The Galaxy A15 5G Review | One Of The Best Budget Phones Now ?
The Galaxy A15 5G has a plastic build that feels solid enough for the price. At 6.5-inches, it has a straightforward rectangular shape with flat edges. It features a plastic back and frame, which allows it to keep costs low at this price point. While plastic may not feel as premium as glass or metal, the material here feels solid and durable.
It's lightweight at only 200g but doesn't feel cheap or flimsy in the hand. The power button doubles as a fingerprint sensor and works well for unlocking. On the bottom are dual speakers that flank the USB-C port. It comes in three colors, Light blue, blue black, and yellow.
Display
The A15 5G’s display is what stands out in this package. The phone features a 6.5-inch AMOLED panel with Full HD+ resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate. The colors really pop thanks to AMOLED and it gets bright enough outdoors too. In testing, the screen hit over 700 nits of peak brightness. Scrolling is super smooth thanks to 90Hz. It's an amazing display for the price.
Audio
Audio quality is decent thanks to the dual speakers. They get plenty loud without distortion at maximum volume. While they don't offer stereo separation, audio sounds balanced overall. The 3.5mm headphone jack is a nice inclusion too for those who still use wired headphones.
Performance
Performance is where some compromises had to be made. The MediaTek Dimensity 6100 chip and 8GB RAM provide enough power for basic tasks but can feel sluggish at times, especially in graphically intensive games. The Dimensity 6100 is an entry-level 5G chip and doesn't have the horsepower for running memory-intensive operations as smoothly as higher-end processors.
Having several programs and browser tabs open simultaneously led to longer load times when switching between them during my testing. While the phone doesn't crash outright, it's clear the chipset struggles a bit when pushing it with heavy multitasking. The phone also has 128GB of internal storage, which is generous for the price.
Camera
The triple rear camera setup consists of a 50MP main, 5MP ultra-wide and 2MP macro. Don't expect flagship-level photos, but the main camera captures good detail with accurate colors in good lighting.
The 5MP ultra-wide lens allows for wider shots but quality takes a noticeable hit. Images appear soft with less detail and the edges are warped due to the low resolution. Low light photos get very grainy. At only 2MP, the macro camera is severely limited. Macro shots lack clarity and miss fine details even in good lighting. Honestly, given its paltry resolution, Samsung could have opted to omit this lens entirely without much loss. Video is limited to 1080p30. The 13MP front camera is decent for selfies.
The ultra-wide and macro lenses feel like unnecessary additions given their poor quality compared to the decent main camera. The 5MP and 2MP resolutions are just alittle bit too llow to produce solid photos, making these secondary lenses mostly useless and more of a marketing specification than practical feature. Sticking to just the main camera is recommended for the best results.
Battery Life
A 5,000mAh battery powers the A15 5G, which is large for its class. In testing it lasted over 12 hours of video streaming which is excellent.
General usage easily provides a full day of power on a single charge. It also supports 25W fast charging for quick top ups.
Connectivity
For cellular connectivity, the Galaxy A15 5G supports sub-6GHz 5G networks, which provide good coverage and decent speeds for most users.
Nonetheless, the inclusion of 5G at this price point is a major selling point for those wanting future-proof connectivity. Users will get improved download speeds for activities like video streaming compared to 4G LTE phones.
The A15 5G also supports dual SIM with a hybrid SIM slot. This allows inserting either two physical nano-SIM cards simultaneously, or one nano-SIM and one eSIM. eSIM support is a convenient option for easily switching carriers without having to obtain a new physical SIM.
Pricing and Availability
The Samsung Galaxy A15 5G is very affordable at just SGD$298. It's available to purchase directly from Samsung's website and most other retailers. For the price, you're getting a lot of nifty features, including 5G connectivity. While not the fastest in its price range, the Galaxy A15 5G offers a beautiful AMOLED display, long battery life and decent cameras. It's a great budget option for anyone looking for an inexpensive 5G device.