Samsung's mid-cycle flagship costs more this year and still borrows its cameras from last year's model.
The Galaxy S26 FE went on sale September 4, 2026, starting at $699 for the 128GB version - $50 more than the S25 FE cost at launch. That price sits $200 below the base Galaxy S26 and $400 below the S26 Plus, though both of those phones ship with double the storage by default. Buyers do get six free months of Google AI Pro, worth about $120, bundled in. The camera setup - a 50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, and 8MP telephoto - is identical to the S25 FE's, and even the full-price S26 and S26 Plus only improve on it with a higher-resolution zoom lens.
Samsung is selling the FE line on camera quality and AI features, but neither argument holds up well: the camera hardware hasn't moved in a year, and marquee AI tools like FanCam are already trickling down to cheaper phones too. The features that actually stand out - a big 6.7-inch screen, a 4,900mAh battery, and surprisingly strong gaming performance - aren't the ones getting top billing in Samsung's pitch.
A $50 price hike for the same camera sensors is a tough sell dressed up as a fan favorite.