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Samsung Galaxy A15 5G
Budget champion
The Samsung Galaxy A15 gets some much-needed changes this year. With improved performance, a better display, and years of software support, a $200 device never looked so good. It’s far from perfect but does enough to justify its low price tag.
Pros- Decent performance for the price
- Fast AMOLED display
- Great battery life
Cons- No IP rating
- Plastic constructon
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Samsung Galaxy A14 5G
Still capable
The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G has a decent display, great battery life, and good performance. Its camera system may leave a bit to be desired, but it isn’t bad in good lighting conditions. It’ll even get upgraded to Android 15 later this year.
Pros- Great battery life
- Still has another major software update
- Has a headphone jack
Cons- Still uses an LCD panel
- Plastic construction
- No IP rating
Samsung covers the entire breadth of the Android market, guaranteeing that there is a great Samsung phone available for every need and budget. While some may be looking to snag one of the best Android phones available, others may need something a bit more wallet-friendly.
The Samsung Galaxy A15 and the Galaxy A14 5G aim to bring the features and specs that matter to the most budget-conscious buyers. Keeping a device within the $200 price range is no easy feat and requires careful planning and attention to detail. These devices are easy for companies to get wrong and don’t scream performance, but when done right, they are far more capable than first meets the eye.
The Galaxy A14 5G and the Galaxy A15 share a lot in common, with a few minor tweaks sprinkled that differentiate the two. Let’s see if Samsung has done enough to separate these two devices.
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Price, availability, and specs
The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G became available for purchase on January 12, 2023, and came with a low $200 price tag. It is available in black, dark red, silver, and green colorways, but is now difficult to buy new except directly through carriers.
Samsung didn’t quite wait an entire year to launch the Galaxy A15, releasing it on December 16, 2023. At $200, it retails for the same price as the Galaxy A14 5G and is available at various carriers, from Samsung directly, or from an authorized retailer. It’s available in blue, black, light blue, and yellow colorways.
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Samsung Galaxy A15 5G Samsung Galaxy A14 5G SoC Mediatek Dimensity 6100+ MediaTek Dimensity 700 Display type AMOLED, 90Hz LCD, 90Hz Display dimensions 6.5″ 6.6″ Display resolution 2340 x 1080 1080 x 2408 RAM 4GB 4GB Storage 128GB 64GB Battery 5,000mAh 5,000mAh Charge speed 25W wired 15W wired Ports USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack USB-C SIM support Dual Nano SIM Dual SIM (Nano SIM) Operating System Android 14 with One UI 6 Android 14 and One UI 5.0 Front camera 13MP, f/2.0 13MP, f/2.0 Rear camera 50MP, f/1.8 main; 5MP ultrawide; 2MP macro 50MP, f/1.8 main; 2MP, f/2.4 macro; 2MP, f/2.4 depth Cellular connectivity 4G LTE, sub-6 5G 5G, LTE Dimensions 160.1 x 76.8 x 8.4mm 167.7 x 78 x 9.1mm Weight 200g 204g IP Rating No No Colors Blue, Black, Light Blue, Yellow Black, Green, Silver
Samsung Galaxy A14 5G review: A whole lot of phone for $200
An upgraded 90Hz display, two-day battery life, and a price tag you can afford
Design
The Galaxy A14 5G and the Galaxy A15 have very similar designs and can easily be mistaken for each other at a distance. The Galaxy A15 is smaller and has a boxier overall design. It’s a subtle difference, but you can see a slight change in Samsung’s design philosophy. The Galaxy A14 5G measures 167.7 x 78 x 9.1mm and weighs 202g. The Galaxy A15 comes in at 160.1 x 76.8 x 8.4mm and weighs almost the same at 200g.
Not much is different in terms of button and port placement. On the front, there is a bit of a bezel surrounding the display on both devices. The right side houses the volume and power buttons on each device. Like many budget devices, the power button also doubles as a fingerprint reader. There is a SIM and microSD combination slot on the left side, as well as USB-C and headphone ports along the bottom.
The exterior of both devices has Samsung’s signature three vertical camera lenses. To keep costs down, Samsung opted to go with a plastic back and a plastic frame. Neither device has an official IP rating, so keep it away from water.
Display
The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G has a 6.6-inch LCD panel. It has a 90Hz refresh rate and a 2408 x 1080 resolution, which gives it a ppi of about 400. With a screen brightness of a little over 500 nits, it can struggle under direct sunlight.
At 6.5 inches, Samsung shrunk the Galaxy A15’s display a tad. It did replace the LCD panel with an AMOLED one though, so colors should be punchier and blacks should be silkier. Samsung also cranked the brightness up a bit, as the Galaxy A15 can hit 800 nits. It also has a 90Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 2340 x 1080, which is good for 396 ppi.
