I use a mid-range smartphone and don’t regret it at all

Not long ago, I used to upgrade my smartphone every year because I couldn’t afford to miss out on the latest features. I had to experience cutting-edge tech and enjoyed the bragging rights that came with owning a flagship product. These days, most phone brands have stagnated in the innovation department, and we get annual iterative updates that are barely worth the effort. It feels like brands prefer working within their comfort zone, playing it safe to hold on to their established fan bases, and it’s no longer worth splashing cash on the latest flagship.

At least, this is how I felt when my Samsung Galaxy S22 finally developed issues after years of service, and I needed to find a replacement that was powerful enough to handle most daily tasks and had a decent camera. Ordinarily, it would be a no-brainer, and I’d choose from one of the latest flagships, which would mean one of the Galaxy S25+ or S25 Ultra models. However, after shopping around, I decided on a mid-range Galaxy S24 FE because of a combination of factors. This is why I use a mid-range smartphone and don’t regret it at all.

Price

Everyone wants the best deal

Price is probably the deciding factor in most purchasing decisions, as most of us have a budget and want the best value for our money. When comparing prices on Amazon, the standard Samsung S25 costs $860 for the 256GB version and was marked down to $780. The Samsung S25+ with a similar storage capacity sells for $1,000 and was available for $850 with a limited-time deal, while the S25 Ultra typically retails for $1,300 and was marked down to $1,050. I wasn’t interested in the S25 Edge, which is available on special for around $1,100.

On the other hand, the Samsung S24 FE is available for $590. It’s $190 less than the S25, $260 less than the S25+, and a whopping $460 less than the S25 Ultra. The S25 range arguably has more power and better features, and whether the price difference is justified or not depends on what I’m using the phone for. In my case, it’s daily use and testing a wide range of apps and AI features. To paint a clearer picture, I compared the features I use the most to see how the S24 FE stacks up against its premium rivals.

Display

Large and clear

The display is one of the first things I consider when buying a phone, because I’ll spend countless hours looking at it for work and play. It must be large enough to work on while being responsive, offering vibrant colors, and featuring a high refresh rate. The Samsung Galaxy S24 ticked most of my boxes with a large 6.7-inch AMOLED display offering 1080 x 2340 resolution, a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, and 1,900 nits of peak brightness. It’s the same size as the S25+, but can’t match the pricier phone’s higher 1440 x 3120 resolution, and 2,600 nits of peak brightness.

The S24 FE’s display might lag on paper, but it still offers crisp visuals with bright colors and excellent contrast, making it ideal for typing, watching movies, and consuming content. I only notice its lower overall brightness when trying to watch videos outside in the sunshine, and it isn’t a dealbreaker for me because I usually use my phone indoors.

Camera

An essential smartphone tool

I need a decent camera on my phone because I often take product photos for work and enjoy taking outdoor photos in my free time. The Galaxy S24 FE gets the job done with a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera, and an 8-megapixel telephoto camera. It’s a similar setup to the standard S24, which has a slight edge due to its larger image processor. Another area where the S24 excels is the 12-megapixel selfie camera, which offers better contrast compared to the S24 FE’s 10-megapixel variant.

The standard S25 and S25+ offer similar camera capabilities to the S24, but are bolstered by AI tools to improve their imagery. Photographers and other professionals seeking the best camera system will be better off with the S25 Ultra provided they’re happy meeting the hefty price tag for its 200-megapixel main and 50-megapixel ultrawide cameras.

Power

The engine that runs it all

Power is a major consideration when buying any phone because it must have enough oomph to handle multitasking, apps, gaming, and other demanding tasks. The Samsung S24 includes a stripped-down version of the Exynos 2400e chipset, paired with 8GB of RAM, which is slightly lower than the standard S24’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or Exynos 2400 with 8GB of RAM. It’s no surprise that the standard S24 offers superior performance to the S24 FE, although the difference isn’t significant and only noticeable in intensive gaming and AI tasks.

For me, the S24 FE offers smooth performance and doesn’t feel underpowered for daily tasks.

However, the gap is far wider against the newer Samsung S25, which runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and 12GB of RAM. The S25 offers noticeably better performance due to its faster chip and increased memory, and there’s no lag when running AI tools or games.

For me, the S24 FE offers smooth performance and doesn’t feel underpowered for daily tasks, like running multiple apps, watching videos, and typing documents. I’d probably feel differently if I were into mobile gaming or using resource-hungry AI tools daily. I think the S24 FE offers sufficient capabilities for most smartphone buyers, but there’s no doubt that the premium S25 range is a better choice for power users wanting the best.

Battery life

The longer, the better

Most of us spend hours on our phones per day and need the battery to last as long as possible before recharging. The Samsung S24 FE features a 6,700 mAh battery, 700 mAh more than the standard S24, to accommodate the larger display. The newer, but smaller S25 has a 4,000 mAh battery, while the S25+ has a 4,900 mAh battery to power a similarly sized 6.7-inch display.

So far, I’ve found the S24 FE to have excellent battery life. It easily lasts a whole day with heavy use, and I never have to worry about recharging it. This is likely due to a combination of the mid-range chip, which requires less power, and a large battery. That said, most premium phones have excellent battery life when new and will likely deliver similar results, with a couple of hours difference between them. When it comes to charging, the S24 FE matches the S25’s 25W wired and 15W wireless speeds, but can’t compete with the S25+ and S25 Ultra, which offer 45W wired charging.

No regrets

A midrange phone works for me

I was initially skeptical about getting a mid-range phone, but my fears were unfounded after trying it out. This is because the gap between flagships and other models has never been closer, and every year we’re only seeing minimal performance and camera upgrades, with no groundbreaking features to get excited about.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE ticks most of my boxes, offering acceptable power, a suitable screen size, and decent battery life for a reasonable price. Is it perfect? No, premium phones are still a better option if you need the most processing power, but you get what you pay for, and the S24 FE performs well considering its lower price tag.

I’ve always chosen flagships in the past because they offered a degree of future-proofing, but now I’m happier saving my money and receiving seven years of software updates on a mid-range model that meets my needs.