Samsung’s Cheapest Galaxy Phones Reviewed: Under-$200 Phones Can Do a Lot

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Samsung’s Cheapest Galaxy Phones Reviewed: Under-$200 Phones Can Do a Lot

Micheline Lykke

April 15, 2022

From left to proper: The Galaxy A02S, the Galaxy A03S and the Galaxy A12.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET

Samsung’s Galaxy S telephones get consideration for his or her premium design and options, however these greater screens and a number of cameras don’t come low cost. Samsung has been bringing related options and designs to its Galaxy A sequence, which incorporates telephones priced as little as $130. Between provide chain constraints and financial hardships introduced on by the pandemic, low-cost telephones have change into notably necessary. Even the most affordable telephones ought to mean you can sustain with the information, be part of video calls, take clear photographs and play cellular video games.Even Samsung’s least expensive telephones, which I’ve been testing for months, can deal with these primary however crucial duties. The Galaxy A02S ($130, £139, roughly AU$245), A03S ($160) and A12 ($180) can simply load webpages, stream music, play YouTube movies and take video calls, even regardless of utilizing lower-powered processors than Samsung’s midrange and high-end telephones. The telephones’ 6.5-inch screens, capped at 720p decision, are clear and enormous sufficient to run apps and multitask for probably the most half. But there are some limitations, relying on the system, notably with regards to efficiency and digicam high quality.

Galaxy A12, A03S, A02S Specs

Galaxy A12

Samsung Galaxy A03S

Galaxy A02S

Display measurement, decision,

6.5-inch LCD, 1,600×720 pixels

Pixel density

269 ppi

Dimensions (Inches)

6.5 x 2.9 x 0.3 in.

Dimensions (Millimeters)

165.8 x 75.9 x 9.1 mm

166.5 x 75.9 x 9.2 mm

Weight (Ounces, Grams)

7.12 oz.; 202g

202g

6.98 oz.; 198g

Mobile software program

Android 11

Camera

16-megapixel (huge), 5-megapixel (ultrawide), 2-megapixel (macro), 2-megapixel (depth)

13-megapixel (huge), 2-megapixel (depth), 2-megapixel (macro)

Front-facing digicam

8-megapixel

5-megapixel

Video seize

FHD (1,920×1,080) at 30fps

Storage

32GB

RAM

3GB

2GB

Expandable storage

Up to 1TB

UP to 1TB

Up to 1TB

Battery

5,000 mAh (charger included)

5,000 mAh (charger not included, doesn’t help wi-fi charging)

5,000 mAh (charger included)

Fingerprint sensor

Side

None

Connector

USB-C

Headphone jack

Yes

Price off-contract (USD)

$180

$160

$130

Price (GBP)

£169

£139

These three Galaxy telephones value $180 or much less, and all run on Android 11.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
What all of them have in widespreadOther than their display screen measurement, all three telephones have some advantages in widespread. These embrace battery life, software program help and uncommon options reminiscent of headphone jacks and expandable storage.The 5,000-mAh battery inside every telephone simply made it by means of two days of use, regardless of having the display screen on for upward of 4 hours a day. That held true even after I spent half the day streaming YouTube movies, listening to podcasts, taking video calls and taking part in video games.

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All three telephones will obtain years of software program and safety updates, which is especially necessary for anybody seeking to maintain onto a telephone for longer than a yr or two. Samsung has dedicated to 4 years of safety updates for these Galaxy A telephones, which is a considerable enchancment over cheaper telephones that beforehand solely acquired a yr or so of help.Each telephone additionally has a headphone jack, which supplies you a easy choice for plugging in wired headphones. That’s a uncommon discover on fashionable telephones, with headphone jacks getting the axe ever for the reason that iPhone 7 dropped it again in 2016.All three telephones have a 6.5-inch display screen that’s capped at 720p decision.
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However, these telephones are nonetheless all below $200, and compromises definitely needed to be made to attain that low worth. The greatest amongst them is that every one three telephones solely have 32GB of built-in storage. That’s mainly nothing. By comparability, Apple’s new $429 iPhone SE doubles that with 64GB storage, whereas Samsung’s midrange A53 has 4 instances that quantity of storage at 128GB. When I started testing the telephones, my most up-to-date Android telephone backup occupied a lot of the area. I used to be left with simply sufficient free area to take about 30 photographs till I deleted some apps. However, all three telephones even have a microSD card slot for storage growth. So you will need to funds one other $20 to $30 for a microSD card for those who plan to make use of these telephones to take photos, obtain movies or set up extra apps than the built-in storage can deal with.Other options these telephones lack are extra comprehensible at this worth vary. None of the telephones help any model of 5G. They additionally lack wi-fi charging. And though every telephone has three or 4 rear cameras, the picture high quality ranges from being simply OK to downright muddy and blurry. The cameras carried out higher when snapping outside photographs of issues like buildings and avenue doughnuts, however struggled when taking pictures burritos and cocktails in a dim restaurant. Galaxy A02S picture: A King Cake doughnut taken whereas open air.
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Galaxy A03S picture of the King Cake doughnut.
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Galaxy A12 picture of the King Cake doughnut.
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The huge distinction is the best way these telephones juggle a number of duties. You can certainly purchase the most affordable of those telephones, the $130 Galaxy A02S, however a number of key drawbacks will possible make you need to spend $30 extra for the $160 Galaxy A03S. If you resolve a barely higher digicam is what you need, one other $20 will get you the A12 with a fourth lens.

