Nigeria for instance has known the Galaxy A05 as the phone that provides the basic functions of a smartphone at an affordable price.
Samsung’s goal with the A05 is clear: to offer decent value for most of the customers who would just require a basic mobile phone without the frills.
During this review we will discuss the Galaxy A05 from the basic aspects such as the price of the phone up to the exquisite features it possesses. By the end, with the details, explanation, and examples provided in the article, you would be able to determine whether, or not this is the phone for you.
Samsung Galaxy A05 Full Specifications at a Glance
- Build: Glass front, plastic back, plastic frame, IP
- Display: 6.7″ HD+ PLS LCD, 720 x 1600 pixels
- Processor: MediaTek Helio G85, 8-cores, 2GHz max clock speed
- RAM: 4GB, 6GB
- Internal Storage: 64GB, 128GB, Supports microSD (up to 1TB)
- Camera: Dual rear cameras: 50MP f/1.8 main, 2MP f/2.4 depth, 8MP selfie shooter
- Connectivity: Dual nano-SIM, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4G+ 5GHz, VHT80, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS
- OS: Android 13
- Battery: 5000mAh battery, 25W charging
- Weight: 195g
- Colors: Silver, Black, Light Green
- Others: 3.5mm audio jack, Dolby Atmos, USB Type-C, USB 2.0
- Starting Price: ₦140,000 / $86
Design and Display
Comes in Black, Silver, and Light Green, has a rounded and minimalist design reminiscent of the premium Samsung ones. The curves on the edges make it easy to grip and the glossy back cover however can be slippery.
The 6.7-inch PLS LCD display gives enough space for users to browse the internet, watch videos, and do a lot of gaming. It provides reasonable brightness when projected at 720p, but the large outline framing the screen, plus the deceivingly large base, cuts the screen-to-body ratio to 82%.
Read Also: Samsung Galaxy C55 Full Specifications & Reviews
Some of the issues which have been noted include the brightness which may be problematic especially when the notebook is used under direct sunlight and rather low 60Hz standard refresh rate which while being sufficient, is far from the state of art.
Camera
The Samsung Galaxy A05 comes with a dual-camera configuration at the rear, including an impressive 50-megapixel main sensor given the price point. Housed in this body is a high-resolution camera that yields sharp, colourful images with commendable dynamic range keeping with light and shade especially in daytime use.
The camera is built with AI support that will operate in the background to brighten up and enhance the colors of the scenes to make your photos interesting and worth sharing.
The camera is not very good as it lacks detail in low light and is noisy in unclear and blurred images are common in low-end smartphones. The night mode, while included, is rather basic: this is a budget phone at that. With 2-megapixel resolution, depth sensors are important in improving the quality of portrait photographs; subject-background segregation improves images.
On the front it comes with an 8 megapixels which is enough for taking clear selfies for regular use. The phone offers several shooting modes that include a 10x digital zoom; panorama mode and slow motion to work as added value to the standard camera app.
OS, UI, Battery Life
The Galaxy A05 has Android 13 as its operating system with One UI Core 5.1 skin from Samsung on top. A lighter version for the low-cost gadget market. This interface ensures the user has a sleek interaction with features such as the Dark Mode and the Always On Display can be customized.
The Galaxy A05 also got Android 14 based One UI 6 in February. If you are using it now, your current update comes with new features, such as a new Quick Panel layout, new lock screen options, and media player widgets.
This update also improved stock apps such as the Gallery, Photo Editor, and Samsung Studio which was good to see considering that despite being value-oriented this kind of Galaxy series retains a Samsung flavor. The new launch is a gradual one, and if the update has not been automatically downloaded to your device, you can do it manually by going to Settings => Software Update => Download and Install.
The Galaxy A05 is powered by a 5,000mAh battery to enable every user to enjoy the device for long hours on a single charge. It does not matter if you are streaming videos, playing games or even making calls, the battery life of the phone can serve a day fully. It is also capable of charging at up to 25W, fundamentally faster compared to preceding models.
Performance, Storage and Gaming
The MediaTek Helio G85 processor was integrated into the Galaxy A05 by Samsung possibly as a strategy of providing users with a durable and efficient mid-range unit at an affordable cost. To support the basic functionalities of the smartphone, the handset features 6GB RAM and 128GB onboard storage. If you run out of space this canbe expanded up to 1 TB by inserting a microsd card).
Switching between tasks is comfortable most of the time, but when working with intense applications one feels that the smartphone was bought with 4GB of RAM. The 6GB model does slightly better but still lags behind other premium handsets. During a stress test which involved running over 30 apps for 9 minutes, the A05 utilized 75% of its RAM and appeared to be under some pressure, however it did not heat up despite extended gaming or video streaming.
As for the connectivity options they cover dual-band WiFi, dual SIM 4G LTE, and Bluetooth v5. 3 demonstrates how Samsung tries to make the A05 as compliant with modern standards as possible although it lacks such features as NFC and MHL support.
Samsung Galaxy A05 Unboxing
When you buy the Samsung Galaxy A05 phone, you will find the following items in the box:
The accessories are the phone, USB Type C cable, SIM ejector and the Instruction manual
Conclusion
For those willing to consider the Galaxy A05, don’t expect too much.
As for what it is, frankly, the phone delivers the performance as expected for the mid-ranger but it might seem a tad slower and less slick when compared to other higher-tier models like A15 5G or A24. Simply, if you are not having complicated needs, then you do not need to spend more.
It comes preloaded with some applications suitable for the less demanding user, new students, or those who need an additional cheap backup device to make calls, simple navigation, and play some games.