Samsung Galaxy A15 5G review: Best under Rs. 30,000 right now!

Shortly after my review of the Redmi Note 13 4G, I got my hands on the Samsung Galaxy A15 5G which is a close competitor in the 25-30 thousand price bracket. And I find it to be a pretty compelling choice for those seeking a balanced smartphone at around that ballpark. In this review, let me walk you through the good and the bad of the Samsung Galaxy A15 5G.

Samsung Galaxy A15 5G Specifications:

• Dimensions: 160.1 x 76.8 x 8.4mm, 200 grams
• Display: 6.5-inches FHD+ “Infinity-U” AMOLED, 90Hz refresh rate
• Chipset: Dimensity 6100+ (6nm)
• CPU: Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55)
• GPU:  Mali-G57 MC2
• Memory: 4/6/8GB RAM, 128/256GB storage (expandable)
• Software & UI: Android 14 with One UI 6.0 on top
• Rear Camera: Triple-camera; – 50MP primary sensor – 5MP ultrawide – 2MP macro lens
• Front Camera: 13MP sensor (notch)
• Audio: Loudspeaker, 3.5mm headphone jack
• Security: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, Face unlock
• Battery: 5000mAh with 25W fast charging (Charger in the box)
• Price in Nepal: Rs. 27,999 (6/128GB) | Rs. 29,999 (8/128GB) | Rs. 33,999 (8/256GB)
• Learn the full specifications of the Samsung Galaxy A15 5G here.

Samsung Galaxy A15 5G Review:

Design and Display

• 160.1 x 76.8 x 8.4mm, 200 grams
• Glass front, Plastic back/frames
• 6.5-inches FHD+ AMOLED, 90Hz

Starting off with the design, the Galaxy A15 looks and feels similar to Samsung's pricier A25 5G. There's a key island with the power button and volume rockers on the right while we see the USB-C port, headphone jack, and speaker grill on the bottom alongside a Dual Hybrid SIM slot on the left. 

The fingerprint sensor is embedded in the power button and works as intended almost every time. On the front, the combination of the side bezels, waterdrop notch, and bottom chin does feel outdated, especially if you compare it to its competitors like the Redmi Note 13 and Honor X8b. The compromises on the A15 5G continue as we see no official IP rating or Gorilla Glass protection. That being said, I have been using the phone as is for a week or so, and my screen is devoid of scratches or marks up to now. And the big bezels also begin to sub-consciously not matter as much with time.

Moving on to the display, you get a 6.5-inch 90Hz sAMOLED screen on the Samsung Galaxy A15 5G. In my review, I found the default colors to be a bit poppier than my taste, but changing the color mode from 'vivid' to 'natural' did the trick. Besides that though, it is a big upgrade from the LCD screen on the A14 5G and brings Samsung back in line with its competitors. And the 90Hz refresh rate is somewhat of a sweet spot between 60Hz and 120Hz. Do I wish the A15 5G had a 120Hz display? Yes, for sure. Will I bash it for not having one? Not really, 90Hz feels 'smooth' enough for day-to-day use like scrolling through my Instagram feed or reading articles on the web. Navigating OneUI is also free of quirky bugs or stutters. But I did notice one thing. The phone doesn't seem to dial back to 60Hz even when viewing static content which is a common way for phones without LTPO to preserve battery life. As such, I expected a higher battery drain and less endurance than its competitors but was pleasantly surprised in that regard - more on that later.

Speaker and Haptics

For now, let me talk about the multi-media experience. Samsung Galaxy A15 features a decent-sounding single down-firing speaker with good mids and highs. It is also loud enough to enjoy watching FHD movies on Netflix or music videos on YouTube. Haptics also fall under the same umbrella where it's not the best, but I could live with it. Just don't expect to pick up on every notification or call when on 'Vibrate' as I found myself missing a few from time to time. Outdoor visibility is also average at about 800 nits of max brightness in High Brightness Mode (HBM).

Performance

• Octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ (6nm Mobile Platform)
• 6/8GB LPDDR4X RAM, 128/256GB UFS 2.2 Storage (Nepalese configurations)

Moving onto performance, the Galaxy A15 switches to a MediaTek processor compared to its predecessor's in-house Exynos silicon. And, it's probably for the better in case of stability as last year's A14 5G wasn't really optimized out of the box. This time, we get the Dimensity 6100+ chipset which is basically the Helio G99 with a 5G modem slapped on top. As such, you get pretty reasonable raw power for its price point.

I have been using the 6GB RAM and 128 GB storage base configuration (there's no 4/64GB variant in Nepal), and the phone handled calls, texting, and camera usage as expected. You can also dabble in light multi-tasking like taking notes while watching a YouTube video but that's about the extent I would push it. The reason being that the Galaxy A15 WILL slow down when under load like switching between heavier apps or playing demanding games.

