Price: $300.00
(as of Jul 01, 2024 02:33:10 UTC – Details)
From the brand
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Customers say
Customers like the value of the cellular phone, saying it’s very good for the price. They also like the resolution. However, some customers have reported issues with battery life and connectivity. They say the phone overheats and shuts down frequently, and it freezes up on a regular basis. They mention that the internet would work for a few minutes and then go dead for an extended period. Customers also differ on battery, charging, and quality.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
W. Cooper –
Excellent ‘A’ phone with many ‘S’ features for a much lower price.
I bought my Galaxy A25 5G on sale and was pleasantly surprised by its’ many features at a very low price point. My old phone couldn’t be used in direct sunlight, this AMOLED display is phenomenal, HD, bright and readable in any light. This makes using the cameras during the day very easy, regardless of the setting. The stereo speakers sound crisp and clear, and the response from the Exynos 1280 processor is fast. Battery life is great, and transfer app made switching to the new phone the easiest process yet. I am very happy with my purchase and would recommend it to my friends.
SoCalMelissa –
Buyer Beware — read negative reviews
BUYER BEWARE. Read the negative reviews about the A25. Apparently, the shutting off/connection problems are a known issue and are non-repairable.
Days after the 30-day return window closed, my son’s phone kept turning off. Call Samsung customer service and the representative says it is because we aren’t using the correct Samsung charger. Bought two of the recommended chargers and they are EXACTLY like the two we already own. What a waste of money!
Continued to have phone issues. Contact Samsung customer service and they say to return it for repair. Next we get an email saying phone received by Samsung repair department but they don’t have the needed part and it will take 10 days for them to get it.
Update: (May 10, 2024), we get an email stating the phone is being returned — UNREPAIRED. No explanation, just an 800 number to call for more info. Called, complained, told they’d look into it. Called, complained, told it was being referred to another department.
Update: (May 24, 2024) After weeks of complaining and being jerked around, we finally get a text that we’ll get a cash refund. Heaven knows how long it will take to actually get it.
We will replace the defective Samsung A25 with a different model. Meanwhile, we hold our breath and hope our second A25 lasts more than a few months.
For years, we’ve been fans of Samsung products, having owned a number of Samsung televisions, monitors, tablets, phones. Samsung was our go-to for electronic entertainment. Normally, we love the products but the customer service is definitely third-rate at best. We hope the experience we had with the A25 is an isolated one and not a predictor of the way Samsung’s business is heading.
C –
Slightly overpowered, but solid, phone.
TL;DR: Nice phone with a few common-sense features, and several issues.
I’m an undemanding user, and my old A01 showed its age at the end of its support life. It began lagging more and more. Storage was full and apps wouldn’t update because there supposedly wasn’t enough space, regardless of the size of SD card I installed. The very definition of “planned obsolescence”. Wanting to avoid this with my next phone, I bought something with more storage and memory this time around.
SCREEN:
After 2 Galaxy A15’s had phantom screen press issues I decided to give the A25 a try since online resources suggested it had a different screen. Thankfully I’ve yet to have any phantom screen press issues about 2 months since receipt.
Per gsmarena.com the A15’s features a 800-nit screen, while the A25 features a 1000-nit screen. The noticeable difference here is that the A25 is actually usable in sunlight. The A15 is too dim. This is very important, and I feel a huge drawback of the A15.
BATTERY:
I subjectively feel like the A25 runs down the battery a bit faster than the A15. This does make sense given the hardware. Per nanoreview.net the SOC of this phone is more powerful than that of the A15, with a lower battery life rating. Per gsmarena.com the A25 has a 120Hz screen vs. the 90Hz of the A15, while both phones feature 5000 mAh batteries.
Either someone at Google decided to finally build battery charge thresholds into Android after 14 versions (better late than never?), or this phone, due to price point and/or hardware, supports them. This should help improve battery lifespan of this phone.
Neither the A15 or A25 feature wireless charging. I don’t care. You might.
HARDWARE:
I DO care that both feature 3.5mm jacks. They make life so much better. Locating it on the bottom, unlike the A01’s top-mounted 3.5mm jack, makes it easier to route a cable when it’s in a pocket or car mount.
