Samsung Galaxy A13 5G review: an affordable 5G phone on AT&T

The Galaxy A13 5G doesn’t come as much of a surprise, for better or for worse. At $249, this is a reliable device with good performance, healthy battery life and a decent camera. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as Samsung makes a lot of phones of this kind, which is what the company does well.

A phone released in the United States as an AT&T exclusive. Now you can unlock it and buy it, or buy it from T-Mobile. But its first carrier relationship may be the most compelling reason to consider A13 5G right now. It’s certified to use AT&T’s newly enabled C-band spectrum. It’s the kind of 5G that promises faster speeds and better signal range than 4G, a combination his 5G networks in parts of the US have so far lacked. The list of C-band capable devices at the network’s launch was short, dominated by expensive flagships, with the exception of the Galaxy A13 5G.

Phones of different price points will be joining the C-band club this year, but for now, if you’re on AT&T, the A13 5G is the cheapest entry. That in itself isn’t a good reason for him to buy the A13 5G, especially since AT&T’s C-band launch is limited to eight US cities and the rollout could be slow, but we’re already considering If he has an advantage over A13.

Worth noting: Samsung announced the successor to the A13, the Galaxy A14 5G, in January 2023. It comes with a longer security support policy and a low price of $199. I will test it soon. Until then, our guide to the best phones under $500 is the best place to find the latest recommendations for budget-friendly phones.

The Galaxy A13 5G features a 6.5 inch 720p screen. This is a low resolution for a relatively large display. It’s also an LCD panel, which is common in the sub-$300 class and looks a bit washed out compared to the rich OLED displays found in mid-range phones like the Galaxy A52 5G. , so scrolling and animations look a little smoother than the standard 60Hz. Overall, though, lower resolution and contrast means the screen isn’t one of the A13 5G’s strong points.

However, the MediaTek 700 5G chipset and its 4 GB of RAM are strong points. For a phone at this price, it handles everyday tasks quite well, can move between apps quickly, and doesn’t tend to eagerly close apps in the background. It does get a little sluggish when doing high tasks, but overall, the A13 handled everything I asked it to do on a daily basis.

The A13 5G has only 64 GB of internal storage. That’s not uncommon in the budget class, and if you’re careful with cloud storage options and downloads, it’s fine, but there aren’t many. An additional charge of $10-20 may be required to purchase a microSD card.

It has a fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button on the side of the phone and is very fast. I actually double-checked that the phone was indeed properly locked (it was). It’s not as sophisticated as the in-display readers on high-end phones, but it actually feels more reliable and easier to use.

Battery life is another strength of the A13. The phone’s 5,000mAh cell lasted several days with moderate use on Wi-Fi. A heavy user he could use up a day and then a few more days.

The A13 5G’s camera settings are basic. There is a 50-megapixel main camera with an f/1.8 lens coupled with a 2-megapixel macro and depth sensor. Those 2-megapixel cameras are pretty useless, so we’re really just working with a standard wide-angle rear camera and a 5-megapixel selfie camera. No ultra wide. That would require him to step up to the A32 5G in Samsung’s lineup. Also, there is no night mode in the camera app.

Photos in bright sunlight look fine, and even moderately low-light images look good enough for social media, but very low-light images are a dirty mess of noise reduction. Live previews of apps look terribly washed out, but the final product looks much better in most cases. This makes it difficult to know exactly what you’re getting, so you have to trust the A13’s camera.

The Galaxy A13 5G is an affordable device that makes sense for those who care more about everyday performance and long battery life than a quality screen and versatile camera. If so, there are two more reasons to consider the A13. The carrier’s C-band 5G is currently limited to just a few markets, but the phone will be supported with his three years of security updates and his two years of OS upgrades. That’s long enough to see the network expand to more major cities.

If none of the above criteria apply, there are better options available for the same cost. The $239 OnePlus N200 5G is great if you’re on T-Mobile. It’s $10 cheaper than the A13’s retail price and offers comparable performance and a better screen. The N200 won’t work on AT&T’s or Verizon’s 5G networks, so he’ll be a 4G-only phone if you’re on either of those carriers. Not bad for the price, but you’ll be missing out on his upcoming 5G speed boost for years to come.

At the time of this writing, the Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G drops to $249 (from $399) when purchased from AT&T and offers a better screen as well as healthy battery life. It’s not currently certified for AT&T’s C-band, but if you’re outside of those eight launch cities, it’s a bargain.

If those alternatives aren’t appealing, the A13 5G will do just fine. It’s a reliable device that costs well under $300, is fully ready for next-generation wireless technology, and contains no unpleasant (or pleasant) surprises.

UPDATE: January 23, 2023 at 7:10 PM ET: Added details of the Galaxy A14 5G, which Samsung announced in January 2023 as the successor to the A13.

Photo by Alison Johnson/The Verge