Samsung Updates Galaxy A-Series: Affordable 5G Smartphones

In some ways, the timing couldn’t be better: as the smartphone market is rapidly declining (-40% according to some reports), and unemployment rising dramatically in several key regions like the USA and Europe, the new Galaxy A-series smartphone lands, with prices starting at $110.

Samsung’s new line-up has six smartphones: Galaxy A10 ($109.99), Galaxy A11 ($179.99), Galaxy A21 ($249.99), Galaxy A51 ($399.99) and Galaxy A51 5G ($499.99) and the Galaxy A71 5G ($599.99).

Samsung designed these phones to provide good value (for the price) in their respective market segments, addressing what Samsung calls the “Core Essentials”: Battery, Camera, Display, Storage, and Speed.

Although it doesn’t get a lot of press when compared to the flagship Samsung Galaxy S or Note handsets, the Galaxy A-series has been very successful in relatively high-volume, so it’s not a surprise that Samsung is going “all-in” with it in 2020.

First, let’s take a quick look at the specs we have compiled and you can follow the links for more detailed technical details.

Specifications Highlights
Product Name	Galaxy A01	Galaxy A11
Product	Galaxy A01 (2019)	Galaxy A11 (2020)
Display	5.7″ 1560×720 TFT LCD	6.4″ 1560×720 TFT LCD
Rear Camera(s)	13-MP f/2.2 (Primary)	13-MP f/1.8 (Primary)
Selfie Camera(s)	5-MP f/2	8-MP
Computing	Snapdragon 439 SoC 2GB RAM 16GB Storage MicroSDXC	2GB/3GB RAM 32GB Storage MicroSDXC
Battery	3000 mAh	4000 mAh
Design	IP Rating, 70.86×146.3×8.34 mm (2.79 x 5.76 x 0.33 inches)	IP Rating, 177g (6.2oz), 76.3×161.4×8 mm (3.00 x 6.35 x 0.31 inches)

Specifications Highlights
Product Name	Galaxy A51 5G	Galaxy A71 5G
Product	Galaxy A51 5G (2020)	Galaxy A71 5G (2020)
Display	6.5″ 2400×1080 Super AMOLED	6.7″ 2400×1080 Super AMOLED
Rear Camera(s)	48-MP f/2 (Primary)	64-MP f/1.8 (Primary)
Selfie Camera(s)	32-MP f/2.2	32-MP f/2.2
Computing	Samsung Exynos 980 SoC 6GB/8GB RAM 128GB Storage MicroSDXC	Samsung Exynos 980 SoC 6GB/8GB RAM 128GB Storage MicroSDXC
Battery	4500 mAh	4500 mAh
Design	IP Rating, 187g (6.6oz), 73.6×158.9×8.7 mm (2.90 x 6.26 x 0.34 inches)	IP Rating, 185g (6.5oz), 75.5×162.5×8.1 mm (2.97 x 6.40 x 0.32 inches)

As you can see, the technical quality of these smartphones will be proportional to the price, and that’s true for all the Core Essential aspects of the phones.

The side and/or display resolution steadily increases, so is the battery size (see chart below), storage performance, and camera hardware. Samsung’s line up makes it easy for prospective buyers to choose, based on the one thing everybody understands: your budget.

Generally speaking, new phones feature a modern design with various features that will become better as the higher price allows for fancier industrial design techniques.

The design language is reminiscent of the Samsung Galaxy S20 line, which launched in fanfare earlier this year.

The cameras of the Galaxy A01 and A11 have modest technical specifications, but that’s not completely surprising for a $100-$180 budget.

However, the Galaxy A51 5G and Galaxy A71 5G cameras look a lot stronger and feature modern sensors that are larger than what the Galaxy S10 primary sensor, for example. We won’t know what the image quality is like before taking a closer look, but it looks pretty good on paper, even if it won’t equal the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s formidable camera IQ performance.

Finally, this launch is significant because it brings 5G down to the $499.99 range, and that’s a fantastic drop form last year’s $1200+ price to get into 5G when coverage was available at all.

The Galaxy A-Series line of smartphones seems to bring a lot of value for the prince, and we’re looking forward to getting a lot more data to analyze, so we can determine exactly how it compares to the rest of the competition.

If you like the overall Samsung mobile experience and can’t afford a Galaxy S or Galaxy Note, the A-Series should be the first thing to consider. Official page.

Hubert Nguyen
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: Samsung, samsung galaxy, Samsung Galaxy A51 5G, Samsung Galaxy A71 5G