Samsung’s new Galaxy A series phones offer options for all budgets

If you’ve been holding off on buying one of Samsung’s pricey flagship phones, I don’t blame you — they’re jam-packed with features you probably won’t use. But perhaps I can interest you in one of the five (yes, that’s right, five) new phones the company has to offer instead.

Following the recent global launch of its mid-range A series phones, Samsung is now bringing similar options to the U.S. as well — along with a few budget options. Let’s dive into exactly what the lineup has to offer.

Galaxy A52 5G

Starting at $499.99, the A52 5G is the most expensive of the lineup. It features a 6.5-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate, and a 32-megapixel front-facing camera. For rear cameras, it comes with a quad-camera module that includes a 64-megapixel main sensor, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensor, 5-megapixel macro camera, and a 5-megapixel depth camera.

Under the hood, it packs a Snapdragon 750G processor, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of internal storage. If you need more, there’s also a microSD card slot for up to 1TB. When it comes to battery life, there’s a 4,500mAh battery and support for 25W fast charging. 

Galaxy A42 5G

The A42 5G is less expensive, starting at $399.99, so it doesn’t pack as many high-end features as the A52 5G. It does, however, feature a slightly larger 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display (HD+) with an on-screen fingerprint sensor. But instead of 120Hz, you’ll only get a 60Hz refresh rate with this one.

On the back is a triple camera setup that includes 48-megapixel main sensor, 8-megapixel ultra-wide sensor, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. On the front, the A42 5G comes equipped with a 13-megapixel selfie camera.

For its processor, the smartphone is also powered by a Snapdragon 750G and offers 4GB of RAM coupled with 128GB of internal storage. Like the A52 5G, the A42 5G has a microSD card slot with expandable storage up to 1TB. It also has a bigger battery, coming in at 5,000mAh with support for 15W fast charge.

Galaxy A32 5G

Next up is the Galaxy A32 5G which starts at $279.99. The biggest difference to those aforementioned phones is that it uses a MediaTek 720 chipset — which is mainly found in entry-level devices. 

As for the rest of its features, the A32 5G (with support for sub-6 speeds) includes a 6.5-inch LCD HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate and a 13-megapixel selfie camera. For rear cameras, it packs the same main and ultra-wide angle sensors as the A42 5G. But the macro and depth sensors come in at 5 megapixels and 2 megapixels, respectively. There’s also a 5,000mAh battery. 

Galaxy A12

The Galaxy A12 is your more budget option, starting at $179.99. On the front is a 6.5-inch LCD HD+ display with a 60Hz refresh rate. For cameras, it features an 8-megapixel selfie camera while the back is home to a 16-megapixel main sensor, a 5-megapixel ultra-wide camera, a 2-megapixel macro camera, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor.

It’s also powered by a MediaTek P35 processor and comes with a 5,000mAh battery with support for 15W fast charging. For storage, it offers 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage complete with a microSD card slot up to 1TB. 

Galaxy A02s

The most affordable of them all is the Galaxy A02s, which starts at $109.99 but doesn’t differ all that much from the A12. It comes with the same 6.5-inch LCD HD+ display with a 60Hz refresh rate and a 5,000mAh battery (with 15W fast charging). 

It packs a bit less RAM though, at 2GB. But you get the same 32GB of internal storage. Additionally, Samsung went with a Qualcomm processor — specifically the Snapdragon 450. Like the MediaTek chip, it’s also commonly found on entry-level phones.

On back is a triple camera setup with a 13-megapixel main sensor, a 2-megapixel macro sensor, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. Meanwhile, on the front is a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. 

Let’s talk about carriers and availability

In terms of carriers, it varies depending on the specific A series model you’re looking at. Here’s a breakdown:

• Galaxy A52 5G (supports sub-6 speeds): AT&T, Metro by T-Mobile, T-Mobile, US Cellular, and unlocked from Samsung

• Galaxy A42 5G (supports sub-6 and mmWave): Verizon

• Galaxy A32 5G (supports sub-6): Cricket, Metro by T-Mobile, and T-Mobile

• Galaxy A12: AT&T, Cricket, Metro by T-Mobile, and T-Mobile

• Galaxy A02s: Verizon, Boost Mobile, Charter, Metro by T-Mobile, US Cellular, and unlocked from Samsung

As for availability, the Galaxy A42 5G will officially hit shelves starting April 8. Meanwhile, the A52 5G, the A32 5G, and A12 will be available starting April 9. Lastly, the Galaxy A02s will go on sale starting April 29.