Let me start this review by saying I don't normally write reviews. I'm sure we've all read a review or few that say this same thing but I feel as if it's relevant. I bought this phone to replace my ancient samsung Galaxy A51. It's definitely an upgrade from that model for almost twice the price but maybe not worth almost 300 dollars, although I'm not really sure what is worth what anymore with the state of this economy.I bought this phone with three primary attributes I was looking for. A good camera, a headphone jack and an excellent battery life. I got two of these things. Although I'm not too disappointed.The 1x camera does not focus unless it's within 6 inches of the subject. I could be using it incorrectly but I was under the impression that a 1x camera was ... MoreLet me start this review by saying I don't normally write reviews. I'm sure we've all read a review or few that say this same thing but I feel as if it's relevant. I bought this phone to replace my ancient samsung Galaxy A51. It's definitely an upgrade from that model for almost twice the price but maybe not worth almost 300 dollars, although I'm not really sure what is worth what anymore with the state of this economy.I bought this phone with three primary attributes I was looking for. A good camera, a headphone jack and an excellent battery life. I got two of these things. Although I'm not too disappointed.The 1x camera does not focus unless it's within 6 inches of the subject. I could be using it incorrectly but I was under the impression that a 1x camera was supposed to be the primary camera capable of taking a wide range of photographs. It does not do this. The . 5x camera and the macro camera work great though. Good enough that I've decided to just keep the phone, especially after already enduring setting up this beast to my liking.I am very particular about how I set up my phone and this has lots of options. A variety of widgets for my pleasure. Good accessibility options, specifically the live transcribe feature accessible with a single button press from anywhere as I am hard of hearing and work retail where hearing customers is important. I heat and read lips well enough to not use this on a daily basis but it's still nice to have the option. It's something I really liked on my A51 that I'm very pleased is on this one, as well.Now let me talk about the battery life. I saw another comment say that it could very well last 24 hours and I called bullshit until I saw it for myself. I had unplugged my phone at 100% 9am FSaturday morning, sat on a voice call through discord with my partner for 4 hours, took my phone to work for a 10hr shift 2pm to 12:20am the next day where i use my phone for work, got home and fell asleep without plugging my phone in (my mistake) and Spotify playing rain noises all through the night, woke up at 11am the next day Sunday before work and realized my mistake at a remarkable 15%. Over 24 hours of continuous use and was still able to tell the tale after my alarms thankfully still woke me up on time for my shift.Not much else for me to say on this phone as these are the main things I can comment on but it's definitely worth it if the possibility of a malfunctioning camera is survivable to you. My partner has told me it may be an issue with the auto focus so I'll update my review if I'm able to resolve this issue. Good phone, excellent battery life if that's something you need, good accessibility, many customization options, no issues with my Tmobile provider, an ever increasingly rare headphone jack. Oh, and the packaging was wonderfully minimal! The box for the phone case was bigger than the entire packaging for the phone, charger and other doohickeys. Would recommend although my next phone in approximately 4-7 years will hopefully be a more advanced model with a functioning camera! Kudos.

A Great All-In-One Device

Purchased a little over a week ago and so far impressed with the phone and features. Great vibrant screen which is great for browsing and watching videos with, silky smooth operation with barely any lags or hiccups especially with the dynamic refresh rate, happy with the dual speakers creating an immersive experience for games and multimedia, reliable network signals and clear call clarity, network speeds over WIFI and data are fast and also dependable, impressive camera for the price producing clear and vibrant pictures to smooth videos, and was the easiest device to setup coming from another Samsung A-Series phone. I’m definitely happy that the device will receive updates for five years giving me extra reassurance with this purchase, just as my previous Samsung ... MorePurchased a little over a week ago and so far impressed with the phone and features. Great vibrant screen which is great for browsing and watching videos with, silky smooth operation with barely any lags or hiccups especially with the dynamic refresh rate, happy with the dual speakers creating an immersive experience for games and multimedia, reliable network signals and clear call clarity, network speeds over WIFI and data are fast and also dependable, impressive camera for the price producing clear and vibrant pictures to smooth videos, and was the easiest device to setup coming from another Samsung A-Series phone. I’m definitely happy that the device will receive updates for five years giving me extra reassurance with this purchase, just as my previous Samsung device did. Looks wise, easily looks more expensive than it is with the glass back when out and about and definitely an eye catcher with the Ice Blue colour. While it doesn’t come with a 3.5mm headphone jack, bluetooth connectivity with my wireless headphones and earphones work as they should with shorter connecting times than other devices I have. While it could benefit from faster charging speeds (or a charger in the box), still happy enough with the charging speed too. Always loved the security features especially having secure folders to the on-screen fingerprint sensor that works well and reliably.Overall, for an all-in-one device this one goes above and beyond. Based on my experience so far I’m more than impressed with this phone and looking forward to future trips using this device. An easy phone to recommend

