I take advantage of a mid-range smartphone and do not remorse it in any respect

Not way back, I used to improve my smartphone yearly as a result of I could not afford to overlook out on the most recent options. I needed to expertise cutting-edge tech and loved the bragging rights that got here with proudly owning a flagship product. Lately, most telephone manufacturers have stagnated within the innovation division, and we get annual iterative updates which are barely definitely worth the effort. It seems like manufacturers choose working inside their consolation zone, taking part in it protected to carry on to their established fan bases, and it is not price splashing money on the most recent flagship.

At the very least, that is how I felt when my Samsung Galaxy S22 lastly developed points after years of service, and I wanted to discover a substitute that was highly effective sufficient to deal with most day by day duties and had an honest digicam. Ordinarily, it could be a no brainer, and I might select from one of many newest flagships, which might imply one of many Galaxy S25+ or S25 Ultra fashions. Nevertheless, after purchasing round, I made a decision on a mid-range Galaxy S24 FE due to a mixture of things. This is the reason I take advantage of a mid-range smartphone and do not remorse it in any respect.

Value

Everybody desires the very best deal

Value might be the deciding think about most buying choices, as most of us have a funds and wish the very best worth for our cash. When evaluating costs on Amazon, the usual Samsung S25 prices $860 for the 256GB model and was marked right down to $780. The Samsung S25+ with an identical storage capability sells for $1,000 and was obtainable for $850 with a limited-time deal, whereas the S25 Extremely usually retails for $1,300 and was marked right down to $1,050. I wasn’t within the S25 Edge, which is obtainable on particular for round $1,100.

However, the Samsung S24 FE is obtainable for $590. It is $190 lower than the S25, $260 lower than the S25+, and a whopping $460 lower than the S25 Extremely. The S25 vary arguably has extra energy and higher options, and whether or not the value distinction is justified or not will depend on what I am utilizing the telephone for. In my case, it is day by day use and testing a variety of apps and AI options. To color a clearer image, I in contrast the options I take advantage of essentially the most to see how the S24 FE stacks up towards its premium rivals.

Show

Giant and clear

The show is without doubt one of the first issues I take into account when shopping for a telephone, as a result of I will spend numerous hours it for work and play. It have to be giant sufficient to work on whereas being responsive, providing vibrant colours, and that includes a excessive refresh fee. The Samsung Galaxy S24 ticked most of my containers with a big 6.7-inch AMOLED show providing 1080 x 2340 decision, a 120Hz adaptive refresh fee, and 1,900 nits of peak brightness. It is the identical measurement because the S25+, however cannot match the pricier telephone’s greater 1440 x 3120 decision, and a couple of,600 nits of peak brightness.

The S24 FE’s show may lag on paper, nevertheless it nonetheless affords crisp visuals with vibrant colours and wonderful distinction, making it perfect for typing, watching motion pictures, and consuming content material. I solely discover its decrease total brightness when attempting to look at movies outdoors within the sunshine, and it is not a dealbreaker for me as a result of I normally use my telephone indoors.

Digicam

An important smartphone instrument

I want an honest digicam on my telephone as a result of I usually take product photographs for work and revel in taking outside photographs in my free time. The Galaxy S24 FE will get the job completed with a 50-megapixel most important digicam, a 12-megapixel ultrawide digicam, and an 8-megapixel telephoto digicam. It is a related setup to the usual S24, which has a slight edge as a consequence of its bigger picture processor. One other space the place the S24 excels is the 12-megapixel selfie digicam, which affords higher distinction in comparison with the S24 FE’s 10-megapixel variant.

The usual S25 and S25+ supply related digicam capabilities to the S24, however are bolstered by AI instruments to enhance their imagery. Photographers and different professionals searching for the very best digicam system will likely be higher off with the S25 Extremely supplied they’re blissful assembly the hefty price ticket for its 200-megapixel most important and 50-megapixel ultrawide cameras.

Energy

The engine that runs all of it

Energy is a serious consideration when shopping for any telephone as a result of it should have sufficient oomph to deal with multitasking, apps, gaming, and different demanding duties. The Samsung S24 features a stripped-down model of the Exynos 2400e chipset, paired with 8GB of RAM, which is barely decrease than the usual S24’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or Exynos 2400 with 8GB of RAM. It is no shock that the usual S24 affords superior efficiency to the S24 FE, though the distinction is not vital and solely noticeable in intensive gaming and AI duties.

For me, the S24 FE affords easy efficiency and would not really feel underpowered for day by day duties.

Nevertheless, the hole is much wider towards the newer Samsung S25, which runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and 12GB of RAM. The S25 affords noticeably higher efficiency as a consequence of its quicker chip and elevated reminiscence, and there isn’t any lag when operating AI instruments or video games.

For me, the S24 FE affords easy efficiency and would not really feel underpowered for day by day duties, like operating a number of apps, watching movies, and typing paperwork. I might most likely really feel in another way if I had been into cell gaming or utilizing resource-hungry AI instruments day by day. I feel the S24 FE affords adequate capabilities for many smartphone patrons, however there isn’t any doubt that the premium S25 vary is a better option for energy customers wanting the very best.

Battery life

The longer, the higher

Most of us spend hours on our telephones per day and want the battery to final so long as potential earlier than recharging. The Samsung S24 FE contains a 6,700 mAh battery, 700 mAh greater than the usual S24, to accommodate the bigger show. The newer, however smaller S25 has a 4,000 mAh battery, whereas the S25+ has a 4,900 mAh battery to energy a equally sized 6.7-inch show.

To date, I’ve discovered the S24 FE to have wonderful battery life. It simply lasts a complete day with heavy use, and I by no means have to fret about recharging it. That is probably as a consequence of a mixture of the mid-range chip, which requires much less energy, and a big battery. That mentioned, most premium telephones have wonderful battery life when new and can probably ship related outcomes, with a few hours distinction between them. In terms of charging, the S24 FE matches the S25’s 25W wired and 15W wi-fi speeds, however cannot compete with the S25+ and S25 Extremely, which provide 45W wired charging.

No regrets

A midrange telephone works for me

I used to be initially skeptical about getting a mid-range telephone, however my fears had been unfounded after attempting it out. It is because the hole between flagships and different fashions has by no means been nearer, and yearly we’re solely seeing minimal efficiency and digicam upgrades, with no groundbreaking options to get enthusiastic about.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE ticks most of my containers, providing acceptable energy, an acceptable display screen measurement, and respectable battery life for an affordable worth. Is it good? No, premium telephones are nonetheless a greater possibility if you happen to want essentially the most processing energy, however you get what you pay for, and the S24 FE performs effectively contemplating its cheaper price tag.

I’ve at all times chosen flagships prior to now as a result of they provided a level of future-proofing, however now I am happier saving my cash and receiving seven years of software program updates on a mid-range mannequin that meets my wants.