Samsung Galaxy S24 FE rumors and leaks: Everything we know so far

Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority

Samsung might be better known for its high-end flagships, but it has also produced quite a few budget-minded Android phones in recent years. One of the more intriguing alternatives to a Samsung flagship is its “FE” series, formerly known as “Fan Edition” phones. These phones typically offer specs and performance similar to the mainline Galaxy S series but at much more aggressive prices, thanks to concessions like a polycarbonate body and a few minor spec downgrades. With the next FE on the horizon, here’s everything we know about the Galaxy S24 FE.

Will there be a Samsung Galaxy S24 FE?

Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority

Although Samsung has yet to confirm the Galaxy S24 FE officially, it’s all but inevitable that there will be another model. Not only is the series reasonably popular, but Samsung consciously made the decision not to release the Galaxy A55 in the United States. That makes the Galaxy S FE series the best cheap “flagship” experience on offer. It would be more than shocking if Samsung axed the series altogether, though it has certainly skipped releasing a model before. At the time, this was largely due to the pandemic, however.

There have been quite a few leaks that have emerged throughout 2024, including a codename (R12), specs, colors, and even a launch window. The model number for the phone (SM-S721U) has appeared in EE’s (a carrier in the UK) database. It has also appeared on the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification website with the model number (SM-S721B/DS). On top of that, the company pretty much confirmed the device when a support page for the model number briefly appeared on Samsung France’s website.

There’s more than enough evidence at this point to be confident that the device not only exists but is also likely to launch soon.

What is the most likely Samsung Galaxy S24 FE release date?

Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority

As for markets where it will be available, the phone’s model number has been spotted in databases for a UK carrier and an Indian regulatory body, so it will probably show up in these countries. More likely than not, it should end up being sold everywhere that the S23 FE was available, including the US.

What rumored specs and features could the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE series have?

The whole point of the FE series is to take the features fans love from the latest generation flagship line and bring them down to a more affordable device. This obviously comes with a few downgrades so it can hit that more cost-friendly price. As such, the S24 FE will share similarities with the Galaxy S24, but it will also differ in some key ways. Let’s get into the rumors and leaks that tell us more about this budget phone.

A leak in June gave us our first look at what the S24 FE could look like. Based on the renders, we see a device that looks an awful lot like the S23 FE. This would make sense as the design didn’t really change much between the S23 series and the S24 series. This device also appears to have a three-rear-camera setup and comes in a light green colorway — slightly different from the Mint color we saw on last year’s model. We also learned from the leak that the handset could measure 162 x 77.3 x 8mm.

Around the same time this leak surfaced, a rumor about the available colorways emerged. While Samsung doesn’t really experiment with the design of the FE, it tends to be a little more adventurous with the colors. According to the rumor, the available colors could include yellow, light green, light blue, gray, and black. Samsung usually gives its colorways specific names, but these names are unknown for now. The FE from last year had two colors that were exclusive to Samsung’s store; it is unclear if that will be the case for 2024.

In what appears to be leaked promotional material (via Android Headlines), we get a few extra details about the design. Where the 2023 model had Gorilla Glass 5, it seems that the S24 FE will be protected by Gorilla Glass Victus Plus on the front and back. The body of the phone may also be surrounded by what looks like an aluminum frame with a polished finish.

Elsewhere, it appears the device will boast a FHD+ 6.7-inch display that’s surrounded by a 1.99mm bezel. It seems as if the bezel won’t be taking up as much real estate as it has done in years prior. This screen reportedly supports a 120Hz refresh rate and gets up to 1,900 nits of brightness.

Meanwhile, a separate leak may have filled in the holes for the rest of the cameras. The S24 FE’s remaining two rear cameras are reportedly a 12MP ultrawide and an 8MP 3x optical zoom lens, while the selfie shooter might be 10MP. These details were further supported by a marketing render (below) from the Android Headlines leak mentioned earlier.

Under the hood, we expect it to have something like a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC or a comparable Exynos chip. There are early indications, however, that the Galaxy S24 FE might have a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or an Exynos 2400 chip, depending on the region. This would mark a departure from the S23 FE, which utilized flagship chips that were a year old.

If it does come with an Exynos 2400 chip, the phone could end up getting a slightly tweaked variant chipset. It’s unclear if this was a typo, but both The Elec and Android Headlines say the handset runs on an Exynos 2400e processor.

Meanwhile, it’s rumored that the phone will be powered by a 4,565mAh battery, which a marketing render (below) claims allows up to 78 hours of audio and 29 hours of video. This would put the battery at just a smidge larger than the 4,500mAh battery in the S23 FE. At the same time, this would place the S24 FE comfortably between the S24’s 4,000mAh battery and the S24 Plus’s 4,900mAh battery.

Ryan Haines / Android Authority

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE

Since the Galaxy S20 FE launched, the FE series has wavered between $599 to $699. It’s particularly notable that the phone that launched in 2023 saw a $100 decline in price compared to its predecessor. Will the S24 FE continue this trend and sell for $599 or will Samsung bring the price back up to $699 or higher?

It’s still too early to say, but it does seem like Samsung is going for a more premium device this time around with slimmer bezels, upgraded Gorilla Glass, and a larger display. Despite that, we believe it’s more likely the tech giant will stay the course and keep the price close to $599.

Should you wait for the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE?

Ryan Haines / Android Authority

Considering we don’t know when the Galaxy S24 FE will arrive, we wouldn’t recommend waiting for it. If you’re a Samsung fan on a budget, you’ll likely be better off finding a deal on the Galaxy S24 ($859.99 at Amazon) right now. Since the phone is now getting old, you’ll be bound to find a few good deals. You could also potentially pick up the Galaxy S23 FE ($599.99 at Amazon), though you might want to wait as the S24 FE could likely have the same seven-year Samsung software policy as Samsung’s newest flagships.

Samsung Galaxy S24

Samsung Galaxy S24

Seven-year update commitment • Neat AI features • Robust battery life

Powerful AI smarts and slimmer bezels

The Samsung Galaxy S24 series focuses on added AI technology. With a 6.2-inch, 120Hz display, 128GB or 256GB of storage, 8GB of RAM, and up to 2,600 nits peak display brightness, the S24 is promising to be a quality update in the line. The new AI features go deep, improving your experience with the camera, search, and much more.

Don’t mind looking outside of Camp Samsung? The Google Pixel 8a ($499 at Amazon) has recently launched, and its older brother, the Pixel 7a ($477 at Amazon) might still be worth a look.