LikeLow cost worth at $130Runs Android 11 and is actively updatedLarge display screen

Don’t LikeHas bother with primary multitaskingMuddy photosNo fingerprint sensor

The Galaxy A02S continues to be accessible at some US carriers, and it runs Android 11.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
Galaxy A02S: When the bottom worth is what issues When open air, the Galaxy A02S is ready to put an appropriate quantity of element into its photographs, on this case displaying snow flurries in a yard.
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Samsung’s Galaxy A02S is the most affordable of the three telephones at $130. As you would possibly anticipate, it additionally has the fewest frills. There’s no fingerprint sensor, so securing your telephone would require getting into a swipe sample or PIN code as a way to unlock. But the larger drawback with this telephone is that it struggles to deal with primary multitasking, possible as a result of it solely has 2GB of reminiscence. Playing podcasts and searching the net works effective, so long as you do not attempt to do these issues on the identical time. The music or internet browser would crash after only a few minutes of tried multitasking. The telephone has three cameras on the again, together with a 13-megapixel huge predominant digicam, a 2-megapixel macro lens and a 2-megapixel depth digicam. A 5-megapixel front-facing digicam sits on the entrance.Despite having three lenses, the Galaxy A02S’ photographs lack readability and crisp colours. It doesn’t suggest they’re unusable. But the Galaxy A02S constantly captured the least element when put next towards the opposite two telephones. Using the Galaxy A02S to aim to {photograph} a drag present within a dim restaurant, nevertheless, led to a really fuzzy picture.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
Front-facing digicam pictures have been an identical throughout the A02S, A03S and A12, with element being ample for group chats. But they weren’t spectacular sufficient to make me really feel nice about selfies, until the photographs have been taken open air with daylight. To its credit score, Samsung is actively patching this telephone. I acquired a number of updates over the course of my evaluation from November 2021 onward. Some of those points could also be solved by updates, however there are not any ensures. Unless you completely want the most affordable Samsung Galaxy telephone doable, paying extra will possible get you a telephone that fits you higher. Samsung seems to have discontinued the A02S, however you may nonetheless purchase it from US carriers.

Like3GB of RAM helps telephone multitaskBlue colour optionIncludes fingerprint sensor

Don’t LikeLittle or no onboard storageSome noticeable lagIndoor photographs are difficult

The Galaxy A03S comes on this blue colour or a black choice.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
Galaxy A03S is Samsung’s latest cheaper telephoneSamsung’s Galaxy A03S is changing the A02S, however with a $30 worth improve to $160. That $30 may be very well-spent for my part, including a fingerprint sensor and rising the reminiscence to 3GB of RAM. Both of those upgrades make the A03S considerably simpler to make use of. The telephone additionally is available in black and blue colours.The Galaxy A03S’ fingerprint sensor is built-in with its energy button, which is positioned on the system’s proper aspect. This sensor alone is a considerable enchancment, making it a lot simpler to unlock the telephone rapidly and securely. You may carry out sure actions utilizing the fingerprint sensor, reminiscent of knocking down the notification shade. The 3GB of reminiscence additionally seems to resolve my chief criticism in regards to the A02S. Multitasking is so a lot better, and I used to be even capable of play Among Us whereas on a video name. There is a few noticeable lag when getting into and exiting apps, however most duties have been in any other case simply effective.An indoor picture of a restaurant’s cocktail taken on the Galaxy A02S, Galaxy A03S and Galaxy A12.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
The A03S’s cameras are nonetheless amongst its weaker factors. The {hardware} is identical because the A02S’, which consists of a 13-megapixel predominant digicam, 2-megapixel depth digicam and 2-megapixel macro digicam. Resulting photographs regarded clearer to me, with a few of my indoor pictures trying brighter. It would cross muster for a photograph I’d put up into a gaggle chat, however I in all probability would not get them printed for framing. Along the entrance is identical 5-megapixel digicam because the A02S.This telephone simply launched in January, making it a fantastic choice for getting as a lot as doable of the 4 years of safety replace help that Samsung is pledging for its Galaxy telephones.

