As LG Mobile fades into obscurity, Samsung is going full-steam ahead with new smartphone releases. The South Korean technology heavyweight has unveiled five new phones in its A-series. These are all budget phones priced at $499.99 or less, some of which are universal unlocked and others that will only appear as carrier exclusives. There’s something for every Samsung fan who doesn’t want to spend a grand on a new phone.
Samsung’s A-series phones used to be of questionable value, offering inferior specs for more money because they had the Samsung logo. Increasing pressure from younger Chinese OEMs forced Samsung to step up its game. The last few generations of A-series phones have been more competitive, including the latest batch.
The A52 5G is the most expensive of the new phones, clocking in at $499.99 with a Snapdragon 750G, 6GB of RAM, a 6.5-inch 10880p OLED (120Hz), and a quad camera array on the back. There’s an optical fingerprint scanner in the display, as well. It’s one of two devices in the lineup that’s available unlocked from Samsung, but it’ll also be available from all major US carriers.
The Galaxy A52 4G could almost be confused with one of Samsung’s Galaxy S phones, but it’s got a mid-range Snapdragon 750G chip and a less-powerful camera setup.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, the A02s costs just $109.99 and will also be sold unlocked by Samsung. It will also be on carriers, but you might only see it on prepaid sub-brands. This phone comes with a lot of compromises to hit its impressively low price point, and it’s not 5G-enabled. You can look forward to a 6.5-inch 720p LCD, which won’t look as clear or bright as the more expensive OLED-based phones. Inside is a Snapdragon 450, along with just 2GB of RAM and a dual-camera setup.
If you’re looking for something in the middle of those two prices, you’ll have to go to a carrier. Verizon will have the A42 5G, which takes a step down to 720p display resolution, but it’s still an OLED with an in-display fingerprint scanner. It also gets the same Snapdragon 750G as the S52, but there’s just 4GB of RAM. This phone will be $399.99, but Verizon will no doubt have promotions.
The A02s will cost just over a hundred bucks, and it’s not crippled with Android Go Edition software.
T-Mobile and AT&T will offer the Galaxy A12, which is a small step up from the A02s at $179.99. It’ll have the same big 720p LCD, but inside is a MediaTek P35 chip and 3GB of RAM. The A32 5G is the cheapest of Samsung’s new 5G-enabled phones, and it’ll only be available on T-Mobile for $279.99. It’s got a MediaTek 720, 4GB of RAM, and a 6.5-inch 720p LCD. However, this one has a 90Hz refresh rate.
Most of these phones will launch this week, with the notable exception of the ultra-cheap A02s. That phone will launch in May or June.
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