A35 - A Mid-Tier Marvel with Premium Features

I have bought my A35 two weeks ago as a back up phone for my current galaxy fold 5.The Samsung Galaxy A35 emerges as a compelling option in the mid-tier smartphone market, offering a blend of affordability and performance. The device departs from the all-plastic build of its predecessors, adopting a glass-backed body that lends it a more premium feel, albeit at the cost of increased weight and thickness.The display is a standout feature, with a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED panel boasting a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1000 nits, ensuring a vibrant and fluid visual experience.Additionally, the inclusion of Wi-Fi 6 is a welcome upgrade, enhancing wireless network performance.Battery life is robust, with a 5000mAh cell supporting 25W fast charging, ... MoreI have bought my A35 two weeks ago as a back up phone for my current galaxy fold 5.The Samsung Galaxy A35 emerges as a compelling option in the mid-tier smartphone market, offering a blend of affordability and performance. The device departs from the all-plastic build of its predecessors, adopting a glass-backed body that lends it a more premium feel, albeit at the cost of increased weight and thickness.The display is a standout feature, with a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED panel boasting a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1000 nits, ensuring a vibrant and fluid visual experience.Additionally, the inclusion of Wi-Fi 6 is a welcome upgrade, enhancing wireless network performance.Battery life is robust, with a 5000mAh cell supporting 25W fast charging, which should comfortably last a full day's use. The software experience is smooth, thanks to Android 14 paired with Samsung's One UI 6.1, which is both user-friendly and feature-rich.In conclusion, the Samsung Galaxy A35 is a smart choice for those who prioritize value for money. It delivers a premium-ish experience without breaking the bank, making it a strong contender against other smartphones in its category.As a user of Samsung galaxy fold 5, A35 vivid screen, long battery, and One UI 6.1 provides a smooth transition for my eyes while using both Galaxy Fold 5 and A35.

Cost effective with adequate features

The A14 5G is nicely priced with adequate features.The 5000mAh battery is fast charging with a typical span of up to 3 days between charges under moderate use. When I am using my phone continuously to stream Dolby audio over Bluetooth while web surfing and taking calls, the battery life is much shorter and can discharge in as little as 4 hours.The phone's internal memory is 64GB and has an SDMicro card slot for additional external storage. Some apps can be moved to external storage to allow for more apps to be installed but may slow the phone down.The screen resolution is very clear and can be brightened enough to see under sunny conditions and dimmed to spare your eyes in darkness.The loud speaker is not very loud unless I am isolated in a room with very ... MoreThe A14 5G is nicely priced with adequate features.The 5000mAh battery is fast charging with a typical span of up to 3 days between charges under moderate use. When I am using my phone continuously to stream Dolby audio over Bluetooth while web surfing and taking calls, the battery life is much shorter and can discharge in as little as 4 hours.The phone's internal memory is 64GB and has an SDMicro card slot for additional external storage. Some apps can be moved to external storage to allow for more apps to be installed but may slow the phone down.The screen resolution is very clear and can be brightened enough to see under sunny conditions and dimmed to spare your eyes in darkness.The loud speaker is not very loud unless I am isolated in a room with very little ambient noise. The sound quality also has little range but is typical with shallow bass and pitchy treble. When using Bluetooth, the phone is capable of supporting Dolby ATMOS and sounds great! Phone calls are very clear but can also be difficult to hear in noisy areas. The phone supports Wi-Fi calling but has frequently dropped connection in transition between cellular use. I do not recommend using Wi-Fi calling unless on a private network with high signal strength or in areas where cellular service is very poor.The cameras take very nice photos, and blur reduction works well for high motion images or shaky hands. I haven't taken any videos so I cannot comment on that.Overall I am very satisfied.

