Samsung Galaxy A05s review
The Samsung Galaxy A05s is a budget-friendly smartphone that builds upon the improvements made in its predecessor, the Galaxy A04s. The device boasts a larger 6.7-inch LCD display with a 1080p resolution and 90Hz refresh rate, providing a smoother visual experience. However, the color accuracy is not great, and there are no controls to tweak brightness. The phone features a triple-camera setup, with a 50-megapixel main camera, a 2-megapixel macro camera, and a depth sensor. The images produced by the main camera have plenty of detail and true-to-life colors, but foliage and grass may appear soft. Low-light photography is also an area where the device struggles. The Galaxy A05s has a 5,000mAh battery that provides decent battery life, with an active use score of 11 hours and 32 minutes. The phone's charging capabilities have been upgraded to 25 watts, but it still doesn't come with a proper adapter in the box. Under the hood, the device runs on a Snapdragon 680 4G chipset, which is not particularly powerful and has already been surpassed by more modern chipsets. This can lead to sluggish performance and animations that feel slow. The phone's software package includes Samsung's 1 UI Core 5.1 on top of Android 13, providing many features from higher-end Samsung devices but still missing some key functionalities like Edge panels and Samsung Pay. Overall, the Galaxy A05s offers some improvements over its predecessor, such as a better display and faster charging, but is held back by its underpowered chipset and average camera performance. If you're in the market for a budget smartphone with more powerful hardware, there are other options available, such as the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G or the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 4G.
Build Quality and Design
The Samsung Galaxy A5s boasts a plastic back with a matte finish, providing a smooth texture that's pleasing to the touch. However, this is a departure from last year's model, which featured a glossy finish. The frame has a brushed metal look, but it's actually made of plastic as well. Despite the plastic construction, the build quality feels solid and sturdy in hand. The device's dimensions are typical for its class, with huge bezels that are to be expected at this budget price point. The color accuracy on the A5s is not great, and there are no controls to tweak it with when it comes to brightness. However, the Galaxy A5s was able to reach nearly 470 nits maximum, making it usable outdoors. One notable design aspect is the inclusion of a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is a welcome addition for those who still prefer wired audio. The single bottom-firing speaker earns an average score in loudness tests and sounds okay, but not great. The fingerprint reader is built into the power button on the side and is very accurate and snappy, making it convenient to wake up and unlock the phone quickly. Overall, while the design of the Samsung Galaxy A5s may not be particularly remarkable, it feels solid and sturdy in hand, and the inclusion of a 3.5mm headphone jack is a welcome touch.
Battery Life
One of the standout features of the Galaxy A5s is its battery life. The phone comes equipped with a 5000mAh battery, which is a significant improvement over last year's model. In our testing, the battery was able to last for an impressive 11 hours and 32 minutes with active use. While this may not be the longest battery life on the market, it's still respectable considering the phone's budget-friendly price tag. The A5s also supports fast charging, with a maximum output of 25W. We were able to charge the phone from 0 to 43% in just half an hour, which is a decent improvement over last year's model. The battery life is one area where the Galaxy A5s shines, and it's a welcome relief considering the phone's other performance issues. While it may not be the most powerful device on the market, its battery life will likely get you through a full day of use without needing to top up. Overall, we're pleased with the battery life of the Galaxy A5s, and it's one area where Samsung has clearly prioritized user experience. In terms of specific usage scenarios, the battery life holds up well in moderate use cases such as: * Browsing social media and streaming music * Watching a few hours of video content * Making occasional phone calls and texts However, heavy users or those who engage in demanding activities like gaming may find themselves needing to charge the phone more frequently.
Display
The Samsung Galaxy A05s boasts a larger and higher-resolution display compared to its predecessor. The new phone features a 6.7-inch LCD with a 1080p resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate, which is an improvement over the previous model's 720p screen. While the bezels are still substantial, the boost in sharpness and brightness is welcome, especially considering it was one of the complaints about last year's model. The maximum brightness reaches nearly 470 nits, making it usable outdoors, although not exceptional. Unfortunately, color accuracy isn't great, and there's no option to tweak this with controls. The new display has a matte finish on the back, which adds to its texture. However, one major limitation is the sluggish pixel response times that lead to ghosting and smearing. This refresh rate doesn't dial down while idling on the home screen to save energy. Overall, the Galaxy A05s' display offers some improvements over last year's model but still falls short of being exceptional in this budget-friendly device category. While it may not be the most impressive feature set, it does a decent job for its price point, making it suitable for users who value better display quality without breaking the bank. The upgrade from 720p to 1080p resolution is an undeniable step forward, and the increased refresh rate attempts to make up for some of the display's other shortcomings. However, as we delve deeper into this review, it becomes clear that there are still limitations in terms of performance and overall experience that users should be aware of.
