I have a few set of criteria for my second phone which is usually an Android phone. It has to has a big screen, it got to have wireless charging and ideally, near stock Android. The Samsung S24 FE fits the bill except for the stock Android experience. It has a big 6.7" 120Hz dynamic AMOLED screen and wireless charging but it’s not as expensive as the flagship S24. I’m not a big fan of the Samsung One UI but I can always customize it with the Good Lock app.
First impressions - it’s a big and chunky boi. The all glass finish coupled with the big screen add to the weight of the phone. You definitely don’t want to handle this phone for long with one hand. The AMOLED screen is great for media consumption, although certain websites like YouTube will show black bar on each side unless you zoom in. The 4700mAh battery can easily last until late at night, even with heavy use.
One pull factor of the S24 FE is the Galaxy AI. It offers the same exact AI features as its more expensive flagship siblings. You get circle to search, live translate and the magic photo editing like those on Pixel phones. As an added bonus, it supports Samsung DEX which turns the phone into a computer-like device once you connect it to a screen. The triple camera setup is comparable to those on the flagship Samsung phones so you get the same great-looking photos and videos on this smartphone.
That said, I find the biometric security system to be a bit lacking. Maybe because I have eczema on my skin but the under display optical reader had more misses that hits. The backup face recognition also works poorly especially under low light. It’s a far cry from the iPhones Face ID system.
At the time of writing, the S24 FE can be yours from as low as 2,100.00 MYR from online stores. For it’s features and specs, you can definitely say it’s a bargain. Samsung promised up to 7 years of software updates for this phone so it will not be outdated for a long time. It’s a premium device will great build quality and flagship features at midrange price.
