Survey reveals readers' favorite Galaxy S26 FE alternative — and it's not a Samsung or Pixel

The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE is the latest Fan Edition model offering consumers a taste of the flagship life at a fraction of the cost. This year, this model demands an additional $50 from consumers over the S25 FE while offering them few upgrades and additions in return. In short, it’s arguably not the best mid-range phone available in 2026.

My colleague Andrew Grush listed a few devices he’d much rather buy than the S26 FE, but we were also interested in our community’s opinions. So, we ran a poll and asked readers to vote on their preferred Samsung Galaxy S26 FE alternative. The results can be viewed below.

The best Samsung Galaxy S26 FE alternative, according to readers

This poll garnered just short of 5,000 votes, and the winner might surprise several readers.

Andrew listed two Google Pixels, a Samsung, and a Nothing phone as potential options, but readers decided the Motorola Edge (2026) is the best Galaxy S26 FE alternative. This particular device garnered 25.6% of the vote, marginally beating the Samsung Galaxy S26 (25.4%) by just 22 votes.

The Edge wins several important battles, including offering rapid 68W charging, a compact size, and a litany of interesting colorways. It’s also far, far cheaper compared to the $900 S26 proper.

Notably, Motorola products have scored well in these polls this year. The Edge (2026) came extremely close to winning our best Google Pixel 11 alternative poll, narrowly losing only to the Galaxy S26.

The phone clearly is an attractive value proposition, and if you voted for this particular device in this poll or another one on our site, do let me know why you’re a fan in the comments section below.

Coming in third, and not trailing far behind, was the Pixel 11 with 20.3% of the support. The Nothing Phone 4a Pro came in fourth with 16.4% of the vote, while the Pixel 10a garnered just 8.1% of the support. These two devices are by far the cheapest options on this list, but surprisingly, many readers don’t seem to value this particular badge.

Only 3.8% of voters offered their preferred Galaxy S26 FE alternatives, with one option in particular piquing my interest. Per commenter bucktoothzombie:

The Motorola Edge 2025 is one of the best phones you can get for the price. It beats most phones in its range, no question. If you look into the hardware, the chipset, and everything packed into it, you’ll see exactly why I’m recommending it.

What do you believe is the best Galaxy S26 FE alternative? Do you think the Edge (2026) is a deserving winner, or is there a better proposition? Let’s continue the discussion in the comments section below.