The Samsung phone that I recommend to most people just got unseated by a surprise pick

If the saying, “Jack of all trades, master of none,” was a smartphone, it would be the Galaxy S24 FE, Samsung’s new mid-range handset that slots right beneath the Galaxy S24, S24 Plus, and S24 Ultra. 

It doesn’t have the same industrial charm as its more premium siblings — the lighter build and thicker bezels are a giveaway that you’re no longer in flagship territory — but the Galaxy S24 FE has just about everything else that you’d want for $649.

Also: Forget iPhone 16: Samsung’s $649 Galaxy S24 FE may be the new mainstream phone to beat

I spent a good hour and a half using the Galaxy S24 FE during Samsung’s launch event this week, and while I won’t get into the nitty-gritty of every spec (my colleague, Cesar Cadenas, has you covered), there were some standout features that made the phone more memorable than I was expecting.

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That list includes the flagship-tier camera system, seven years of software updates, and Galaxy AI features. I’ll start with the last point, which makes the Galaxy S24 FE one of the most affordable phones to field AI tools like Circle to Search, live translations, generative editing, and more.

Only the Google Pixel 8a comes close as far as AI accessibility goes, but it’s a much smaller handset (6.1 inches versus 6.7 inches) with a much smaller battery (4,492mAh versus 4,700mAh). Considering how visual and interactive these features can be, I found the larger canvas of the Galaxy S24 FE more practical, whether I was circling items to Google Search or scanning a translated PDF.

Also: Galaxy AI is coming to mid-range Samsung phones. These models will get it first

The Galaxy S24 FE’s camera system captures photos with excellent detail and vividness. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, as it packs the same 50MP main sensor and 12MP ultrawide lens as the flagship Galaxy S24, while the telephoto lens (with 3x optical zoom) falls just short at 8MP (instead of 10MP). I took a couple of pictures throughout the event space, which had areas that varied in brightness, color temperature, and lighting angles, and the Galaxy S24 FE handled the inconsistencies gracefully.

I also did a selfie test with Milesabovetech and Parker Burton, who TikTok for a living (read: they know the most optimal poses and angles for being on camera), and the images captured were quite detailed, though my skin appeared paler than normal.

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The desaturated look extends to the back of the Galaxy S24 FE, which comes in four pastel finishes, including Graphite, Gray, Blue, and Mint. None of the color options this year will necessarily strike a chord, but my advice is to stick with a lighter color like Blue and Mint. The glossy glass layering means the phones collect more fingerprints than an FBI agent, and the darker hues make that more apparent.

Samsung’s really pushing the Galaxy S24 FE as the phone that will bring AI to the masses, and the timing couldn’t have been better. Earlier this month, Apple launched the iPhone 16 series, and while it’s clearly spent all its marketing budget promoting Apple Intelligence, none of the company’s on-device AI capabilities are readily available. 

At $649, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE not only undercuts the base-level iPhone 16 and Galaxy S24 by $150, but it also comes with AI features, among other benefits, right out of the box. My buying advice is to take advantage of Samsung’s Offer Programs. For example, students can get the Galaxy Buds FE bundled for free, and you can save up to $500 by making an eligible trade-in.