Galaxy S23 fashion at a rock-bottom worth

Samsung’s budget-friendly Galaxy A sequence is as dependable as they arrive. It covers each worth vary, from the greatest funds telephones to only under the flagship stage, and also you get specs that greater than justify the value of entry. Nevertheless, a handful of the newer Galaxy A fashions I’ve examined began to stray from their inexpensive promise. As Samsung tried to staple 5G help onto cheaper and cheaper tiers of its Galaxy A units, the value hikes slowly started to hit. Now, it’s making an attempt to make up for these missteps with a agency return to the sub-$200 section.

Has it paid off? With the Galaxy A14 5G, completely sure — that is one in all Samsung’s greatest entry-level telephones we’ve seen up to now. Discover out why in our Samsung Galaxy A14 5G evaluate.

• Samsung Galaxy A14 5G (4GB/64GB): $199 / £219 / €229

Samsung launched the Galaxy A14 5G initially of January 2023 as a part of CES. It succeeds the Galaxy A13 5G, sticking to a well-established formulation slightly than reinventing the funds wheel. When you may not have the ability to inform the 2 aside at first, the Galaxy A14 5G implements a number of minor tweaks and a much-needed $50 worth lower to entice funds consumers. In chosen areas, Samsung additionally gives a 4G-only model of the Galaxy A14, which is barely extra inexpensive.

Samsung seems to be within the strategy of unifying the design language of all of its Android telephones, a transfer that pays off properly for the Galaxy A14 5G. It resembles the Galaxy S23 sequence — a minimum of from behind — providing barely rounded sides and a flat show and again panel. After all, the Galaxy A14 5G drops the flagship aluminum construct, as an alternative providing a plastic again to maintain the prices low. Samsung additionally doesn’t record any particular safety for the glass; we’ve requested and can replace accordingly. That plastic body homes a quantity rocker and side-mounted fingerprint reader on the precise, whereas a 3.5mm headphone jack and a single speaker flank the bottom-mounted USB-C port. The Galaxy A14 5G is barely bigger than the Galaxy A13 5G, increasing from a 6.5-inch LCD panel to a 6.6-inch one, and whereas it sticks with a 90Hz refresh charge, the show can now output at a a lot crisper Full HD+ decision.

Below the plastic facade, you’ll discover the identical MediaTek Dimensity 700 chipset that Samsung used on the Galaxy A13 5G. It doesn’t supply a efficiency enhance, although the marginally older {hardware} signifies that Samsung can supply its funds machine at a greater worth. The Dimensity 700 is paired up with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, the latter of which you’ll broaden utilizing the microSD slot on the left facet of the machine. Samsung additionally saved the identical 5,000mAh battery and 15W wired charging, and there’s nonetheless no charger within the field. Take a look at our record of the greatest chargers when you’ll want one.

The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G unit I examined arrived with Android 13 and One UI proper out of the field, and it advantages from Samsung’s beneficiant replace insurance policies. The Galaxy A14 5G ought to see two full Android variations and 4 years of safety patches earlier than the top of its life.

As talked about, there’s no charger included within the field with the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G, although you continue to get a USB-C cable, a SIM ejector instrument, and a fast begin information to get you up and operating.

You possibly can choose up the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G both unlocked or by means of a provider, with pricing beginning at $199. It is a $50 lower over the Galaxy A13 5G, and you may usually discover the machine for even much less by means of a trade-in deal. Within the US, it is available in a single Black colorway.

It’s getting more durable and more durable to inform Samsung’s many telephones aside. Whether or not they’re funds telephones or flagships, at first look, there are extra similarities than variations. The Galaxy A14 5G’s digicam design and barely rounded sides are lifted immediately from the Galaxy S23 sequence, they usually make the telephone really feel a lot nicer in hand than its $200 price ticket would counsel. The Galaxy A14 5G’s plastic again can be completed with a sequence of plastic ridges, making it simpler to carry and simpler on the eyes.

