Samsung Galaxy A15 (4G) review: Low Price, Decent Value

Samsung’s Galaxy A collection has been a bit hit or miss in recent times. For each cut price belter you discover, there’s typically a much less spectacular sibling close by.

We not too long ago reviewed the bigger Samsung Galaxy A25 5G, which retails for £80/$80 greater than the A15 4G I’ve right here, and our Critiques Editor thinks it’s a strong system.

So, what does the lower cost tag of £169 price you by way of efficiency and options, and is it value saving the distinction?

Design & Construct

• Plastic & glass development
• No waterproof score
• An absolute mud magnet

Samsung has a really established design aesthetic at this level, with the brand new A15 nearly similar to the A25 5G by way of materials and dimensions.

The cheaper mannequin is available in at 160.1 x 76.8 x 8.4mm (6.30 x 3.02 x 0.33-inch) and weighs 200g/7.05oz, which is marginally smaller and heavier than its sibling. 

Building is a mix of a plastic chassis and again, with the entrance sporting a glass panel for the show. Samsung doesn’t point out Gorilla glass or something of that ilk within the technical specs, and that’s not shocking as you hardly ever get toughened supplies like that at this value level. 

The proper flank has a raised space that’s residence to the facility and quantity controls, with the previous additionally housing a fingerprint sensor.

As with all side-placed reader, it’s truly fairly helpful as you have a tendency to carry a cellphone along with your thumb round that a part of the system, though should you’re a left-hander like myself, you may end up having to swap arms when you’ve taken the cellphone out of your pocket. 

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That’s not an issue distinctive to the Galaxy A15, as I’ve additionally encountered it in loads of higher-end ones too. Most well-liked dexterity apart, the fingerprint sensor is fast and proved dependable throughout my take a look at interval with the system. It’s higher than a low-grade possibility embedded within the display screen even when it’s not as fancy.

The rear panel is a reflective floor that appears to have some sort of mud manufacturing manufacturing unit built-in.

Significantly, I don’t assume I’ve ever encountered a mud magnet like this. Wiping down the again to arrange the A15 for a product picture solely appeared to introduce extra mud, making it an absolute nightmare to {photograph}.

This could all be mounted by a case in fact, however Samsung doesn’t embrace one within the field, which is a disgrace as many price range Chinese language telephones I’ve reviewed at all times guarantee you possibly can shield their units without having to hunt out silicon sheaths on eBay.

As with most fashionable telephones, the Galaxy A15 is slippery within the hand, so I’d undoubtedly advise shopping for a case immediately, particularly with the plastic chassis which in all probability wouldn’t survive too many falls. 

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One other omission from the packaging, for higher or worse, is a charger, though there’s a USB-C cable included to match the port on the A15. Beside that could be a single speaker, accompanied by a 3.5mm headphone jack. 

You’ve three colors to decide on between. My evaluation pattern is Blue Black, which is fairly cool trying when it isn’t coated in mud. There’s additionally Blue and Yellow should you want lighter hues and none have the devisive grid sample rear of the Galaxy A25.

As you may anticipate for a tool at this value, Samsung doesn’t checklist any waterproof score for the A15, so don’t get it moist. 

Display & Audio system

• 6.5-inch AMOLED panel
• 90Hz refresh price
• Single speaker & 3.5mm headphone jack

Samsung is thought for its shows, and the Galaxy A15 is a nice instance of what you will get for little or no cash lately.

The 6.5-inch AMOLED panel is nice, with vivid colors and sufficient brightness to cope with a sunny day whereas nonetheless having the ability to learn what’s on the display screen. The corporate claims an 800 nits most brightness, aided by its Imaginative and prescient Booster function, and in regular mode with autobrightness off I measured the panel at 570 nits.   

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The Full HD+ decision (2340 x 1080) retains issues crisp, with the 90Hz refresh price aiming to make sure clean scrolling. This isn’t at all times the case although, because the processing energy of the A15 appears to battle with image-heavy pages, leading to some juddering when scrolling up and down. 

The panel itself has an 84.3% screen-to-body ratio, with a small chin on the underside edge and a teardrop notch on the prime being the one interruptions. For a tool costing as little because the A15, this actually is a really good show and a spotlight of this handset.

