6.5 Samsung Galaxy A14 5G You’re receiving value alerts for Samsung Galaxy A14 5G Like
NFC for contactless pay
90Hz refresh charge
Good software program and safety replace timeline
Don’t like
Sluggish efficiency
Mixed images
Single audio speaker
The $200 Samsung Galaxy A14 5G units a brand new baseline for reasonable telephones. It’s one of many few reasonably priced telephones to incorporate NFC for contactless funds and help 5G. Even extra notable is that Samsung supplies two years of software program updates together with 5 years of safety updates for the A14, when most equally priced rivals cease at one software program replace and three years of safety updates. This implies that though the cellphone’s a lower-cost possibility, it is one you might safely use for a number of years for those who selected to — and with perks often discovered solely in pricier telephones, the Galaxy A14 5G is a good selection.Over my month of testing the Galaxy A14 5G, these inclusions meant I may use the cellphone to purchase a fast breakfast, browse the net whereas listening to music throughout my commute, reliably use the cellphone’s digicam for day journeys, and with its 5,000-mAh battery, nonetheless have sufficient of a cost left to make use of the cellphone the subsequent day.That’s to not say the cellphone is issue-free: The Galaxy A14 cuts corners with a reasonably drab design and a slower processor that generally left me ready for apps to load. But load they did, and for those who’re simply searching for a cellphone that may deal with most day by day duties, the A14 may very well be a stable possibility so long as you are not craving velocity. The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G’s 6.6-inch show can run at a 90Hz refresh charge. Mike Sorrentino/CNETSamsung Galaxy A14 5G design, specs and optionsThe Galaxy A14 5G is available in one shade, black, and has a reflective plastic physique. It feels a bit thick in-hand, with the again embracing a blocky look that lacks any rounded edges. Along the top-left nook are its three cameras: a 50-megapixel essential digicam, a 2-megapixel depth digicam and a 2-megapixel macro digicam.Around the entrance is a teardrop notch for the 16-megapixel front-facing digicam. In addition to its 1,080p decision, the 6.6-inch show has a 90Hz refresh charge. While the $200 Moto G Stylus runs at a constant 90Hz, the A14 has an “adaptive” mode that adjusts as much as 90Hz when scrolling via textual content and animations whereas swiping between apps. I discovered the impact noticeably clean, particularly after I was studying articles or taking part in video games.The cellphone performs audio via its single speaker, which was pretty straightforward for me to unintentionally block after I held the cellphone horizontally to observe movies. It’s notable since Motorola’s present finances cellphone lineup contains stereo audio system throughout its Moto G telephones, (although the Galaxy A14 does embrace a headphone jack as an possibility for stereo audio). While the Samsung cellphone’s inside 64GB of storage needs to be sufficient to get you began, you do get the choice of increasing storage to 1TB utilizing the cellphone’s microSD card slot. The cellphone has a single speaker for audio, and a headphone jack can be utilized for stereo sound. Mike Sorrentino/CNETIn benchmark testing, the Galaxy A14 5G’s Geekbench rating got here out forward of the Moto G Stylus, but it surely definitely would not really feel prefer it in my real-world use. The cellphone’s Mediatek processor is sluggish, and I typically seen the A14 needing an additional beat to unlock itself after I had one other app open, after I tapped a textual content field to launch the keyboard and when shifting between apps. Software updates can refine this in time, and its present efficiency is completely positive for informal use. But this would not be a cellphone that might deal with numerous productiveness paperwork or extra graphically demanding apps.Geekbench 6 Benchmarks Samsung Galaxy A14 5G 693 1,824Moto G 5G (2023) 740 1790Moto G Stylus (2023) 448 1471 Note: Higher scores are higher.
However the Galaxy A14’s inclusion of NFC is sort of significant, offering full compatibility with Google Wallet for contactless funds. I not often discover NFC for contactless funds in telephones beneath $300, though it is accepted all over the place from transit methods to comfort shops. I hope this creates a development and we’ll lastly begin seeing NFC develop into a function on each cellphone no matter price. The Galaxy A14 5G’s cameras are good for nonetheless topics, however shifting ones are notably difficult. Mike Sorrentino/CNETSamsung Galaxy A14 5G cameras and imagesThe Galaxy A14’s cameras, regardless of the inclusion of a 50-megapixel essential digicam, are a blended bag. I took the cellphone on a number of day journeys, together with a go to to a Brooklyn anime meals pageant and through a weekend stop-in to San Diego Comic-Con.Outdoor images got here out respectable so long as there was little or no motion. During the anime meals pageant, my dessert images of a cheesecake and rabbit milk pudding regarded good, however there was blurriness in most of my different images whether or not because of the crowds or motion by the performers throughout a Taiko drum present. Rabbit milk pudding photograph taken on the Galaxy A14 5G. Mike Sorrentino/CNET Cheesecake photograph taken on the Galaxy A14 5G. Mike Sorrentino/CNET Of the a number of images I took throughout a Taiko drum efficiency on the Anime NYC Food Festival in Brooklyn, this one had the least blurriness when depicting the performers. Mike Sorrentino/CNETA selfie I took whereas exterior is respectable, however much like a few of Samsung’s dearer telephones, I felt like colours had been exaggerated. A front-facing digicam photograph on the anime pageant. Mike Sorrentino/CNETThis exaggeration additionally holds true for my take a look at photograph