I review Samsung phones for a living — and the company's Galaxy lineup is starting to look a little crowded

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2 days ago

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I don't know what reaction you had when a report claiming to reveal the camera specs of the Galaxy S25 FE dropped this past week. But I certainly remember what crossed my mind as I read that Samsung would equip this year's FE model with the exact same camera setup as last year's Galaxy S24 FE.
"Wait, Samsung's still doing this?" I said to myself. "Didn't they just release a phone?"
Indeed, it's been about two weeks since Samsung announced the Galaxy S25 Edge, with that ultra-thin phone going on sale in the U.S. this coming Friday (May 30). It's a good phone, as you can read in our Galaxy S25 Edge review, delivering an incredibly thin design, even if it is at the expense of battery life.
Adding the Edge to the Galaxy S25 models released in January, Samsung now has four different Galaxy S flagships to choose from. The Galaxy S25 FE will bring that number to five whenever it comes out. (The rumors say sometime in the fall.)
But wait, there's more. In the U.S., Samsung has already released the Galaxy A26 and Galaxy A36, and we're awaiting the U.S. release of the Galaxy A56 that's shipped in other parts of the world. On top of that, this summer figures to bring new versions of Samsung's foldables — at least, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 and possibly a lower-cost version of the flip phone.
All told, that's 11 different phones when you add up the flagships, foldables and midrange models, with prices ranging from $299 for the Galaxy A26 all the way up to whatever four-figure price tag Samsung slaps on the new Fold. (The current model starts at $1,899.) I typically applaud companies that offer consumers a lot of choices, particularly if those choices accommodate a wide range of budgets, so it pains me to say this.
I think Samsung needs to consider that it's making too many phones.
This is no knock on the FE series, which Samsung positions as a lower-cost way of getting the flagship Galaxy S experience, including a full complement of Galaxy AI features. Indeed, my colleague John Velasco actually recommended the Galaxy S24 FE over some of Samsung's other S24 models, arguing that its lower price and Galaxy AI support made up for the lesser camera specs and shorter battery life compared to Samsung's entry-level flagship.
The Galaxy A phones serve their purpose, too, offering solid phones for $500 or less. The phones even have some of the AI capabilities you'll find on the more expensive Samsung flagships, though those features get peeled off as you descend down the Galaxy A lineup.
I think the issue is forced by the arrival of the Galaxy S25 Edge, which brings a thin design to the mix, but not much else that you can't get from the rest of the Galaxy S25 offerings. And you could even argue that it's a more compromised experience than even the Galaxy S24 FE delivers.
After all, there's no telephoto lens on the Edge like you'll find on the other Galaxy S models, including the FE. Our battery tests had the Galaxy S25 Edge lasting three hours less than the entry-level Galaxy S25.
And yet, Samsung charges more for the $1,099 Edge than either the $799 Galaxy S25 and the $999 Galaxy S25 Plus. Presumably, when it comes along in the fall, the Galaxy S25 FE will cost even less.
And that presents a dilemma for people trying to find the best Samsung phone for their needs. Do you pay up for the Edge's thin design, or get the standard model or the Plus, which seem more fully featured? And is it worth holding out for the FE or opting for one of the Galaxy A models to save even more?
We can probably excuse the foldable phones from this exercise, as these remain niche devices with a self-selecting audience. You could even argue that the addition of a lower-cost Samsung flip phone would help the phone maker take on Motorola, which now offers three different Razr models to choose from for 2025. (And two of those are cheaper than the Galaxy Z Flip 6.)
That puts the focus squarely on the increasingly crowded Galaxy S lineup, where Samsung is either going to have to figure out a way to distinguish some of its models or cull the herd.
Samsung could be solving this issue on its own, if rumors about next year's lineup are accurate. A report out of Korea suggests that Samsung is considering dropping the Plus from the Galaxy S26 lineup next year, with the Edge taking its place.
The move would certainly solve a lot of problems, as the Plus has always been the odd phone out in Samsung's flagship lineup. It's more expensive than the standard model, but really just offers a bigger screen, longer battery life and faster charging speeds. Everything else — including the camera setup — is the same.
The Edge would not only offer that bigger screen than the standard Galaxy S phone, but a thinner design, too. Yes, Samsung would have to figure out a way to improve battery life, and it should seriously consider bumping up the charging speed on future Edge models to 45W, matching the Plus and Ultra. Do that, and the Edge slots in very nicely as a Galaxy S Plus replacement.
Samsung's bigger question is whether there's enough difference between its high-end Galaxy A model and the FE version of its Galaxy S phone to satisfy the different audiences for those phones. With the Galaxy A56 offering a more limited array of AI features, I think there is. Budget-minded shoppers can opt for the Galaxy A and not feel like they're getting short-changed, while people who want Galaxy AI can pay a little bit more for the Galaxy S25 FE, should it arrive this year.
I'm not as convinced that the Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A26 are doing enough to justify their place in Samsung's midrange lineup. Certainly, our Galaxy A36 review found that there wasn't much to recommend the phone beyond a solid design and low price. Unless you were wed to the Samsung brand, you'd be better off turning to the Pixel 9a or Nothing Phone 3a for a more fully featured design. And if you were insistent upon a midrange Samsung phone, why not just pay a little more for the superior Galaxy A56?
So if I were making the decisions at Samsung, I'd make a decision between the Edge and the Plus models for next year's lineup — I might lean toward keeping the former, given that its design seems ot have people excited. And I'd probably pare down my Galaxy A lineup to one $499 and a $299 offering to appeal to people who value a low price over everything else.
Of course, Samsung has done pretty well for itself without my advice, so we'll see what shape the company's phone lineup takes very soon.
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