Audio comes by way of a single speaker on the underside edge. This could throw out some fairly spectacular quantity ranges, with spoken content material retaining most of its constancy even on the most finish. Music suffers extra at these ranges, with distortion creeping into the peaks and general stability veering in the direction of the shrill finish of the spectrum.

In case you’re listening to podcasts or audiobooks, then you definitely’ll be fairly proud of the output, however for tunes, you’d be higher off with the setting round midway or utilizing the three.5mm headphone jack to plug in a pair of first rate audio system or headpones. 

Specs & Efficiency

• MediaTek Helio G99 processor
• 4GB RAM
• 128GB Storage (expandable by way of microSD)

You gained’t often discover any Snapdragon silicon in a cellphone this low-cost, however the MediaTek Helio G99 within the A15 continues to be a reliable processor that may deal with each day duties effectively.

As talked about above, you do get some stuttering within the efficiency when there are loads of graphical pictures on the display screen, comparable to when scrolling by the Google Uncover feed you possibly can entry by swiping left when on the house display screen. 

Apps open fairly quick, with a couple of pauses right here and there, they usually stay reliably interactive throughout use.

Gaming is even an possibility, with Asphalt 9 Legends taking part in easily on the A15, even when it did get somewhat heat after some time. I’d keep away from the heavier 3D video games like Genshin Impression, however for a each day cellphone that may deal with a bit of sunshine gaming the A15 is a wonderfully serviceable system. 

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The 4GB of RAM is a probable candidate for a number of the slow-downs, because it’s on the low aspect from reminiscence lately. Not less than you get 128GB of primary storage, with an extra 1TB of expandable room accessible should you provide the microSD card. 

Right here’s how the Galaxy A15 fared in our commonplace benchmark exams:

Samsung Galaxy A15 benchmark scores

By way of networks and connectivity, this mannequin is a 4G cellphone. Samsung does supply the Galaxy A15 5G should you want a sooner mobile connection, though most different components of the cellphone are the identical so it won’t be value £30 additional.

The Galaxy A15 provides assist for Twin SIMs (Nano), Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS and NFC, so that you’ll have the ability to use it to make contactless funds, connect with Bluetooth headphones and discover your manner while you’re misplaced. All very useful.  

Cameras

• 50Mp f/1.8 major digicam
• 5Mp ultrawide
• 2Mp macro
• 13Mp selfie

You get a triple digicam array on the A15, comprising a 50Mp f/1.8 large major module, joined by a 5Mp ultrawide and a 2Mp macro.

For probably the most half you’ll be utilizing the primary digicam, because the others aren’t actually as much as a lot. You possibly can definitely get some first rate pictures out of the A15, primarily when there’s loads of mild accessible.

I did discover some over-sharpening that means the software program is attempting to compensate for the softer photographs the lens is capturing. 

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This could result in sturdy distinction pictures having the highlights blow out, the place shiny white areas appear to confuse or overwhelm the sensor. That being mentioned, for an on a regular basis digicam it does an appropriate job for a cellphone this low-cost as long as the topic is effectively lit and never shifting. 

There’s a slight shutter lag, which suggests capturing pets or youngsters in movement could be irritating, because the digicam delays taking the image for half a second or so, which could be the distinction between getting the one you need and a blurry mess.  

Samsung has the standard vary of particular modes, Macro, Evening, Panorama and many others., and they are often enjoyable to play with. The Evening mode introduces a little bit of noise and over-processing, whereas I discovered the Macro to be very ropey. You may have the ability to get some pictures out of them, however I’d stick to the primary digicam for one of the best outcomes. 

Video tops out at 1080p and 30fps, with footage doing an honest job of focussing and balancing mild contrasts. You get a couple of dropped frames right here and there, and low-light efficiency isn’t nice, so so long as you’re not planning on making a Movie Noir epic, it ought to serve its function. 

The 13Mp entrance digicam is your commonplace selfie module, with sufficient high quality for social media posts and the occasional Instagram Story should you use the video (1080p/30fps). 

Listed here are some pattern pictures captured on the A15 cameras:

Battery Life & Charging

• 5000mAh battery
• 25W quick charging supported
• Lengthy battery life

Samsung equips the Galaxy A15 with a large 5000mAh battery which each and every cellphone popping out this 12 months appears to have.

It is a good factor as a result of the cellphone delivers spectacular numbers in terms of staving off the necessity to discover a charger. Every day throughout my take a look at interval, the system retained a wholesome quantity of cost by the point I retired for the evening. 

