SAMSUNG Galaxy A25 5G A Series Cell Phone, 128GB Unlocked Android Smartphone, AMOLED Display, Advanced Triple Camera System, Expandable Storage, Power Sound w/Stereo Speakers, US Version, 2024, Black.
YOUR CONTENT, SUPERSMOOTH: Whether watching shows, playing games or reading online, the ultra-clear, superfluid display of Galaxy A25 5G brings your content to life; Plus, Vision Booster lets you to enjoy the bright 800-nits screen experience.CAPTURE AWE-WORTHY CONTENT: Mountain ranges, sunsets, dinners with friends — do the moment justice with the high-resolution cameras of Galaxy A25 5G; The triple-lens camera is ready for every angle, while a 50MP main camera catches all the details.STORE MORE & WORRY LESS: With improved internal storage of up to 128GB and up to 1TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A25 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.THE POWER OF PREMIUM AUDIO: Experience sensational sound at your fingertips with Galaxy A25 5G; All new stereo speakers get you fully into the world of your favorite music, films and other content in a way like never before —no matter where you are.CONNECT YOUR DEVICES. SIMPLY YOUR LIFE: Stay on top with tech that syncs across all of your Galaxy devices.CHARGE UP AND CHARGE ON: Stay focused on the moment and worry less about your phone's percentage with the long-lasting battery of Balaxy A25 5G.
Brand SAMSUNG
Operating System Android 14, One UI
Ram Memory Installed Size 6 GB
Memory Storage Capacity 128 GB
Screen Size 6.5 Inches
Resolution 1080 x 1920
Model Name Galaxy A25
Wireless Carrier Unlocked for All Carriers
Cellular Technology 5G
Connectivity Technology USB Type C.
Take beautiful pictures, watch content on a superfluid display and stream with virtually lag-free 5G on Galaxy A25 5G. Packed with all the essentials you need, this phone makes awesome features easily available to everyone. Capture from any angle with a triple-lens camera, and enjoy movies and video on a clear, fluid screen. Blast your favorite tunes on stereo speakers, and live life with less worry as Knox Security helps protect your personal data. Getting all you need in a phone is now easier than ever with Galaxy A25 5G. Measured diagonally, the screen size is 6.5" in the full rectangle and 6.3" accounting for the rounded corners. Actual viewable area is less due to the rounded corners and the camera cutout. MicroSD card sold separately. Portion of memory occupied by existing content.I'm an undemanding user, and my old A01 showed its age at the end of its support life. It began lagging more and more. Storage was full and apps wouldn't update because there supposedly wasn't enough space, regardless of the size of SD card I installed. The very definition of "planned obsolescence". Wanting to avoid this with my next phone, I bought something with more storage and memory this time around.
SCREEN:
After 2 Galaxy A15's had phantom screen press issues I decided to give the A25 a try since online resources suggested it had a different screen. Thankfully I've yet to have any phantom screen press issues about 2 months since receipt.Per gsmarena.com the A15's features a 800-nit screen, while the A25 features a 1000-nit screen. The noticeable difference here is that the A25 is actually usable in sunlight. The A15 is too dim. This is very important, and I feel a huge drawback of the A15.
BATTERY:
I subjectively feel like the A25 runs down the battery a bit faster than the A15. This does make sense given the hardware. Per nanoreview.net the SOC of this phone is more powerful than that of the A15, with a lower battery life rating. Per gsmarena.com the A25 has a 120Hz screen vs. the 90Hz of the A15, while both phones feature 5000 mAh batteries.Either someone at Google decided to finally build battery charge thresholds into Android after 14 versions (better late than never?), or this phone, due to price point and/or hardware, supports them. This should help improve battery lifespan of this phone.
Neither the A15 or A25 feature wireless charging. I don't care. You might.
