Galaxy S26 FE leaks early, and its odd camera bump has Samsung fans grumbling

Samsung’s next Fan Edition phone just showed up early. A Wireless Power Consortium certification listing for the Galaxy S26 FE, model SM-S741, surfaced alongside a real-world hands-on photo, and 9to5Google spotted one detail people can’t stop staring at: a raised camera bump borrowed straight from the flagship line, sitting a little too close to the corner.

This matters because the FE phones are how a lot of people get a near-flagship Galaxy without paying flagship money. The S25 FE sold well on that promise. If the S26 FE inherits the pricier S26’s design language, that’s a real upgrade in feel. But it also picks up the same wireless-charging compromise, and a camera island this crowded toward the edge is the kind of thing buyers notice every time they pick the phone up. None of it is official yet, so treat every spec below as a leak, not a launch.

What we know

The leak runs on two legs: a certification database entry and a photo. Here’s what each one shows.

• The device cleared the WPC with model number SM-S741, which is how the existence and timing got pinned down. Certification listings are mundane, but they’re hard to fake.
• The camera module is now a raised bump, a first for the FE family. Earlier FE phones used separate lens cutouts with no surrounding housing, so Android Central notes the S26 FE is “borrowing” the look from the pricier Galaxy S26 series.
• That bump sits oddly, pushed up toward the top-left corner. 9to5Google’s read on the design is that the placement, not the bump itself, is what looks off in the hands-on photo.
• Leaked specs list an Exynos 2500 chipset, 8GB of RAM, and Android 17 out of the box.
• On charging, the listing shows Qi 2.2.1 support but no magnets, so it won’t get the full magnetic profile. The 5W figure in the listing is “likely a placeholder,” per 9to5Google.

Earlier leaks rounded up elsewhere fill in the rest of the picture, though these aren’t in the certification data. Digit reports expectations of a 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel at 120Hz, a 5,000mAh battery with 45W charging, and a 50MP main sensor. Read those as the rumor mill’s best guess, not the WPC filing.

What we don’t know

Plenty is still open. The SM-S741 listing, surfaced on 6 June, confirms the phone exists and cleared the WPC, but it says nothing about pricing and locks none of the final hardware.

• Whether that camera bump survives to launch. Hands-on units and pre-production samples shift, and Samsung could re-center the island before any reveal.
• The actual battery, display, and camera figures. The Exynos 2500 and 8GB of RAM came through the leak, but the screen and camera numbers are extrapolation from prior rumors.
• Price. No leak has put a firm number on the S26 FE, and pricing is where the FE pitch lives or dies.
• The exact launch date. The chatter points to “around August or September,” but Samsung hasn’t set a stage.

Who reported it

The trail starts with the WPC certification entry, which is a public regulatory database rather than an insider’s post. 9to5Google was first to surface the SM-S741 listing and the accompanying hands-on image, noting that “the placement seems to be the issue, with the camera bump just getting a tiny bit too close to the side and top edges of the phone.” Android Central followed with the read that Samsung is pulling the bump design down from the S26 line. There’s no named tipster behind this one, which is worth saying plainly: a certification leak is more reliable on existence and timing than a single anonymous render, but it tells you nothing about price or final tuning. We covered Samsung’s foldable plans in the separate Galaxy Z Fold 8 leak, and the company’s Android XR glasses push earlier; the S26 FE is the cheaper-flagship lane, distinct from both.

What this means for you

If you’re the type who waits for the FE instead of buying the flagship, this is mostly good news with one asterisk. The raised camera bump means the S26 FE should feel less like a budget cousin and more like a trimmed-down S26, and an Exynos 2500 with 8GB of RAM is plenty for the way most people actually use a phone. The asterisk is that awkward bump placement and the half-step wireless charging. Don’t pre-order on a leaked photo. Wait for Samsung’s actual reveal, expected around late summer, and check two things first: the final camera position and the price. If the S26 FE lands near the S25 FE’s launch cost, it’s an easy recommendation. If Samsung pushes it up toward flagship territory, the gap that makes the FE worth buying starts to close. And remember the patch cadence matters too: the same model that ships this phone is the one shipping monthly fixes like June’s Android zero-day patch.