Samsung unveils Galaxy S26 FE with AI & camera boost

Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy S26 FE, which joins the company's Galaxy S26 line and starts at AUD $1,149 in Australia.

The new model is positioned as a lower-priced entry in Samsung's premium handset range, while still carrying several features from the wider S26 series. It is also the first handset in that family to launch with One UI 9, Samsung's latest software interface based on Android 17.

The Galaxy S26 FE has a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, a 4,900mAh battery and 45W wired charging. It runs on Samsung's Exynos 2500 processor and comes in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage variants, with 8GB of memory across the range.

Australian pricing starts at AUD $1,149 for the 128GB model, rising to AUD $1,299 for 256GB and AUD $1,599 for 512GB. The handset will be sold in Blueberry, Graphite and Pistachio, although the 512GB version is listed only in Graphite.

Camera focus

A large part of the update centres on imaging tools. Samsung has equipped the S26 FE with a triple rear camera setup comprising a 50-megapixel wide lens, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens and an 8-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, alongside a 12-megapixel front-facing camera.

Among the new additions is My FanCam, a video tool first introduced on Samsung's latest foldable phones. It is designed to track a selected person and keep them centred in the frame during group video recording.

The phone also includes Super Steady with Horizontal Lock, which aims to reduce shake and keep footage level during motion. Nightography, Samsung's low-light photography mode, is also coming to the handset.

Editing tools are another part of the camera pitch. Photo Assist now lets users describe image changes with text prompts rather than relying only on manual editing, with the option to review and reverse changes step by step. Gemini Omni can also be used to assemble and edit short video clips from content stored in the gallery, although that feature requires an eligible Google AI Pro subscription.

AI features

The S26 FE also arrives with a broader set of artificial intelligence tools, reflecting how smartphone makers are trying to distinguish handsets beyond hardware specifications. Samsung said monthly activity among Galaxy AI users has increased, adding that use among Galaxy S25 FE owners is 25% higher than among Galaxy S24 FE users.

On the device itself, One UI 9 introduces more context-aware versions of Now Brief and Now Nudge. Now Brief offers personalised cards, including weather and wellness information, while users can also create their own cards through prompts. Now Nudge has been expanded to work with selected third-party apps and notifications.

Google's Circle to Search is also being extended to let users search for multiple items within an image at the same time. The handset will include a six-month Google AI Pro trial, which also comes with 5TB of cloud storage and is valued at AUD $32.99 a month.

Jay Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of Customer Experience Office, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics, set out the company's position on the handset. "Galaxy S26 FE is purposefully designed to deliver the signature strengths of the Galaxy S series, ensuring that every feature makes a meaningful difference in users' daily lives," said Kim.

"Packed with beloved Galaxy camera and AI experiences, backed by the latest One UI 9, Galaxy S26 FE comes to life as an ideal choice for those who know exactly what matters most to them," he said.

Longer support

Samsung is also stressing software support and switching tools as part of the offer. The phone will receive seven generations of operating system upgrades and seven years of security updates, a policy that has become an increasingly important battleground in the premium Android market.

Samsung has also updated Smart Switch, its device migration tool, to allow data transfers via QR code from both Android and iOS devices. According to the company, the process can move items including passwords, passkeys, call history, accessibility settings and eSIM data without requiring additional apps.

In hardware terms, the S26 FE measures 161.1mm by 76.9mm by 7.4mm and weighs 193 grams. It supports 5G, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.4, and carries an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.

The launch underlines Samsung's continued use of the Fan Edition line as a bridge between its flagship devices and cheaper mass-market models. In Australia, that puts the S26 FE in a crowded premium smartphone bracket, where software longevity, camera quality and on-device AI are increasingly central to purchase decisions.