Samsung Galaxy A23 Review: Is It a Good Budget Phone?

TL;DR

The Samsung Galaxy A23 features a solid main camera and excellent battery life, but struggles with performance and display brightness. While it offers good software support and decent camera quality for the price, its underwhelming specs and high competition make it less appealing compared to other budget smartphones.

Transcript

This is Samsung’s Galaxy A23. It sits at the  lower end of its midrange A series lineup,   but still offers a few enticing features.  So, is it worth it to get the Galaxy A23 over its  more expensive siblings, and save a bit of cash?   I’m Will for GSMArena, and let’s  find out in our full review.  The galaxy A23 is a budget smartphone that aims  t... Read More

Key Insights

• 📷 The Samsung Galaxy A23 offers a large, optically stabilized main camera and up-to-date Samsung software as its standout features in the budget smartphone market.
• 💡 The design of the A23 differs from other A series phones with its glossy and plasticky finish, although it collects fingerprints easily and feels large and hefty.
• 📱 The A23 features a 6.6-inch IPS LCD with a 1080p resolution, Gorilla Glass 5 protection, and a 90Hz refresh rate for smooth movement, which adapts to 60Hz when not in use.
• 🌞 The A23's display lacks a proximity or ambient light sensor, leading to a sluggish and unresponsive auto-brightness adjustment that requires manual tweaking.
• 🎧 The Galaxy A23 includes a headphone jack and a single bottom-firing speaker, offering average loudness and sound quality at its price point.
• 🔐 The A23 features a side-mounted fingerprint reader on the power button and comes with either 64 or 128 GB of expandable storage, running on Samsung's One UI 4.1 based on Android 12.
• ⚙️ Performance-wise, the Snapdragon 680 4G chipset struggles to power the 90Hz refresh rate screen, performing below expectations in benchmarks and experiencing stutters and lag.
• 🔋 The A23 boasts a large 5000mAh battery with excellent endurance, supporting 25-watt fast charging (although it comes with a 15-watt charger) and lasting a competitive 130 hours in tests.

Questions & Answers

Q: Is the Samsung Galaxy A23 a good budget smartphone option?

The Samsung Galaxy A23 offers some enticing features, such as a good main camera and Samsung software, but it falls short in performance, screen brightness, and value compared to other options in its price range. It may not be the best choice for those seeking a budget smartphone.

Q: How does the display of the Samsung Galaxy A23 perform?

The Samsung Galaxy A23 features a 6.6-inch IPS LCD display with a 1080p resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate. While the fast refresh rate provides smooth movement, the display lacks proximity and ambient light sensors, resulting in sluggish auto brightness adjustment. Additionally, the screen brightness is not suitable for outdoor use in bright sunlight.

Q: What is the camera quality like on the Samsung Galaxy A23?

The Samsung Galaxy A23 has a 50MP main camera with OIS, a 5MP ultrawide camera, a 2MP macro cam, and a depth sensor. In daylight, the main camera performs well with good sharpness, fine detail, and pleasant colors. However, the ultrawide camera offers lower quality with noise, softness, and limited dynamic range. In low light, both cameras produce underwhelming results with softness, noise, and washed-out colors.

Q: How does the Samsung Galaxy A23's performance compare to other smartphones?

The Samsung Galaxy A23 is powered by a Snapdragon 680 4G chipset, which delivers underwhelming performance, especially when paired with the 90Hz refresh rate screen. It ranks poorly in benchmarks compared to other smartphones, including last year's Galaxy A22. The device experiences stutters and occasional lag when navigating the UI or performing everyday tasks, making it less than ideal for those in a hurry.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The Samsung Galaxy A23 is a budget smartphone with a glossy and plasticky design, lacking IP water resistance found in more expensive models.

• The 6.6-inch IPS LCD display has a 1080p resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate, but lacks proximity and ambient light sensors, leading to sluggish auto brightness adjustment.

• The Snapdragon 680 4G chipset delivers underwhelming performance, especially for gaming, while the camera quality ranges from good in daylight to poor in low light.