Samsung Galaxy A15 5G review

The competition

The 4G and 5G versions of the Galaxy A15 are now available worldwide and they are well worth considering. This year, Samsung has made enough improvements to make the Galaxy A15 among the first phones that pop in our minds when we think of a €200 or so smartphone.

The Galaxy A15 5G starts at €200-€210, about €30 more expensive than the Galaxy A15 4G. If your cellular plan does not include 5G data, or the 5G coverage is poor in your area, we would recommend getting the Galaxy A15 4G instead - it felt somewhat faster in our experience.

The Redmi Note 13 5G is about €30 more expensive than the Galaxy A15 5G, but it will give you a better 120Hz OLED, more RAM, better cameras and faster charging. It is also IP54-rated for dust and splash resistance, which is helpful.

The same applies to the Moto G84 - €30 more expensive device with splash protection, a faster screen, better cameras, double the RAM and double the storage, and there are even stereo speakers.

The Poco M6 Pro 4G may lack 5G connectivity, but it trumps the A15 5G with splash protection, a 120Hz OLED, better cameras, 8GB RAM + 256GB storage, stereo speakers and 67W fast charging - all at the same retail price.

Samsung Galaxy A15 • Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 • Motorola Moto G84 • Xiaomi Poco M6 Pro

Our verdict

The Galaxy А15 5G is a balanced smartphone across the board. It has one easily likable design available in various cool colors; the OLED screen is bright and fast; the battery life is outstanding, and the charging speed is great.

The performance is not a strong side of the Galaxy A15 5G, and the cameras are rather average, with the ultrawide camera being straight-up disappointing.

But the Galaxy A15 5G is an entry-level smartphone with 5G connectivity that makes sense, and Samsung got it right - it has the design and screen to impress and rich connectivity options, but something had to give, and in this case, it was the camera and the performance.

Overall, we recommend putting the Galaxy A15 5G on your shortlists if you want to buy an affordable phone, though it probably won't be our top pick as you can get better value elsewhere.

Pros

• Good-looking solid design.
• 90Hz OLED, good maximum brightness.
• Outstanding battery life, fast to charge.
• Good main and selfie cameras.
• EIS for videos.
• Dual SIM, 5G, NFC, microSD, 3.5mm jack.
• Android 14 with One UI 6.

Cons

• Lag and stutter are observable.
• Only 4GB RAM for the base model.
• No splash protection.
• Poor ultrawide camera.
• No charger in the box.
• Virtual proximity sensor.