Excellent phone, especially for the price

Before buying this phone, I read through the reviews both here and on Reddit and almost everyone hated on this thing and said it's garbage, that it can't run two apps at the same time, and that it's way too slow. But I needed a new phone ASAP b/c my old one couldn't install certain apps I needed, and this was the cheapest option with reasonable specs that was compatible with Straight Talk, so I pulled the trigger. So far, I haven't experienced any of the issues that others have and I'm very happy with my purchase.Some context: I got this phone for $125 as an upgrade from my old LG phone that was stuck on Android 8. I'm a software developer and I really only use my phone for a couple things: calls, 2FA for work, YouTube/Twitch/casual browsing, mobile testing, and ... MoreBefore buying this phone, I read through the reviews both here and on Reddit and almost everyone hated on this thing and said it's garbage, that it can't run two apps at the same time, and that it's way too slow. But I needed a new phone ASAP b/c my old one couldn't install certain apps I needed, and this was the cheapest option with reasonable specs that was compatible with Straight Talk, so I pulled the trigger. So far, I haven't experienced any of the issues that others have and I'm very happy with my purchase.Some context: I got this phone for $125 as an upgrade from my old LG phone that was stuck on Android 8. I'm a software developer and I really only use my phone for a couple things: calls, 2FA for work, YouTube/Twitch/casual browsing, mobile testing, and video calls. That's it. I don't play games on it. So even though I can afford to buy a higher end phone, it does not make sense economically, especially when you only get 4-6 years of OS support anyway. I intend to keep my phone for as long as possible.Really, I only have two complaints, but I'm still giving this phone 5 stars:1. I wish it had more RAM. Walmart advertises it as 6 GB but it's only 4 GB. However, RAM Plus makes up for that by reserving up to 4 GB of disk space as extra memory, just like all modern PCs do. So you won't feel that it's slow, even if it's using 2-3 GB of memory with a few apps. With 128 GB of disk space, you are unlikely to run out of RAM unless you install hundreds of apps and constantly take photos/videos.2. Because it's locked to Straight Talk, the initial OS updates will install a bunch of bloatware games and apps that you likely don't need. It's easy to uninstall those, but it's a bit tedious.Is this the best phone you're ever going to own? Depends on how high you set your standards. I think this is a pretty great phone that does everything I'd ever want it to do and more. It's fast at what I use it for, has a beautiful AMOLED screen, has clear sound w/ a good range of volume, and has a good camera (really, I don't understand why people complain about it—the photo quality is good). Also, porting my old StraightTalk phone to it took just a few minutes through their site.TL;DR: if you're not the type of person to blow $1k on a new Apple phone every year, you'll like this phone just fine.

Good phone but with problems!

It's a good phone but the customer service of Samsung's incompetent troubleshooting bucks big time. My phone is only weeks old and had problems from the day I received it, the problem is that this a55 5g phone has problems recognising a tethering conection to my one year old desk top with the latest software and I tried 2 premium usb-c to usb-a cable's and the phone had the same problems! I contacted Samsung's customer service and all you get is a support centre in Asia with people who hardly speak English and don't even understand the question that one has to ask to resolve the issue or troubleshooting the phone or settings etc. I was told to take it to a service centre in Sydney even though that I mentioned that it is 800km away from my place and the other closest ... MoreIt's a good phone but the customer service of Samsung's incompetent troubleshooting bucks big time. My phone is only weeks old and had problems from the day I received it, the problem is that this a55 5g phone has problems recognising a tethering conection to my one year old desk top with the latest software and I tried 2 premium usb-c to usb-a cable's and the phone had the same problems! I contacted Samsung's customer service and all you get is a support centre in Asia with people who hardly speak English and don't even understand the question that one has to ask to resolve the issue or troubleshooting the phone or settings etc. I was told to take it to a service centre in Sydney even though that I mentioned that it is 800km away from my place and the other closest place being in qld over 2 hours drive away. The person on the phone was going to send me an email so that I could send in the phone, the email got never sent! So much for incompetency from Samsung which is absolute disgrace. The fe earbuds that came with the promotion are absolutely useless and have the worst sound I ever experienced, basically you can't watch a movie or listen to music with them because they sound like a tin can and if I would have had to buy them I would've returned them because they're not worth your money because they are absolute rubbish! Why not have as well as wireless a 3.5mm ear phone jack and let people decide what they want to use because I really preferred my old plug in headphones! Another thing to mention is that this phone because of it's square design is harder to hold in my hand and I have quite large hands compared to my old Samsung which had the same overall width but with a more rounded frame. Also no charger comes with this phone another $39 on top of the phone price, chargers used to be included with phones also that useless usb-c to usb-c cable that one can only use for charging but to transfer data to your desktop you need to buy another $20 cable! I can tell you that my next phone won't be a Sumsung phone I will take my money somewhere else especially for an overpriced phone that I had problems with from day one and the incompetency of Samsung and it's customer service and troubleshooting

Premium experience for less?