Samsung upgraded the Galaxy A14 5G’s show, increasing it a tenth of an inch and bumping it to a Full HD+ decision. I discovered that it was barely sharper when streaming movies when in comparison with the Galaxy A13 5G, and the sharper display screen pairs properly with the 90Hz refresh charge. You possibly can lock the refresh charge to 60Hz to avoid wasting battery, however I didn’t really feel the necessity to, given the big 5,000mAh cell and modest processing energy. Ending off the Galaxy A14 5G’s design, it’s good to see a number of options that flagship units have deserted. This is likely one of the few Samsung units nonetheless carrying a headphone jack, and the microSD slot helps to make up for the modest 64GB of storage.

One UI is nearly as good as ever on the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G, providing Android 13 proper out of the field. It’s decked out with customization choices to match your app icons to your wallpaper, and you may delete nearly the entire bloatware, corresponding to Netflix, Fb, and varied Microsoft apps. The Galaxy A14 5G additionally has a vibrant way forward for updates to sit up for, with two years of Android help and 4 years of normal safety protection. That’s an incredible replace coverage for such an affordable telephone.

As regular, a 5,000mAh battery and a modest 5G-capable processor are a match made in heaven. Sure, the Dimensity 700 is identical 7nm chipset from the earlier Galaxy A13 5G, which launched means again in 2020, nevertheless it has simply sufficient energy to skate by means of on a regular basis actions like scrolling social media and loading up a number of movies on YouTube. It made gentle work of streaming from Spotify to my native community of Google Nest Mini audio system, and I managed shut to 2 days of use on a single cost.

I saved gaming to a minimal on the Galaxy A14 5G because it’s not outfitted to deal with extra demanding video games, however light-weight titles ought to run with out concern. You may not wish to danger Genshin Impression on its lowest setting, however easy motion titles and puzzle video games like Two Dots or Wordle — when you’re like my dad and nonetheless play it — will run simply nice.

Lastly, we are able to’t let the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G go with out mentioning its worth lower. We had been sorely dissatisfied final 12 months when the Galaxy A13 5G jumped to $249 within the title of its 5G processor, so it’s a aid to see a return to a sub-$200 price ticket for the primary time for the reason that Galaxy A12.

Sadly, there’s solely a lot you possibly can cram right into a $199 Android machine. Whereas the general Galaxy A14 5G design is flagship impressed, its match and end depart one thing to be desired. The 6.6-inch show is made even taller with hefty high and backside bezels, and the facet bezels are nearly as massive. Samsung’s funds choose additionally has some bother with brightness, a minimum of in direct daylight. I usually needed to protect the show from the solar to test pictures whereas testing the digicam.

The Galaxy A14’s plastic development is suitable for the value tag — we wouldn’t anticipate an aluminum body or top-end variants of Gorilla Glass on the show, nevertheless it already reveals some sturdiness considerations. Our unit has picked up a number of nice scratches after only a few months, and I didn’t precisely put it by means of the wringer. I completely counsel you seize case. There’s additionally no sturdiness score for water or mud, a function that’s begun trickling right down to different funds choices just like the Moto G Play (2023) with its IP52 certification.

Additionally, as a lot as we reward a big battery when paired with a power-sipping processor, we’re going to be simply as vocal about underwhelming charging. The Galaxy A14 5G nonetheless powers up at simply 15W and also you’ll choose up round 20% of the cost in half an hour, with full juice taking greater than two hours. Whereas not the slowest charging telephone in its worth vary, a few of its rivals do supply extra energy.

Samsung’s alternative of side-mounted fingerprint readers has left me pissed off as properly. It’s simple sufficient to search out alongside the facet rail, nevertheless it doesn’t push in very far, which leaves me considering that I missed it most of the time. I’ve additionally had points with accuracy, winding up locked out for 30-second cooldown intervals a number of occasions per day. There are many different methods to unlock the machine, however Samsung isn’t any stranger to side-mounted readers that carry out much better, so I wasn’t anticipating this stage of bother.

