Samsung’s Galaxy S26 FE combines the Exynos 2500 chipset with One UI 9, Android 17 and expanded AI features while retaining much of the S25 FE hardware.
Samsung has officially launched the Galaxy S26 FE, introducing a faster chipset, Android 17 and One UI 9 alongside a broader selection of AI-powered features. The new Fan Edition smartphone retains much of the hardware design of the Galaxy S25 FE but focuses on performance and software upgrades.
The Galaxy S26 FE will run Android 17 with Samsung’s One UI 9 interface out of the box, making it the first model in the Galaxy S26 family to launch with the new software.
Samsung has not officially confirmed the chipset in its launch information, but the phone is expected to use the Exynos 2500. Built on a 3-nanometer process, the chipset was previously used in the Galaxy Z Flip7. It represents an upgrade over the Exynos 2400 found in the Galaxy S25 FE, with newer CPU cores, an AMD RDNA 3-based GPU and expanded NPU hardware for AI workloads.
AI is a major focus of the Galaxy S26 FE. One UI 9 introduces My FanCam, which can track a selected person in an existing video, automatically adjusting the zoom to keep them near the center of the frame.
The phone also supports Horizon Lock, designed to keep video level when the device rotates during recording. Samsung has further improved Nightography for brighter and clearer video in low-light conditions.
Photo Assist allows users to make image edits using natural-language instructions, including changing backgrounds and adding or removing objects. One UI 9 also improves Now Brief, allowing users to create text-based widgets through natural-language commands and display summarized information in simple cards.
The rear camera system consists of a 50MP main camera, an 8MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and a 12MP ultrawide camera. A 12MP front camera handles selfies and video calls.
Samsung is promising seven years of operating system updates and security patches. Buyers will also receive a six-month Google AI Pro trial, valued at $120, with 5TB of cloud storage.
The Galaxy S26 FE will go on sale Sept. 4 in Blueberry, Pistachio and Graphite. Some carriers may offer it earlier. The 128GB model with 8GB of RAM starts at $700, while a 256GB version will also be available. Some markets will receive a 512GB option.
The starting price is $50 higher than the 128GB Galaxy S25 FE’s launch price. Pricing and availability for markets outside the initial launch regions, including Pakistan, have not yet been confirmed.
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