The Samsung phone I’m recommending to most people this Black Friday isn’t a flagship model

Autumn is in full swing, and there are more opportunities to meet up with friends and family these days. It’s at times like these that I get closest to the “average consumer,” gauging interest in new features, understanding which features are most important to people, and helping users decide which features they want in a new phone. You can know exactly how much you are planning to spend. headphones, laptops, etc.

We also do this when handing over the latest phones under testGo around the room and ask people to guess the price. new Samsung Galaxy S24 FEthe approximate price was about $1,000, which was about $350 more than the actual cost.

Also, one of the most innovative Android smartphones I tested wasn’t made by Samsung or Google.

With a starting price of $649, the Galaxy S24 FE is neither as premium as Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra nor as affordable as its fellow brand’s Galaxy A35 5G. So who should buy the Galaxy S24 FE and why? I’ve been asking myself these questions throughout my weeks of testing, and the answer is a little more obvious than I expected. It turned out to be.

To Samsung’s credit, the S24 FE has a large, bright, and crisp display that makes a very strong first impression. The Dynamic AMOLED panel measures 6.7 inches and supports Samsung’s Vision Booster feature, delivering a maximum brightness of 1,900 nits. The result is a handset that’s cleaner and easier to see (and use), even when you’re out in the sun.

Also, the Samsung Odyssey Ark is $1,000 off at Best Buy

I’m not big on thick bezels and unimpressive industrial design, but most people I show this phone to don’t mind that it looks eerily similar to the more expensive Galaxy S24 Plus. did. I wish Samsung had made the curved edges of the S24 FE’s back cover a little smaller and used a lighter material. At 212 grams, the phone feels like a slippery sandwich of brushed metal and glass. A protective case is basically a must.

Fortunately, the remaining shortcomings of the S24 FE, such as occasional stuttering, lack of a long-range telephoto lens, and less durable glass construction than flagship models, are easily overlooked. The phone is powered by Samsung’s in-house Exynos 2400 rather than the more tested Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, but the processor has proven to hold up to everyday use. With sports season in full swing, I often play YouTube TV in picture-in-picture mode while watching social feeds and Reddit to catch up on commentary.

This mix and quick navigation between apps usually tells you how well your phone can multitask and manage background tasks. Other than a few issues with Threads taking a few seconds to load videos, the S24 FE worked fine. What impresses me most is that it maintains a consistent 120Hz refresh rate.

Related article: Forget the iPhone 16: Samsung’s $649 Galaxy S24 FE could be the new mainstream phone to beat

While more manufacturers are aggressively lowering refresh rates to preserve battery life (and stabilize performance), the S24 FE remains at 120Hz for most tasks, such as scrolling through media-filled web pages. is.

Despite this, I still end most days with about 30% battery left. This is better than most phones I’ve tested, let alone mid-range phones. I also wish Samsung could increase the wired charging speed from 25W to at least 45W. That’s a story for another day.

At a price of $649, the S24 FE is one of the most affordable phones that supports Samsung’s Galaxy AI feature suite. These include Sketch to Image, Circle to Search, Notes Overview, and improved Bixby. I didn’t have the urge to use AI tools, but they were mostly gimmicks and still had inconsistent output. The ability to run AI tools on the device provides additional utility to the S24 FE that you’ll either ignore or greatly appreciate. . There’s no downside here.

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Finally, I’m happy with the S24 FE’s 50MP LED camera system. Coming from the Google Pixel 9 series, I expected the S24 FE camera to dial up the saturation and sharpness of my photos and videos, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, the subjects often looked natural, with enough dynamic range to depict the variety of October weather conditions.

Samsung tries to compensate for the telephoto lens with just 2x optical zoom by filling in lost details via software, but this typically works for images captured up to 10x range. I will. What’s more, you basically get an output that looks like a watercolor painting.

ZDNET purchase advice

In other words, we recommend the following: Samsung Galaxy S24 FE For anyone looking for a capable, large-screen mobile device without breaking the bank. Instead of ergonomics and flashy features, the S24 FE has the essentials, from everyday performance to battery life to camera output.

While AI shouldn’t be the main reason to buy the S24 FE, the phone is scheduled for seven years of Android OS upgrades, allowing companies like Samsung to better align with the market and customer needs. As we learn more, we can expect to see more useful software tools emerge.

With the holiday shopping season just weeks away, it’s a good idea to check with major retailers and your preferred carrier to see what discounts, trade-in offers, and other incentives they may offer. We guarantee you’ll be able to get your S24 FE for less than retail price within a month.