5 Years of Android for Under $200?

The Galaxy A15 5G from Samsung has a major advantage over other entry-level smartphones: in the best-case scenario, the phone would receive security updates for five years and would therefore be particularly durable. But will the performance last until 2029, and will the phone even be convincing in everyday use? Reason enough for us to test the phone.

Good

  • High-quality AMOLED display with 90 Hz
  • Solid workmanship
  • Decent performance that is sufficient for mobile games
  • Up to five years of updates

Bad

  • Camera quite inflexible overall
  • Mono speaker sounds very tinny
  • Rather low power reserves for the next 5 years
Samsung Galaxy A15 5G

Samsung Galaxy A15 5G


Samsung Galaxy A15 5G : All deals

In a nutshell

The Galaxy A15 5G is one of the most recommended smartphones for $200. One reason for this is that Samsung is expected to provide the entry-level smartphone with security updates for five years.

In everyday use, the display and the chic S24-look design are particularly impressive. The disadvantages include a limited camera and rather mediocre performance.


This article was created as part of a cooperation with MediaMarktSaturn. This had no influence on the exact content or the editorial opinion.

Design & Display


Samsung also speaks a clear design language with its entry-level smartphones. The back of the Galaxy A15 5G is strongly reminiscent of the Galaxy S23, Samsung’s current flagship. If we turn the phone over, we also see a good display. However, thick display edges and a waterdrop notch indicate that Samsung had to cut costs. The same applies to plastic in the choice of materials.


Pros:

  • Typical Samsung design.
  • Beautiful AMOLED display with 90 Hz.
  • Headphone output.

Cons:

  • Water drop notch looks outdated.
  • Mono speakers are quite inferior.
  • No protection against water and dust.

If you’ve ever looked at a Samsung phone in an electronics store, you’ll recognize most of the design of the A15 5G. Like its larger and more expensive brothers, the A15 5G is a particularly simple cell phone. On the back, you only see three rings in which the cameras are embedded. The front is dominated by a display that appears a little more borderless thanks to the water drop notch at the top.

Samsung Galaxy A15 5G fingerprint sensor
There is a fingerprint sensor on the right side of the A15 5G! / © nextpit

Although the edges appear quite thick compared to models such as the Galaxy S24 (review), the display is impressive in everyday use. Thanks to AMOLED technology, both the contrast and the colors of the display are excellent. At the same time, there are no shadows around the edges or around the notch in the display. Thanks to a refresh rate of 90 Hz, content also appears particularly smooth.

The 6.5″ display is therefore really good for photos, films and applications such as Instagram or TikTok. In direct sunlight, however, it can be a little difficult to see content. Here, more expensive smartphones offer brighter panels that are easier to read in summer. However, if we consider the Galaxy A15 5G in its price range, there are hardly any models with a better display.

The build quality of the A15 5G is also okay considering the price tag. Although the entire casing is made of plastic, there is no creaking or cracking when you bend the phone a little. However, it is annoying that there is no protection against dust or water. Experience has shown that the A15 5G can be used in the rain, but I would definitely avoid temporarily submerging it.

Samsung Galaxy A15 5G Display
The AMOLED display is really something special in this price range! / © nextpit

The built-in mono speaker is also disappointing. If you hold the phone in both hands when playing mobile games, for example, there is a risk of covering the speaker on the underside. And even if the opening remains free: Party mood doesn’t really want to happen with the A15 5G. Even though the speaker is quite loud, music and videos sound tinny and thin.

Overall, however, the A15 5G scores points in the “Design and display” category given the price. The AMOLED display in particular is a special feature in this price range. And Samsung’s design language is also known to be very popular.

Performance and software


Samsung relies on a Mediatek processor in the A15 5G, so it does not use its own SoC. The Dimensity 6100+ is well established in this price range, but here you get up to 256 GB of internal memory and up to 8 GB of RAM. Also pleasing: you can insert a microSD memory card and get the next four Android versions as well as five years of security updates.


Pros:

  • Great update guarantee.
  • Expandable memory.
  • Performance is sufficient for current mobile games.

Cons:

  • Few performance reserves for the future.
  • Basic version with only 4 GB storage space.
  • Pre-installed advertising apps.

As an entry-level smartphone, the Galaxy A15 5G doesn’t have to offer tremendous performance. However, it would be desirable if Samsung had planned a little extra performance on the drawing board.

After all, the manufacturer will provide the affordable phone with four more Android versions and five years of security updates. This means that it could theoretically be used for another five years, which only makes sense if the performance is still good in a few years’ time.

Let’s start with the basics: The pre-installed Android 14 is paired with Samsung’s One UI version 6.0 in the A15 5G. There is a detailed test for Android 14 at nextpit and we have also collected all the information about Samsung’s One UI in the linked section. In my opinion, this combination is one of the most beautiful Android experiences, but it can be a little overloaded at times.

Samsung Galaxy A15 5G back cover
The back has a cool color changing effect! / © nextpit

With the affordable A15 5G, this feeling is compounded by the fact that Samsung pre-installs some apps. Although you receive personalized app recommendations when you first set up the smartphone, if you don’t select anything here, you will find applications such as Royal Match, marktguru or the online shopping platform Temu in the app drawer. To uninstall these once, you need to allow around five minutes for the setup.

