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Galaxy S24 FE teardown shows improved cooling and high repairability

The official release of the Galaxy S24 FE is approaching, and a teardown by the YouTube channel PBKreviews has provided the first look at the inner workings of the budget-friendly S24. The new Fan Edition seems to be easy to repair, and Samsung has also improved the cooling system compared to its predecessor.

After the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE was officially unveiled on September 26, it will go on sale on October 3 as the most affordable option in the current S24 line up (available for pre-order in the Samsung Shop). Pre-order customers will pay around $650 for the 128 gigabyte version. Visually, it’s identical to the S24 (available on Amazon for $700), but internally it features the Exynos 2400e instead of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. The Fan Edition is also limited to a 1,080p+ AMOLED display.

YouTuber and teardown expert PBKreviews recently disassembled the Galaxy S24 FE, requiring the use of heat to remove the back panel – a common practice with modern smartphones.  Accessing the screen was more challenging, as the device needs to be dismantled from both sides to replace it. However, most other components are easily accessible after removing a few screws and cables, and can be detached without difficulty.

The teardown also reveals components such as the vibration motor, which are fairly accessible for repairs. However, replacing the display proves to be a more complex task, requiring disassembly of both the front and back sections of the phone, making screen repairs a bit more challenging. This is not uncommon in modern smartphones, but it’s worth noting if you’re concerned about screen repair costs.

One of the final elements uncovered is the S24 FE’s vapor chamber, part of its cooling system. Compared to the Galaxy S23 FE, the S24 FE has a larger vapour chamber, showing that Samsung is prioritizing better thermal management in this iteration. This could improve performance, particularly for users who run demanding apps or games on their phones.

One notable innovation is the placement of the wireless charging module and NFC antenna. Instead of being integrated into the back as usual, they are positioned on a separate circuit board that also functions as a heat spreader for the chipset. Additionally, components like the speakers, cameras, and battery can be easily replaced.

Compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy S23 FE (available on Amazon for $473), Samsung has kept the basic design but upgraded the cooling system with a larger vapor chamber beneath the battery. Overall, PBKreviews rates the repairability of the S24 FE with 8.5/10 points. This should put it in a comparable position to the S24 and the S24 Ultra (available on Amazon for $1,150), which were not rated by PBKreviews but each received a score of 9/10 points on Sammobile in terms of repairability.

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