It supports either dual SIM or one SIM and a microSDXC. This also makes life much better. I wish it could hold 2 SIMs AND a microSDXC at once, but it’s better than nothing I suppose.
The cameras are pretty good, but get grainy/pixelated when zooming in. My camera needs are modest compared to some, so I’m satisfied.
The notch for the front camera is fine. In fact I grew to like the status info (battery, WiFi/cellular, notification icons, etc) being at the top, next to the notch, in the A01, giving more room to apps.
The inclusion of stereo loudspeakers is a nice upgrade from the A15, especially considering the price increase. If you hold the phone at an off-angle they can sound strange due to the angle. For best results hold the phone with the screen flat toward your face.
It gets a bit warmer than the A15. A quick internet search suggests it’s the Exynos SOC. Thumbs down.
I’m not particularly tough on my phones, so the plastic construction is fine for me. I put it in a silicone case. This makes it easier to grab, and was potentially far less expensive than buying a phone with metal construction.
SIZE:
The phone’s too big*. The A01 was too big at 5.7″, and the A25 is worse 6.5″. I have long fingers and it’s impossible to reach the top of the screen (where one might find a close or menu button in an app) one-handed without major grip adjustment, risking dropping the phone. The A01 was borderline uncomfortable in the (large) pockets of my pants, the A15/A25 cross the border. Squatting down must be carefully done lest it dig into your hip and cause discomfort or pain. Yes viewing more of web pages is nice. Yes I have to thumb to the next page of ebooks less when there are more words on-screen. Yes, more screen real estate is nice for Google Maps. But I don’t NEED those things. In fact, I’d rather have an easier-to-carry PHONE, not a PHABLET I have to buy military cargo pants or a purse to comfortably carry.
SOFTWARE:
Mostly stable and as-expected: minimal changes to Android and the usual Samsung bloatware. There are some issues but I’m not sure if I can blame Samsung.
1. Expo Go (an app used for mobile app development) doesn’t allow interaction with the app I’m helping develop. Expo Go itself works fine on both the A15 and A25, but the in-development app would appear frozen. The in-development app works perfectly on Expo Go on the A01.
2. ** Edit: this issue appears to have been resolved, perhaps via one of the updates the phone received since I wrote about it. Original issue text: “I set the “side button” (power button) to turn on the flashlight when double-pressed. Using the included camera app before using the side button to turn on the flashlight results in the flashlight not working. This can be fixed by clearing the camera app’s cache every time you want to use the flashlight, or using a different camera app. For all I know there’s a fix for these, but I haven’t found it yet (and I’ve looked).”
3. Some third-party apps fail to start and require a second screen tap.
VALUE:
This phone is exiting the budget segment toward mid-range, but you get more for your money compared to an entry-level phone. More computing power, more storage and memory, an ultrawide camera, stereo speakers, a better screen than the A15, while retaining a 3.5mm jack.
*But “the market” wants big phones (see the Marques Brownlee video “Small Phones are Dead and We Killed Them” video for more).
Fantasticube –
Such a great budget phone for someone who does not want to waste a lot of money!
I upgraded my phone from the TCL 30z which was not that good but I made it this far. When I received my phone it was in really good condition and I had no problems setting it up. I obviously got Call Of Duty Mobile, Warzone Mobile, and Roblox which runs insanely well for a 300 dollar phone. The screen is nice and does not lag at all. One of the best phones I ever had! I would recommend you get this if you have your doubts.
Passingby –
the best phone for the $$$$
I’ve only had it for a few days now and it’s hurting me to send it back because someone got me the s24 Plus for free BUT BUY THIS PHONE!!!. it feels and runs like a high end phone, I loved the pictures it took and the all around feel of it. The reason I purchased this phone was for the headphone jack and on man it is good, it sounds good and it’s strong enough to push High impedance headphones. It feel fast, looks good and to be honest I wish I could keep it. I had a lot of phones in my life Note 9, S8 Active, S3, S23 and I forgot what else, trust me you will not regret buying this phone.