What we love about
- Storage and base RAM that is higher
- Life of the battery
- A fingerprint reader is also available.
- Long-term support for software
We don’t like
- Laggy performance
- Secondary cameras aren’t working.
- The plastic build is cheap and is a bit like a cheap
- Very slow charging
Samsung Galaxy A03s
Samsung’s Galaxy A03s are some baby steps towards adulthood. The fingerprint reader as well as the updated storage and RAM base give some more power however they don’t make enough of an impact to offset the unresponsive performance and the lack of cameras. It’s a decent choice to start with but it’s lacking power in the areas that matter.
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Samsung’s most affordable phones typically have compromises in order to get their lowest costs. Although they’re still the most affordable option to get into the Galaxy ecosystem, The Galaxy A03s hopes that getting rid of a few restrictions will make it more worthwhile to stretch your budget more. Does the experience justify the extra price? Learn more in the Samsung Galaxy A03s test.
What do you need to know about Samsung Galaxy A03s
Samsung launched the Galaxy A03s in the beginning of 2022, as an update of the Samsung Galaxy A02s. It’s the least expensive part of the Galaxy A series in the US and the lineage of the Galaxy A series is obvious. The Galaxy A03s features an almost identical display as its predecessor, all the way down to the bezels on top and bottom. Both phones have the same dimensions.
Samsung has trimmed its Galaxy A03s options in the past year. Currently, only two models are accessible within both the US as well as Europe (listed below). The basic model comes with two gigabytes of memory and 32 GB storage more than double the storage you had in the previous. It doesn’t support 5G — you’ll have to upgrade to Galaxy A13 if you want high-speed data speeds.
The Samsung Galaxy A03s came with Android 11 out of the box, with Samsung’s One User Interface over it. It came with the December 1st 2021 security patch during my tests. The buyers can expect an additional 2 years worth of updates, and 4 years worth of security updates (with quarterly updates) which is in line with the previous Galaxy A devices. The device was updated to Android 12.2 for the initial major upgrade in September 2022. And we anticipate Android 13 as the final version of the system before the Galaxy A03s head to the end of the road.
The phone is equipped with its MediaTek Helio P35 processor in the back. It can be paired with the phone with 4GB RAM as well as 64GB storage. Although the storage capacity may not sound like much, you can choose to increase your storage capacity using the microSD slot. The Galaxy A03s comes with an 5,000mAh battery as well as 15W charging, both of which are compatible with the Galaxy A02s. It’s all connected with the 6.5-inch HD+ display, including a tiny Infinity-V cutout.
Even at the entry-level Samsung’s packaging appears to be in a state of de-stress. There’s an SIM Ejector tool as well as a USB-C connection cable and the essential documentation in the package, but the charger that comes with it is no longer available. If you’re looking for one, you can find our instructions on the internet.
You can purchase the Galaxy A03s directly from Samsung as well as from various retailers. It is available in blue and black colors. There’s also white version, but it isn’t offered through Samsung across the US.
What’s good?
The Galaxy A02s from last year were only the basic phone features and it’s great to witness Samsung make small strides in the right direction. The Galaxy A03s comes with an integrated side-mounted fingerprint reader into the mix. I was able to use it quite well as I experienced no issue when it came to unlocking the phone. If you’d prefer to not use the fingerprint scanner, you can use the software that recognizes facial features, a pin and drawing the pattern too.
Fortunately, Samsung’s enhancements to the design did not come at the price of the headphone port. You can use your headphones wired for a while longer with this bottom mounted 3.5mm port. It’s located next to the mono speaker down-firing, that is a big speaker. I did experience some distortion when cranking it up to max volume but I think you’ll be happy with the results after that point.
Samsung’s cheapest smartphone finally comes with a fingerprint reader.
Samsung’s minor redesign covers the rear of the panel, too. The back panel now has vertical ridges which bend over the array of cameras. Overall, I am pleased with the new rear design and the ridges seem secure enough to be held. The blue color I got looks nice in daylight and definitely is superior to the black one.
One of the main benefits for the Samsung Galaxy A03s is its low cost. Although it’s increased around $30 over the previous year, it comes with more RAM and storage and one of the most effective update policies in the world. Support that is near to two complete Android Versions and more than four years worth of security updates are rare under $200.
