Samsung has solidified its position in the smartphone market, particularly with its Galaxy S and A series. While the S series competes directly with Apple, the Galaxy A family offers affordable options, with a structured naming system indicating product class and model. Testing reveals the Galaxy A55 as a strong mid-range choice with impressive battery life and display quality, while the Galaxy A15 provides excellent value but lacks some advanced features and performance capabilities.
Samsung’s Dominance in the Smartphone Market
Samsung has established itself as a leading contender in the smartphone landscape. The Galaxy S series consistently goes head-to-head with Apple, ensuring a solid presence in our smartphone rankings year after year. Unlike its primary competitor, Samsung also caters to consumers looking for mid-range and entry-level devices.
The more budget-friendly options fall under the Samsung Galaxy A family. Here, the first digit after the letter A represents the product class, while the second digit denotes the model number, which generally increases annually with new releases in each category. Typically, a higher product class correlates with better quality, but this often comes with a higher price tag for these budget-friendly smartphones.
Top Affordable Samsung Smartphones: Our Testing Results
We’ve conducted extensive tests on a variety of A Galaxy models. Below, we share our findings on the best value Samsung smartphones, highlighting the trade-offs compared to the flagship Galaxy S series.
| Recommendation | Rating | Display | Quality | Battery Life | Camera | Video Quality | Storage | Resolution | Refresh Rate | Brightness | Performance | Charging Time | Camera Pixels | Image Quality | Durability | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top Recommendation | Satisfactory (2.8) | 6.6 inches | Good (1.6) | 14:22 hours | Triple camera (wide-angle, macro) | 3,840 x 2,160 pixels (30 fps) | 106.5 GB | 2,340 x 1,080 pixels | 120 Hz | 1,226 cd/m² | 12,707 points | 1.9 seconds | 50 megapixels | 1.7 (good) | IP67 | 319 € |
| Price Tip | Sufficient (3.6) | 6.5 inches | Good (1.6) | 17:05 hours | Triple camera (wide-angle, macro) | 3,840 x 2,160 pixels (30 fps) | 105.6 GB | 2,340 x 1,080 pixels | 90 Hz | 1,006 cd/m² | 8,938 points | 3.0 seconds | 50 megapixels | 2.1 (good) | – | 168 € |
Conclusion on Samsung Galaxy A Series
The Samsung Galaxy A55 stands out as a formidable mid-range smartphone. With its AMOLED display boasting a peak brightness of over 1,200 cd/m² and a 120 Hz refresh rate, it offers vibrant colors and smooth visuals. The Exynos 1480 processor may not be the fastest on the market, but it handles daily tasks and most games effectively. Battery performance is impressive, lasting around 14.5 hours with standard usage. While it lacks some high-end features, including fast USB charging and wireless charging, it compensates with Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6, dual SIM with 5G capabilities, and solid water resistance (IP67). Users can also expand storage via a second SIM slot.
On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy A15 offers remarkable value for money. Its 6.5-inch OLED display provides Full HD Plus clarity at a smooth 90 Hz refresh rate. The battery life is exceptional, lasting about 17 hours on average usage. However, it does compromise on performance, lacking 5G support and offering below-average performance for high-demand applications. The camera captures decent daytime photos, but low-light performance leaves much to be desired.