I have bought the Samsung A55 2 weeks ago and am in love with it. For a budget phone, any ordinary customer will never be able to discern this from Samsung's flagship 'S' series. Not only does it have very similar features to the 'S' series for only half the price it has a plethora of customisation options which you cannot find for phones of this price point, such as being able to assign a specific function by double pressing the power button such as a launching the camera app or flashlight. Of course, if someone does want the higher camera resolution, faster snapdragon chip in comparison the Exynos 1480 chip, by all means purchase one of the flag ship phones. However, for any ordinary user who still wants high camera resolution when taking pictures and a fast ... MoreI have bought the Samsung A55 2 weeks ago and am in love with it. For a budget phone, any ordinary customer will never be able to discern this from Samsung's flagship 'S' series. Not only does it have very similar features to the 'S' series for only half the price it has a plethora of customisation options which you cannot find for phones of this price point, such as being able to assign a specific function by double pressing the power button such as a launching the camera app or flashlight. Of course, if someone does want the higher camera resolution, faster snapdragon chip in comparison the Exynos 1480 chip, by all means purchase one of the flag ship phones. However, for any ordinary user who still wants high camera resolution when taking pictures and a fast phone, just not top of the line, the Samsung A55 is an excellent choice.Additionally, the very feeling of the phone feels very premium, considering it is just a budget phone. Based on looks alone it could easily be mistaken for a samsung flag ship phone. With the phone being Gorilla Glass Victus+ on the front and back, it ensures the phone is protected to a high degree. Additionally, the side island Samsung decided to implement makes turning the volume up/down and finding the power button so much simpler -. Finally, the metal aluminum is the cherry on top for making this phone feel more premium for half the price.I highly recommend this phone for someone new phone but not wanting to pay a lot of money for very premium features. I also recommend this phone for someone looking to switch to Samsung but does not want to spend a lot of money as its a trial. Me personally, who went from an S10 to buying this phone as their first phone, I am in love with and think it's the best phone at this price point.

Samsung A13 Review: Affordable and Reliable

The Samsung Galaxy A13 is a budget-friendly smartphone that offers a range of features at an accessible price point. With its sleek design and decent specifications, it aims to provide users with a reliable mobile experience without breaking the bank.Design and Build Quality:The Galaxy A13 sports a modern design with slim bezels and a plastic back panel. While it may not have the premium feel of flagship devices, its build quality is sturdy and ergonomic, making it comfortable to hold and use for extended periods.Display:Featuring a 6.5-inch HD+ TFT LCD display, the Galaxy A13 offers vibrant colors and decent brightness levels for everyday use. While it may not match the sharpness of higher-end OLED displays, it still provides an enjoyable viewing experience ... MoreThe Samsung Galaxy A13 is a budget-friendly smartphone that offers a range of features at an accessible price point. With its sleek design and decent specifications, it aims to provide users with a reliable mobile experience without breaking the bank.Design and Build Quality:The Galaxy A13 sports a modern design with slim bezels and a plastic back panel. While it may not have the premium feel of flagship devices, its build quality is sturdy and ergonomic, making it comfortable to hold and use for extended periods.Display:Featuring a 6.5-inch HD+ TFT LCD display, the Galaxy A13 offers vibrant colors and decent brightness levels for everyday use. While it may not match the sharpness of higher-end OLED displays, it still provides an enjoyable viewing experience for watching videos and browsing the web.Performance:Powered by a MediaTek Helio G35 processor and coupled with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM, the Galaxy A13 delivers smooth performance for everyday tasks such as web browsing, social media, and light gaming. While it may struggle with more demanding applications, it handles casual usage with ease.Camera:The Galaxy A13 features a quad-camera setup on the rear, including a 48MP primary sensor, a 5MP ultrawide lens, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. While it may not produce flagship-level photos, it captures decent images in good lighting conditions, with adequate detail and color accuracy. The 8MP front-facing camera is capable of taking satisfactory selfies for social media and video calls.Battery Life:With its 5,000mAh battery, the Galaxy A13 offers impressive battery life, easily lasting a full day on a single charge with moderate usage. The device also supports 15W fast charging, allowing for quick top-ups when needed.Software:The Galaxy A13 runs on Samsung's One UI 4.0 based on Android 12, providing a clean and intuitive user experience. With features such as Dark Mode, Digital Wellbeing, and Samsung Knox security, it offers a range of functionalities to enhance the overall user experience.Conclusion:Overall, the Samsung Galaxy A13 is a solid budget smartphone that offers a good balance of features and affordability. While it may not excel in any particular area, it provides reliable performance, decent camera capabilities, and excellent battery life, making it a suitable option for budget-conscious consumers looking for a dependable daily driver.

