While Samsung’s high-end flagship phones usually get the most attention, the company also makes some decent budget-oriented devices. These ultra-cheap phones are part of Samsung’s “A series” and the latest model is the Samsung Galaxy A15 5G. I’ve been using the Galaxy A15 5G for about two weeks, and you can get a lot of smartphone bang for $200 with this device. The display, camera, battery life, and software are all pretty good considering the price point.
But in 2024, few phones will struggle with basic day-to-day use, like multitasking and using apps. The Galaxy A15 5G uses a mediocre MediaTek processor that is very slow. If you could spend an extra $100 or $200 on a smartphone, your experience would be much better. That being said, the Galaxy A15 5G is pretty much the best phone in the $200 price range.
Samsung Galaxy A15 5G: Price and availability
Samsung will launch the Galaxy A15 5G in late 2023, with a retail price of $200. You can buy it now from Samsung and Best Buy for that price. You can also find the Galaxy A15 5G on Amazon, but many product listings cost more and include a bundled microSD card. Buyers can also purchase the Galaxy A15 5G from select mobile carriers such as T-Mobile, Verizon, and UScellular.
The Galaxy A15 5G comes in only one configuration, with 128GB storage and 4GB of RAM. However, it has an included microSD card slot so you can add up to 1TB of additional storage. You can choose from two colors: blue-black and light blue. My Galaxy A15 5G loaner review unit was provided by AT&T in blue and black colors.
Samsung Galaxy A15 5G: What I like
When you first pick up the Galaxy A15 5G, it feels like one of Samsung’s higher-end smartphones. Barring the Galaxy S24 Ultra, the rest of the company’s phones have a flat design with rounded corners. The Galaxy A15 5G also doesn’t have a big camera bump, but each rear camera lens will protrude slightly from the back shell.
One unique feature of the Galaxy A15 5G is the so-called “Key Island”. On the right side of the smartphone are the volume rocker and power button, but part of the aluminum frame that houses these buttons protrudes from the rest. This makes it easier to feel around and find Key Island without having to look for it. However, it doesn’t necessarily make these buttons any easier to press, especially with one hand.
Mid-range phones have always had the right ports, and the same goes for the Galaxy A15 5G. It has a USB-C port for data and charging, as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack. What’s more, the SIM card tray also has space for a microSD card. You can add up to an additional 1TB card to the Galaxy A15 5G, completely eliminating any concerns about 128GB of internal storage.
There are a lot of things that will impress you about the Galaxy A15 5G, since the phone costs just $200. To me, nothing is more important than presentation. It is a 6.5-inch AMOLED panel that supports 90Hz refresh rate and 800 nits peak brightness.
Of course, there are some areas where the Galaxy A15 5G’s display could be better. The bezels are a bit big, the teardrop camera cutout went out of style a while ago, and the glass is quite reflective. But overall, when driving the Galaxy A15 5G on a daily basis, I didn’t miss the display on a flagship phone that much.
| category | Samsung Galaxy A15 5G |
|---|---|
| operating system | Android 14, four years of updates |
| exhibit | 6.5-inch AMOLED, 90Hz refresh rate |
| chipset | MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ |
| Memory | 4GB |
| storage | 128GB |
| vocal | Speaker, 3.5mm headphone jack |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC |
| Safety | fingerprint sensor |
| Protect | No IP rating |
| Battery | 5,000mAh |
| aspect | 6.32 inches x 3.02 inches x 0.33 inches |
| weight | 197 grams |
| color | Blue black, light blue |
| rear camera | 50MP main camera, 5MP ultra-wide angle, 2MP macro |
| selfie camera | 13MP wide-angle camera |
Smartphone cameras have come a long way, and you can see recent advances in both the high-end and low-end markets. There are definitely phones that can take better photos than the Galaxy A15 5G, albeit at a higher cost. However, the Galaxy A15 5G’s camera quality is amazing and it’s only $200. I’ve tested several phones that are more expensive and have worse cameras than the Galaxy A15 5G.
The Galaxy A15 5G features a triple camera system on the back, with the main sensor being 50MP with f/1.8 aperture and autofocus. Advanced features like optical image stabilization are not present, nor is optical zoom. The Galaxy A15 5G does offer up to 10x digital zoom at “fine” quality, but Samsung’s user interface for changing the zoom factor is clunky.
On budget phones like this, secondary and tertiary camera sensors are often more about filling out a spec sheet than delivering high quality. The same goes for the 5MP ultra-wide-angle lens, which allows for 0.5x zoom. The Galaxy A15 5G’s ultra-wide-angle lens really isn’t great for two reasons. First, these older and cheaper camera sensors don’t offer a lot of image detail when zoomed out. Additionally, there’s a noticeable fisheye effect that distorts the edges of ultrawide images in some cases.
