From a luxury to a necessity — that’s the role smartphones have assumed now. Since we depend on our devices to get a lot of things done, we need to be finicky when deciding to invest in a new one.
If you want to do away with all the gimmicks, and simply opt for something practical that gets the job done, there are plenty of options on the market. Should you keep the Samsung A13 5G on your radar? Read on to find out.
Design and build
Aesthetics-wise, it blends well with the playful and trendy fashion styles of Gen Zs. The soft matte finish comes in a wide range of colors such as Awesome Blue, Awesome Black, and Awesome Orange.
It’s slightly hefty, weighing 195g and measuring 8.8mm thick. On the plus side, it got the ergonomics right since it feels comfortable to grip even for long periods.
The power button conveniently works as a fingerprint scanner too. However, I wish it could detect it more accurately.
Display
The A13 5G sports a 6.5-inch LCD display. My initial interaction with the interface, including setting it up, was a breeze. The smooth experience brought about by the 90Hz refresh rate is highly commendable; the brightness and colors of the screen need a little work. Still, you’ll find yourself a decent display that can provide you with entertainment during leisure hours.
While the rear design seems fashionable, the front panel appears to be outdated. There are thick bezels all around, combined with a waterdrop notch.
Camera
At the rear, you’ll find three sensors neatly propped up on top of the other. For a budget smartphone, it’s a pleasant surprise that its performance is above-average in the camera department.
Photos taken with the 50MP main camera showcased adequate details and accurate colors. Although, similar to the display panel, colors lack some punch. Nonetheless, you’ll be delighted with the outcome of the shots you take, especially if you’re a “pics or it didn’t happen” type.
The 5MP front camera offers almost the same competence as the rear. If you love taking Instagram reels or TikTok videos, the selfie camera will be your best friend.
Performance
It runs on MediaTek MT6833 Dimensity 700 processor and 4GB of RAM, which delivers on all the basic tasks without any fuss. This includes sending emails and messages, running multiple tabs on your browser to do some research, and taking a few photos and videos to capture moments of your day, just to name a few.
As for graphically demanding games like Asphalt 9, it performs really well for the most part, except for some occasional stutters that can go unnoticed.
The storage received the bare minimum of 64GB, which might be an issue for memory and app hoarders. But not for long if they have a microSD to spare since this device is expandable up to 1TB.
Battery
Housing a large 5000mAh battery, the A13 5G can offer you its company for nearly 2 days. The review unit didn’t come with a charging cable and adapter, but this device comes with a 15W charger when bought in stores.
Verdict
As go-getters, a straightforward, uncomplicated device is enough to do the trick. That said, the Samsung A13 5G is a worthy choice given its above par performance that caters to the Gen Z’s everyday needs. At a price point of PHP 12,990, you get a fairly good camera setup, large battery life, and capable chipset.