LikeExtra detailed photographs than cheaper phonesLarge, clear screenGood with multitasking

Don’t LikeNot sufficient storageFront-facing digicam is not a lot better than cheaper telephonesSome efficiency points

The Galaxy A12 has the perfect digicam of the three telephones.
Richard Peterson/CNET
Galaxy A12’s worth is in that fourth digicamSamsung’s $180 Galaxy A12 is $20 dearer than the A03S. Its enhancements over the A03S embrace a greater predominant digicam and a fourth ultrawide digicam, which ought to make for clearer photographs.The A12 has a 16-megapixel predominant digicam, a 5-megapixel ultrawide digicam, a 2-megapixel macro digicam and a 2-megapixel depth digicam. I used to be capable of take noticeably higher photographs with it than I did with the A02S and the A03S. The 8-megapixel front-facing digicam can also be an enchancment.I seen extra element in my outside pictures. You can see the define of the bricks, for instance, on the wall of the church in my photographs beneath. The identical outside location shot on the Galaxy A02S, the Galaxy A03S and the Galaxy A12.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
Here are some photographs I requested a good friend to take whereas I sat on a park swing inside a restaurant. The A12’s digicam appropriately captured the darker location, in addition to the glowing signal behind me, with out the noise that was noticeable with the A02S and A03S.On a swing at Fresco’s Grand Cantina in Astoria. On the Galaxy A12, the telephone’s 16-megapixel predominant digicam helps brighten the indoor element compared to the A02S and the A03S telephones.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
The Galaxy A03S was capable of brighten the indoor picture, however a few of the particulars are just a little bit washed out in comparison with the A12.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
The Galaxy A02S appeared to battle with the dimmer lighting within the restaurant, producing a darker picture in comparison with the A03S and the A12.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
Like the A03S, this telephone additionally contains 3GB of reminiscence. It can help most of the identical multitasking calls for because the AO3S, together with gaming whereas on a video name. Yet there was nonetheless obvious lag with some apps, together with a delay when shifting between horizontal and vertical display screen orientations.This telephone choice is good for many who desire a barely higher digicam. But once more, you will need to purchase a microSD card because it solely comes with 32GB of storage.There’s additionally a more recent model of this telephone known as the Galaxy A13, which I have never examined but. It first launched final yr for $249 with 5G, and a $190 4G model simply launched this month. That telephone additionally contains 4 cameras, however bumps the principle digicam as much as 50 megapixels as an alternative of 16 megapixels. The ultrawide digicam on that mannequin is 5 megapixels, the depth digicam is 2 megapixels together with a 2-megapixel macro digicam. But this 4G model additionally solely contains 32GB of space for storing, whereas the 5G model ups storage to 64GB.The Galaxy A03S provides steadiness of decrease value with first rate efficiency. But get a microSD card in order for you it to deal with extra.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
Which telephone do you have to purchase?I’d suggest the Galaxy A03S to anybody who needs to spend lower than $200 on a brand new Samsung telephone. Since it is the most recent of the three telephones, it’s going to get extra years of software program and safety updates. I additionally discovered that it provided respectable efficiency for the worth. While the A12 does take higher photographs, I did not suppose the step up in high quality was value the additional $20. Instead, purchase the A03S and make investments that $20 towards the microSD card you will want.If you needed to take a look at different sub-$200 telephones that are not made by Samsung, Motorola has the $160 Moto G Pure telephone and a $200 Moto G Power telephone. The OnePlus Nord N200 5G goes barely above the $200 threshold, costing $240 however providing 5G connectivity.

GEEKBENCH V.5.0 SINGLE-CORE

Note:
Longer bars point out higher efficiency

GEEKBENCH V.5.0 MULTICORE

Note:
Longer bars point out higher efficiency

Samsung’s Under-$200 Galaxy Phones Target the Essentials

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