Table of Contents
Introduction
The Galaxy A15 brings welcome upgrades like a vibrant 90Hz AMOLED display to Samsung’s budget lineup at an affordable $180 price point. While not a powerhouse, it packs impressive battery life, solid cameras and slick software into a durable plastic body. Read on for our full bite sized review.
Design and Handling
Despite an all-plastic build, the A15 feels solidly constructed, if unexciting visually. Curved paneling adds some grip, while the side-mounted fingerprint reader is fast and accurate. With a 3.5mm headphone jack, FM radio and microSD storage expansion (up to 1TB) onboard, ports and features are generous for the cost. It’s a fingerprint magnet, but build quality outshines budget expectations.
Display and Audio
A 6.5-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display marks a welcome upgrade over past LCD options. Offering 1080p resolution, excellent contrast and up to 808 nits peak brightness, visuals impress with vivid color and crisp detail. Smooth 90Hz refresh rate enhances fluidity, though audio from the single speaker sounds thin and strained at higher volumes. Still, the screen presents an outstanding value.
Performance and Software
Powered by a MediaTek Helio G99 chip and 4GB RAM, performance handles everyday tasks fine but struggles when gaming or multitasking. Still, clean software in Android 14 and One UI 6 offers a pleasant experience for casual users. And the phone pledges 3 years of major software updates, adding peace of mind.
Camera Quality
A triple lens 50MP main + 5MP ultrawide + 2MP macro camera array provides solid versatility in good lighting, with bold color and respectable sharpness from the primary lens. Unfortunately, nighttime and indoor shots exhibit heavy noise. Selfies show marked improvements as well, courtesy of a higher resolution 13MP front-facing camera. Video maxes out at 1080p and lacks stabilization.
Battery Life
Excellent phone endurance ranks among the A15’s top assets, thanks to a large 5000 mAh battery. Our testing achieved over 15 hours of active screen time across mixed usage including video streaming – easily enough to reach a second day per charge. 25W wired charging replenishes quickly when needed.
Overall Verdict
At around $180 unlocked, the Galaxy A15 succeeds as a basic smartphone that exceeds expectations. The vibrant 90 Hz AMOLED display, excellent battery life lasting beyond a day of active use, expandable storage and solid daylight camera chops stand out – easily overshadowing middling gaming muscle or average audio. Shoppers wanting core essentials like long runtimes and a quality screen without breaking the bank need look no further.