Gaming Experience

And I did play a few popular titles on the device like PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty, Mobile Legends, and Mech Arena. You can get pretty smooth gameplay at the 'Ultra' frame rate in PUBG, while Call of Duty and Mobile Legends hover around that 60 fps mark. Mech Arena does cross that threshold but you also get choppier gameplay with more frequent frame drops and slight stuttering.

Thermals are neither here nor there with the A15 hovering around 35 degrees after each session. That's not too hot, but warm enough to let you know things are heating up.

Software and UI

• Android 14 with One UI 6.0 on top
• 4 years of OS, 5 years of guaranteed security updates

Transitioning to software, here we get to be acquainted with one of the stronger suits of the Galaxy A15 5G. Not only does it run full-fledged OneUI, but also ships with the latest version of Android (OneUI 6.0) and boasts 4 years of OS updates. That's 2 more than what Samsung promised with the A14 5G and what the competition typically offers. And maybe even more important than that, you get a polished user experience without any quirks or personalized advertisements. Third-party bloatware is also considerably fewer than most others and Samsung will push security patches till the end of 2028.

Camera

• Triple camera setup at the back
• (50MP primary, 5MP ultrawide, 2MP macro)
• 13MP selfie camera (notch cutout)

Let's get to cameras where you are greeted with a 50MP main, 8MP ultrawide, and 2MP macro setup. And let me tell you right off the bat, I tried some macro shots but they were so poor that I gave up on that almost instantly. That infamous 2MP macro is the same as on many other phones and won't serve you any meaningful purpose.

The 5MP ultrawide can take cool-looking shots from time to time, but the photos lack proper detail, often seem dark, and have inconsistent colors which isn't great for a reliable camera experience. Phew..! With those two out of the way, let me share my two cents about the main camera. Although the sensor itself is pretty small (1/2.8"), Samsung's optimization makes it a winner when it comes to daylight photography. You get good details, decent dynamic range, and somewhat close to natural colors from the A15 5G. Portraits also looked pretty pleasing to my eyes with nice skin tones, good edge detection, and depth. They are a bit on the warmer side but that wasn't a particularly big issue for me. Samsung Galaxy A15 5G also takes decent selfies with its 13MP sensor. These preserve sufficient detail, don't struggle with highlight control like those on the Redmi Note 13 (4G) do, and have relatively realistic colors and skin tones. Lowlight performance isn't the best on the Galaxy A15 due to the small sensor size and lack of OIS. You often get softer and darker images with background noise and narrow dynamic range. Night Mode tries to compensate by brightening things up but it gets too noisy most of the time. Overall, I would say that the Samsung A15 5G offers a reliable camera experience when it comes to daylight images and human subjects. Videos from the front and back are capped at 1080p 30 fps but there's EIS support which helps with stabilization.

Battery and Charging

• 5,000 mah
• 25W fast charging, charger included in the box.

Lastly, the Samsung Galaxy A15 doesn't disappoint when it comes to battery endurance as well. You get above-average battery life with 7-8 hours of screen time on mixed usage. I even ran a 90-minute video streaming experiment on Netflix which dropped the battery level by about 10% percent, extrapolating that gives you more than 14 hours of continuous playback, in line with results from other outlets. So, it is a 2-day phone for light users, and even if you push your phone on the daily, the charging speed is quite decent at 25W. The charger's now bundled with the purchase and you can fill to 80% in an hour while a full 0-100 takes about an hour and 25 minutes.

Samsung Galaxy A15 5G Review: Conclusion

Simply put, Samsung has delivered a good phone at a good price that might appeal to a lot of people. It doesn't make compromises like shipping with an LCD display, or a dumbed-down OS like its predecessor did and offers a complete package for Rs. 28,000. The main camera is reliable, and the software and battery experience are also great for the price. The only downsides being a somewhat older-looking front, the exclusion of stereo speakers, and the lack of official IP and Glass protection ratings but none of those have been a dealbreaker for me. Processor and everyday performance is also what you'd expect of a sub 30,000 rupee phone so no complaints there either. And although 5G is not a thing in Nepal today, it's comforting for many to have that option in the future.

So, if you ask me for a recommendation on a balanced smartphone for 30k, I will wholeheartedly persuade you to get an A15 of your own. I found it to be more reliable than the Redmi Note 13 (4G) and there isn't much incentive to save that 3,000 rupees for an overall worse experience. That being said, last year's A24 also has similar specs for a similar price but with better cameras, but that's harder to find now, and its successor (A25 5G) is way pricier. As such, Galaxy A15 5G is the way to go right now!

Galaxy A15 5G Review: Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Reliable primary camera
• Decent Performance with 5G support
• Long-term software commitment
• Great battery backup + included charger

Cons:

• Front bezels feel outdated
• No official IP rating and glass protection
• Mono speaker
• Weak ultrawide