Samsung Galaxy A23 5G Review: Searching For The Middle Ground

The Samsung Galaxy A23 5G is a mid-range phone. The large, clear screen and an equally large, long-lasting battery are great for budget phones, although there are some rough edges on the weak points. However, if you're willing to compromise, the Galaxy A23 5G offers more than your money's worth in terms of the long-term upgrade commitment.

The Samsung Galaxy A line is the dominant force among budget Android devices. It competes with the mid-range Google Pixel A and iPhone SE, while dominating lower models with sophisticated software and a long-term commitment to innovation. What happens if you fall between them? How is Samsung doing with the mid-range? Let's find out in our Samsung Galaxy A23 5G review.

What you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G

Ryan Haynes / Android Authority

Samsung Galaxy A23 5G (6GB RAM / 64GB): $299

The Samsung Galaxy A23 5G will be available in early September 2022 as the successor to the Galaxy A22 and a 5G-enabled counterpart to the regular Galaxy A23 in select markets such as India. The version we tested for this review is currently limited to the US and is only available in one configuration. It's powered by a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chip, which Samsung calls "5G completely free."

Samsung's new sub-$300 product seems to be taking a "little bit of everything" approach, filling the void left by both its premium siblings and its budget cousins, the older (but still extraordinary). It has the same large 6.6-inch LCD panel as the Galaxy A13 5G, but the Gorilla Glass 5 design, Full HD Plus resolution and 120Hz adaptive refresh rate are closer to the Galaxy A53 5G. The rest of the construction is made of plastic, just like the Samsung Galaxy A series, but there is no water and dust rating.

Underneath the plastic body is a solid 5000mAh battery with a 25W power cable. On the right you'll find a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and a volume rocker, while on the left you'll find two nano-SIM cards and a microSD tray. The latter is particularly welcome as it may be needed to compensate for limited interior space. Unlike most Samsung phones, the Galaxy A23 5G retains the 3.5mm headphone jack for a year and is accompanied by a single bottom-firing speaker and a USB-C port on the bottom edge.

The matte rubber back cover and camera notch are taken directly from the Galaxy A53 5G. It has a 50MP main lens, a 5MP ultra-wide angle lens, a 2MP macro lens and a depth sensor. On the front, Samsung has used an 8MP selfie camera to match the Infinity V notch.

Our Samsung Galaxy A23 5G comes with Android 12 and One UI 4.1 on board. The Google Play system update was performed on May 1, 2022 using the July 1, 2022 security patch. We should expect the device to benefit from Samsung's excellent update policy, which follows a four-year system of quarterly security patches Galaxy. A13 5G (each two). years) and two full versions for Android. Unfortunately, Android 13 will be one of those releases, but it will still take the bulk of the budget commitment.

The Galaxy A23 5G case is nothing to ask for. There are a few essentials along with the SIM eject and USB-C cable, but that's about it.

The Samsung Galaxy A23 5G is only available in black in the US. You can buy the phone from Samsung and Amazon, as well as carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile.

what is good

Ryan Haynes / Android Authority

Bigger batteries and sub-flagship 5G processors are a match made in heaven. No, the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G won't blow away the most expensive device in terms of raw performance, but it will get the job done and last a long time. I used the budget phone regularly for a day and a half, mostly browsing social media, answering emails and playing very light games. It certainly won't leave the world in benchmarks, but we've seen similar results from other Snapdragon 695-based phones like the Sony Xperia 10 IV, Moto G Stylus 5G, and OnePlus Nord N20 at the same price. good evening performance today. They will be fresh during classes and light exercises.

When an empty cell finally appears, the 25W fast charge will get you moving quickly again. Charging took around 80 minutes, which isn't bad, although you'll need a Power Delivery-compatible charger to get the fastest charging times - check out our guide if you need one. There's no wireless charging, but that's to be expected at this price point.

If you're considering the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G, you're probably not looking for a premium gaming experience. However, you definitely want a smooth and reliable software experience at your expense. The Galaxy A23 5G delivers flawless performance from the front. The user interface remains one of the cleanest and richest skins on Android. There's plenty of room to customize your themes and icons, and the commitment to updates is unmatched at this price point.

The UI remains one of the best Android skins in the game, and the Galaxy A23 5G's commitment to long-term updates is a blessing.

The user interface also gives you the option to remove malicious apps during the installation process. It's good, even if I get over the virus phase completely. Given the choice between Google and Samsung apps, I'd choose the former and choose not to remove all aspects of the latter. However, if you're immersed in Samsung's ever-expanding ecosystem of products and services, you might want to opt for the latter.

Despite its affordable price, the Galaxy A23 5G looks like a phone made for streaming media. It has a surprisingly large 6.6-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate and Full HD Plus resolution for the price. Cropping water droplets also minimizes interruptions and can be easily closed with a finger in landscape mode if they bother you. Color accuracy is also good, although the LCD isn't as bright as the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G's AMOLED panel, making it a little less pleasant to use in direct sunlight.

