The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE launches across Australia today (Friday, 26 September), and I think it just might be the best Android phone to buy for most people. Already more affordable than its S25 siblings, Samsung's newest addition is even available at a AU$250 discount from JB Hi-Fi and Amazon, or just AU$837 (that's AU$262 off) if you use The Good Guys price beat function – making now a great time to snag one, even with Prime Big Deal Days coming up.
While the easiest comparison is to the regular S25 because it's the closest in price and the next step up to a true flagship, the Galaxy S25 FE's larger 6.7-inch display and 4,900mAh battery actually match that of the S25 Plus, yet these launch offers make the FE over AU$1,000 cheaper.
Samsung makes no secret of its focus on AI. Galaxy AI is funnelled through almost every facet of its flagship 2025 phones, though it's done in a way that makes it easily accessible for those who want it, or easy to ignore for those who don't.
Note, too, that Samsung's budget line of A-series phones don't get the same AI features as its flagships. The Galaxy A56 only offers 'Awesome Intelligence' as opposed to the full suite of Galaxy AI tools, while the S25 FE gets the whole shebang.
Optimised for the new One UI 8, you can take advantage of Gemini Live for real-time conversations that help make life easier, see personalised updates and summaries in the Now Bar and make use of Google's 'Circle to Search' feature. Plus, there's a massive pool of photo and audio editing tools – with 'Generative Edit' and 'Audio Eraser' turning hours of manual work into a finished product in seconds.
It also uses AI to improve the results of its camera, which I think offers some of the best photos I've seen from a Samsung phone – or at least from models that don't have 'Ultra' in their name.
This heavy focus on AI demands plenty of power from the phone’s processor, and Samsung heeded that call, using a slightly upgraded Exynos 2400 processor (from the 2400e) and 4,900mAh battery (an increase from 4,700mAh in the previous S24 FE), plus a larger vapour-chamber to keep internals cool.
While an upgraded battery might sound good on paper, in my testing, it didn’t offer any noticeable improvement over the phone’s predecessor. Evidently, the power needed for the new AI tools cancelled out the increase in battery size. Plus, Samsung hasn’t done itself any favours by fitting a less-efficient Exynos chip, as opposed to something from Qualcomm.
However, to account for the increase in battery demand, Samsung has also upgraded its charging ability to match its flagship siblings, improving the top speed from 25W on the S24 FE to 45W – meaning you can recharge to around 60% battery in just 30 minutes.
While the Galaxy S25 FE is an excellent buy at its AU$1,099 starting price, this AU$837 deal makes it a truly fantastic one. If you'd like to avoid paying a lump sum upfront, launch offers from major telcos may be more attractive. Vodafone, for example, will cut AU$400 off the RRP of the S25 FE over the course of a 24 month contract. You can check out all the best Galaxy S25 deals available in the widget below.
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