During this setup, you will also notice that Samsung offers a very solid working speed in the A15 5G. This is despite the fact that the model we tested only has 4 GB of RAM. Apps do have loading times and there are occasional stutters, but if you turn down the animations of the operating system, the installed Android is quite fast. But let’s take a look at the benchmark results:

 Samsung Galaxy A15 5GPoco X5 Pro 5GMotorola Edge 30 NeoSamsung Galaxy A53OnePlus Nord 2Google Pixel 6a
3D Mark Wild Life1.2232.4571.2052.2804.1755.762
3D Mark Wild Life Stress Test

Best loop: 1,230
Worst loop: 1,220

Best loop: 2,459
Worst loop: 2,438

Best loop: 1,208
Worst loop: 1,109

Best loop: 2,298
Worst loop: 2293
Best loop: 4181
Worst loop: 2515
Best loop: 4,941
Worst loop: 2,860
Geekbench 5Single: 696
Multi: 1,872
Single: 768
Multi: 2,685
Single: 1,208
Multi: 4,310
Single: 1,155
Multi: 3,356
Single: 811
Multi: 2,690
Single: 1,038
Multi: 2,890

In the test, I was able to play the mobile game “Call of Duty: Mobile” smoothly on medium graphics settings with this performance. This should allow you to play all current mobile games for Android, even if the quality and frame rates are not optimal. If you can spend a little more money and are looking for a powerful cell phone, you will find more powerful models from the competition.

As the name suggests, the A15 5G supports the new 5G mobile communications standard. In addition, the phone comes with dual SIM compatibility, whereby you have to choose between SIM and microSD cards in one slot. In addition to mobile communications, the A15 5G supports the Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 5, GPS and NFC wireless standards. Contactless payment is therefore also possible with the A15 5G.

Overall, you have to accept some compromises with the A15 5G in terms of performance. However, the fact that Samsung provides security updates for up to five years, even for such an affordable model, is really welcome. Whether the A15 5G will still be fun in the year 2029, however, I doubt a little.

Camera


Samsung uses a triple camera with a maximum resolution of 50 megapixels in the A15 5G. However, to improve the image quality of the main camera, these are downscaled to 12 megapixels. In addition to the wide-angle main camera, there is an ultra-wide-angle camera with 5 megapixels and a macro camera with 2 megapixels. Selfies have a resolution of 13 megapixels.


Pros:

  • Photos from the main camera are impressive during the day.
  • Ultra-wide angle available.

Cons:

  • The quality of the ultra-wide angle is not convincing.
  • Night shots are rather below average.
  • Selfie quality disappointing.

To bring the A15 5G close to the S24’s optics, Samsung has to install three cameras on the back. As a result, there is a rather poor macro camera on the back of the phone, which is hardly convincing in practice with overgrown photos and 2 megapixels. Unfortunately, this also applies in part to the smartphone’s ultra-wide-angle camera. Although it has a resolution of 5 megapixels, the quality is much lower than that of the main camera.

Galaxy A15 5G Cameras
The camera setup is reminiscent of the S24, but is significantly weaker. / © nextpit

The 50 megapixel main camera is quite usable in sunny conditions. Photos are clear, show a solid sharpness, especially at full resolution, and the autofocus is also correct for most photos. At dusk or at night, however, the quality of the photos decreases. The digital zoom is also not convincing in the practical test.

If you like taking selfies, you won’t really have much fun with the A15 5G. The phone has a 13-megapixel front camera, but its images look very blurry. It’s good enough for video calls, but you shouldn’t do much more with the selfie camera.

Incidentally, you can record videos with the A15 5G in Full HD at 30 frames per second. In addition to the standard functions, Samsung has also integrated some video filters from the Snapchat app into the camera app. At the end of the day, however, this is nothing more than a nice gimmick.

Battery and charging


The A15 5G is powered by a permanently installed 5,000 mAh battery. A power adapter is
not included in the scope of delivery, but Samsung does support 25 W charging. This means the phone offers limited fast charging, but there is no wireless charging option.


Pros:

  • Long-lasting battery life.
  • “Fast charging” with 25 W not bad by Samsung standards.

Cons:

  • No charging cable included in the scope of delivery.
  • No wireless charging.
  • Competition offers faster charging speeds.

Like most entry-level smartphones, the Galaxy A15 5G has a large 5,000 mAh battery. This ensures that you can use the phone for one and a half to two days with moderate use. The Samsung smartphone achieved 16.5 hours in the PC Mark battery benchmark, which is an excellent value.

Samsung Galaxy A15 5G underside
Charging is exclusively via USB-C — but there’s a headphone jack! / © nextpit

While the battery life is impressive, we see a typical Samsung problem when we look at quick charging. At 25 W, the charging power is severely limited and seems almost ridiculous when we compare it with the competition from China.

The fact that Samsung does not include a charger in the scope of delivery can theoretically be a little more sustainable. However, if you are switching from an older phone with microUSB or from an iPhone, you will have to buy an additional charger.

Charging times Galaxy A15 5G

Battery level15%30%50%75%100%
Charging time in minutes0153065 (1h 05m)100 (1h 40m)

However, the charging times of the A15 5G are the biggest disadvantage in the battery category. With a powerful charger, it took 1h40m hours until the battery was fully charged. That is too long, even in the price range below $300.

Final verdict

With the Samsung Galaxy A15 5G, you are investing in a phone for under $200 that, in the best-case scenario, will last for five years and remain secure through updates. This alone constitutes a unique selling point that could justify its purchase. Following our comprehensive review, we found that the A15 5G is a rock-solid Android smartphone.

As is typical for Samsung, the great display, timeless design and attractive Android overlay are particularly impressive. The main camera is also impressive in daylight, as is the performance, which is even sufficient for the latest mobile games.

Thanks to a 5,000 mAh battery, the phone’s battery life is also impressive. The only drawbacks are the limited flexibility of the camera, the rather moderate quick charging and the limited power reserves for the next few years. Apart from that, we recommend buying the A15 5G.

Source

      Guidantech
      Logo
      Shopping cart