There shouldn’t be any problems regarding battery life on the Galaxy A03s. The 5KmAh battery is a breeze to use and you will be able to last for the two-day period of light usage. It’s not longer if you’re a professional mobile gamer, but it’s likely not the reason you’d purchase an A03s Galaxy. It’s perfectly suited to stream and the screen is, although it’s a bit dim, does a decent enough job of watching TV and movies due to its large size and the high-contrast.
What’s wrong?
Although Samsung has made a few major modifications to the Galaxy A03s hardware, the bulk of the design is the same as it was last year. The bottom and top bezels are quite thick for the 2022 model and the plastic structure isn’t exactly what we would expect. This isn’t to say that we’d like glass or metal for a device that costs $159; however, the plastic is a bit spongy, which makes it feel as if it’s liable to be damaged in the event of a drop.
Samsung also used the same camera set-up of the Galaxy A02s with the same set of issues. The primary camera is adequate in decent light however, the two cameras have a largely redundant 2MP macro lens and two-megapixel depth sensor. There isn’t a night mode, of any kind, which means low-light photography isn’t a viable option. It requires a steady hand as well as plenty of light in order to get acceptable macros, but there’s not any detail because of the low resolution. Samsung’s portrait mode has trouble with edge detection as well -take note of the edge of my hat in the selfies in the next part, and the more detailed details of the Swan Fountain.
The Galaxy A03s also has been affected by an expected Samsung issue and there’s no charger included in the package. Although you may already have a USB-C device lying around (and not ignoring the environmental factors that led to the decision) there’s no guarantee. a sure thing particularly for new smartphone owners which are the primary market for devices that are budget-friendly.
Galaxy A03s dropped the charger included, however it retained the slow charging speed.
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The Galaxy A03s replaces the predecessor’s Snapdragon 450 chipset for that of the MediaTek Helio P35, which appears to be something that’s been upgraded on paper. But, the latest processor is still afflicted by several of the lag issues that affected Samsung’s Galaxy A02. Simple tasks such as switching between applications or fast-forwarding a YouTube video was more time-consuming than I had hoped. I also noticed it took the keyboard an extra few minutes to open for the majority of the time.
Although it’s great to have Samsung retain the battery’s 5,000mAh capacity for another year, the 15W charging is continuing to be a bit slow. It’s exactly the same setup like the Galaxy A02s which is why it took me around 30 minutes to charge 20% charge. This might be sufficient for a quick recharge however, charging the entire battery was more than two hours at the outlet.
Samsung Galaxy Galaxy A03s Review: Should I purchase it?
The Galaxy A03s from Samsung is an excellent alternative to smartphones priced under $200 and it’s a great choice for those who are considering the Galaxy A03s as their first-time smartphone or a choice for those with a limited budget. It’s the cheapest method to get into Samsung’s Galaxy system, as well as the One UI is feature-rich and well-supported by those who want to keep their phone for many years. The inclusion of fingerprint scanners is a great feature for security and convenience, too. But the camera’s processor and design aren’t quite as good — two areas that are crucial that are essential to any modern smartphone.
Samsung’s latest fingerprint reader as well as enhanced RAM and storage options offer sufficient power to warrant the higher cost, but the Galaxy A03s isn’t as powerful when it matters.
The Galaxy A03s is now more expensive in cost from last year, bringing more rivals to fight against. Motorola’s Moto G Play ( $169) is possibly the closest competitor, sporting the same set of cameras, and a slightly more robust Snapdragon 405 processor. It also offers slower charging, fewer storage and RAM as well as does not offer NFC for contactless payment. If you’re looking for a more advanced Motorola model , the Moto G Pure ( $159) comes with Android 11 right out of the box, as well as an IP rating that is basic.
If you’re willing to pay some more than you can get the Samsung Galaxy A13 5G ( $249) and Nokia X100 ( $252) are both affordable options to add 5G technology to the mix. Nokia’s smartphone comes with the primary camera of 48MP with crisp Full HD+ display but isn’t up to date with software updates. Samsung’s Galaxy A13 5G, on the contrary, has a 50MP camera, along with Samsung’s extensive update policy as well as an elegant, simple design. T-Mobile also has its OnePlus Nord N20 ( $282). It comes with 128GB of storage as well as a triple camera with a 64MP resolution. Samsung’s Galaxy A23 5G ( $299) is also dipping into the market as an upgrade over its predecessor, the Galaxy A13. It has a battery capacity of 5,000mAh with a faster charging speed of 25W and a quad-camera array that can be flexed.