Samsung’s high-end flagship phones usually get the most attention, but the company also makes some affordable devices. These ultra-cheap phones are part of Samsung’s A series, and the latest model is the Samsung Galaxy A15 5G. I’ve been using the Galaxy A15 5G for about two weeks, and you get a pretty good smartphone for $200 with this device. The display, camera, battery life, and software are all pretty good considering the price.
However, it is unlikely that a 2024 phone will have any problems with basic daily use, such as multitasking and using apps. And the Galaxy A15 5G is downright slow because it uses a mediocre MediaTek processor. If you can spend $100 or $200 more on a smartphone, your experience will be much better. That said, the Galaxy A15 5G is about the best you can find in the $200 price range.
Samsung Galaxy A15 5G: price and availability
Samsung will launch the Galaxy A15 5G in late 2023, priced at $200. It’s currently available from Samsung and Best Buy for that price. The Galaxy A15 5G can also be found on Amazon, but many product listings come with a higher price and include a microSD card. Buyers can also purchase the Galaxy A15 5G from select carriers such as T-Mobile, Verizon, and UScular.
Galaxy A15 5G comes in one configuration, with 128GB storage and 4GB memory. However, it comes with a microSD card slot so you can add up to 1TB of additional storage. You can choose from two colors: blue black and light blue. My Galaxy A15 5G loaner review unit (provided by AT&T) came in blue-black.
Samsung Galaxy A15 5G: What I like
When you first pick up the Galaxy A15 5G, it feels like one of Samsung’s more premium smartphones. Except for the Galaxy S24 Ultra, the rest of the company’s phones feature a flat design with rounded corners. The Galaxy A15 5G also doesn’t have a large camera bulge, but each rear camera lens protrudes slightly from the rear case.
One of the unique things about the Galaxy A15 5G is what’s known as a “key island.” The right side of the smartphone has the volume rocker and power button, but the part of the aluminum frame that houses these buttons sticks out from the rest. This makes it easier to find Key Island without having to look around. However, these buttons aren’t particularly easy to press with one hand.
Mid-range phones have a history of always having decent ports, and that’s the case with the Galaxy A15 5G. Features a USB-C port and 3.5mm headphone jack for data and charging. More importantly, the SIM card tray also has space for a microSD card. You can add up to 1TB cards to the Galaxy A15 5G, which completely eliminates your concerns about the 128GB internal storage.
There’s a lot about the Galaxy A15 5G that’s incredibly impressive considering this phone costs just $200. For me, nothing was more important than the display. It’s a 6.5-inch AMOLED panel that supports a 90Hz refresh rate and 800 nits of peak brightness.
Admittedly, there are things the Galaxy A15 5G’s display could be improved on. The bezels are a bit large, the teardrop camera cutout went out of style a while ago, and the glass is very reflective. But overall, I didn’t miss the flagship phone’s display all that much during my daily drive with the Galaxy A15 5G.
| Category | Samsung Galaxy A15 5G |
|---|---|
| OS | Android 14, first update in 4 years |
| screen | 6.5 inch AMOLED, 90Hz refresh rate |
| chipset | Mediatek Dimensity 6100+ |
| rum | 4GB |
| storage | 128GB |
| audio | Speaker, 3.5mm headphone jack |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC |
| safety | fingerprint sensor |
| protection | No IP rating |
| battery | 5,000mAh |
| size | 6.32″ x 3.02″ x 0.33″ |
| weight | 197 grams |
| color | blue black, light blue |
| rear camera | 50MP main camera, 5MP ultrawide, 2MP macro |
| selfie camera | 13MP wide camera |
Smartphone cameras have come a long way, with recent advances being seen at both the high and low end of the market. Although it costs more, there are absolutely no phones that can take better photos than the Galaxy A15 5G. However, the Galaxy A15 5G has a camera that offers amazing quality for $200. I’ve tested several phones that cost more and have worse cameras than the Galaxy A15 5G.
The Galaxy A15 5G has a triple camera system on the back, with the main sensor being 50MP with f/1.8 aperture and autofocus. There are no premium features like optical image stabilization, and there is no optical zoom. The Galaxy A15 5G offers up to 10x digital zoom in “fine” quality, but Samsung’s UI for changing zoom magnification is difficult to use.
In budget phones like this, secondary and tertiary camera sensors are usually aimed at meeting spec sheets rather than offering superior quality. This also applies to the 5MP ultrawide, which allows for 0.5x zoom. Ultra-wide shots are not very suitable for Galaxy A15 5G for two reasons. First, these older, cheaper camera sensors can’t provide a lot of image detail when zoomed out. Additionally, there is a noticeable fisheye effect that distorts the edges of ultrawide images in some scenarios.