It’s truthful to say then that this might simply be a two-day cellphone for most individuals, as long as you’re not spending all day utilizing it in shiny daylight or taking part in plenty of graphically demanding video games. Within the PCMark for Android battery take a look at, the A15 totted up a really spectacular 15 hours and quarter-hour, which makes it an actual workhorse system. 

That’s a aid, as charging occasions are on the sluggish aspect. As I discussed, you don’t get a charger with the A15, so regardless that it helps 25W quick charging (probably not quick by 2024 requirements), you could not have the means to do this. It additionally doesn’t assist wi-fi charging, however that’s nice for this value bracket.

From a flat battery, the A15 recovered to 22% in quarter-hour, 44% after half an hour, nevertheless it was over 1 hour and half-hour earlier than it obtained again to 100%. 

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Clearly, this may be slower should you didn’t have a charger that delivers 25W. Out of curiosity, I attempted the take a look at once more with a typical 18W charger that most individuals would have at residence. The outcomes had been very completely different, with quarter-hour garnering 11% of cost, 19% after half an hour, and a whopping 2 hours and 40 minutes for a full recharge. 

Software program & Apps

• Android 14
• One UI 
• As much as 5yrs safety updates

Android 14 is the OS that underpins the Galaxy A15, with the Samsung One UI working on prime.

It must be acquainted to any Samsung customers, and it’s definitely been cleaned up through the years to supply a wise and streamlined interface. There are a good quantity of duplications by way of apps, with Samsung’s suite of instruments, however nothing egregious.

There are solely a handful of preinstalled third-party apps, and these can all be simply deleted. 

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Surprisingly for an reasonably priced cellphone, Samsung guarantees as much as 4 OS updates, which might take you to Android 18, with as much as 5 years of safety updates.

Meaning the lifespan of the system must be round six years, which may be very beneficiant on this sector of the market. Good one, Samsung. 

Worth & Availability

The Galaxy A collection has at all times been a cheap method to choose up a brand new smartphone and that doesn’t change with the A15. You should buy the system from Samsung for £169, though you’ll wish to think about somewhat extra for a case and charger (should you don’t have already got one).

You too can purchase it from Amazon, Currys and Very.

In case you reside within the US, then the A15 isn’t accessible within the 4G model I’ve right here, however you possibly can choose up the same Galaxy A15 5G which can set you again £199/$199. This additionally applies to European prospects should you simply need a 5G model as a substitute. 

This places it in the identical ballpark because the Moto G34 5G that prices £149.99 (not accessible within the US) which clearly provides 5G connectivity, however with a 720p show relatively than the Full HD+ of the A15. 

Alternatively, there’s the Nokia G60 5G that retails for round £250, however could be discovered accessible for round £155 on Amazon UK. Once more, no US distribution, though it does seem on Amazon US too for varied quantities relying on the provider.

Take a look at our chart of one of the best price range telephones to see extra rivals. 

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Do you have to purchase the Samsung Galaxy A15 (4G)?

You possibly can actually get loads to your cash lately, and the Samsung A15 is additional proof of this. It has an ideal show, good quantity of storage (which may additional be expanded by way of microSD), to not point out wonderful battery life. 

Efficiency is okay, however there are some stutters right here and there, plus digicam shutter lag which could be annoying. The cameras themselves are OK, albeit the one of many weaker areas of the cellphone. 

In order for you an affordable smartphone for work, as a backup to your major one, or simply don’t wish to spend masses for a tool should you solely wish to take calls, surf the online and pay for issues on the checkout, then the Galaxy A15 is a strong possibility. 

Specs

• Android 14 / Samsung UI One 
• 6.5-inch Full HD+ AMOLED show
• 90Hz refresh price
• 2.2Ghz MediaTek Helio G99 processor
• 4GB RAM
• 128GB Storage (expandable as much as 1TB by way of microSD)
• 50Mp f/1.8 major digicam
• 5Mp f/2.2 Extremely-wide 
• 2Mp f/2.4 Macro
• 13Mp f/2.0 selfie digicam
• Single speaker
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• Fingerprint sensor embedded in Energy button
• USB-C charging port
• 5000mAh battery
• 25W quick charging supported
• 160.1 x 76.8 x 8.4mm (6.30 x 3.02 x 0.33-inch)
• 200g/7.05oz