What is not so good?

Ryan Haynes / Android Authority

Side-mounted fingerprint readers are great and I'm glad they've had a lot of time in the sun, but the Galaxy A23 5G is a good example of how they don't. It turns out there is such a thing as too small and too thin, and Samsung seems to have mastered it. I regularly miss the fingerprint reader because my thumb can't find it when I pull the phone out of my pocket. On the plus side, when I finally got the fingerprint scanner, I had no problems with accuracy.

It's unfair to expect a $300 phone to have the same bezels as a flagship, but the Galaxy A23 5G has a bit of a Dracula problem. It's in the style of Bela Lugosi from the first vampire movie, with the widow's top hat going right into a black top that's good for a vampire, but not so good for a smartphone. The chin is quite large, which contributes to a slightly larger phone than it should, even for its large screen.

Like Bela Lugosi's hair in Dracula, the top bezel of the Galaxy A23 5G is a bit longer than it should be.

Samsung's cheap plastic case is another reminder that this device doesn't come cheap. The back panel isn't flexible, but it doesn't look as slick as other plastic options on the market. The Galaxy A23 5G also has a glossy plastic frame that may look premium, but the downside is that it gets fingerprints. A high level of water resistance is generally lacking at this price point, although it would be nice if Samsung at least tested splash protection - instead you get nothing.

Most of the design elements of the Galaxy A23 5G indicate that this is a dream device for budget media streaming. The large, clear screen and headphone jack definitely contribute to this. However, the single downward-firing speaker ensures that you are left alone to enjoy your performances. It doesn't work with headphones to create stereo sound, and placing it to the right of the bottom end makes the sound weak and unbalanced.

Samsung Galaxy A23 5G Camera Review

Ryan Haynes / Android Authority

Perhaps the most obvious example of Galaxy A23 5G emulation occurs when the phone is powered on. The relatively flexible camera setup is inspired by the Galaxy A53 5G flagship by integrating a similar rear camera bump. However, not all quad-camera setups are created equal, as they aren't as well-equipped as Samsung's famous mid-range monitor, a phone that remains one of the best budget registers around. Instead, like a child putting itself in the place of its older brother, the Galaxy A23 5G takes a few steps before surpassing itself.

After all, the Galaxy A23 5G makes good use of its primary sensor... most of the time. The 50MP wide-angle lens is set to 12.5MP and performs well in most lighting conditions. I spent most of my time there, although this goal also gave me breaks from time to time. Standard images come out clean with good detail and shadows, but turning on portrait mode gives the impression you're playing with a color profile.

The cameras on the Galaxy A23 5G are mixed, but the video recording capabilities are quite poor.

To see what I mean, take a look at the image of a yellow pumpkin on top of an orange in the gallery below. It's far from natural focus (just below or to the side of the image), and the depth of field looks particularly compelling. Other portraits taken under cloudy skies, like Little Border, look more natural, but I don't think the sunlight has such a harsh effect.

We don't often praise a smartphone for its tiny 2MP macro sensor, but the Galaxy A23 5G performs well. Although not very close, I was pleased with the image of the maple leaves, and the image of the rooster's nest (orange blossom) had good detail in the white area. It suffers a bit in the brighter orange range and breaks down in detail when you shoot it on the big screen, but it's a pretty good macro shot considering what the phone does.

Then there's the ultra-wide angle camera. The Galaxy A23 5G offers a decent 123-degree field of view, but the edges start to suffer immediately. The distortion is visible in the trees in all three images, the leaves merging into soft green patches. Both the Red Church painting and the Garden painting show a fully inflated sky that appears as a white void rather than the cloudy sky in the central image. Compared to the zoom comparison below, this is still a great way to capture more detail, but softer detail will limit the benefits of your photography.

While the Galaxy A23 5G doesn't have a zoom lens, it does produce useful results with 4x zoom. Colors are consistent across all four photos, and when you start zooming in at 10x, detail starts to fade. However, the results are not that terrible considering the price of the phone and the understandable lack of hardware. I also struggled to get Samsung's excellent image stabilization to work at 10x zoom, so unless you can steady the camera on something sturdy, you might notice some shake.

Galaxy A23 5G's night mode isn't great, but it's useful in some cases. It looks like a natural enhancement to the subject, like a gazebo, but the background is relatively dark and lacks detail. For example, there are plants and flowers in front of the swimming symbol, although you would never know because of the process. Overall, the results are in line with my eyes, although night mode isn't as improved as you'd expect from phones with more powerful cameras.

Finally, we have an 8MP selfie camera. It's the second sharpest lens on a phone, and probably the second most useful. I have no complaints about color accuracy or detail when it comes to my face or shirt, and portrait mode just messed up some of my unruly hair. Background details, such as tree leaves, tend to be a little messy, but non-portrait photography captures a partially sunny sky well.

