Samsung Galaxy A05s review

Introduction

Samsung is constantly growing its entry-level Galaxy A portfolio. Currently sitting at the very bottom of the lineup are the Galaxy A05 and the Galaxy A05s, the latter of which we have in for review today.

The Galaxy A05s first popped up in Malaysia and later made its way to India as well and it is a budget-oriented device.

In a bid to make the Galaxy A05s even more affordable and attainable, Samsung also released a 4GB RAM version of the phone alongside the original 6GB version. That's the model that we have in for review today - an A05s with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable storage.

Samsung Galaxy A05s specs at a glance:

• Body: 168.0x77.8x8.8mm, 194g; Glass front, plastic back, plastic frame.
• Display: 6.70" PLS LCD, 90Hz, 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 393ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM6225 Snapdragon 680 4G (6 nm): Octa-core (4x2.4 GHz Kryo 265 Gold & 4x1.9 GHz Kryo 265 Silver); Adreno 610.
• Memory: 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM; eMMC 5.1; microSDXC (dedicated slot).
• OS/Software: Android 13.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, AF; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4; Depth: 2 MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 13 MP, f/2.0.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30/60fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 5000mAh; 25W wired.
• Connectivity: LTE; Dual SIM; Wi-Fi 5; BT 5.1; 3.5mm jack.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted).

Compared to last year's Galaxy 04s, we can see quite a few notable upgrades. The display has grown to 6.7 inches and now has a FullHD (1080 x 2400 pixel) resolution at 90Hz, up from HD+. The chipset has been upgraded to a still old but technically superior Snapdragon 680. You still don't get 5G connectivity, but it is a 6nm chip, so it hopefully has better efficiency now. The selfie camera has also seen a notable upgrade. It now has a larger 13MP resolution and is capable of 1080p video capture. Also, charging is now faster at 25W on the same beefy 5,000 mAh battery pack as before.

Overall, the Galaxy A05s seems like a much better-rounded device than its predecessor, but that doesn't mean it is not without its faults. Even on paper, we can't ignore that some things haven't been upgraded, like the pretty slow eMMC 5.1 internal storage. Of course, we'll get through all of that in the review.

Unboxing

The Galaxy A05s has a pretty minimal retail package. The box itself is nothing special, just a two-piece slide-out affair made entirely of cardboard, which we do appreciate from an eco perspective. The internal cardboard cradle that holds the phone does its job pretty well, which is important.

We don't and frankly shouldn't expect a plentiful accessory bundle with the Galaxy A05s. It's as barebones as it gets - a simple USB Type-C to Type-C cable and a SIM ejector tool. Nothing more, nothing less.