Samsung Galaxy S26 FE Launched in Nepal: What’s New This Year?

The primary purpose of Samsung’s FE series is to offer flagship Galaxy S features at a more affordable price. Samsung has rolled out this year’s FE option, and things are a little different from last year’s S25 FE series — a little!

The latest FE update brings a new chipset, the latest software, and more Galaxy AI features. But as is always the case with non-flagship Samsung phones, the S26 FE does not feel like a straightforward upgrade over the S25 FE.

Therefore, does the new Galaxy S26 FE even make sense? Let’s find out!

Samsung’s FE lineup isn’t particularly known for being a “value for money” pick. But could that change with the S26? Let’s go ahead and discuss it in the overview section.

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE Overview

The Galaxy S26 FE gets the design update Samsung’s entire lineup has gotten — the camera pill replacing individual lens cutouts. This gives the FE a similar silhouette to the S-series phones. However, there is still a slight difference between them.

The camera cutouts on the flagship S26 are slightly elevated compared to the camera pill, while the FE’s camera cutouts are level with it. Due to this tiny detail, the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE actually looks closer to the latest A series phones than to the S series.

This phone is basically a bridge between the two series, so I don’t really mind it looking like the A57, especially since its performance is closer to the flagship end. It is powered by the Exynos 2500, which debuted in the Galaxy Flip7 last year.

This chip is built on a 3nm fabrication process, which is a step up from the 4nm process the Exynos 2400 — which powered the S24 FE — was built on. Likewise, the peak clock speed on the Exynos 2500 has also gone up to 3.3GHz, while the 2400 capped at 3.2GHz.

The reputation of Exynos chips wasn’t great a while back. But Samsung’s decision to debut the Exynos 2500 in their higher-selling folding option at the time, and then ship the base Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus with the Exynos 2600, speaks to their growing confidence in its silicon.

So far, I have covered the changes the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE brings over the S25 FE. Now, from here, the changes are almost non-existent. The phone features a 6.7-inch AMOLED panel with FHD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and up to 1,900 nits brightness.

While it seems Samsung has shipped this year’s FE with the same display as last year, the screen-to-body ratio has dipped slightly to about 88.7% from about 89.2%. This is because the phone has actually grown its length and width slightly, while the thickness remains the same.

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Despite growing in size, the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE does not pack a bigger battery, sticking with the same 4,900mAh capacity. I find this a bit unusual, especially since Samsung has already introduced silicon-carbon battery tech in the new Galaxy Fold8 series. You’d think the Galaxy S26 FE would get the same treatment. But here we are!

The charging also remains unchanged at 45W. So do the cameras, with a 12MP ultrawide, a 50MP main with OIS, and an 8MP telephoto with OIS and 3x optical zoom. Meanwhile, the front sensor is again 12MP.

So, what changed this year other than design and chipset? The software.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE comes with One UI 9 based on Android 17, making it the first phone in the S-series lineup to get the latest version of One UI. This new software update provides more personalised information through customisable cards and Now Nudge.

It also gets the MyFanCam feature, which created quite some buzz and was only available on the latest Galaxy foldables. With this feature, you can track a selected person in the video without editing in the post. The Horizontal Lock is also here. It’s the same super-steady feature which got introduced in the S26 series and also created a lot of buzz.

While these software features are fun and exciting, Samsung will eventually push them to older phones as well. So, at the end of the day, the only things different with the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE are the design and the chipset.

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As I mentioned earlier, the Samsung Galaxy FE lineup isn’t exactly known as a value-for-money pick, and the story is still the same with the latest offering. You could get “better” phones at this price.

For instance, there is the POCO F8 Pro. Its hardware outdoes Samsung in almost all aspects. But it benefited from entering the Nepali market earlier, and the worldwide price hike is not affecting it as much as it will affect the Galaxy S26 FE.

Looking at recent phones, the Xiaomi 17T is a standout option that outperforms Samsung in the camera department. However, its plastic frames and software experience will remind you why everyone rates Samsung as a premier brand.

All in all, the Samsung Galaxy FE lineup might not feel like a steal of an offering. But it will still make its way as one of the good, not very exciting, and safe picks in the price point. That’s just how Samsung rolls.

What are your thoughts on the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE? Let us know in the comments below!