The Galaxy S26 FE has been unveiled by Samsung, with the handset due to go on sale on Friday 4 September. The new model carries a higher price than its predecessor, despite offering a relatively short list of upgrades.
At present, Samsung.com does not have a pre-order page, offering instead the option to sign up for a notification once the device becomes available. The key changes centre on the Exynos 2500 chipset, also found in the Z Flip7, and Android 17 with One UI 9 out of the box. Beyond that, the specification sheet remains familiar. The phone features a 6.7in 1080p+ (120Hz) display, a 50+8+12MP camera arrangement and a 4,900mAh battery with 45W wired and 15W wireless charging.
The Galaxy S25 FE is currently out of stock, which would otherwise have served as a strong alternative given the modest gains of the newer model. That leaves several other options worth considering.
Galaxy S26 Series and Other Samsung Alternatives
The Samsung Galaxy A57 also has a 6.7in 1080p+ OLED display, though with several cutbacks. The Exynos 1680 sits on an older node, the 50+12MP camera omits the 8MP 3x telephoto, and the 5,000mAh battery supports only 45W wired charging with no wireless option. It is, however, considerably cheaper.
The mainline Galaxy S26 series presents another route. The standard Galaxy S26 is smaller, with a 6.3in display and a 4,300mAh battery paired with slower 25W wired charging, but it carries the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy alongside 12GB of RAM. Base storage across the three mainline models is 256GB, unlike the FE.
The Samsung Galaxy S26+ stands out, with its 256GB variant currently around £75 more than the 256GB FE. It pairs the top Snapdragon chip with 12GB of RAM and a sharper 6.7in LTPO panel at 1440p+ resolution. The 4,900mAh battery supports 45W wired charging. The Galaxy S26 Ultra remains the premium choice, featuring a 6.9in 1440p+ LTPO display with Privacy mode and S Pen support, plus a 200MP 1/1.3in main camera, 10MP 3x and 50MP 5x telephoto lenses, and a 50MP ultra-wide.
Nothing Phone (3) and Phone (4a) Pro
Beyond Samsung, the Nothing Phone (3) offers a 6.67in display at 1260p+ resolution. It runs the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 and features triple 50MP cameras, including a 1/1.3in main sensor, a 3x telephoto and a 114° ultra-wide. The selfie camera also uses a 50MP sensor. The 5,150mAh battery supports 65W wired and 15W wireless charging.
Around £520 either buys an 8/128GB S26 FE or a 16/512GB Nothing Phone (3). The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro provides a cheaper option, with a
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Image: gsmarena.com
