Samsung Galaxy A23 Review

Samsung Galaxy A23 Review: Intro

Samsung has been going strong with its mid-range lineup in the last couple of years, and the Galaxy A23 is yet another iteration of its low-end to mid-range offering. We bring you a comprehensive Samsung Galaxy A23 Review.

Samsung Galaxy A23 Review: Specs

• OS/Software: Android 12, One UI 4.1.
• Rear Camera: 50 MP + 5MP + 2MP+ 2MP
• Front Camera: 8MP
• Display: 6.6 inches | 1080 x 2408 pixels’ resolution
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM6225 Snapdragon 680
• RAM: 4/6GB
• Storage: 64/128GB
• Battery: 5,000mAh Fast charging 25W
• Colors: Black, White, Peach, Blue

Pros

• Good design
• Great battery life
• Decent main camera
• Highly customizable One UI 4.1, ships with Android 12.

Cons

• Lacks ambient and proximity sensor.
• Mediocre screen quality
• Slow charging with the provided charger
• Ultrawide and macro cameras have poor performance.

Samsung Galaxy A23 Review: Design

The design of the smartphone is similar to the Samsung Galaxy A33 5G. The screen is made of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The back panel and side are made of glossy plastic.

Below is the USB-C connector, speaker, microphone and 3.5 mm audio jack. The second microphone is located on top. Depending on the version, there is a slot for 1 SIM card and a microSD memory card up to 1 TB or a slot for 2 SIM cards and a microSD memory card up to 1 TB. On the right are the volume buttons and the smartphone lock button, which has a built-in fingerprint scanner.

Samsung Galaxy A23 is sold in 4 colors: Black, White, Peach and Blue.

Samsung Galaxy A23 Review: Display

This device has a 6.6-inch diagonal touchscreen, TFT LCD Infinity-V-type, rounded corners and 1080 × 2408 pixel FHD+ resolution. The TFT display is disappointing if you are expecting the Super AMOLED display that even the Galaxy A22, its predecessor had. The display is a downgrade. On the other hand, the display’s resolution has been bumped up to Full HD+ (1080 x 2408 px) from last year’s HD+ display.

The V-shaped notch is somewhat outdated, and the panel only goes up to 90Hz, whereas most rivals boast 120Hz and the refresh rate automatically drops to 60Hz when showing static images to save the battery.

Samsung Galaxy A23 Review: Camera

The Samsung Galaxy A23 features a quad-camera setup on the rear. The setup includes a 50MP Quad-Bayer primary camera with OIS, a 5MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor.

The lens provides an impressive 123-degree field of view and f/2.2 aperture. The other two cameras are merely fillers – 2MP. F/2.4 macro camera and a 2MP one for depth sensing. The camera on the front uses an 8MP f/2.2 unit.

The D-SLR-Focus is equipped with a PDAF auto focus, HDR mode and flash LED mode, capable of recording up to 1080p to 30photograms per second, while the front camera is single 8MP with a blank recording.

The Galaxy A23 punches a bit above its class when it comes to picture quality in broad daylight. At least when those pictures are taken with the main 50MP camera, of course. We found sharpness and fine detail to be pretty good. There are some fun extras to explore, like Deco Pic and its AR stickers. Also, a Pro mode is available, but only for the main camera and with a rather limited set of controls.

Samsung Galaxy A23 Review: Performance

The Samsung Galaxy A23 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 (SM6225) with an eighth-core CPU (4 cores at 2.4 GHz + 4 cores at 1.9 GHz). The internal eMMC-type memory 5.1 is 64/128 GB expandable with microSD up to 1 TB, while RAM is 4, 6 or 8 GB (depending on the version chosen). This processor design to give better experience for multimedia and gaming. It has 6nm process technology that can give good battery efficiency.

Samsung Galaxy A23 Review: Software

In terms of software, it boots on One UI 4.1 based on Android 12 out-of-the-box. The One UI experience is clean and easy to navigate. Not often do we see a low-end smartphone launched in early 2022 running the latest Android OS. So kudos to Samsung for including the One UI 4.1 software based on Android 12. Of course, there are quite a few features missing from the software when compared to Samsung’s mid-range and top-tier models.

Some Samsung-specific features missing from the list, such as the voice assistant Bixby, Samsung Pay and Windows Link, among others. However, Easy mode, Good Lock and Secure Folder are at hand. There are stutters and the occasional short hangs here and there. The software definitely doesn’t run as smoothly as you’d expect.

Samsung Galaxy A23 Review: Battery and Charging

The battery life on the Samsung Galaxy A23 is great. Even for heavy users, this phone should easily last a day on a single charge. It’s a 5,000mAh battery and it supports 25W fast charging. But unfortunately, Samsung only provides a 15W charger with the phone. With a fast charger, the phone takes around 1.5 hours to fully charge from 0%. Most of the handsets in this category offer good battery endurance, but the Galaxy A23 edges out.

Price and Availability

The 64GB/ 4GB RAM variant can be found on Amazon at $186 whereas the 128GB/6GB RAM at $193 at the time this article was written.

ALSO READ: Samsung Galaxy A23 Review

Verdict

It’s quite apparent that the Galaxy A23 isn’t priced right. It has many competitors that are better equipped for the job, even ones that are a bit older – from last year. Even some home-grown competition is at hand. The display is subpar, the performance is disappointing, and the cameras are underwhelming, especially the ultrawide one. Sure, the Galaxy A23 snaps some pretty good photos during the day, and battery life is dependable, but that’s not nearly enough to make it desirable.