Overall, camera quality was more than adequate on the Galaxy A15 5G, as you can see in the camera sample above. What particularly impressed me was the 2MP macro sensor. The specs don’t blow us away, but our macro shots of the Galaxy A15 5G turned out very well.
The last good thing worth mentioning about the Galaxy A15 5G is that it comes with Android 14 and Samsung promises four years of software support. However, due to performance issues with the phone (more on this later), I’m not sure I’ll actually use it that long.
Samsung Galaxy A15 5G: What I don’t like
Samsung has included two core elements of a great smartphone in the Galaxy A15 5G: the display and the camera system. So the overall performance doesn’t necessarily make the Galaxy A15 5G a bargain in his 2024. However, we are disappointed to report that the MediaTek 6835 system-on-chip installed in this smartphone is too slow.
When using a single application, the Galaxy A15 5G works perfectly fine after loading. Loading applications, multitasking, and unlocking the phone cause problems. In my testing, the Galaxy A15 5G is extremely slow for the first 5-10 seconds after unlocking after a long period of inactivity. Multitasking also causes problems, so you often have to close apps to give your Galaxy A15 5G a break.
Compounding the problem is the limited amount of system memory, which often requires apps to be reloaded from scratch. For $200, you might be able to avoid these performance issues, but the Galaxy A15 5G is the slowest phone I’ve used in a while. Running the Geekbench 6 benchmark on the smartphone confirms my anecdotal findings, showing that you can get a better experience for just an extra $100 or $200.
| smartphone | price | single core | multi-core |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy A15 5G | $199 | 689 | 1,781 |
| Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) | $399 | 910 | 2,692 |
| samsung galaxy s24 | $799 | 2,224 | 6,868 |
The Galaxy A15 5G may be a great performer for $200, but the difference in performance between $200 and $400 phones is quite large. The Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) is nearly a third faster than the Galaxy A15 5G, and the Motorola phone was significantly better in day-to-day performance in my testing. The Galaxy A15 5G does not compete with the Galaxy S24, but for reference, there is a huge gap between Samsung’s budget and flagship products.
For what it’s worth, the Galaxy A15 5G’s 5,000mAh battery lasts for a full day, so the phone has plenty of battery life.
The build quality of the Galaxy A15 5G is just as good, although this is a much smaller issue. I’m not a fan of the blue-black colorway. This is a highly reflective plastic finish that makes the phone look cheaper than it actually is. Galaxy A15 5G does not have his IP rating, so keep it away from dust and water. However, these are reasonable concessions for the phone’s ultra-low price.
Samsung Galaxy A15 5G: Competition
If you’re firmly locked into the $200 price range, the Galaxy A15 5G is the best. The OnePlus Nord N30 can be purchased for a slightly more expensive $250, but this phone comes with its own issues. In our review, we found it to have a poor camera, poor gaming performance, and only one OS update. However, it’s probably better than the Galaxy A15 5G in day-to-day performance.
The Google Pixel 6a is also still in circulation and can currently be found for around $300 to $350. Although it’s a few years old, the Pixel 6a is an overall better smartphone than the Galaxy A15 5G. There are many phones in the $300 to $400 price range that are comparable to the Galaxy A15 5G.
All of this is just to say that the Galaxy A15 5G is the best in the $200 price range, but if you can spend a few hundred dollars more, you absolutely should.
Samsung Galaxy A15 5G: Should you buy it?
People like this should buy this…
- Requires an affordable Samsung smartphone running Android 14.
- You only have about $200 to spend.
- We value display and camera quality over performance.
People like this shouldn’t buy…
- You can get a better phone for a few hundred dollars more.
- You need a phone that will last you comfortably for several years.
- Your daily performance is most important to you.
There are two ways to look at the Galaxy A15 5G. Samsung, on the other hand, has managed to pack a robust display and camera system into a 6.5-inch smartphone for just $200. On the other hand, it’s noticeably lacking in perhaps the most important part of a smartphone: day-to-day performance.
You don’t need to spend flagship money to get a great smartphone in 2024, but I think you should spend $200 or more. That being said, if you only have $200 to spend, the Samsung Galaxy A15 5G is fine.
Solid specs for a $200 smartphone
With the Samsung Galaxy A15 5G, you can get a decent phone for just a few hundred dollars. It has a solid display, battery, and camera system. Because of its low price, you might overlook its poor performance.
