is building the S24 FE the way enthusiasts say they want phones built.
The display is expected to jump from 6.4 inches on the S23 FE to around 6.65–6.7 inches on the S24 FE. Samsung is calling it a 6.7-inch AMOLED panel in its positioning, with a 120Hz refresh rate and a flat design.
Compared to rivals:
– Pixel 8a: 6.1-inch screen, smaller and more compact
– OnePlus 12R: 6.78-inch FHD+ OLED, but curved
All three have strong specs on paper, but if you want a big, flat AMOLED that doesn’t curve off the edges, the S24 FE is the only one of the three that nails that specific combo. In bright outdoor use, OnePlus still wins on raw brightness claims, but over time, the S24 FE’s color and flat geometry make more practical sense than a curved, ultra-bright panel.
Build-wise, the S24 FE lines up visually with Samsung’s more expensive models. That’s not nothing — the Pixel 8a’s plastic and strong curves feel behind the curve stylistically, and the OnePlus 12R’s curves are starting to look dated. You’re paying extra to not feel like you cheaped out.
Camera: telephoto finally hits the midrange
This is where Samsung actually earns the FE label. Camera is still a major reason people jump from midrange to flagship, and the S24 FE is trying to shut that gap.
Hardware on the S24 FE:
– 50MP f/1.8 main camera
– 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide
– 3x telephoto lens
Pixel 8a:
– 64MP f/1.89 main
– 13MP f/2.2 ultra-wide
The OnePlus 12R doesn’t bring a meaningful telephoto to this fight either. Both Pixel 8a and 12R lean on digital zoom and sensor crop.
In real-world shooting, the differences are predictable but still important:
– Daytime: S24 FE goes brighter; Pixel 8a is more detailed and color-accurate, even when it chooses darker exposures.
– Color: Pixel 8a’s greens and blues often look more natural and still pop; S24 FE will brighten scenes to keep everything visible, which some people will love and others will call overprocessed.
Macro is where things get messy. The S24 FE doesn’t have a dedicated macro lens or mode but still manages excellent close-ups, especially with flowers and plants. In bright, tropical conditions, the Samsung shots look more vibrant and lively, while the Pixel 8a sometimes desaturates enough to make colors feel flat.
The problem: the S24 FE’s camera app can bug out after a macro-style shot, refusing to refocus for a wider frame until you restart the app. For anyone who leans hard on their phone camera, that’s annoying at best, a dealbreaker at worst.
Zoom and low light: two very different camera philosophies
The S24 FE’s 3x telephoto might be its single most important feature for camera nerds. Once you use a phone with proper optical zoom, going back to pure digital feels like a downgrade.
The Pixel 8a uses sensor crop to get a clean-ish 2x, then leans on “Super Res Zoom” to push further. In practice, anything beyond 2x starts to fall apart compared to a proper telephoto. In shots like manta rays at a distance, the Pixel 8a simply can’t get close enough — the S24 FE’s 3x optical makes the subject clear, while the Pixel’s version looks like a vague blob.
Night shots flip the script. The S24 FE often looks better in a quick scroll: brighter frames, more visible color. But zoom in and the Pixel 8a consistently pulls ahead in detail.
A good example is a shot of a boat with “Casino Royale” lit up in blue. The S24 FE blows out that sign into a messy glow. The Pixel 8a, at the same time, keeps it legible and sharp while preserving the moodier lighting. Almost every low-light set shows the same pattern: Samsung chooses brightness and loses fine texture; Google chooses detail and controlled exposure.
If you mostly shoot nightlife and low-light scenes, the Pixel 8a is still the smarter buy. If you care more about having telephoto zoom and flexible framing, the S24 FE makes more sense.
Software support and AI: why the chip choice matters
Samsung is promising seven years of software support for the Galaxy S24 FE. That alone would make it competitive with Google’s pitch for the Pixel 8a, which also leans on a seven-year update story.
The difference is what those seven years actually look like. The Pixel 8a is already pushing the limits of Tensor G3 and limited RAM when it comes to on-device AI like Gemini Nano. Google has had trouble porting some AI features cleanly to that hardware.
The S24 FE, with its Exynos 2400e and One UI, is better positioned to pick up future Galaxy AI tricks that may skip weaker devices. OnePlus simply doesn’t match either of them on software longevity or AI depth with the 12R.
This is where the extra $150 over a Pixel 8a or 12R might pay off long term. If Samsung actually follows through with real, feature-rich updates over those seven years, the S24 FE could age more gracefully than its rivals.
The value problem: does the S24 FE deserve to exist?
Here’s the harsh question: if you can regularly find the base Galaxy S24 on sale around the S24 FE’s $650 price, why buy the FE at all?
From a pure consumer perspective, the S24 FE is walking a tightrope. On one side, you have the Pixel 8a and OnePlus 12R delivering fantastic value at $500. On the other side, you have actual flagships dropping in price a few months after launch. The FE sits in the middle, trying to justify itself on a mix of telephoto, big flat AMOLED, better-than-expected Exynos performance, and long-term software support.
If you’re purely chasing price-to-performance, the OnePlus 12R is hard to ignore. If you care about camera detail and night shots, the Pixel 8a hits above its class. The S24 FE is for people who:
– Want a telephoto, period
– Prefer Samsung’s design, display, and One UI
– Plan to keep their phone for years and actually care about long-term AI and feature updates
After serious hands-on time with all three, there’s a strong argument that the S24 FE is worth the extra cash — but only if you lean into what makes it different, not because you vaguely want “a cheaper S24.” If you’re considering it, you should absolutely hunt for deals and promotions first; paying full MSRP when the regular S24 is discounted into striking distance doesn’t make sense.
The midrange Android market is finally good enough that bad buys are mostly about pricing, not hardware quality. The Galaxy S24 FE proves that, for better and worse.
Check back soon as this story develops.