The Samsung Galaxy A04s has a suggested retail price of €169 ($168), but can be found for less at various online retailers. The Galaxy A04s, one of Samsung's mid-range budget phones, has received an update. It offers smartphone essentials at a reasonable price without the frills. A 90Hz display, a high-resolution camera and a large battery are its highlights.
Samsung Galaxy A04s Specifications
- Release date: 2022, August 31
- Colors: Black, Green, White, Copper
- Dimensions: 164.7 x 76.7 x 9.1 mm.
- Weight: 195 g.
- Screen: 6.5" in, 720 x 1600, IPS LCD
- Camera : Triple, 50MP
- Chipset: Exynos 850 (8nm)
- CPU: Octa-core (4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55)
- Memory: 32GB 3GB RAM, 32GB 4GB RAM, 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM
- Battery: 5000, Li-Po, non-removable
- Network: GSM / HSPA / LTE
- Operating system: Android 12, One UI Core 4
- Sensors: Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, proximity
If you are curious to find out all the details before reading the full review, visit the page for Samsung Galaxy A04s Specs, where you will find even the smallest detail about the phone.
Samsung Galaxy A04s Design
The Galaxy A04s has a glossy plastic back that reflects light. The three camera lenses are placed in their own bezels without decorations one below the other. On the front, there is a clearly visible but not too wide bezel around the screen and a notch in the shape of a water drop. The phone has a similar look and feel to the Galaxy A13 4G, with the only difference being the color options available, which are black, white and green for the Galaxy A04s.
Compared to the Galaxy A03, the Galaxy A04s has restored the use of a USB-C port. The NFC function remains, allowing the use of mobile payment services such as Google Pay and Samsung Pay. However, there is a limitation in terms of storage capacity as the phone only offers 32GB of internal storage, which is insufficient even in the budget price range.
A 90Hz screen provides a smoother experience, but it's not without its drawbacks, as system performance can be sluggish, causing occasional dropouts. The volume buttons and the standby button are located on the right side of the case, and the fingerprint sensor is integrated into it. The fingerprint sensor can recognize fingers reliably, but unlocking the device takes some time.
Face recognition via the front camera is also an option and works well in good lighting conditions. However, it lacks an infrared sensor, making it less secure.
Samsung Galaxy A04s Software
The Galaxy A04s runs OneUI 4.1, Samsung's user interface built on top of Android 12. Samsung promises to deliver security updates for the affordable phone every 3 months, but hasn't specified the length of that update period. Even older, low-priced phones have received major updates from Samsung at irregular intervals. There is currently no confirmed information about a new software version such as OneUI 5 based on Android 13, but it is likely that an Android 13 update will be released in 2023 based on Samsung's previous update policy.
The phone comes with several pre-installed apps, including Samsung's own apps, which have some useful features but also duplicate features already available on Android. Also, some third-party apps are pre-installed for advertising purposes, which can be a problem given the limited memory.
Samsung Galaxy A04s Communication
The Galaxy A04s has an upgrade from the slower WiFi 4 found in the Galaxy A03s, now supporting WiFi 5.
The phone supports 4G, but has limited frequency diversity, which may be enough for Central Europe, but if you plan to travel, it is advisable to check the frequencies of the operators in the country you are going to.
Samsung Galaxy A04s Cameras
The Galaxy A04s features an Isocell JN1 image sensor previously used in other affordable Samsung phones. With a nominal resolution of 50 megapixels, it normally takes photos at 12.5 megapixels for better light gathering.
In good lighting, the photos taken have only moderate sharpness and detail. In low-light, high-contrast situations, lighting is poor and dark areas lack dynamic range.
Videos can be recorded at a maximum of 1080p and 30 fps, standard resolution in this price range. Video sharpness is also below par. However, exposure control and autofocus work effectively.
The device has two additional low-resolution sensors for macro photography and portrait photography.
On the front, there is a 5-megapixel selfie camera that performs well in good lighting conditions, but becomes poor when the photos are zoomed in.
Samsung Galaxy A04s Display
The Galaxy A04s from Samsung has a PLS display, the resolution of 1600x720 pixels is typical for its class. However, its brightness lags behind comparable models with an average of less than 400 cd/m² and an unevenly illuminated panel of only 84%. The low black value improves the contrast ratio and provides a degree of brilliance to the colors on the screen. Although the screen does not use PWM, the response time is slow.
Samsung Galaxy A04s Productivity
The Galaxy A04s is powered by Samsung's in-house Exynos 850 SoC, which has been used in many of Samsung's budget smartphones for two years now. Although it lags behind the speedy Snapdragon 680 in the Xiaomi Redmi 10C, it still competes well with most other phones in its price range. The lack of RAM and weak single-core performance contribute to lower scores on system benchmarks such as PCMark.
In practice, users can expect stuttering, occasional crashes, and slow loading times that are common for phones in this price range.
Web browsing on the Galaxy A04s can also be slow and have some delays when loading photos, but it's still bearable if users are patient. The phone uses slow eMMC memory, which is typical for its price range, but slower than what the Xiaomi Redmi 10C offers. This means that loading processes may take longer and users may have to wait after launching an application.
Samsung Galaxy A04s Battery life
The Galaxy A04s tends to consume more power when under low load, but is efficient when under high load. It can be charged at a maximum speed of 10W, resulting in a longer charging time of 3 hours.
Although the 5000mAh battery has good life, it doesn't match the performance of the Galaxy A03 or Motorola G22. However, it can still last two days without needing a recharge as long as the phone is not used much. The load endurance of about 6 hours of screen on is also acceptable.
Samsung Galaxy A04s Conclusion
Samsung's Galaxy A04s is priced a bit high for a low-end smartphone and doesn't offer much in terms of memory or design. However, it can tick off the most important features like NFC, fast Wi-Fi 5 and accurate positioning.
The camera isn't impressive and the screen could be brighter, but it doesn't use PWM and has good viewing angles. Battery life is decent, but not significantly better than the competition.
If you want more performance, fast storage and a brighter screen, the Xiaomi Redmi 10C might be the better choice. If you prefer a pure Android experience, the Nokia G21 is an option to consider. Overall, the Galaxy A04s is a solid smartphone in the low-end category, but it lacks some essentials.
Samsung Galaxy A04s video review
Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is based on our team's personal experience with the Samsung Galaxy A04s and third-party sources. While every effort has been made to provide accurate and reliable information, readers should keep in mind that this is a subjective assessment. The writing of this article was not paid for or sponsored by Samsung.
