Starting back in 2014, the Galaxy A series has been the consistent provider of entry-level to upper mid-level devices from Samsung. The range of specs and prices offered in this series is unmatched and it has something for everyone. Similar to last year, Samsung launched the entry-level device called Samsung Galaxy A13 4G on 23rd March 2022 in Bangladesh. The device brings a complete design overhaul with some interesting internal choices. So, does it live up to the expectations? Or is it yet another overpriced entry-level smartphone from Samsung? Let’s find out.
Key Specifications of Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
Design and Build Quality
The entry-level A series devices never really had a concrete design setup. Mid-range to flagships devices tend to have set design elements and each release is more like an incremental update. But the A13 is a completely new design that is more streamlined to look like the flagship S22 Ultra. Talk about a premium design experience at a fraction of the price.
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But design is all that is premium about the device. The A13 is an all-around plastic device with a glass front. The front glass is protected by Gorilla Glass 5 which is not bad considering this is an entry-level device.
At 195 g, the device is on the heavier side. But the even weight distribution offsets the weight. The glossy plastic frame and back are a fingerprint magnet so it's better to use a case or a skin to avoid greasy marks.
The usual port selection is all here with the 3.5 mm jack being retained for the A13. Fans of the headphone jack should consider themselves lucky as some of the more premium A series devices this year aren’t coming with the port.
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The power button situated on the right doubles as the fingerprint scanner. It’s made to be almost flush with the side frame. Depending on the users, this might take a bit of getting used to. The sim slot also has a dedicated port for the micro SDXC.
The only downside with the design of the phone is the speakers. Even though it's an entry-level phone, it's not necessarily dead cheap. Samsung has opted for a single bottom-firing speaker whereas they could have easily included a stereo speaker in this price bracket.
Display
There’s nothing special about the display of the Samsung Galaxy A13. While Samsung is renowned for its displays across different techs, the same doesn’t hold true for their entry-level phones like the A13.
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The device features a standard FHD+ PLS LCD. The PLS LCD is yesterday’s technology which grossly falls short compared to the AMOLED or OLED panels of today. But nevertheless. This is what the users will be getting.
The panel itself is decent at best. Viewing angles aren’t as sharp as AMOLED or even IPS LCD panels. But the display gets relatively bright so legibility won’t be an issue. To round things up, this display isn’t really the best for media consumption, rather a panel that gets the job done, barely.
Camera
The A-series devices have always been big on camera and the A 13 follows suit. Users will be getting a quad-camera setup here with a 50 MP f/1.8 wide-angle main sensor. The other sensors are a 5 MP ultrawide, 2 MP macro, and 2 MP depth sensor.
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The main lens performs well under direct sunlight and in well-lit environments. Samsung image processing is a bit contrast and saturation heavy so expect the colors to pop in the images. Dynamic range is also preserved on most shots.
One of the gripes with the main sensor is the lack of a dedicated night mode. Instead, the phone automatically adjusts the shutter speed to let in more lights. This somewhat gets the job done but a dedicated night mode would’ve definitely been better.
The ultrawide lens takes decent images but the fisheye effect is very prominent here. So much so that objects on the edges would distort quizzically giving an artificial look to the image. The videography maxes out at 1080P at 30 fps. Even though the main sensor is quite capable, Samsung capped the videography for lack of processing power. There is also an 8 MP selfie shooter which is generic at best.
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Processor and Performance
The Samsung Galaxy A13 features an Exynos 850 processor built on the 8 Nm architecture. The processor happens to be another drawback of the device. Understandably, a budget device will have a low processor but the 850 doesn’t really compare with entry-level processors of MediaTek or Snapdragon. Instead, it falls much short of them.
The processor is still an octa-core one with a dedicated Mali-G52 GPU. This device isn’t in any way a gaming or heavy usage device. The device can technically run 3D games but at the lowest settings and countless frame drops.
The One UI 4.1 is a breath of fresh air here. The highly optimized OS helps to make the device interaction smoother and more intuitive. Overall, it's safe to say that this device is best suited for casual browsing and social media use and not for heavy tasks.
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Battery and Charge Time
The device comes with a 5000 mAh battery. Given the processor and the display, users can easily get 9 to 10 hours of continuous usage with the device. As for charging, there is a 15 W fast charger included in the box.
Official Price of Samsung Galaxy A13 in Bangladesh
The official price of the Samsung Galaxy A13 is 16,999 BDT in Bangladesh. The device is available in all the official Samsung retail stores across the country.
Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy A13 4G phone brings new design elements with the same build quality and performance as last year. The camera and the battery are definitely the highlights of the device but it drastically falls short on the display and the processor. Considering the price of the device, Samsung could’ve definitely included a better panel. Other than that, it can be a great everyday carry for those looking for reliability over performance.