Neither device has the display of the year. The Samsung Galaxy A15 does have some real-world improvements. Ditching the LCD panel in favor of an AMOLED one will make consuming your favorite content that much more enjoyable, and the bump in the available brightness should help a bit in direct sunlight.
Software
Source: Samsung
The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G initially shipped with Android 13, but that has since been upgraded to Android 14 with One UI 6 — the Galaxy A15 ships with Android 14 with One UI 6 out of the box.
The software is going to feel identical between both devices because they are both made by Samsung and have the most recent version of One UI. If you have used a recent Samsung phone, then you should know what to expect. For those who have not, One UI is a well-rounded and highly customizable Android skin.
Samsung does tend to duplicate Google’s core apps, which annoys some more than others. They are easily hidden away in the app drawer, but you are going to get both Google’s and Samsung’s web browsers, note-taking apps, app stores, and a whole slew of duplicate apps.
Software updates are one area where Samsung excels. The fact that their $200 budget device already has Android 14 is just fantastic. The Galaxy A14 5G will see two Android OS updates and four years of security updates. With the Galaxy A15, Samsung is upping the ante for budget devices. The A15 will get four years of Android OS updates and a fifth year of security updates. Who knows if the hardware will handle Android 18 fluidly, but it’s comforting to know that it’ll get it.
Performance
At just $200, you shouldn’t expect these devices to perform anywhere near flagship devices that cost up to 5x more. Devices at this price point handle the basics and not a lot more than that.
The Galaxy A14 5G has a MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor and a paltry 4GB of RAM. Fun fact, the processor in the A14 5G was the same one used in the Galaxy A13. For an inexpensive phone, performance was only alright. The phone at times will feel laggy, and opening apps may take longer than expected. Storage space was also a bit anemic, shipping with either 64GB or 128GB of storage.
Samsung finally updated the processor this time, putting a MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ on the Galaxy A15. The 6100+ should provide a slight speed bump, limiting how often the phone lags in everyday use. It also has 4GB of RAM but bumps the base storage up to 128GB. Luckily, both devices have expandable storage of up to 1TB.
Battery life
Source: Samsung
Both Galaxy devices have a 5,000mAh battery, which is good for up to two full days of use. The Galaxy A14 5G can be charged at a maximum of 15W, which is going to feel as slow as it sounds. The Galaxy A15 bumps the wired charging speed to a much more respectable 25W.
At this price point, extra charging features are typically out of the question. You won’t find anything like wireless charging or reverse wireless charging on these devices.
Camera
The Galaxy A14 5G has a triple rear camera setup consisting of a 50MP f/1.8MP main lens, a 2MP f/2.4 macro lens, and a 2MP f/2.4 depth camera. The main lens can take decent photos if the lighting is adequate, but the other two lenses are mostly worthless. The main lens is capable of recording 1080p video at 30fps. There’s also a 13MP front-facing camera.
The Galaxy A15 changes things up a bit and comes with a 50MP f/1.8MP main lens, a 5MP f/2.2 ultrawide lens, and a 2MP f/2.4 macro lens. The primary lens will perform identically to the one on the A14 5G, but ultrawide opens up your photo options. It can also record 1080p video at 30fps and ships with a 13MP front-facing camera.
Which is right for you?
Buying any device requires research and an understanding of what you need. This is especially true when looking to purchase a phone at this price point. If you already own a Galaxy A14 5G, you can safely skip the Galaxy A15. However, if you are looking to buy a new device, the Galaxy A15 is definitely the one to get.
With improved performance, a better display, a more versatile camera setup, and stronger software support, the Samsung Galaxy A15 is the better phone. It even has more base storage and faster charging. The Galaxy A15 is simply one of the best budget Android phones you can get.
Samsung Galaxy A15 5G
Editor’s choice
Great phone at a reasonable cost
If you are buying a new device, and you’re on a tight budget, then you can safely get yourself the Samsung Galaxy A15. With an improved display, better performance, a more capable camera system, and a significantly better update policy, the Galaxy A15 is the clear winner.
There isn’t much of a reason to buy a Galaxy A14 5G at this point. However, if you already own one, it’s still a capable device for doing your basic daily tasks, even if it might lag a bit. It’s not worth spending another $200 on another device a year later just for an AMOLED screen and slightly faster chip. Your best bet is to enjoy what you have and look to the Galaxy A16 in another year.
Samsung Galaxy A14 5G
Good alternative
Good device, if you already have it
If you already own the Samsung Galaxy A14, then you should skip the Galaxy A15. It’s only a year old, should still do well for the basics, and will even get another major software update.
