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US-based smartphone buyers on tight budgets are being spoiled today with not one but two very interesting releases from the nation's fastest-growing mobile brands, and while the regional September 1 debut of the upper mid-range Motorola Edge (2022) was confirmed a couple of weeks back, the lower-end Samsung Galaxy A23 5G is essentially coming out of nowhere stateside.
The Snapdragon 695-powered 6.6-incher is positioned more or less directly against the likes of Motorola's Moto G 5G and Moto G Stylus (2022), as well as the OnePlus Nord N20 5G, rather than the slightly costlier aforementioned Edge (2022).
Not to be confused with last year's Galaxy A32 5G, the A23 5G sports an almost surprisingly high-quality 120Hz screen with an "FHD+" resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels while also packing a hefty 5,000mAh battery capable of charging at up to 25W speeds.
Of course, the silky smooth "Infinity-V" display lacks the sophisticated AMOLED technology that's made Samsung so much money over the years, and we can't say we're very impressed by the 4 gigs of RAM and 64GB internal storage space offered at three Benjamins by the unlocked Galaxy A23 5G.
On the bright side, the quad rear-facing camera system looks pretty good on paper, including a 50MP primary shooter, 5MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a pair of admittedly modest 2MP sensors in charge of macro and depth photography respectively.
Presumably powered by Android 12 out the box, the budget-friendly handset is also guaranteed to receive (at least) two OS upgrades and four years of regular security patches, which you're unlikely to get from many other devices in this price bracket.
By no means premium-looking due mainly to that outdated (V-shaped) notch, as well as the relatively thick side bezels and fairly sizable chin, not to mention the "cheap" all-plastic body, the A23 5G does come with two key features Samsung's most "premium" phones no longer offer as standard.
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We're talking about a good old fashioned 3.5mm headphone jack and an always handy microSD card slot, while the side-mounted fingerprint scanner is perhaps not as "modern" as its under-display counterpart, often however shining a lot brighter in terms of reliability.
Should you buy it?
Overall, the Galaxy A23 5G is a decidedly mixed bag, bidding for the title of best affordable phone available in 2022... with slim odds of actually being awarded that honor.
But compared to some of Samsung's arguably overpriced and undercooked Galaxy A-series devices released in the US in the last few years, this thing does hold a couple of important advantages over its aforementioned rivals made by Motorola or OnePlus.
Carrier availability might be another such key advantage, as AT&T and T-Mobile are already allowing their customers to order the Galaxy A23 5G in a single black color in exchange for $299.99 and $312 respectively. Knowing the two operators, it shouldn't take long for Magenta to make this phone free (under certain conditions) or for AT&T to drop its monthly charge with three-year installment plans from $8.34 to just a couple of bucks or so.
Impressively, mmWave support appears to be included on the US-specific Galaxy A23 5G variant, which at least in theory means T-Mobile and AT&T users should be able to squeeze the highest available download speeds out of this phone everywhere.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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