of the grass wall in CNET’s workplace. Photos taken with the Moto G Stylus and the Moto G 5G captured extra correct shades of inexperienced than these taken with the Galaxy A14 5G. The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G’s depiction of the grass wall in CNET’s workplace. Mike Sorrentino/CNET Grass wall taken on the Moto G Stylus. Mike Sorrentino/CNET Grass wall photograph taken on the Moto G 5G. Mike Sorrentino/CNETAnd very like different telephones on this value vary, photograph high quality proves difficult when shifting indoors. Even on the well-lit San Diego Comic-Con flooring, my photograph taken with Final Fantasy 16’s Ifrit appears fuzzy. The Comic-Con Hall is pretty well-lit, however there’s some picture noise on this indoor photograph. David Lumb/CNETWhen I moved to Amazon’s Good Omens get together, the dim lighting made it a problem for the A14 to seek out focus. The darker surroundings of the Good Omens get together in San Diego makes some components of this picture seem out of focus. Mike Sorrentino/CNETReturning to New York, there’s loads of picture noise on this selfie, which I took within the underground La Caverna restaurant, however my photograph of the restaurant itself appears higher since there weren’t many different folks shifting round. Front-facing digicam photograph taken inside La Caverna in New York. Mike Sorrentino/CNET The inside of La Caverna in New York, taken on the Galaxy A14 5G. Mike Sorrentino/CNETOverall of the Samsung Galaxy A14’s images is certainly not punching above its value vary. If discovering a $200 cellphone with respectable cameras is essential to you, Motorola’s newest G-series telephones may very well be a greater possibility. While the Moto G telephones have comparable points in darker environments, from my testing I really feel just like the images taken by these cameras are barely higher. The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G streaming music on YouTube Music. Mike Sorrentino/CNETSamsung Galaxy A14 5G Bottom lineThe Samsung Galaxy A14 5G is among the most practical telephones I’ve examined for beneath $200. Even although the cellphone has noticeable points — together with the slower processor and blended images efficiency — the machine is able to performing most important duties. The inclusion of NFC is a transparent spotlight, and hopefully it implies that contactless cost options will now make their manner into telephones in any respect costs. The longer safety replace timeline additionally means the cellphone can be secure to make use of for a number of years, which may very well be particularly useful for somebody simply searching for an reasonably priced machine to remain in touch with family and friends.This makes the Galaxy A14 5G notably straightforward to advocate for most individuals purchasing for a cellphone on a finances, or if the cellphone is obtainable at no cost. But remember that the cellphone will not be getting any quicker, and will offers or incentives drop the value of a better-equipped cellphone that usually prices $300, do not cross that up.Samsung Galaxy A14 5G vs. Moto G Stylus (2023) vs. Moto G 5G (2023) Samsung Galaxy A14 5GMoto G Stylus (2023)Moto G 5G (2023) Display measurement, decision 6.6-inch FHD+ LCD show, (1,400×1,080 pixels), 90Hz6.5-inch IPS LCD; 1,600×720; 90Hz refresh rate6.5-inch HD Plus LCD show (720p decision); 120Hz refresh ratePixel density 268 ppi269 PPI269 ppiDimensions (inches) 6.6×3.07×0.36 in6.41×2.91×0.36 in 6.45×2.95×0.33 in.Dimensions (millimeters) 167.6×77.9×9.1 mm162.9×74.1×9.2 mm163.94×74.98×8.39mmWeight (ounces, grams) 203 g (7.19 oz)195 g 189g (6.66 oz.)Mobile software program Android 13Android 13Android 13Digicam 50-megapixel (essential), 2-megapixel (macro), 2-megapixel (depth)50-megapixel (essential), 2-megapixel (macro)48-megapixel essential, 2-megapixel macroFront-facing digicam 16-megapixel8-megapixel8-megapixelVideo seize 1080p at 30 fps720p at 30fpsProcessor MediaTek MT6833VMediaTek Helio G85Snapdragon 480 PlusRAM/Storage 4GB + 64GB4GB + 64GB; 4GB + 128GB4GB + 128GBExpandable storage YesYesYesBattery/Charger 5,000 mAh5,000 mAh (15W charging)5,000 mAh (15W charging)Fingerprint sensor SideSideSideConnector USB-CUSB-CUSB-CHeadphone jack YesYesYesSpecial options 5G-enabled, NFC, 15W chargingStylus, Moto Gestures5G enabled, twin stereo audio system, Moto GesturesPrice off-contract (USD) $200$200$250Value (GBP) £179Converts to £160N/A, Converts to £195Value (AUD) AU$379Converts to AU$295N/A, Converts to £380 How we take a look at telephonesEvery cellphone examined by CNET’s opinions group was truly utilized in the true world. We take a look at a cellphone’s options, play video games and take images. We study the show to see if it is brilliant, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and construct to see how it’s to carry and whether or not it has an IP-rating for water resistance. We push the processor’s efficiency to the extremes utilizing each standardized benchmark instruments like GeekBench and 3DMark, together with our personal anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution movies and taking part in graphically intense video games at excessive refresh charges.All the cameras are examined in quite a lot of situations from brilliant daylight to darkish indoor scenes. We check out particular options like evening mode and portrait mode and evaluate our findings in opposition to equally priced competing telephones. We additionally take a look at the battery life through the use of it day by day in addition to operating a sequence of battery drain assessments.We keep in mind further options like help for 5G, satellite tv for pc connectivity, fingerprint and face sensors, stylus help, quick charging speeds, foldable shows amongst others that may be helpful. And we steadiness all of this in opposition to the value to provide the verdict on whether or not that cellphone, no matter value it’s, truly represents good worth.