I can perceive Samsung sticking with the Dimensity 700 processor for one more 12 months, particularly if the transfer was to save lots of on prices. That mentioned, I seen a good quantity of stuttering when pushing the Galaxy A14 5G too onerous. Switching between digicam lenses takes greater than a second, and there was an identical quantity of lag once I tried to open picture previews. The 90Hz refresh charge display screen is fluid sufficient to maintain up with shortly scrolling by means of menus, although it normally outpaces YouTube and Spotify when loading lengthy playlists.

Lastly, though it’s good to see a headphone jack on the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G, the speaker setup is underwhelming. It skips stereo sound, providing only one down-firing unit throughout from the headphone jack. I performed by means of a part of the brand new Boygenius file and couldn’t shake the truth that the sound felt unbalanced or that pitches each excessive and low misplaced a few of their readability at high quantity.

The Galaxy A14 5G’s triple digicam setup is copied and pasted from the Galaxy S23 — a minimum of aesthetically. Every lens lives in its personal round housing, ringed by a shiny ridge and accompanied by a single flash. Nevertheless, the aesthetics are about all the 2 digicam telephones have in widespread. The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G packs a 50MP major sensor, nevertheless it swaps the flagship’s ultrawide and telephoto shooters for 2MP macro and depth backups. Because it seems, the Galaxy A14 5G has one really helpful sensor and two mates which might be alongside for the experience.

Unsurprisingly, I put that 50MP sensor by means of the majority of the testing, benefiting from a stunning spring day on the east coast. It bins to 12.5MP pictures by default, and I used to be pleasantly shocked with the outcomes, for probably the most half. I used to be able to pan the setup at first, with most pictures trying fairly uneven within the viewfinder earlier than I pressed the shutter button, however the Galaxy A14 5G’s post-processing does job. Some pictures ship correct shade recreation, just like the Easter eggs within the tree, whereas others go for Samsung’s typical barely oversaturated look, particularly on reds and greens. The portrait mode picture of the clock tower is an ideal instance, with darker hues for the clock itself and the brick constructing. Samsung additionally darkened the blue of the sky, which was nearer to that of the picture on the left in actual life.

Whereas the Galaxy A14 5G’s major sensor handles topics and nearer objects properly, I’ve seen that particulars get a bit smooth within the background. The timber and leaves within the picture to the underside left are likely to run collectively, and the identical goes for the picture of the yellow flag. The Galaxy A14 5G isn’t spot-on in portrait identification with complicated topics, both. The eggs within the tree are considerably hit and miss, and it leaves a number of crystal-clear sections of the background between the thin branches. After all, all of that is forgivable for a sub-$200 machine, and the principle shooter helps the Galaxy A14 5G simply compete with the greatest funds digicam telephones.

With no ultrawide digicam and no telephoto lens, the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G is fairly restricted in its zoom capabilities. You possibly can bump from the usual 1x view as much as 10x zoom, with fast digicam toggles for 2x and 4x zoom. I don’t have any complaints concerning the first two pictures under, although there’s a noticeable shade shift within the sky when you hit 4x zoom. It nonetheless reveals respectable element and readability, however each falter considerably at 10x zoom. The Galaxy A14 5G additionally skips stabilization, which makes it even more durable to get a transparent shot previous 4x zoom.

Rounding out the budget-friendly setup, we’ve got the Galaxy A14 5G’s 2MP macro shooter. Devoted macro lenses stay one in all my least favourite picks for a smartphone, as they’re extraordinarily restricted when it comes to general usability. It’s robust to get reliably clear pictures, and the low decision signifies that some topics nonetheless end up smooth, just like the pink flower to the precise.

Samsung didn’t give the Galaxy A14 5G a lot low-light love, both. Toggling the devoted evening mode comes with a six-second wait whenever you take a snap; I by no means managed to make it shorter. It’s nearly unimaginable to carry the telephone completely nonetheless for that lengthy, and you find yourself with pictures that don’t look a lot better than snapping with evening mode turned off. The Galaxy A14 5G is able to some dramatic low-light pictures, like that of the tower to the left. Nevertheless, some particulars get smooth as you zoom in on the stones. The picture of the balloons within the window reveals good readability and shade, whereas the American flag bench is smooth throughout.