Overall, the Galaxy A15 5G’s camera quality is good enough, as you can see in the camera sample above. I was particularly impressed with the 2MP macro sensor. These specs won’t blow your mind, but the Galaxy A15 5G takes really good macro photos.
The last thing worth mentioning about the Galaxy A15 5G is that it comes with Android 14 pre-installed, and Samsung promises four years of software support. However, due to the phone’s performance issues (which I’ll get to in a moment), I’m not sure you’d really want to use it for that long.
Samsung Galaxy A15 5G: What I don’t like
Samsung has delivered on the two core elements of a great smartphone with the Galaxy A15 5G: the display and the camera system. That leaves overall performance as the last thing that will make the Galaxy A15 5G a great value choice in 2024. However, I’m disappointed to report that the MediaTek 6835 system-on-chip in this smartphone is just too slow.
If you use a single app, the Galaxy A15 5G runs very well once loaded. Loading apps, multitasking, and unlocking the phone can all cause problems. In my testing, the Galaxy A15 5G was very slow in the first 5-10 seconds after unlocking after a long period of inactivity. Multitasking can also cause problems, and you’ll often need to close apps to give the Galaxy A15 5G a break.
The problem is compounded by the fact that applications often need to be reloaded from scratch due to the limited amount of system memory. For $200, you might be able to overlook these performance issues, but the Galaxy A15 5G is still the slowest phone I’ve used in a while. Running the Geekbench 6 benchmark on the smartphone confirmed my anecdotal findings and also showed that you can get a better experience for just $100 or $200 more.
| cell phone | price | single core | multi-core |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy A15 5G | $199 | Chapter 689 | 1,781 |
| Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) | $399 | 910 | 2,692 |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 | $799 | 2,224 | 6,868 |
The $200 Galaxy A15 5G may do well, but the performance gap between $200 and $400 phones is quite large. The Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) is nearly a third faster than the Galaxy A15 5G, and in my testing the Motorola phone performed much better on a day-to-day basis. The Galaxy A15 5G doesn’t compete with the Galaxy S24, but for reference, the gap between Samsung’s budget and flagship offerings is huge.
For what it’s worth, the Galaxy A15 5G’s 5,000mAh battery lasts all day, so the phone’s battery life is really good.
This is a much smaller issue, but the build quality of the Galaxy A15 5G is also very good. I’m not a fan of the blue-and-black color scheme; it’s an extremely reflective plastic surface that makes the phone look and feel cheaper than it is. The Galaxy A15 5G also doesn’t have an IP rating, so keep it dust- and water-resistant. Still, these are reasonable concessions to meet the phone’s ultra-low pricing.
Samsung Galaxy A15 5G: The Competition
If you stick firmly to the $200 price range, the Galaxy A15 5G is the best. The OnePlus Nord N30 sells for slightly more, at $250, but the phone comes with its own set of issues. In our review, we found it had a poor camera, poor gaming performance, and only one operating system update. However, its day-to-day performance may be better than the Galaxy A15 5G.
The Google Pixel 6a is also still on sale, and you can find it today for around $300 to $350. Even though the Pixel 6a is a few years old, it’s better than the Galaxy A15 5G in every way. There are plenty of phones in the $300 to $400 price range that can also run around the Galaxy A15 5G.
All of which is to say, the Galaxy A15 5G is the best in the $200 price range — but if you can spend a few hundred dollars more, you absolutely should.
Samsung Galaxy A15 5G: Should you buy it?
You should buy this if…
- You want a cheap Samsung phone with Android 14.
- You only have about $200 to spend.
- You care more about display and camera quality than performance.
You shouldn’t buy this if…
- You can spend a few hundred dollars more on a better phone.
- You want a phone that you can use comfortably for several years.
- Daily performance is what matters most to you.
There are two ways to look at the Galaxy A15 5G. On the one hand, Samsung managed to pack a solid display and camera system into a 6.5-inch smartphone for $200. On the other hand, arguably the most important part of a smartphone—casual, day-to-day performance—is conspicuously lacking here.
You don’t need to spend flagship money to buy a great smartphone in 2024, but I think you do need to spend upwards of $200. That being said, if you only have $200 to spend, the Samsung Galaxy A15 5G will suffice.
Solid specs for a $200 smartphone
With the Samsung Galaxy A15 5G, you can get a decent phone for just a few hundred dollars. It has a solid display, battery, and camera system. Due to its low price, you might overlook its meager performance.