If you're hoping for clear footage, you're in luck. Instead, you'll have to settle for 1080p at 30fps from the main and selfie cameras. Both specs are on par with the cheaper Galaxy A13 5G, but there's no 4K/30fps recording like the Galaxy A53 5G with electronic gyro stabilization. Offering 1080p/60fps recording, the Galaxy A23 5G was a favorite for video. Unfortunately, you'll have to live with movies that aren't worth watching now, but will be great for future memories.

Samsung Galaxy A23 5G specifications

Samsung Galaxy A23 5G

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- LCD 6.6" - adaptive refresh rate 120 Hz - 2408 x 1080

CPU

Qualcomm Snapdragon 695

RAM.

6 GB

Storage

64 GB Up to 1 TB expandable via microSD

performances

5000mAh battery, 25W fast charger not included.

camcorders

Rear: 50 MP wide, OIS, ƒ/1.8-5 MP, ultra wide, 1.12µm, ƒ/2.2, 123-degree FOV, 2 MP macro, ƒ/2.4-2 MP, depth sensor, ƒ/2.4

Front: - 8 MP, ƒ / 2.0

Audio

3.5 mm headphone jack with single speaker

MIS

Dual Nano SIM tray

biometrics

Side fingerprint reader

Software

User interface Android 12 4.1

Dimensions and weight

165.4 x 76.9 x 8.4 mm

197 g

Waterproof according to IP52

tint

Black

Samsung Galaxy A23 5G review: The verdict

Ryan Haynes / Android Authority

The no man's land of $300 Android phones is a wild and unpredictable place. It is equipped with tools that provide powerful cameras, durable batteries and a strong and durable construction. However, the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G makes you wonder what happens if you find a middle ground between these specs. It packs a little bit of everything into a solid but imperfect budget device.

The large and stylish Full HD display won't let you down and the durable Gorilla Glass 5 construction won't let you down. The physical dual SIM tray with microSD expansion and headphone jack shows that some of the old favorite features are still inside. 2022. The four rear cameras are also an example of how Samsung is trying to push the limits of affordability, allowing the brand to remain consistent year after year among budget cameras. Despite its flaws, the Galaxy A23 5G offers an unmatched commitment to software updates and security.

The Samsung Galaxy A23 5G is a good but misguided attempt to hit a sweet spot in a roughly $300 price range that's slightly unmatched in the US.

That's surprisingly good, even considering the competition in the US. The Motorola Moto G 5G ($299 on sale) is definitely its closest competitor, even if it comes with a lot of compromises. OnePlus' Nord N20 ($282) has the best price, with a 64MP main camera and a 16MP selfie camera, though the limited prospect of future upgrades makes it a poor choice in the long run.

Finally, the biggest problem with the Galaxy A23 5G may come from Samsung itself. The Galaxy A13 5G ($249) is a better buy than what we thought was overpriced when we asked about the price. However, you may see a carrier deal that will save you enough money to sway you one way or the other. You can also consider the Galaxy A23 5G as a replacement for the Galaxy A32 5G ($279), even if it's not exactly the same. It offers a sharper, brighter, clearer screen and faster battery charging, but the Galaxy A32 5G wins when it comes to the camera. Given its relative age, you can find the Galaxy A32 5G somewhere in the bargain.

If you buy it outright and unlock it, the real test is the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G ($449). Yes, it's a step up at a higher price, but it uses the best mid-range devices from Google and Apple and softens many of the Galaxy A23 5G's rough edges. It's better performing (although performance is slightly lower than its closest competitors), with a full IP68 rating for water resistance, stereo speakers and a clear upgrade to all of its cameras. The Galaxy A53 5G offers improved software reliability with a five-year security patch warranty and four years of future-proof operating system updates. Sometimes it's worth spending a little more if it will save you money in the long run.

Samsung Galaxy A23 5G

Affordable price • Great display • Long lasting battery

You can get the same battery size as the Galaxy S22 Ultra for a quarter of the price.

If you need a phone that will help you survive the day (and then not much), without going broke, you should try the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G. Everything you need, a colossal battery with a capacity of 5000 mAh, costs less than 300 dollars.

The most important questions and answers about the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G

Is the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G waterproof?

Samsung Galaxy A23 5G does not have an official waterproof rating, so we do not recommend getting it wet.

How many SIM cards can the Galaxy A23 5G accommodate?

The Galaxy A23 5G supports two nano-SIM cards in a removable tray without a SIM card holder.

Is there wireless charging in the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G?

Samsung Galaxy A23 5G does not support wireless charging.

Подходит ли Samsung Galaxy A23 5G для игр?

The 6.6-inch display with a frequency of 120 Hz and a battery with a capacity of 5000 mAh are good for games, although the Snapdragon 695 limits you to lighter and less graphically complex games.

Does the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G come with a charger? Where is the fingerprint scanner on the Galaxy A23 5G?

The Galaxy A23 5G fingerprint sensor is located on the side of the device, under the volume control keys.

When did the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G come out?

Samsung released the budget Galaxy A23 5G on September 1, 2022.

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