Lastly, we’ve got the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G’s selfie digicam. It packs a 13MP sensor housed in a small notch on the high of the show. I don’t have any concern with the element or shade on the usual selfie, a minimum of when myself. Nevertheless, the Galaxy A14 5G tends to observe its rear lenses, getting a bit smooth relating to the timber within the corners. As for the portrait shot, properly, the wash-out speaks for itself. I’m not fully positive the way it ended up a lot lighter than the usual picture, although the Galaxy A14 5G did pick the perimeters of my hair properly. It missed a number of spots between hairs, however the different possibility would have been to crop half of my hair.

In case you have any intention of taking severe movies together with your smartphone, you possibly can most likely skip the Galaxy A14 5G. It’s capped at 1080p decision with 30fps on the first lens and selfie shooter. I took a number of samples whereas strolling round my hometown, however the lack of stabilization left me with some shaky pictures. This high quality is in step with many funds telephones, together with the earlier Samsung Galaxy A13 5G and the OnePlus Nord N300, nevertheless it nonetheless leaves one thing to be desired.

I can simply advocate the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G when you’re searching for your first smartphone. It rights one in all our largest complaints with the Galaxy A13 5G — the inflated worth — and maintains an in any other case strong spec sheet. Samsung’s Full HD+, 90Hz show is fast sufficient and crisp sufficient to maintain up, and the Galaxy A14 5G hangs onto creature comforts just like the headphone jack and expandable storage. Consider among the best replace commitments for the cash, and it’s robust to choose a greater smartphone for underneath $200.

After all, the Galaxy A14 5G has its flaws, lots of which could be tied again to the modest worth. The surprisingly finicky side-mounted fingerprint reader is a sore spot, as are the sizable bezels surrounding the show, weak audio system, and gradual charging, however none of those are sufficient to outweigh the Galaxy A14 5G’s worth. You may also wish to look elsewhere when you want a flexible digicam setup, however the 50MP major sensor that many individuals will use probably the most is a lot succesful for portraits and on a regular basis snaps.

In the event you resolve to achieve past the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G, the closest competitors may properly be Motorola’s Moto G Energy 5G (2023) ($299 at Amazon). It’s the primary Moto G Energy machine to supply 5G speeds, and it bumps to 6GB of RAM with a extra highly effective Dimensity 930 processor underneath the hood. Motorola’s battery-centric telephone is $100 costlier, nevertheless it additionally provides an IP52 score and 120Hz show to the combination. I’ll be testing it very quickly and can replace our advice right here when we’ve got a full evaluate. Regardless, the Galaxy A14 5G is a greater purchase than the Moto G Play (2023) ($169.99 at Amazon), which makes means too many sacrifices for less than a tiny saving.

OnePlus additionally gives the Nord N300 ($228 at T-Cell). It’s unique to T-Cell, which could restrict potential consumers, nevertheless it bumps to 33W wired charging and matches the Galaxy A14 5G with a strong major digicam, even when the colours could be a bit wonky at occasions. I’d nonetheless favor the Galaxy A14 5G, nonetheless, as the upper decision show and stronger replace coverage add real worth.

Do you have to resolve to extend your funds a bit additional, Samsung’s Galaxy A54 5G ($449.99 at Amazon) is totally price a glance. It drops the funds mannequin’s depth sensor in favor of an ultrawide lens, picks up Gorilla Glass 5 panels on each back and front, and bumps the wired charging velocity to 25W. Positive, it would set you again greater than twice the fee, however the Galaxy A54 5G figures to be some of the attractive mid-range telephones of early 2023, a minimum of till the Google Pixel 7a rolls round. There’s additionally the Galaxy A23 5G ($299.99 at Amazon), nevertheless it suffers from most of the similar points because the Galaxy A14 5G, however with out the super-cheap price ticket.