Appreciation post. Samsung A05s budget phone ...good work Samsung

[smiley]

I am an S25 ultra owner and the past few phones I have owned have all been top end ultras. I enjoy high spec devices and want the best. 

However imagine my surprise when I got my hands on the cheapest available samsung phone in the retail stores... the Galaxy A05s... which retails at £99 in most stores.

I bought this for my 84 year old step father... who has a samsung J6 for the past 5 or 6 years and starting to struggle... both with his eyesight seeing the small screen... and the phone specs with the demands of apps and media streaming in todays world. 

So out of the box I have been truly amazed with just how good these cheapest phones have become ! 

I have spent a little time syncing with smartswitch the important stuff... and installing apps fresh from the store. I have been setting up the UI for his use, and testing some video streams and capability. 

I have to say that 20 or 30 minutes of media on YouTube and his virgin tv streaming are extremely capable... not a bad experience at all ! 

Most of the ui acreens... settings... bixby routines...features... device care... customisation... all are very similar to my top end flagship phone. There is not much compromised here ! 

Of course cameras are not going to be as good, but this still has a triple lens camera with a 50mp main shooter. It even has a 5000mah battery and a 6.7" screen... not massively low specs. 

The message i am saying ... dont be too afraid if your phone budget doesn't work for the affordability of the high end phones.... or if you are looking for a cheap replacement for a family member. I am truly surprised by just how good this phone is... for the grand total of £99.

I will leave you with a few quick photos... 

Smiley

[johnz237]

Great post @smiley! While in university, I work in repair and support and occasionally get to support people with their new devices. I can say with utmost certainty that Samsung cares about all of its customer ranges. The S25U is an absolute gorgeous phone—and so are all of the low, mid, high, and ultra models. Just as you've pointed out, the device is still very much well-built.

The most common device I deal with is the A55/ A series, and honestly, you couldn't tell this was a lower/mid-level device. The same goes for the A05—you honestly couldn't put a price to the design.

[smiley]

Agreed, thanks John.

Although there are some compromises at this end of the market... screen and rear plastics rather than glass... a more budget processor (but still a snapdragon !) ... and a lower level of RAM... it is quite zippy in use, and actually feels good to use. Even the quick 'pull-down' panel icons exist in the same way, and generally it feels good.

I think if it ever found myself without a phone... like perhaps sending my flagship for repair... or lose it... I would have no problem at all in using one of these for a short term whilst I waited to get my ultra back.

Definately pleasantly surprised by this experience.

Smiley.

[JerryS]

Thanks for sharing this, sounds like it could be a great backup phone too - I believe it has a Micro SD slot plus dual physical SIM as well?

[BandOfBrothers]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this phone @smiley 

Alot of the a series phones have come on leaps and bounds ,with many having some of the bells and whistles of the s series phone's. 

👍

[anysolutions]

I am writing as I have a conundrum. As a carer for my 94yr mother who has mild dementia. I keep an eye on her blood sugar level using a samsunsung mobile which I purchased only for this. Her level is transmitted from a sensor in her arm to this mobile beside her and I can check it on my own Samsung. I am taking a 2 week break leaving tomorrow. I am very concerned as a few days ago I put a pin on her mobile and have forgotten it. I visited the samsung shop in town ..and after looking at the mobile the agent told me he'd have to phone Samsung to do a factory reset for £70. I bought this phone specifically for monitoring her diabetes remotely. Getting a hypo could be fatal for her.
Is there a samsung administrator on this app who could advise me?

[smiley]

Hi, welcome to this community. It would be a good idea to create your own post on this, as it isnt relevant the the subject in hand on this post.

Just a quick reply to say that if you have forgotten your (or the owners) pin number... there is no way around this. It is intended to be high security... else everyone would be breaking into phones.

By the way.. we are not the samsung official team here... but simply other users and consumers that spend time and pass on our knowledge. So it you want a genuine samsung response then the customer service team are needed to be contacted.

I hope you resolve your problem.

Smiley

[PaulC59]

I got myself an A54 5g when I was having problems with an S22U and I was really impressed with the phone. In particular the battery life as it lasts days. The network speeds are consistently faster than my current S24U when running side by side. There are some functions missing like wireless charging etc but I would have no reservations recommending it as a main phone for a lower budget

[JAMES4578]

@smileyseems impressive for a Budget Devices,A devices have certainly improved over the years mind you. However we get some complaints from Members that lower end Devices are not as fast/effective as they imagined
Not confined to budget Devices thoigh and some do not do sufficient research .

I know a few who currently have A devices and they work well for their needs.

[smiley]

Yes it does. It has a microSD slot and still has a 3.5mm jack as well !

Smiley