The Samsung Galaxy A15 succeeds the most sold Android smartphone from the Galaxy A14, with a Helio G99 processor and an upgraded display. Retailing for about $160, it aims to live up to the hype.
Design and Build
![Holding the Galaxy A15 smartphone against a sample background showcasing its design.](https://www.clearcrypt.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Samsung-Galaxy-A15-Desing.jpg)
Samsung Galaxy A15 features a sleek combination of materials, with a glass front and a plastic back held together by a lightweight plastic frame, weighing around 200 grams. It sports a clever wedge-like design on the right side under the button array, providing a natural resting place for your thumb. This design tweak, along with its slightly smaller size compared to the Galaxy A14, makes it more comfortable to hold.
In terms of ports, it retains the classic 3.5mm headphone jack for those who prefer wired headphones, alongside a standard USB-C port and a down-firing speaker. The fingerprint scanner on the right doubles as the power button, offering a seamless unlocking experience that is intuitive, fast, and secure. Additionally, tactile volume rocker keys on the side respond effortlessly to touch.
On the left side, there’s a hybrid SIM tray that can accommodate either two SIM cards or a SIM card and a microSD card, offering flexibility. The rear houses a flat camera setup, while the front glass includes a familiar yet slightly dated dewdrop notch, which some might find less modern compared to current tech trends favoring punch-hole cameras.
The Galaxy A15 comes in various color options like Brave Black, Optimistic Blue, Magical Blue, and Personality Yellow, each aiming to express different personalities. While these color names are somewhat unconventional, they offer a range of choices.
Regarding build quality, it’s standard and quite acceptable for its price range. However, note that it does not have any water resistance rating, so it’s not suitable for underwater use or selfies.
Read Also: Samsung Galaxy A25 5G review
Display
![Samsung Galaxy A15 AMOLED Display](https://www.clearcrypt.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Samsung-Galaxy-A15-AMOLED-Display.jpg)
There are four main criteria I use when picking displays for smartphones: resolution, refresh rate, display technology, and brightness. This smartphone ranks well in all four. There used to be a fifth criterion — size — but almost every smartphone now is above 6-inches, so size is no longer a concern.
For resolution, you get a 1080×2340 pixel HD Plus display, which I would score as a B+. Moving to refresh rate, it offers a 90Hz display, earning an A grade. A 120Hz display would be an A+.
The display technology here is AMOLED, which is top-notch and receives an A+ in my assessment. In terms of brightness, it reaches 800 nits, making it a B+ in that category. This means you can comfortably use the display outdoors with minimal issues.
Colors on this display are vibrant and saturated, with a good contrast ratio as expected from an AMOLED display from Samsung. They’ve done well in this category.
Speakers
Speaker audio is something that is challenging to convey accurately over video, but take my word for it Galaxy A15 provides clean, slightly louder audio compared to the Galaxy A14.
It delivers good bass, but a dual speaker setup with both down-firing and top-firing speakers would have enhanced the sound quality significantly. Having only a single down-firing speaker can be problematic, as it often gets blocked while consuming media or gaming on the smartphone.
Processor, Software and Storage
![Software and Features on the Screen](https://www.clearcrypt.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Samsung-Galaxy-A15-Processor-and-Software.jpg)
The Galaxy A15 is powered by the Helio G99 chipset, which is robust and capable compared to older devices at this price point. This processor ensures smooth performance for everyday tasks, whether you’re swiping through social media feeds or binge-watching streaming shows.
The OS out of the box is Android 14 with One UI 6 on top. The Galaxy A15 embraces the latest software innovations, offering a seamless user experience. Samsung promises four years of software updates, ensuring the device remains fresh and relevant into the future.
In terms of memory, I have the model with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage, which is ideal for multitasking and storing photos. There are other variants available, so you can choose one that suits your needs.
Benchmark Score Test
So, I ran some benchmarking apps like AnTuTu Benchmark and PCMark for Android, and I got really high numbers, sometimes almost double what we got from the Galaxy A14.
Antutu BenchMark: 393194
Single-Core | 658 |
Multi-Core | 1603 |
- Wild Life Test: Overall Score – 1237, Average Frame Rate (FPS) – 7.41
Gaming Performance
The Helio G99 processor is designed to be a capable gaming processor and can run most popular Android games at smooth frame rates. I was able to play PUBG with a really smooth experience at HD graphics and high frame rates.
I also had a smooth gameplay session with Call of Duty Mobile on the A15, maxing out at medium graphic quality and high frame rates. Other games I tried include Asphalt 9 and Genshin Impact. You can tell it’s a budget smartphone from the game’s graphics, but the gameplay was somewhat smooth.
I did notice that it warms up a bit after a 30-minute gaming session, reaching a reasonable warmth but not enough to raise concern. While it might not offer top-end gaming performance, the Galaxy A15 is a budget smartphone that can handle many titles you throw at it with ease.
Camera
![Galaxy A15 Camera test Image](https://www.clearcrypt.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Galaxy-A15-Camera-test-Image.jpg)
![Galaxy A15 test Image 1](https://www.clearcrypt.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Galaxy-A15-test-Image-1.jpg)
The Galaxy A15 has stepped up its photography game, and it shows. The photos are lively, well-exposed, vibrant, and feature contrast that adds extra depth to your memories. Compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy A14, it’s like the A15 went through a photography masterclass and aced it. For the price, the A15 makes almost every snap a cherished memory.
Now, for the details you might find less exciting: the Galaxy A15 features a 5MP ultra-wide lens, a 15MP main lens, and a 2MP macro lens, along with a 13MP front-facing camera.
The ultra-wide camera is decent but not the best available; I prefer using the main camera for a wider field of view. Similarly, the macro lens is serviceable, but I often find better image quality cropping from the main camera.
Samsung added a night mode feature to the A15, Regular photos compared side-by-side with the A14 show noticeable improvements in detail when using night mode. Videos can be recorded at a maximum of Full HD (1080p) for both the rear and front cameras.
Video quality is good with optimal lighting, though it may struggle in low-light conditions, especially for the front-facing camera. Both front and rear cameras support up to 30 FPS. Slow-motion video is also available, though limited to 720p resolution on the smartphone.
Battery Life
Supporting a robust 5,000mAh battery, the A15 should last most people all day. Whether you’re a social media butterfly or a habitual TikTok scroller, its efficient energy management means you won’t find yourself tethered to a powerbank or wall charger all day.
In my experience, I was able to get a full day of use with average use. By the end of the day, I typically had about 15 to 20% charge remaining.
While the A15 doesn’t support wireless charging, it does feature 25W fast charging. This fast charging capability can charge the device from 0 to 100% in less than 2 hours, around 90 minutes using a supported charger.
However, it’s important to note that a charger is not included in the box.
So, the Samsung Galaxy A15 is actually an upgrade from its predecessor. Priced $160, it's poised to potentially become the best-selling Android smartphone of 2024.
I believe this offers great value for money considering the improvements over the previous model.
-
Design and Build
-
Display
-
Speakers
-
Software
-
Performance
-
Cameras
-
Battery Life