Samsung’s latest Galaxy S25 FE has posted a weak showing in DxOMark’s camera rankings, placing it well behind several older and more affordable phones.
The Galaxy S25 FE is positioned as a more affordable alternative to the Galaxy S25+, with a price tag of $499 for the 128GB variant in the US as of writing. The base variant (256GB) of the S26+, in comparison, costs $849 in the region. To reach that price point, Samsung made several hardware compromises, including using the in-house Exynos 2400 chipset instead of the Snapdragon 8 Elite and scaling back the camera hardware.
According to DxOMark’s testing, the S25 FE scored 118 points, placing it 123rd overall in the site’s global camera rankings. That puts it behind devices released several years ago, including the iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, and Google’s Pixel 6a from 2022, which scored 122 points.
The phone’s camera setup includes a 50MP main sensor with a 1/1.57-inch size, a 12MP ultrawide with a much smaller 1/3-inch sensor, and an 8MP telephoto camera offering 3x optical zoom. DxOMark’s analysis suggests the smaller sensor sizes play a significant role in the phone’s shortcomings.
In still photography, the main camera delivers acceptable exposure and generally accurate colors in good lighting. However, image quality drops noticeably when switching to the ultrawide or telephoto cameras. DxOMark notes visible noise in both photos and videos, even in bright conditions.
Galaxy S25 FE in DxOMark camera ranking
Video performance also falls short. HDR footage is described as inconsistent, with underexposed scenes and occasional pink color casts linked to unstable white balance. Portrait shots show a clear loss of fine detail, while motion in scenes often leads to visible artifacts.
These issues, according to DxOMark, reflect the limits of the hardware choices rather than software tuning alone. As a result, the site suggests buyers in this price range consider alternatives such as Xiaomi’s 15 or 14T, or Google’s Pixel 10, which deliver stronger camera performance at similar prices.
The results highlight a growing challenge for Samsung’s Fan Edition lineup. As competition in the mid-range segment intensifies, camera hardware compromises are becoming harder to justify—especially when rivals, both new and old, continue to outperform on image quality.
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