The Samsung A series is, without a doubt, the most popular mid-rangers for Samsung and the fastest-selling of the device maker’s line of mobile phones. The reason for this is not far-fetched—the A series packs the Samsung quality in budget-friendly devices that appeal to the mass market.
Launched in March 2022, the Samsung Galaxy A23 continues the A series dynasty with some interesting features that Samsung phones are known for. Despite being a budget handset, it carries a 50MP main camera, which also happens to be optically stabilized. The design of the Samsung Galaxy A23 is very similar to other Samsung A series devices launched this year. The plastic back has a camera island that has five holes and soft edges that blends with the body.
The Snapdragon 680 SoC powering the device is a recent one with a fairly capable CPU, which offers a substantial upgrade over older Snapdragon 6xx chipsets. However, that is not to say that the Samsung A23 is a perfect device, as users’ experience shows its many flaws.
Before we delve into the review, here are the key specifications of the phone:
Body: 76.9 x 165.4 x 8.4mm, 195 gm
Display: 6.4-inches “Infinity-V” PLS TFT LCD, 90Hz refresh rate, Gorilla Glass 5
Resolution: FHD+ (2408 x 1080 pixels), 411 PPI, 20:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G (6nm mobile platform)
CPU: Octa-core: 2x Cortex-A73 (2.4 GHz), 6x Cortex-A55 (1.9 GHz)
GPU: Adreno 610
Memory: 4/6/8GB LPDDR4X RAM, 64/128GB storage (expandable)
Software & UI: Android 12 with Samsung’s One UI 4.1 on top
Rear Camera: Quad (with LED flash); 50MP, f/1.8 primary sensor, OIS; 5MP, f/2.2 ultrawide sensor, 123º FoV; 2MP, f/2.4 depth sensor; 2MP, f/2.4 macro shooter
Front Camera: 8MP, f/2.2 sensor (teardrop notch)
Audio: Mono speaker, Dolby Atmos audio, 3.5mm headphone jack
Security: Physical fingerprint sensor (side-mounted), Face unlock, Knox
Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyro, Geomagnetic, Virtual Light, Proximity
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 5 a/b/g/n/ac (Dual-band), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS / AGPS / Glonass / Beidou / Galileo / QZSS, USB Type-C, 4G LTE (VoLTE)
Battery: 5000mAh with 25W wired charging (15W power adapter provided)
Colour Options: Awesome: Black, Blue, Peach, White
What users of the phone are saying
Nairametrics spoke with users of this four-month-old phone and here is what they have to say:
Adewale Sunday said: I got mine a few days ago and I was happy. But I was disappointed to find a 15W charger in the box. There’s no way the phone will charge fast with a 15W charger, so, I had to buy a 25W charger separately. And you know original Samsung charger is not cheap.
The experience for John Uche hasn’t been smooth. “I’ve been using this phone for over a month. Don’t get this phone if you want amoled screen quality or play heavy games, even with low graphics and performance settings it is not smooth at all. But outside these, this phone is good enough for media consumption (browsing the web, watching videos, playing music, playing light games). There’s minimal lag & stutters. Screen quality is decent for a non-amoled but it’s still not amoled. Battery life lasts 1½ days for me,” he said.
Another user, Adebisi Olaoye had this to say: “I noticed since I bought my new Samsung a23 that the battery is not good at all, within an hour 38% of the battery is gone, and the phone doesn’t come with an earpiece. Aside from these, every other thing is working well.
Users’ reviews of the Samsung A23 online are more of a disappointment as the device falls below the expectations many have of any model coming out of the A series. “The rate at which the battery drains is of serious concern to me. Comparing this phone with the likes of A12 indicates that the battery is not strong. I expected a more durable battery,” a user posted in an online forum.
“This phone lacks ambient and proximity sensor. A phone with a 50MP OIS camera that doesn’t have such basic yet essential sensors… What was Samsung thinking?” another user queried.
But for another user who claimed to have used the phone for 7 days, nothing is wrong with the Samsung A23. “I have been using the phone over the last 7 days. Samsung Galaxy A23 is a very good device, with 6GB RAM plus 64 ROM, an octa-core processor, 5000mAh battery, and a fast charger. It is very nice,” he said.
Bottomline
For a phone priced between N123,000 to over N130,000, depending on the RAM/ROM spec, the Samsung Galaxy A23 is way below the standard. The device tries to erase the quality for which the Galaxy A series is known and even though it belongs to the A family, it is far from being rated an ‘A’.
Nairametrics rating
Based on users’ experience and our analysis of the phone’s specifications, we rate this phone 5 out of 10.
Personally I quite don’t agree with some comments above, the device is basically good. The fast charging time and the battery life is nothing I’ve ever experienced before. I’m afraid those with such problems were mishandled in between or else some technical problems of which is normal.
The phone is better than portrayed. The way you use your phone determines how long the battery lasts. I’ve had this phone since the first week of April and I have no complains at all. Even the so called downgrade on the display is not as bad as explained. The display quality is fantastic plus many people who are seeking AMOLED displays can not actually pay for a replacement in the case of damage. It’s a budget phone with premium performance. Anyone who says otherwise probably does not know the supply chain issues with making, selling and shipping phones to different parts of the world. Plus the extra years of software support is worth the extra cash. The phone is fantastic.
When it comes to value for money, the Samsung Galaxy A23 doesn’t disappoint. The bright screen, NFC capability, and convenient fingerprint reader contribute to a positive user experience. The impressive battery life and the presence of a headphone jack are notable advantages. However, a few users have encountered issues with incompatible chargers upon receiving their phones, which can be frustrating. Additionally, the lack of compatibility with certain mobile carriers has been a downside for some buyers. Nonetheless, the Samsung Galaxy A23 remains a feature-rich and affordable smartphone