Samsung Galaxy S24 FE Review (2025): Real-Life Test, Camera & Battery Notes for India Users
Why I Got the S24 FE And Did a 7-Day Real-Life Test
I bought the Galaxy S24 FE because I wanted a phone that doesn’t cost flagship money but feels close to flagship especially for daily life in India. My days often involve long hours out: commuting, editing content, browsing social apps, clicking photos, and dealing with heat, crowds, and limited lighting.Most reviews you see online are quick: a few hours with the phone, some sample photos, and a short verdict. I kept this phone for a whole week my main device and used it during my daily commute, while shooting street photos at dusk, video calls, OTT streaming, midday browsing in bright sunlight, and random editing sessions near Mumbai’s balcony lights. I wanted to test what really matters: performance under real Indian conditions, battery over a full day, and how the camera performs in unpredictable environments.
What I found offers a much deeper view than spec sheets and early hands-on previews.
First Impressions: Design, Screen and Everyday Feel
The S24 FE carries a familiar Galaxy look, but it also feels refined. It has a large 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen the biggest yet for any “FE” series.Display: Bright, Big, and Useful
- On a sunny afternoon walk near Bandra, I could check messages or browse social apps without squinting. The “Vision Booster” and adaptive brightness make a real difference in bright outdoor light.
- At 120 Hz refresh rate, scrolling feeds and switching between apps feels smooth and fluid compared to older mid-range phones.
- The large screen makes reading long articles or editing photos easy something I appreciated during a long train commute.
Build & Comfort
The back panel feels slightly matte and collects fewer fingerprints than the glossy flagship phones. After long use in heat or sweaty hands, the grip stayed decent. One-handed typing is manageable but not ideal a trade-off I’m willing to accept for the larger screen.When I carried it all day from the crowded metro to market visits it felt stable in my pocket or bag. The frame felt solid even when pulling the phone out repeatedly.
Daily Performance: Day-to-Day Use, Battery, Heat and Smoothness
Under the hood, the S24 FE runs on Exynos 2400e a 4 nm chipset built for balance rather than brute power.Here’s how it handled a full week of real-world tasks:
Everyday Use: Smooth and Reliable
- Messaging apps, social media, YouTube, short video editing: smooth, no lag, no stutter.
- Switching between 5–6 apps at once (messenger, Spotify, browser, camera) felt fluid.
- For basic photography, editing, and sharing perfectly fine.
Heat and Performance Balance
I noticed minimal warmth during heavy camera usage or extended video calls, but nothing like the overheating other phones sometimes develop. The improved “vapor chamber” cooling seems to help maintain stable performance.For tasks like video calls, streaming, or social browsing under shade or indoors, heat was never a concern. That’s a relief in a city like Mumbai, where afternoon heat and humidity can make phones hot real quick.
Battery Life: A Full-Day Companion
The 4,700 mAh battery is bigger than many mid-range phones, and in my week of testing, it handled a full day's load quite well.Typical day (mixed use: social media, calls, browsing, some video watching):
- 6.5–7 hours of screen-on time
- Phone still had 15–20% by 11 PM
If you're a heavy user streaming + social media + camera use + GPS it still lasts a full day, though you’ll probably top up at night.
Charging is decent: 25 W wired fast charging hits roughly 50% in 30 minutes.
Camera & “Galaxy AI”: Real-Life Shots and Everyday Magic
S24 FE packs a triple rear camera setup: 50 MP main, 12 MP ultra-wide, 8 MP telephoto (3× optical zoom), plus a 10 MP selfie cam.Combined with the new “ProVisual Engine” and “Galaxy AI” features, it sounds promising on paper. But how does that translate to real use? Here’s what I found after 300+ photos across different settings:
What Works Well
Main Camera: Reliable and Realistic
During a late evening walk at Marine Drive, the main camera captured street lights and reflections beautifully. Colors remained calm, not oversaturated.Indoors at a small café under warm light, photos kept skin tones natural a plus for real-world portrait shots without studio light.
Daylight photos during a packed local train ride (yes, tested) were stable, even with shaky hands.
Telephoto Zoom: Handy on Occasion
The 3× optical zoom helped capture distant signage, small street food stalls across alleys, or long-distance rail tracks. For casual shots, it works.Night-time zoom shots lose some detail, but they’re usable good enough for quick memories or social media stories.
Ultra-Wide: Great Outdoors, Mixed Indoors
Wide scenic shots like markets, street art walls, parks look satisfying on sunny days.Indoors or in mixed lighting (sun + artificial), ultra-wide introduces modest noise in shadowy areas. Still acceptable for casual sharing.