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G, A Great Value

The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G is a great device that holds a lot of potential in its use. From the features to its continued operation, it has remained a steadily dependable product for what I paid. The camera features are excellent, and the phone itself operates seamlessly. I can multi-task with multiple apps without missing a beat.Taking pictures is a breeze, and with multiple options to choose from, any picture taken can transform into an artistic endeavor. The storage space for pictures, videos, etc is amazing. I still haven't filled it even half-way.It is quite durable, and has survived several accidental slips and drops to the floor. It's been remarkable that the phone itself still operates wonderfully despite the occasional accident dropping.Overall, I give ... MoreThe Samsung Galaxy A54 5G is a great device that holds a lot of potential in its use. From the features to its continued operation, it has remained a steadily dependable product for what I paid. The camera features are excellent, and the phone itself operates seamlessly. I can multi-task with multiple apps without missing a beat.Taking pictures is a breeze, and with multiple options to choose from, any picture taken can transform into an artistic endeavor. The storage space for pictures, videos, etc is amazing. I still haven't filled it even half-way.It is quite durable, and has survived several accidental slips and drops to the floor. It's been remarkable that the phone itself still operates wonderfully despite the occasional accident dropping.Overall, I give this device a rating of 5 stars, and although that's a great rating, the device can be improved upon. Error reporting is one such example. Though I can attach files to the error report, there is a limit to how big any given attachment can be.Another improvement that warrants a closer examination is that when I'm on a call, the screen turns off only after a few seconds. I have to constantly get the screen back on to provide input for any automated line that I call.Also, the device lacks AI capabilities. Due to the high demand for power, this is understandable.Again, my rating remains at 5 stars. A great device for the casual user that doesn't need a lot of bells and whistles.

Worst Experience I've Had With An Android Phone

Out of the box, this phone ran like it was a year old and had the software bloat and sluggishness that comes along with it. It's only gotten worse. Bluetooth connectivity is a spotty and frustrating hassle, and mine arrived with a manufacturer defect even the over-the-phone top tier phone support expert couldn't help me with, which is that my speaking voice over Bluetooth in the car comes through distorted, garbled, and kinda scary sounding. Imagine being on the road taking personal and work calls and having to manually disconnect from Bluetooth (waiting several seconds to do so) every time. Phone calls through the main phone app are the only time this issue happens, strangely. I also had an entire section of the display become unresponsive to touch, making daily ... MoreOut of the box, this phone ran like it was a year old and had the software bloat and sluggishness that comes along with it. It's only gotten worse. Bluetooth connectivity is a spotty and frustrating hassle, and mine arrived with a manufacturer defect even the over-the-phone top tier phone support expert couldn't help me with, which is that my speaking voice over Bluetooth in the car comes through distorted, garbled, and kinda scary sounding. Imagine being on the road taking personal and work calls and having to manually disconnect from Bluetooth (waiting several seconds to do so) every time. Phone calls through the main phone app are the only time this issue happens, strangely. I also had an entire section of the display become unresponsive to touch, making daily use an utter pain. Most other functions have been fine-ish, but Samsung and T-Mobile have collaborated to deliver a pretty intrusive level of un-removable software bloat that persistently bogs down basic functions, including making the otherwise very nice camera difficult and annoying to use thanks to a delay of sometimes several seconds before a photo is taken, if one gets taken at all. This phone's very existence feels like evidence of how much of our world is crowded by consumer garbage made to trap us into monthly payments and subscriptions, offering little value, if any. Samsung will keep making garbage because we buy it, T-Mobile will keep offering mediocre experiences because telecoms in the US are a lawless wasteland, and the entire tech world will continue failing to meaningfully discuss this issue because the planned obsolescence product refresh cycle keeps us distracted by the next thing instead of creating a space of sustainability and accountability. Samsung and T-Mobile are making me strongly consider whether I want to continue using smartphones at all, and it feels like they and the collective software makers of the world are counting on their respective ecosystems' hooks making the prospect of leaving too difficult to follow through on. If I do, it'll be with this most recent experience vividly in mind. (Note: this review was originally written for this device on the T-Mobile site based on my experience as a T-Mobile customer, but I believe the content of my review is still applicable here and don't feel like spending the time editing those sections out.)