Smartphones, Tablets & Wearables

Samsung Galaxy A13 review: What the low-budget smartphone can do

Samsung can only manufacture flagships like its Samsung Galaxy S22 at an MSRP starting at 849 Euros? Not at all. That the South Korean tech company also puts inexpensive devices on the market has been proven for years with Samsung’s A series. Unfortunately, last year’s model in the form of the Galaxy A12 could not really convince.

This is now supposed to work differently. We want to take a closer look at whether Samsung can bring another price-performance hit to the start with the latest generation Galaxy A13 in our review. What can the smartphone do for just under 190 Euros? We put it under the microscope in the Samsung Galaxy A13 test!

Technical details of the Samsung Galaxy A13

Name Samsung Galaxy A13
Display 6.6-inch LCD display with FHD+ resolution (1,080 x 2,408 pixels)
Dimensions and Weight 165.1 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm and 195 g
Processor Octa-core processor with 2 GHz clock speed
Battery capacity 5,000 mAh
Camera Quad camera with 50.0 MP + 5.0 MP + 2.0 MP + 2.0 MP and front camera with 8 MP
Memory 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage (expandable to 1 TB via microSD)
Network specifications Dual SIM card slot with room for two nano-SIMs and one microSD
Connectivity USB-C port, 3.5mm jack, WLAN standard 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.0, 4G
Price € 195.27 *

Scope of delivery

Samsung obviously didn’t wear any spending pants when it came to filling the packaging. In good old Apple fashion, there is only a matching charging cable (USB-C to USB-C) besides the smartphone itself, usual paperwork and the SIM card tool. The missing power adapter is now apparently a trademark of all devices from Samsung’s A and M series.

Design and workmanship

Even if the price of the Samsung Galaxy A13 is very small, the smartphone’s display is not at all. This measures a proud 6.6 inches diagonally, which puts the low-budget device in line with Samsung’s Galaxy M23 5G and M33 5G. Thus, the A13 grows by 0.1 inches compared to the A12 from 2021. A small teardrop notch trickles into the display at the upper screen edge. The selfie camera is hidden in here.

The screen’s left and right edges look pleasingly thin. Only the edges on the bottom and top of the smartphone no longer look contemporary. Especially in direct comparison with the in-house flagship Galaxy S22, this becomes more than obvious. However, you always have to keep in mind that the Galaxy A13 costs just 189.00 Euros and thus a fraction of the upper-class smartphone.

The case design, on the other hand, is reminiscent of Samsung’s two low-priced Galaxy M23 5g and M33 5G smartphones. Thus, the dual-SIM slot is on the left, the on/off button with integrated fingerprint sensor and the volume rocker are on the right. On the top, there is also a microphone next to the speaker.

On the bottom, Samsung places another speaker, a 3.5 mm jack, a microphone and the USB-C port. Turning the smartphone over reveals the nicely designed back. Samsung still relies on a quad-camera, which the manufacturer arranges unorthodoxly. Unlike the Galaxy M33 5G, which also has four lenses, Samsung does not place the module squarely.

Instead, there are three cameras below each other and the fourth one as a smaller one next to it. Samsung relies entirely on plastic for its case. This may sound cheap, but it does not feel that way. However, the Galaxy A13 is anything but compact in the hand in view of its size of 165.1 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm and a weight of 195 grams. In combination with the rounded shapes, it threatened to slip out of the hand once or twice in the test. However, that is a matter of taste. Unfortunately, the glossy design makes the A13 extremely susceptible to fingerprints.

Display

A direct comparison to the predecessor is possible with the Galaxy A13’s display. The successor clearly scores in terms of resolution in particular. The Galaxy A12 only had a resolution of HD+. In contrast, the new Galaxy A13 offers an FHD+ resolution of 1080×2408 pixels, which makes for a much sharper overall picture. A look at the display makes it clear that the plan works. There is hardly anything to complain about in terms of screen sharpness. The panel is a different story. As in the two slightly more expensive Samsung devices Galaxy M23 5G and M33 5G, Samsung also relies on an LCD display here.

In the end result, the Galaxy A13 cannot really deliver a contemporary image reproduction. Especially compared to other devices with OLED panels, the Galaxy A13 simply cannot keep up. This starts with the contrasts and continues with the vivid colors. In terms of refresh rates, the A13 also falls short of the M23 and M33. Instead of 120 Hz, it only offers 60 Hz. All in all, the display offers a satisfactory performance – but nothing more. Nevertheless, you have to keep the low price in mind here as well.

Samsung Galaxy A13 performance

Of course, a look at the performance of the smartphone, which costs 189.00 Euros, is exciting. Samsung installs an octa-core processor with a clock rate of 2.0 GHz here. This is presumably an Exynos 850. It is supposed to make the Galaxy A13 a real battery miracle since it is supposed to work very energy-efficiently. Since the processor is everything else powerful, you should not expect too big jumps in the device’s daily use.

For standard applications like online shopping and browsing, this is definitely enough. Of course, popular apps like YouTube can also be used without problems. However, stutters occur from time to time, which will definitely bother some users over time. However, the Galaxy A13 quickly runs out of steam when it comes to playing demanding mobile games. The M23 5G and especially the M33 5G are clearly ahead.

The benchmark results paint a clear picture in this regard. The Galaxy A13 achieves 512 points in 3DMark and 156 points in Geekbench (single core) and 582 points (multi-core). Although the anything but strong performance causes occasional stutters, the battery in turn benefits from it. The combination of the 5,000 mAh battery capacity and the battery-saving processor performance ensures an amazing stamina. Thus, you can easily get over a day with the Galaxy A13 and probably beyond that in most cases.

The camera

A quadruple camera works on the back of the Samsung Galaxy A13. This is made up of the main camera (50 megapixels), ultra-wide-angle camera (5 megapixels), macro camera (2 megapixels) and depth camera (2 megapixels).

Of course, you wouldn’t expect much in view of the price. Accordingly, the A13 surprises with good pictures that should be completely sufficient for many standard users. Of course, many smartphones have a clear lead here, but the A13 is prepared for the snapshot in between.

Selfies are possible with the front-facing camera with a resolution of 8 megapixels. Videos are possible at a maximum of Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) with 60 frames per second.

Samsung Galaxy A13 review conclusion

Those who decide to buy the Samsung Galaxy A13 should not expect miracles, of course. This is a low-budget smartphone where you have to make compromises. On the plus side, it has a long-lasting battery and a good camera. Samsung has also improved the screen’s sharpness with a higher resolution compared to the predecessor. Unfortunately, the LCD panel cannot guarantee high-contrast content and also lags behind in terms of color vibrancy, especially compared to its OLED counterparts. The processor’s performance also shows clear deficits in everyday use. However, those who do not mind occasional stutters will not have any problems with that.

Samsung Galaxy A13

Workmanship
Hardware
Display
Performance
Battery
Value for money

83/100

For a price of 189.00 Euros, the Samsung Galaxy A13 offers great battery performance and a solid camera. However, the smartphone suffers from performance issues and comes with an only satisfactory display. If that does not bother you, you will get a bargain here.

Simon Lüthje

I am co-founder of this blog and am very interested in everything that has to do with technology, but I also like to play games. I was born in Hamburg, but now I live in Bad Segeberg.

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