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Samsung Galaxy S24 FE Hands-on: Galaxy AI & 7 Years of Updates? Yes Please
September 30, 2024 Andrew Cheng

The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE is the Korean company’s latest flagship smartphone, and it brings many features of the higher-end Galaxy S24 series to a (relatively) affordable price point. From Galaxy AI to seven years of software and security updates, these two features already make the S24 FE quite a compelling smartphone.

Granted, starting at RM3,299, the Galaxy S24 FE is not exactly an affordable device per se. But for that kind of money, the phone does offer close to a flagship smartphone experience, especially if you value good software support and some neat AI-powered features.

Compared to last year’s Galaxy S23 FE, the Galaxy S24 FE features a bigger display now. More specifically, it is now a 6.7-inch 2340 x 1080 Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen over the S23 FE’s 6.4-inch panel. As the phone is physically bigger now, it also gets a more generous 4,700mAh battery; that’s 200mAh more than the 4,500mAh cell of the S23 FE.

Aside from that, the Galaxy S24 FE is also powered by a Samsung chip, the Exynos 2400e deca-core chipset. Compared to the standard Exynos 2400 of the Galaxy S24+, I was told this “e” version features slightly lower clock speeds (3.1GHz vs. 3.2GHz). With that in mind, it will be interesting to see the performance difference between the two chips.

For what it’s worth, based on my brief time testing the S24 FE, it does feel fast and snappy with no noticeable slowdown. Apps launch very quickly, the camera interface is responsive, and all in all, it feels just as fast as any flagship Android smartphone in the market now. Of course, I’ll be sure to put the Exynos 2400e through its paces in the full review.

In terms of build quality, the Galaxy S24 FE feels reasonably premium in my hands. The aluminium frame, even though it doesn’t feel quite as high-end as the Armor Aluminium frame of the Galaxy S24 series, has a nice matte texture to it. On a side note, I do wish the glass back of the S24 FE isn’t glossy; it makes the phone look a tad cheap, in my opinion. Nonetheless, the phone is still IP68-rated, so it can survive being submerged up to 1.5m underwater for 30 minutes.

And then there’s the slew of Galaxy AI features that are available on the S24 FE, which look to mirror that of the main S24 line. There’s Interpreter for real-time translation – which I absolutely love – Circle to Search, and various AI image editing tools that make use of generative AI. While the competition are offering similar features now, many Galaxy AI features are processed on-device; that is, it doesn’t rely on internet connectivity to work.

Plus, there’s the fact that Samsung promises seven years of software and security updates with the S24 FE. Not many Android manufacturers provide such a comprehensive software support for their main flagship smartphones, let alone a more affordable device like the S24 FE.

Last but not least is the camera performance of the Galaxy S24 FE. It features a triple camera system made up of a 50MP main shooter, a 12MP ultra-wide sensor, and an 8MP telephoto lens. Collectively, all three sensors feel quite capable, though it’s worth mentioning that I tested the camera under bright, ideal conditions.

Now, let’s talk prices. Two variants of the Galaxy S24 FE are offered in Malaysia. The base 256GB model goes for RM3,299, while the 512GB variant is priced at RM3,899. It’s worth noting that both variants feature 8GB RAM for our market, and four colours are available: Mint, Blue, Grey, and Graphite.

Compared to last year’s Galaxy S23 FE, there is actually no price increase with the S24 FE, though the more affordable 128GB is no longer offered. But hey, at least there’s the option for a 512GB model now, which is much more practical than a 128GB version.

At these price points, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE is really worth considering for folks who want the flagship experience on a slight budget. While the phone retails from RM3,299, Samsung Malaysia is running various pre-order promotions now until 3 October, which offer up to RM900 worth of discounts.

These include a RM300 early bird discount, an additional RM300 rebate by joining the “#AITroop,” as well as an enhanced trade-in offer worth RM300. If you can get all of these rebates, the starting price of the S24 FE goes down to RM2,399. That’s really quite an attractive price point for a smartphone of this calibre, even though you do have to jump through a few hoops to secure the deal.

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