The Galaxy A15 is a great entry-level handset and that’s it; see review

The Galaxy A15 forms the basis of Samsung’s A series, which launches in December 2023. Being the most modest handset of the family, it comes with the proposition of being a cheap, entry-level, less demanding device good for everyday tasks. users.

I tested the A15 for a week and I can say that it does not do badly in terms of performance and let’s face it, it is really nice. But in some cases, like with the cameras, it eventually let me down. There’s nothing out of the ordinary for a mobile phone in this category, but it’s worth clarifying some things here. So follow me here and I will tell you the highlights of the Galaxy A15.

Galaxy A15 design

The design of the Galaxy A15 follows the pattern of the 2024 series, which follows Samsung’s Galaxy S24. This is really great, considering that it is the design of a premium model applied to the simplest model in the series.

The back is made entirely of plastic, with a matte finish, and the three cameras are located below each other, as in the rest of the series. I even placed the A15 next to the newly released A55 and we can say that it is the same phone without the back.

In fact they both have a very similar problem, but on the A54 it is a little worse, permanent oil stains on the fingers become very noticeable, something that can be solved with a case.

In addition to the more “square” footprint, the A15 has a recess on the sides that I personally find cute. They serve to highlight the device’s volume and on and off buttons.

There is that detail on the front that is considered a “problem” for many users. (including for me): thick edges of the screen. Okay, so it’s an entry-level handset, but wouldn’t it hurt if Samsung cut it back a bit? Besides the edges, there is also a drop-shaped notch.

At the bottom there is a P2 input for headphones with a microphone, which is quite present. It is very rare to find in Samsung’s basic models and mid-range and premium mobile phones. Microphone and mono speaker in addition to USB-C port.

Impressive display

The Galaxy A15 screen is Super AMOLED with Full HD resolution and is 6.5 inches in size. And I can say that I was very impressed by it. In practice, it has good contrast and avoids the washed-out look that cheaper mobile phone screens have, while providing interesting brightness and good color accuracy.

It was a bit fiddly to use in brighter environments, even with brightness at maximum, but that’s consistent with the device’s price range.

A15 performs well

I may be repeating this a lot here, but it needs to be emphasized: Galaxy A15 is a basic, entry-level device. It is designed only for those who need an inexpensive smartphone that can manage messengers, social networks and even be used as the famous Pix mobile phone. If this is your situation, the A15 is a good option.

A very annoying detail is that there may be some freezing when you try to use two applications at the same time. I tested the combination of Spotify and Instagram and it didn’t work very well, the social network was overwhelmed. When I tried to listen to music while playing the light game Pokémon Go, the player was disabled and I could only play without Spotify in the background.

Even if we go into gaming, there is no point in this, the A15 can only handle light games such as Pokémon Go itself, Candy Crush, Coin Master… Which is to be expected from a mobile phone in this category.

But the interesting thing was that it didn’t heat up that easily. The only time this happened was during a video call on Discord, where a friend and I turned on our cameras and a third streamed a game of Fortnite. That’s right, it didn’t stop

I also need to emphasize that I received this from the factory with Android 14 with One UI 6 and I did not receive this anyway. It was necessary to update the operating system, which was quite practical.

Battery that won’t let you down

The battery of Galaxy A15 is 5000mAh. In practice it did not disappoint me. With average usage, it took a day and a half to recharge just by switching between social networks and streaming music.

On the other hand, the situation was a little different on the days when I made a video call or watched a few episodes of a series online. In such cases, I already had to charge my mobile phone so that it could last a little longer.

As for charging, it takes just under 2 hours to reach 100% with the charger that comes in the box. This was completely expected from a basic mobile phone.

Galaxy A15 camera array

Galaxy A15 has three cameras on the back. The main one is 50 MP, 5 MP ultra-angle and 2 MP macro. But in practice it is not a mobile phone for those who like to take photos and share them on social media.

The Galaxy A15 is a great entry-level handset and that’s it; see review

The Galaxy A15 is a great entry-level handset and that’s it; see review

The Galaxy A15 is a great entry-level handset and that’s it; see review

The Galaxy A15 is a great entry-level handset and that’s it; see review

The Galaxy A15 is a great entry-level handset and that’s it; see review

The Galaxy A15 is a great entry-level handset and that’s it; see review

The Galaxy A15 is a great entry-level handset and that’s it; see review

Colors look nice even in well-lit environments, but it does distort some details, like in this photo where I shot an ice cream. It wasn’t bad, but the lenses couldn’t capture some of the textures.

The result was not very good in low-light or even dark environments. Then the colors become quite pale, and if in brighter environments some details are already blurred, here the situation becomes even worse. Unless you use the night mode, which strives to deliver good images but at the same time fails to achieve satisfactory results.

The Galaxy A15 is a great entry-level handset and that’s it; see review

The Galaxy A15 is a great entry-level handset and that’s it; see review

The Galaxy A15 is a great entry-level handset and that’s it; see review

The Galaxy A15 is a great entry-level handset and that’s it; see review

The Galaxy A15 is a great entry-level handset and that’s it; see review

Don’t rely too much on zoom either. 10x, 20x, day, night, whatever… The lens distorts the image so much that in some cases you can’t even tell what is being photographed.

The front camera is 13 MP and does its job by taking selfies with the quality expected from a basic mobile phone. However, when you switch to portrait mode, the A15 doesn’t crop very well and blurs some details, which is another drawback.

Worth it?

The A15 is a good basic phone and that’s it. It even performs above expectations in some aspects such as the display, but for those who need a little more performance and want to play games, use multiple applications at the same time, etc. An entry-level device that will disappoint users who like it. tasks that require a little more.

On the other hand, throughout the test, even with the camera situation, what crossed my mind was that this is an entry-level mobile phone and I will buy it, yes, I would recommend it to those who haven’t bought it. heavy users and do not need such a powerful device.