Samsung’s mobile success doesn’t just come from its flagships. The company spends just as much effort on its mid-range and lower-end devices. And while news of the Samsung Galaxy A25 5G may not dominate the airwaves like the higher-end Galaxy S24 series, it could very well be a budget champ in its own right.
Released in January 2024, the Galaxy A25 5G aims to find the right mix of performance and affordability, placed right between the cheaper Galaxy A15 and the upcoming Galaxy A55. If you want to know whether this is the right budget Android phone to pick over competitors from OnePlus and Motorola, you’re in the right place. Here’s all you need to know about one of Samsung’s newest additions to its A-series lineup.
Summary
- The Galaxy A25 5G is a $300 smartphone that tries to find the right balance between price and performance.
- It features a design in line with the rest of Samsung’s lineup, along with the standard four years of OS upgrades seen on more expensive devices.
- With 5G support, 120Hz display, 4K recording, and more, the A25 5G is a solid budget option.
Samsung Galaxy A25 5G: Availability and price
What are you getting for your money?
Source: Samsung
The Samsung Galaxy A25 is a strong challenger in the mid-range market thanks to its performance-to-price balance. The unlocked model is currently up for grabs for just $300 at Samsung’s online store and Best Buy in its sole blue-black color variant. If you’re looking to buy it through your carrier, you’ll have to play it by ear. It’s available through US Cellular, alongside MVNOs like Total by Verizon and Visible, though you may have to pay as much as $330 upfront through those channels.
Samsung Galaxy A25 5G: Design and specs
Everything you need, and just a bit more
Source: Samsung
Even though the Samsung Galaxy A25 falls within the budget category, it doesn’t compromise much on build quality. The plastic body means that the A25 is relatively light and can be handheld comfortably. The new flat-edge design is similar to that of the flagship S24 series, giving the phone that same premium, sleek look but at a fraction of the price.
The A25’s 6.5-inch Super AMOLED full HD+ screen, 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak screen brightness of up to 1000 nits should deliver a solid viewing experience overall, even if it falls short of more premium panels on higher priced phones. Its 120Hz refresh rate screen, in particular, is excellent to see, placing the device ahead of Google’s Pixel 7a while undercutting it on price. It does feature a notch for its front-facing camera, though the experience should be fairly uninterrupted in most cases.
The Galaxy A25 5G uses a 5nm Exynos 1280 octa-core processor coupled with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, which should give you decent performance for its price. Additionally, as you may have already been able to tell from its name, the A25 5G supports 5G networks. For biometrics, Samsung opted for a side-mounted fingerprint scanner rather than an under-display one.
Specifications
- SoC
- Samsung Exynos 1280
- RAM
- 6GB
- Storage
- 128GB
- Battery
- 5,000mAh
- Ports
- USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack
- Operating System
- Android 14 with One UI 6.0
- Front camera
- 13 MP, f/2.2
- Rear camera
- 50 MP, f/1.8 main with OIS; 8 MP ultrawide; 2 MP macro
- Colors
- Blue Black
- Display type
- AMOLED, 120Hz
- Display dimensions
- 6.5″
- Display resolution
- 2340 x 1080
- Charge speed
- 25W wired
- Charge options
- USB-C wired
- SIM support
- Dual Nano SIM
- Cellular connectivity
- 4G LTE, Sub-6 5G
- Wi-Fi connectivity
- Wi-Fi 802.11, Wi-Fi Direct
- Connectivity
- NFC
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 5.3
- Dimensions
- 161 x 76.5 x 8.3mm
- Weight
- 197g
- IP Rating
- No
- Price
- $300
One of the biggest improvements over the A25’s predecessor comes from its new stereo speaker setup. Unlike on last year’s A24, the earpiece functions as a secondary speaker, providing a more pleasant stereo effect and balanced audio — a big plus within this price bracket. Elsewhere, the SIM slot pulls double duty as a microSD card slot, which means you can expand your storage up to a full terabyte besides the base 128GB, or opt for full dual SIM connectivity. The device also keeps the 3.5mm headphone jack, something you won’t find on the company’s flagship phones. However, you still don’t get a formal IP rating for water and dust resistance.
Source: Samsung
Finally, the device also comes with a huge 5,000 mAh battery which, when combined with its 1080p display and Samsung’s processor, should get you well over a full day of use. It also sports the same 25W fast charging found on the smallest Galaxy S24, a device that costs nearly three times as much. That said, like its flagship siblings, you won’t find a charger in the box.
Samsung Galaxy A25 5G: Software
Four years of software updates
One UI 6 running on a Galaxy S23 FE
The Samsung Galaxy A25 runs Android 14 and One UI 6.0, with One UI 6.1 expected later this year. Despite being launched at the same time as Samsung is hyping up its Galaxy AI platform, you shouldn’t expect to see those sorts of features come to this price point any time soon. Still, you are getting the same overall user experience and most of the functions available on the higher-end Galaxy series, which is pretty nice to have on a budget phone. That includes the company’s new new font and emoji style, quick settings layout, and enhanced lock screen customization.
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Samsung’s dedication to updating the software is an important part of the Galaxy A25’s attractiveness. Samsung continues to guarantee four significant operating system upgrades to keep the phone up to speed with the most recent tech innovations and user interfaces. That means the A25 will have longer software support than products from Motorola or OnePlus, making the money you spend up front go even farther over time. In addition, the company offers a full five years of security patches as part of its support.
Samsung Galaxy A25 5G: Cameras
Pretty decent for its price
Source: Samsung
The Galaxy A25 sports the same vertical tri-camera design that Samsung seemingly intends to use across its smartphone line, even the Galaxy S series, but the hardware within is noticeably different. The setup features a basic 50MP main rear camera with OIS, an 8MP ultra-wide sensor, and a 2MP macro lens. If history is any indicator, the main lens should be able to capture decent shots in good lighting, but might struggle in darker environments.
To top it off, the rear camera also supports 4K video recording at 30 frames per second, something the cheaper Galaxy A15 5G can’t do. On the front, the 13MP selfie camera should take decent shots as well, though don’t expect it to support face unlock features. Likewise, unlike the rear camera, it caps at 1080p and doesn’t support 4K video recording.
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The Samsung Galaxy A25 5G is a well-rounded package
And it might just be your next budget phone
Samsung showcases its A-game on a budget with the A25 5G. The device offers flagship features like a Super AMOLED display and a 120Hz refresh rate combined with a huge 5,000 mAh battery, 4k video recording, telephoto lens, and 5G connectivity at a relatively low price. Although the phone’s design may not appeal to every user because of its all-plastic build that may lack that classy glass feel, it holds its own quite well compared to its mid-range counterparts.
In a market where users usually have to forgo certain specs to fit within a budget, the appeal of the Samsung Galaxy A25 5G becomes obvious when you consider its specifications and performance potential. This mid-range marvel offers a great package at an equally great price tag for anybody looking for a durable, feature-packed device that isn’t too expensive.
Samsung Galaxy A25 5G
$265 $300 Save $35
The Galaxy A25 5G is a solid offering if you’re looking for a good mix between price and performance. It’s a step above Samsung’s cheapest Galaxy A15 5G, providing some big improvements like 4K recording support and improved speeds.
