Samsung is expanding the Galaxy S26 family with the new Galaxy S26 FE of course, bringing over many of the camera, AI and software features from its flagship lineup while keeping the starting price at $699.99. It is also the first phone in the S26 family to launch with One UI 9, giving it Samsung’s latest software experience right out of the box.
A big part of the S26 FE story is the camera. Samsung is using a triple-camera setup led by a 50MP main camera, alongside a 12MP ultrawide and 8MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom. The 12MP front camera also gets an upgrade for wider selfies and group shots. Features like Nightography return for low-light shooting, while Super Steady with Horizontal Lock is designed to keep video smoother when you are moving around.
One of the more interesting additions is My FanCam, a feature previously introduced on Samsung’s latest foldables. It can automatically track a selected person in a video and keep them centered as they move, which should make capturing concerts, sporting events or other fast-moving moments a little easier. Samsung is also leaning further into AI editing with Photo Assist, which lets you make changes using natural-language prompts, along with Gemini Omni for turning photos and existing clips into edited videos.
Galaxy AI continues to be a major part of the experience as well. Now Brief can generate more personalized daily information cards, while Now Nudge can suggest actions based on what is currently on screen. Circle to Search with Google has also been expanded so you can identify multiple objects within the same image instead of searching them one at a time.
Under the hood, the S26 FE runs on Samsung’s Exynos 2500 processor with 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage. The front is dominated by a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate and brightness rated up to 1,900 nits. Samsung is pairing that with a 4,900mAh battery, 45W wired charging, 15W wireless charging and Wireless PowerShare.
Samsung is also promising seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates, which gives the FE a pretty long runway for anyone planning to keep their phone for several years. The device carries an IP68 water and dust resistance rating and comes in Pistachio, Blueberry and Graphite.
The Galaxy S26 FE starts at $699.99, with select carrier availability beginning September 3 and wider availability through Samsung, carriers and retailers starting September 4. For anyone who wants most of the current Galaxy S experience without stepping all the way up to Samsung’s more expensive flagship models, the S26 FE looks positioned as the practical middle ground in this year’s lineup