Camera
The camera performance of the Samsung Galaxy A05s is an area where significant improvements have been made over its predecessor, the Galaxy A04s. The triple-camera setup, consisting of a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 2-megapixel macro lens, and a depth sensor, delivers better results in various lighting conditions. One of the standout features is the 50-megapixel main camera's ability to capture high-quality images with plenty of detail, without excessive sharpening. Pixel binning reduces the actual resolution to around 12.5 megapixels, but this does not detract from the overall quality of the photos. Colors are mostly true to life, although foliage and grass may appear slightly soft when viewed up close. Portrait shots are competent, with good background blur and accurate edge detection. However, there are occasional issues with the edge detection in certain scenarios. The dedicated depth sensor helps in achieving a clean bokeh effect. In low-light conditions, the Samsung Galaxy A05s struggles to deliver crisp images, with noticeable noise and dark shadows. Enabling the dedicated night mode does help in reducing noise and increasing overall exposure, but it also results in some detail being smoothed over by the noise reduction. The macro camera produces decent close-up shots with okay detail and good colors, while the new 13-megapixel selfie camera is an improvement over its predecessor. However, the images appear aggressively processed and smoothed over. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy A05s offers a significant upgrade in camera capabilities compared to the Galaxy A04s. While there are still some areas for improvement, particularly in low-light conditions, the new model delivers better results in various scenarios, making it a more compelling choice for those looking for an affordable smartphone with good camera performance.
Price and Value
The Samsung Galaxy A05s is an entry-level phone that promises to deliver a better experience than its predecessor, the Galaxy A04s. With a larger display, new chipset, and faster charging, it's natural to expect more from this device. But does it live up to its price tag? Priced at around $250-$300, the Galaxy A05s is an affordable option for those looking for a reliable smartphone experience. While it doesn't come with any groundbreaking features, Samsung has managed to improve upon some of the shortcomings of last year's model. The phone's 6.7-inch LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate is a welcome upgrade, but its pixel response times are sluggish, leading to ghosting and smearing. The camera system remains largely unchanged from last year, with decent results in good lighting conditions but struggles in low-light situations. In terms of performance, the phone's Snapdragon 680 4G chipset feels outdated and underpowered, making everyday tasks feel slow and clunky. While it's an improvement over last year's Exynos 850, there are better options available at this price range with more powerful hardware. Battery life is decent, with the 5,000mAh battery providing around 11 hours of active use time. However, charging speeds have improved to 25W, which is still slower than some other phones in its class. So, is the Galaxy A05s worth your money? If you're looking for an affordable smartphone that's capable of handling basic tasks and don't mind a slightly subpar camera system, then yes. However, if you want a phone with more powerful performance or better battery life, there are other options available at this price range. Ultimately, the Galaxy A05s is a solid, if unremarkable, budget phone that gets the job done. While it may not be the most exciting device, its value lies in its reliability and affordability. If you're on a tight budget or just need a basic smartphone for everyday use, then the A05s might be worth considering.
Performance
The Samsung Galaxy A05s is a budget-friendly smartphone that promises to deliver decent performance for its price tag. However, our experience with the device suggests that it falls short in this department. Under the hood lies a Snapdragon 680 4G chipset, which is a 2-year-old processor that fails to impress. The chip's lack of power is evident when performing daily tasks or multitasking, where animations and transitions feel sluggish. Even low-key activities like browsing or streaming music don't feel snappy, making it difficult to ignore the performance shortfall. Our benchmarking results also reveal that the Galaxy A05s doesn't quite live up to expectations. While it's not a complete disaster, its scores are far from impressive compared to more powerful devices in this price range. This is especially true when considering the availability of more potent hardware at similar prices. The device's performance issues become even more apparent when using apps that demand more system resources. The UI can feel sluggish and unresponsive, making it difficult to navigate through menus or switch between applications seamlessly. While not catastrophic, these experiences do take away from the overall user experience, especially for those accustomed to faster-performing devices. In conclusion, while the Samsung Galaxy A05s may check off other boxes in terms of features and design, its performance is a letdown. If you're in the market for a budget-friendly phone with snappy performance, it might be wise to explore other options that offer more robust hardware at similar prices. The likes of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 4G or Samsung Galaxy A14 5G, among others, may be worth considering if you prioritize smooth performance and seamless user experiences.
Pros
1. The phone boasts a larger 6.7in LCD display with a 1080p resolution and 90Hz refresh rate.
2. The camera setup is decent, with a 50-megapixel main camera that produces well-detailed photos
3. Faster charging capabilities (25W)
4. Side-mounted fingerprint reader is accurate and snappy
Cons
1. Display struggles with ghosting and smearing due to sluggish pixel response times
2. Lackluster performance due to dated Snapdragon 680 4G chipset
3. Camera struggles in low-light conditions with plenty of noise and poor dynamic range
4. Average speaker quality