The entry-level Galaxy phones are usually launched in both a 4G and a 5G version, and the Galaxy A15 is no different. On paper, the only real difference between the two versions is the chipset. One of the significant upgrades for this year’s A15s is the switch from an LCD screen to AMOLED.
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Samsung Galaxy A15 5G specs at a glance
- Body: 160.1×76.8×8.4mm, 200g; Glass front, plastic back, plastic frame.
- Display: 6.50″ Super AMOLED, 90Hz, 800 nits (HBM), 1080x2340px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 396ppi.
- Chipset: Mediatek Dimensity 6100+ (6 nm): Octa-core (2×2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G57 MC2.
- Memory: 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
- OS/Software: Android 14, One UI 6.
- Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, AF; Ultra wide angle: 5 MP, f/2.2; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4.
- Front camera: 13 MP, f/2.0, (wide).
- Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
- Battery: 5000mAh; 25W wired.
- Connectivity: 5G; Hybrid Dual SIM; Wi-Fi 5; BT 5.3; NFC; 3.5mm jack.
- Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); Virtual proximity sensing.
Design and build
The phone’s design is pretty typical for Samsung; the back is made of plastic with a matte finish, contrasting the shiny surface of the 4G model. The frame is also plastic with a matching finish, curving around the power and volume keys. The design would have been even better with at least some basic Ingress Protection.
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Display on Samsung Galaxy A15
The A15 has an AMOLED display, a 6.5-inch panel with a 1080p resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate. The AMOLED tech provides better contrast than an LCD, a welcome change. The display is solid but pretty basic without bells and whistles like HDR video support. However, it offers a 90Hz refresh rate, smoothing out movements like swiping. Unfortunately, the refresh rate won’t dial down automatically when idling to save energy. In terms of brightness, the A15 5G isn’t the brightest but still decent, measuring a maximum of around 360 nits with a manual brightness slider and boosting to nearly 800 nits in auto mode if needed.
Audio, Storage and Software
The A15 5G lacks stereo speakers, featuring only a single bottom-firing one with very good loudness. The audio quality is average at best, focusing on the highs with passable vocals and no bass. The phone can be unlocked with a fingerprint reader built into the power button on the side, offering fast and reliable performance. The A15 5G comes with 128 or 256 gigs of storage, expandable through microSD. The interface of the phone is Samsung’s latest One UI 6.0 on top of Android 14, providing most features except for an always-on display, DeX, and the Studio video editor. For software support, there is a promise of three major Android updates and four years of security patches.
Performance
The 5G model of the A15 features a MediaTek Dimensity 6100+, opposed to the MediaTek Helio G99 inside the 4G version. Despite the naming, the chipsets are essentially the same, with the only difference being the 5G modem. Both the A15 5G and the A15 4G have mediocre performance scores in line with other phones in the entry-level class. Their performance is decent enough for everyday tasks, but gaming responsiveness leaves more to be desired. Interestingly, even though the chipsets are supposed to be identical, the A15 5G seems to be slower than the 4G one, occasionally experiencing lag or stutter.
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Battery life
On the bright side, battery life won’t disappoint with the 5,000 mAh battery of the A15 5G. It scored an excellent active use score of 14 hours and 31 minutes in tests, although not quite as high as the 4G model. The phone supports 25W wired charging with a proper adapter, not included in the box. Charging from 0 to 51% takes 30 minutes, and a full charge takes 83 minutes.
Camera on Samsung Galaxy A15
Similar to the 4G model, the A15 5G has a 50-megapixel main camera, 5-megapixel ultra-wide, and a 2-megapixel macro camera. During the day, the main camera captures good photos with 12.5 megapixels due to pixel binning, offering wide dynamic range and accurate colors. However, photos are somewhat oversharpened, occasionally masked with artificial smoothening. At night, the main camera produces poor default photos with low detail and smeared noise, but the dedicated night mode significantly improves results, providing more detail and wider dynamic range.
Video quality
The Samssung Galaxy A15 5G allows recording video from the main camera at 1080p resolution, offering detailed videos with realistic colors, good dynamic range, and no visible noise. However, the rendition looks somewhat overprocessed. There is electronic video stabilization support, a feature missing on the 4G model. The 5-megapixel ultra-wide camera, unfortunately, produces poor photos, especially at night, being almost unusable. The ultra-wide camera’s videos aren’t good either, although usable if you prioritize fitting a lot in the frame over quality.
The 2-megapixel macro camera captures mediocre photos with the expected level of detail for this resolution. Finally, the 13-megapixel selfies are solid, detailed with low enough noise, adequate dynamic range, and realistic colors.
Conclusion
The Galaxy A15 5G, as an entry-level phone, offers plenty, including great battery life and this year’s new AMOLED display. It’s a decent choice if you need 5G connectivity at a low price. However, the 4G model felt faster, more responsive, and is also cheaper. If you don’t need 5G, it might be better to opt for the A15 4G.