Selfie Camera: Decent, Best in Daylight
Selfies during daylight rooftop, balconies, daylight rooms come out sharp and natural. Indoor selfies under artificial light are usable but lack fine detail. Good enough for social media and video calls.Galaxy AI & Editing Tools: Useful, Not Gimmicky
I used the built-in AI tools for a few real tasks:
Object Eraser: Useful. I removed random passersby from street photos worked surprisingly well on photos taken while walking.Instant Slow-mo: When I captured a friend dancing at a railway platform, slow-mo gave a neat effect. It’s not cinematic, but decent for quick social clips.
Edit Suggestions: Helped clean up minor imperfections I used it to balance brightness in extreme contrast (sunlight + shadow) photos.
In short: these tools don’t feel gimmicky they serve a purpose. Especially for social-media users, travellers, casual photographers, or anyone who wants quick edits without switching to desktop software.
What big sites don’t tell you: these features help when you’re on the go. You don’t need a studio.
Long-Term Value: Updates, Support, and Why It Matters
One of the biggest long-term advantages is One UI + update commitment from Samsung. The S24 FE comes with a promise of seven years of OS upgrades and security patches.Why this matters, especially if you live in India or similar markets:
- You don’t need to upgrade every 1–2 years.
- Apps and security remain updated longer.
- Resale value holds better.
- For people who don’t switch devices often great peace of mind.
I imagine using this phone at least 4–5 years before considering a major upgrade which makes the S24 FE a smart mid-range device with long-term reliability.
Real Issues I Noticed (Because Reality Isn’t Perfect)
No phone is perfect. For S24 FE, these are the drawbacks I experienced:Low-Light and Ultra-Wide Limitation
In dim indoor light or night street corners, ultra-wide and telephoto performance drops. Noise creeps in, details blur, and skin tones sometimes lose vibrancy. For casual use it’s fine; for serious photography not a flagship.
Still a Big Phone
The 6.7-inch screen is a blessing for media and browsing. But one-handed use, texting while commuting, or holding it for long periods can feel tiring. If you prefer compact devices this isn’t for you.
Performance Limitations for Heavy Users
For casual gaming, short editing, social apps performance is smooth. But for heavy gaming or video editing, the Exynos 2400e will show limitations. I tried a 25-minute PUBG session (medium graphics) and noticed slight thermal warmth and frame dips.Mediocre Selfie in Weak Light
Selfies under dim indoor light are okay, not great. Colours wash out, and detail loss is visible.Big but Not Flagship Build
The build quality is solid, but edges are slightly thicker than flagship phones. The glass back feels good, but less “premium” than metal or frosted finishes.Who Should Buy the S24 FE And Who Should Skip It
Buy it if you are:
- A frequent social-media user (photos, reels, stories)
- Someone who spends long days out commuting, traveling, working outdoors
- Wanting a big screen for videos, browsing, reading
- Looking for a long-term phone (with 7 years updates)
- Casual photographer, traveller, content sharer not a pro photographer
Skip it if you are:
- A heavy gamer or mobile video editor
- Someone who prefers compact phones
- Need top-tier low-light photography or ultra-wide performance
- Social media influencer needing professional-grade camera quality
My Verdict After a Full Week of Real Use
The S24 FE isn’t a top-tier flagship device but that’s not the point. It’s a carefully balanced, well-rounded phone for real-world use. For most users in India (or similar markets), it respects the everyday demands: brightness under sun, stable battery, smooth performance, dependable cameras, and long-term software life.It doesn’t try to headline “best performance” or “pro camera.” Rather, it builds a reliable, comfortable daily experience. That, more than specs, is its strength.
If you want a phone that “just works” in sunlight, on the metro, during long days, with social apps, photos, and videos the S24 FE is a smart choice.
If you expect near-flagship gaming or camera performance, it’s not for you. But for everyone else, it hits the sweet spot.
Key Takeaways (For Quick Readers)
- Great 6.7" AMOLED screen: bright, smooth, ideal for outdoor use.
- Battery lasts a full day even with heavy social and data use.
- Cameras deliver consistent, natural shots good for travel, street, daily moments.
- Galaxy AI editing tools add real value for quick post-processing.
- 7 years of OS + security updates = long-term reliability.
- Not perfect for heavy gaming or pro-level photography.
About the Reviewer (Why My View Matters)
Author Michael B Norris I’m a independent tech enthusiast based in India. I’ve spent years testing phones from budget devices to flagship models under real conditions: crowded trains, busy markets, low light, sun, dust, humidity. I don’t depend on studio lighting or controlled environments.For this review, I used the S24 FE as my primary phone for 7 days straight. I carried it across metro rides, streets, markets, and indoor cafés. I shot more than 300 photos some planned, many spontaneous. I streamed, browsed, edited, messaged exactly like a regular user.
My goal isn’t to impress with lab numbers it’s to help you decide if the phone fits your everyday life.
Visit official Samsung website for more information
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