The first thing that excited me was that this is a 5G phone. Although 5G technology has been around for quite some time in the Philippines, I have yet to own one or even test one. Upon receiving the loan unit, I immediately switched to it as my primary phone.
Samsung Galaxy A23 5G Specs
|
Features |
Samsung Galaxy A23 5G |
|
Mobile Platform |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 |
|
RAM + ROM |
6GB/8GB + 128GB |
|
Dimension/ Weight |
165.4 x 76.9 x 8.4 (HxWxD, mm) / |
|
Display |
Size (Main Display)167.2mm (6.6″ full rectangle) / 163.0mm (6.4″ rounded corners) |
|
Front Camera |
Resolution 8.0 MP |
|
Rear Camera |
Resolution (Multiple)50.0 MP + 5.0 MP + 2.0 MP + 2.0 MP |
|
Unlock |
Side Fingerprint Unlock |
|
Battery Life |
Internet Usage Time (LTE) (Hours) Up to 22 |
|
Network |
5G |
|
OS |
One UI ver 4.1 running on Android 12 |
|
Colors |
Awesome Black, Awesome Light Blue, and Awesome Orang |
First Impression
I was actually surprised to receive the mobile phone in a small paper bag with no box or other accessories. I was actually hoping to do an unboxing. Taking note that this is just a loaned phone, so I thought maybe that’s how it is.
Let’s Get Physical
I love the display! It’s clear and crisp. I didn’t have problems viewing it even in direct sunlight. Scrolling through it is a breeze with its 120Hz refresh rate.
As I mentioned earlier, this A series model is slim and very sleek. The placement of the keys even gave it a clean look. The left side of the phone houses the sim tray which is seamlessly tucked into the upper portion. The right side has the volume rocker which is slightly raised while the power button/fingerprint scanner is a bit sunken.
It’s a good thing that I can choose to unlock the phone with a pattern. I don’t feel comfortable using the fingerprint scanner on the right side of the phone because I’m used to and prefer an under-display fingerprint scanner. Although I did try but found it cumbersome and not as fast as I hope it could be when unlocking the phone.
Memory, Storage, and Platform
The Samsung Galaxy A23 5G unit that I tested has 8GB memory and 128 storage. That’s more than enough for a user like me. My work involved social media management and I have all the apps I need to be able to work on the go with my phone.
I’d create content, graphics, and videos using different apps at the same time and I was able to multitask effortlessly. I can switch from one app to another and get my work done. I even thought about installing a microSD to extend the storage capacity, but never had to. Take note that this phone can handle up to 1TB of expanded storage.
There are also other features like having a Samsung VPN for security purposes, optimizing apps, and even having a dual messenger app that lets me have 2 Facebook and Messenger apps installed and logged in to separate accounts. Pretty cool!
Battery and Charging
The Samsung Galaxy A23 5G has a 5,000mAh battery capacity. I was able to use the phone throughout the day and then some the next day. This is all with having the phone always connected to the internet (through mobile data or Wifi) and accessing email, and social media accounts, sending messages, occasional phone calls, and watching videos.
Charging is pretty cool as it automatically detects the type of charger used. Because the loaned unit doesn’t come with a charger, I had to charge the phone using my old phone’s fast charger. Sometimes I’d use the regular charger which would obviously take time. But when I used my cousin’s Samsung fast charger, it only took a little over an hour.
Camera
This Galaxy A phone has a 4-camera setup at the back - a 2MP macro camera, a 5MP ultrawide camera, a 50MP main camera, and a 2MP depth camera. I like how the camera panel slopes beautifully into the back which adds beauty.
Check out the photos I captured during the day…
And here are the photos I took during the evening…
Here are some indoor shots…
Some food shots…
Meanwhile, check the photos I captured with the 8MP front camera…
Note that the sample shots published were resized for optimization but not edited. Click here to view the original photos. For the camera department, I feel that this smartphone’s performance needs improvement. It lacks sharpness even on daylight shots. The edges are somewhat pixelated.
Connectivity
As I said, I’m really interested in using the phone because of the 5G connectivity. It’s good that my prepaid SIM which I upgraded to 4G before was surprisingly capable of a 5G connection. I would have my mobile data on the entire time that I’m out and I really enjoyed the faster connection. Having a 5G phone is definitely a plus these days.
Last Words
The only thing that’s holding me back is the camera performance. I guess for somebody who uses my phone camera for blogging and social media, I have more demands. I’m sure your requirements maybe different than mine like my cousin who actually liked the camera.
