According to Android Authority the S25 FE is pencilled in for a Q3 or Q4 release, dragging along the codename “siop_r13s_s5e9945”, which points squarely at the same tired chip. For a device supposed to offer flagship flavour on a tighter budget, reusing a chip that was already average last year is a bold move. 

The Exynos 2400e was already dragging its feet in 2024. Next to Snapdragon’s 8 Gen 3 or MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400, its almost as powerful as a slide rule. It’s only slightly tweaked from the original 2400 which makes it cooler running but still clocked 100MHz lower and nothing to get excited about.

Instead of pulling a OnePlus and using a solid Qualcomm part from the previous cycle, Samsung seems dead set on reminding us why FE increasingly stands for “False Economy.”

To make matters worse, the Galaxy Z Flip FE might be stuck with the same silicon, according to leaks. Samsung’s cost-cutting seem to have hit both fan service phones with equal apathy.

Samsung might try to distract punters with a shinier camera, tweaked display or fresh coat of paint, but as the S24 FE already felt overpriced, another lazy retread won’t fly—not while OnePlus and others are actually putting effort into their “value” flagships.