HARDWARE:
I DO care that both feature 3.5mm jacks. They make life so much better. Locating it on the bottom, unlike the A01's top-mounted 3.5mm jack, makes it easier to route a cable when it's in a pocket or car mount.It supports either dual SIM or one SIM and a microSDXC. This also makes life much better. I wish it could hold 2 SIMs AND a microSDXC at once, but it's better than nothing I suppose.The cameras are pretty good, but get grainy/pixelated when zooming in. My camera needs are modest compared to some, so I'm satisfied.The notch for the front camera is fine. In fact I grew to like the status info (battery, WiFi/cellular, notification icons, etc) being at the top, next to the notch, in the A01, giving more room to apps.The inclusion of stereo loudspeakers is a nice upgrade from the A15, especially considering the price increase. If you hold the phone at an off-angle they can sound strange due to the angle. For best results hold the phone with the screen flat toward your face.It gets a bit warmer than the A15. A quick internet search suggests it's the Exynos SOC. Thumbs down.I'm not particularly tough on my phones, so the plastic construction is fine for me. I put it in a silicone case. This makes it easier to grab, and was potentially far less expensive than buying a phone with metal construction.
SIZE:
The phone's too big. The A01 was too big at 5.7", and the A25 is worse 6.5". I have long fingers and it's impossible to reach the top of the screen (where one might find a close or menu button in an app) one-handed without major grip adjustment, risking dropping the phone. The A01 was borderline uncomfortable in the (large) pockets of my pants, the A15/A25 cross the border. Squatting down must be carefully done lest it dig into your hip and cause discomfort or pain. Yes viewing more of web pages is nice. Yes I have to thumb to the next page of ebooks less when there are more words on-screen. Yes, more screen real estate is nice for Google Maps. But I don't NEED those things. In fact, I'd rather have an easier-to-carry PHONE, not a PHABLET I have to buy military cargo pants or a purse to comfortably carry.
SOFTWARE:
Mostly stable and as-expected: minimal changes to Android and the usual Samsung bloatware. There are some issues but I'm not sure if I can blame Samsung.
1. Expo Go (an app used for mobile app development) doesn't allow interaction with the app I'm helping develop. Expo Go itself works fine on both the A15 and A25, but the in-development app would appear frozen. The in-development app works perfectly on Expo Go on the A01.
2. Edit: this issue appears to have been resolved, perhaps via one of the updates the phone received since I wrote about it. Original issue text: "I set the "side button" (power button) to turn on the flashlight when double-pressed. Using the included camera app before using the side button to turn on the flashlight results in the flashlight not working. This can be fixed by clearing the camera app's cache every time you want to use the flashlight, or using a different camera app. For all I know there's a fix for these, but I haven't found it yet (and I've looked)."
3. Some third-party apps fail to start and require a second screen tap.
VALUE:
This phone is exiting the budget segment toward mid-range, but you get more for your money compared to an entry-level phone. More computing power, more storage and memory, an ultrawide camera, stereo speakers, a better screen than the A15, while retaining a 3.5mm jack.I upgraded my phone from the TCL 30z which was not that good but I made it this far. When I received my phone it was in really good condition and I had no problems setting it up. I obviously got Call Of Duty Mobile, Warzone Mobile, and Roblox which runs insanely well for a 300 dollar phone. The screen is nice and does not lag at all. One of the best phones I ever had! I would recommend you get this if you have your doubts.
BUYER BEWARE:
Read the negative reviews about the A25. Apparently, the shutting off/connection problems are a known issue and are non-repairable.Days after the 30-day return window closed, my son's phone kept turning off. Call Samsung customer service and the representative says it is because we aren't using the correct Samsung charger. Bought two of the recommended chargers and they are EXACTLY like the two we already own. What a waste of money.Continued to have phone issues. Contact Samsung customer service and they say to return it for repair. Next we get an email saying phone received by Samsung repair department but they don't have the needed part and it will take 10 days for them to get it.Update: (May 10, 2024), we get an email stating the phone is being returned -- UNREPAIRED. No explanation, just an 800 number to call for more info. Called, complained, told they'd look into it. Called, complained, told it was being referred to another department.Update: (May 24, 2024) After weeks of complaining and being jerked around, we finally get a text that we'll get a cash refund. Heaven knows how long it will take to actually get it.We will replace the defective Samsung A25 with a different model. Meanwhile, we hold our breath and hope our second A25 lasts more than a few months.
For years, we've been fans of Samsung products, having owned a number of Samsung televisions, monitors, tablets, phones. Samsung was our go-to for electronic entertainment. Normally, we love the products but the customer service is definitely third-rate at best. We hope the experience we had with the A25 is an isolated one and not a predictor of the way Samsung's business is heading.