Samsung Galaxy A23 5G review




Wondering which mobile phone to give this Yuletide season? Something that can handle their favorite mobile games and you want to make sure the camera quality is more than ok? Look no further as I give a short review of the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G, a midrange phone offered by the popular Korean brand.  


DESIGN AND BUILD


The Samsung Galaxy A23 5G comes in two variants: 6GB RAM with 128GB ROM, and 8GB 128 GB ROM. It basically has the same exact design with the main difference pointing to the size of the RAM. It comes in the colors: Awesome Black, Awesome Light Blue, and Awesome Orange which look pastel. The latest models of Android phones are usually glossy and sparkly which is in contrast to these colors.





The back part and the sides of the phone have the same color which makes it unique. It has a plastic, matte finish. The appearance is beautiful and looks premium and it makes you think that it's not made of the said material. You won't even notice it until you touch it.




DISPLAY


This model has Corning Gorilla Glass 5 to protect its screen. A dew drop design is seen at the top middle portion of it and the bezels at the bottom appear a little bit thick although it doesn't affect the performance of the display.





The bottom part is where the speaker, USB type-C charging port, and 3.5mm earphone jack is located. To the left is the slot for 2 nano sim cards, a microSD card giving the option to expand the memory up to a whopping 1 Terabyte.




The right side of the smartphone houses the volume rocker and the power button which doubles as a fingerprint scanner. It's quite responsive based on multiple tests I've done.





The Samsung Galaxy A23 5G has a 6.6in FHD plus, PLS LCD display, with a resolution of 1080 x 600 pixels. It is perfect for watching Netflix and Disney+ videos with its huge display, vibrant and clear images.

BATTERY

Using the phone all day is possible with its 5000mAh capacity, 25-watt super fast charging the battery.


CAMERA

It is equipped with 5 cameras in total: 4 at the back and one in front. 50 MP main camera with OIS (Optimal image stabilizer) F/1.8, 5MP ultrawide angle, 2MP macro lens, 2MP depth sensor. And lastly, in front is an 8MP camera /F/2.2.








The camera options are pretty much the same as other Android brands: Portrait, Photo, and Video. Upon pressing the More option, additional ones are available namely: Pro mode, Panorama, Food, Night, Slow motion, and Macro, and all these can be removed or added to the list simply by long pressing their icons. 



Swiping the camera screen vertically will switch the rear camera to the front one and vice-versa. More options can be toggled by pressing the Settings option like turning on the gridlines and watermark. A special feature camera enthusiasts will enjoy is the Pro mode which I found really helpful since the ISO, Exposure Value, and White Balance are all customizable. 


Daytime Outdoor Shots

The main shooter has a 2x, 5x, and 10x zoom. Taking photos in daylight gives the best outcome.




Night shots

Night shots are not so good compared to natural light shots . To make up for that weakness, OIS (Optical image stabilization) makes night shots consistent, and no shaky photos. 








Front Camera shots

Beautiful selfie shots are achievable thanks to its front camera which also has an ultrawide option to make groufies even easier.



Wide angle shots and videos

Video recording in 30FPS with 1080p using the main camera is satisfactory. There's sharpness, nice-looking colors, and low noise. On the other hand, the ultrawide camera's performance in taking videos is not as pleasant due to poor details and sharpness. The wide-angle camera works great in capturing photos of landscapes but loses detail.

 





Indoor shots









Pro mode

It didn't take long for me to figure out how to use this method. Even without much knowledge about the settings, one can toy with the adjustments to get the desired results. It could be better with shutter speed controls, though.



Macro

It does its job but it could do better with an autofocus feature.





GAMING

It has the capability to handle smoothly several titles from old gaming consoles like PS1 and PSP, however, a more powerful chip can do the job better.  








Most modern games run well on it. GTA San Andreas was the only game I experienced a few minor hiccups with, mostly because the game is fairly graphically demanding and requires a higher powerful processor to attain 60 frames per second.





CONCLUSION

PROS:

  • Fast charging and long-lasting 5000 mAh battery
  • Excellent main shooter especially in daylight, Optical stabilization makes it better.
  • Big screen with 6.6 inches ideal for watching movies.
  • Feels sturdy for a plastic phone
  • FM radio, well it's a personal reason since I miss listening to the radio.
  • The Pro mode setting is easy to use and improves shots significantly.

CONS:


  • Ultrawide camera is underwhelming 
  • Taking night shots isn't its forte
  • Chipset Snapdragon 695 5G is not the best for heavy gaming although it's sufficient for light ones.
  • Single speaker may be fine for some but dual speakers is a must for this size

All in all, it's a phone that can handle your daily need for selfies and outdoor day photos, and some light gaming with a battery that doesn't fail you. Blogging and vlogging are no match for it. For all the things it does, it's a steal for a price of  ₱17,990 - ₱18,990.  If you've thought about buying yourself the same model, you may do so from your favorite online store or if you prefer, stop window shopping, get inside the store and finally give in to that buying impulse.

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