If you’ve been following us, I’m sure you know about Samsung’s Galaxy A series, which is a line-up of mid-range smartphones that goes above and beyond, especially in terms of performance.
However, the Galaxy A series starts its pricing at RM1,499 for the A33 5G, which might be a little higher for the tight budgeters. Therefore, Samsung has introduced a sub-RM1000 model to the series: the Galaxy A23.
On paper, the Samsung Galaxy A23 looks awesome. Powered by an Octa-core Snapdragon 680 with 6GB RAM and 128GB ROM, it sounds like a mid-range phone at a budget price. But can it really live up to the expectations we have for it?
Table of Contents
Specs
- Processor: 2.4GHz, 1.9 GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 680
- Display: 6.6" FHD+ Display
- Memory: 6GB RAM, 128GB ROM, expandable up to 1TB
- Rear Camera: Quad camera, 50.0 MP + 5.0 MP + 2.0 MP + 2.0 MP
- Front Camera: 8.0 MP
- Battery: 5000 mAh
- Connectivity: USB Type-C, 3.5mm Headphone jack
- Operating System: Android
- Other Features: Dolby Atmos speakers, Rear camera OIS
Built & Design
As always, let’s delve right into the aesthetics first.
The review model we received is in Peach Awesome, which is a pretty eye-catching colour in its own right. Unlike its siblings in the same range, the A23 has a plastic frame and back panel that are very fingerprint prone, though it’s essentially a non-problem when you use it with a phone cover.
The volume buttons and the power button (which also doubles as the fingerprint sensor) are located on the right side of the phone, which is typical for Samsung smartphones. They’re also made out of plastic, so they sound clicky when you press on them.
On the bottom of the phone, there’s the 3.5mm headphone jack, the USB-C charger port, the mic, and the mono-speaker. We’ll get into the speaker’s performance later.
Overall, the A23 is pretty nice to hold in hand. Despite the plastic frame, it still has a solid weight but is also not too heavy.
Display
On to the front of the phone; instead of AMOLED like its older siblings in the A series, the Galaxy A23 comes with a 6.6” PLS TFT LCD main display that supports up to FHD+.
This is where we would dock a point off the Galaxy A23. Samsung boasts that it has a 90Hz refresh rate, but it simply isn’t reflected in actual usage. It’s fine if you’re just scrolling through social media or watching videos, but intensive tasks like gaming just don’t hold up.
Besides that, the screen isn’t bright enough to be used comfortably under bright sunlight, and the colours are pretty subpar, even when compared with the Galaxy M33, which is also a budget smartphone in roughly the same price range.
Performance
For a phone of this price, there’s really nothing much to complain about the performance. It’s not the best, but it works.
We tested the phone with a high graphic-demand game, Genshin Impact, and a casual, low-intensity game, Claw Stars. The phone ran both games well without any unexpected crashes, though it struggled a little with Genshin Impact when the graphics settings were turned on high.
While the Snapdragon 680 isn’t exactly the best chipset you can find in this price range, it’s enough to power your basic social media needs and mobile gaming at lower graphic settings.
Samsung promised full, loud, and surround sound with Dolby Atmos speakers in the Galaxy A23. We found the first two adjectives true enough when playing Genshin Impact, but as expected, surround sound was a little difficult for the mono-speaker that came on the Galaxy A23.
Camera
Samsung doesn’t disappoint when it comes to camera quality, even in a sub-RM1000 phone like this. The Galaxy A23 has a quad-camera set-up with 50MP OIS main camera, 5MP ultrawide lens, 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth lens. With built-in OIS, it makes for a great camera phone for shaky hands (like me!).
There’s a decent amount of detail and well-balanced colour in the daylight photos that we took. The Night Mode on the phone doesn’t live up to Samsung’s famed Nightography, however, so while the phone does produce decent photos under low-light, the light balance is slightly off and therefore lack detail. Or maybe we’re just used to the Galaxy S22.
In terms of its main shooter; the front camera is a standard 8MP that is pretty average, with a bokeh effect that is present in most smartphones nowadays. It does what it says, nothing more, nothing less.
Battery
The Galaxy A23 sports an impressive 5,000 mAh battery that easily offers up to 2 days of regular usage, which we can attest to. There’s also 25W fast-charging, though it’s nothing notable, since there are a lot of other smartphones offering faster charging speeds at the same price range.
One thing to point out, though, is that the phone heats up quite a bit during intensive gaming sessions. Two hours of Genshin Impact makes the phone a little uncomfortable to hold, so that’s something to keep in mind.
Conclusion
- Our Rating: 6/10
- Pros: Affordable pricing, good selection of colour
- Cons: Subpar display
- Who is it for? Parents who are looking for a basic phone for their kids, this is the one.
It’s not a bad phone, per se, but it’s not something I would recommend for the tech savvy or even tech amateurs, since there is a lot left to be desired especially with its screen and display.
However, for what it’s worth, it’s perfect for kids and students who just need a smartphone that can do basic stuff.
Buy the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G