Samsung Galaxy A23 5G review

Introduction

Galaxy A series smartphones are known for their 4G/5G segmentation. We thought 2022 would put an end to all of that, and that was indeed the case for the A33, A53 and A73. The entry-level Galaxy A13 and Galaxy A23, however, still get this treatment, and today we’re going to be looking at the 5G version of the Samsung Galaxy A23.

The Galaxy A23 5G is the same smartphone as its LTE counterpart, which is not often the case with these versions. Samsung used the Snapdragon 695 5G chipset instead of the Snapdragon 680, which in addition to the 5G modem enabled the GPU to draw the interface with up to 120 fps for smoother action on the 1080p PLS LCD screen of 6.6 inches.

We like the 120Hz upgrade as it can make things smoother, especially with the new One UI 5 update (with Android 13) which is already available on this phone. The panel still has the same old-school teardrop notch, which might look dated but isn’t a huge mistake in our books.

The phone shares an identical, no-frills design with the rest of the Galaxy A phones with a flat Gorilla Glass front, plastic frame and matte plastic back reminiscent of the high-end Galaxy S22 series. There is no water protection on the Galaxy A23 5G model, something that is reserved for the Galaxy A33 with AMOLED packaging and more.

Even though the Galaxy A23 5G is aimed at the entry-level market, we like its camera gear – it has four cameras on the back, starting with a primary 50MP OIS, then comes a 5MP ultrawide, 2MP macro camera and finally, there is a 2MP depth sensor. The 8MP selfie camera is a pretty basic piece of kit though.

Other notable features are the triple card slot with a microSD tray, 3.5mm audio jack, NFC and the large 5000mAh with support for 25W wired charging.

Samsung Galaxy A23 5G Features at a Glance:

• Body: 165.4 x 76.9 x 8.4mm, 197g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic frame, plastic back.
• Pin up: 6.60 inch PLS LCD, 120 Hz, 1080 x 2408 px resolution, 20.07:9 aspect ratio, 400 ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 695 5G (6nm): Octa-core (2×2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold & 6×1.7 GHz Kryo 660 Silver); Adreno 619.
• Memory: 64GB 4GB RAM, 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM; microSDXC (dedicated slot).
• Operating System/Software: Android 12, One UI 4, Android 13 with One UI 5 update is now available.
• Rear camera:Wide (main): 50MP, f/1.8, PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 5MP, f/2.2, 123˚, 1/5″, 1.12µm; Macro: 2MP, f/2.4; Depth: 2MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera:Wide (main): 8 MP, f/2.0 – USA; Wide (main): 8 MP, f/2.2 – International.
• Video capture:Rear camera: 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Drums: 5000mAh; 25W wired.
• Various : Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); NFC; 3.5mm jack; Virtual proximity detection.

The most notable omissions, if you’ve been tracking recent Galaxy A phones, are the OLED panel and ingress protection. There are some other weird bits too – virtual proximity sensing remains more controversial than ever, and the lack of a true ambient light sensor is baffling. Also, there is no charger in the box.

Unboxing the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G

The Samsung Galaxy A23 5G comes in a small paper box, which contains the phone itself and a white USB-C cable. That’s it.

There’s no charger, screen protector, or headphones.