Gone are the days when budget smartphones perform sluggishly, have poor cameras and feel plasticky. Today more than ever, you can get a good specced mobile device for just S$300 and enjoy amazing smartphone experience with smooth seamless performance and capable cameras.
One such example is the new Samsung Galaxy A15 5G which I’ve been testing over the past two weeks. While the phone may not have all the bells and whistles of a flagship phone like the S24 Ultra (Review), the A15 5G has served incredibly well as a daily driver and has actually went beyond my expectation of a budget phone.
Samsung Galaxy A15 5G: Design
Samsung has been consistent with the design of its A series smartphone over the past couple of years and that doesn’t change with the new Galaxy A15 5G as the phone continues to feature the same familiar floating camera layout comprising of individual lenses in place of an obtrusive camera bump. And like any other A series smartphones, the frames of the phone are flat which give it a rather boxy outlook that goes remarkably well with the overall design of the phone.
The model I had for review comes in a really attractive-looking Lime Yellow colorway which features a subtle iridescent effect when lights are shone on it. But in case you find this color a bit too flashy for your liking, you can also pick up the Galaxy A15 5G in either Light Blue or an even more understated Blue Black colorway.
@playfuldroid Samsung Galaxy A15 5G hands-on ? #GalaxyA15 #GalaxyA155G #Samsung #Smartphone #Tech ? Don’t Be Shy – Tiësto & Karol G
In terms of build quality, you might be surprised that the Galaxy A15 5G feels very much like a premium smartphone on hand. Even though its undeniably an all-plastic affair, the phone is well put together and feels sturdy enough to take a couple of knocks. Just like any other budget-centric smartphones, there’s no official IP rating on the A15 5G. However, you can still be assured that the phone will still be able to survive light splashes of water despite that.
Over on the front side, the Galaxy A15 5G is fitted with a 6.5” display that offers plenty of screen estate for work and play. Unlike most other smartphones in this segment, the A15 5G uses a higher-end Super AMOLED panel instead of cheaper LCD panels which makes the display looks way more vibrant and vivid than other competing models.
Aside from that, the display also supports other advanced features including a slick 90Hz refresh rate that allows you to enjoy smoother visuals, as well as an impressive 800 nits peak brightness which helps to ensure the screen remains visible regardless whether you’re using the phone in an indoor or outdoor environment.
Samsung Galaxy A15 5G: Performance
Under the hood, the Samsung Galaxy A15 5G is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ chipset that’s used in many popular mid-range models such as the OnePlus Nord 3 5G and OPPO Reno 11 5G. In terms of performance, this is certainly a decent chipset that’s able to handle day-to-day tasks such as web browsing and video playback with ease. In fact, the phone also does pretty well when it comes to mobile gaming as long the graphics setting is kept to default or bare minimum (for certain game titles).
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To keep its lights on, there’s also a respectable 5,000mAh battery which has no issue lasting through the day under moderate usage with some extra juice to spare. In the event that the battery runs out, the Galaxy A15 5G can also be recharged fairly quickly as the phone supports 25W fast wired charging that’s able to deliver a full charge from 0 to 100% in approximately 80 minutes using a compatible charger.
Samsung Galaxy A15 5G: Cameras
Now, onto the main highlight of the Galaxy A15 5G – the cameras. The A15 5G employs a total of three cameras at the back comprising of a 50 megapixels (f/1.8 aperture) main camera, a 5 megapixels (f/2.2 aperture) ultra-wide camera for landscape photography, as well as a 2 megapixels (f/2.4 aperture) macro unit for close-up shots.
Despite being essentially a budget-focused smartphone, the A15 5G’s main camera is actually able to click surprisingly good-looking photos that are easily comparable to those that are twice its price. That means you can expect to get flattering photos with good dynamic range and details regardless of lighting conditions, even though you’ll get the best result in a well-lit environment.
While there’s no dedicated telephoto camera onboard for zoomed shots, the A15 5G’s main camera alone is able to capture zoomed photos that are of acceptably good quality via digital cropping which allows the camera to support up to a maximum of 10x zoom factor. Besides taking photos of faraway subjects, I also find this feature particularly useful take close-up photos of plants or insects if you’re into nature photography like me.
Samsung Galaxy A15 5G: Verdict
All in all, the Samsung Galaxy A15 5G is a promising smartphone which sets a new standard for budget-centric smartphones. From its bright and vivid display to its capable camera hardware, the Galaxy A15 5G offers plenty of lovely features that we don’t typically see within this price range – allowing users to enjoy an amazing smartphone experience without having to break the bank.
For those who’re interested, the Samsung Galaxy A15 5G is priced at just S$298 in Singapore and is available for purchase via selected telecommunication operators, Samsung Online Store, Samsung Shop App, Samsung Experience Store, Samsung Official Store in iShopChangi and major consumer electronics & IT stores.
