Samsung Galaxy A13 Review: Trickle Down Economics At Work
July 16, 2022
Performance: Exynos 850 (Octa-Core 2GHz), 6GB
Main display: 167.2mm (6.6-inch) (1080 x 2408 FHD+)
Weight: 195g
Storage: 128gb
Battery: 5,000 mAh
Features: 4k, 1080p
Rear camera: 50 MP Wide, 5 MP Ultrawide, 2MP Marco, 2MP Depth (FHD (1920 x 1080)@30fps)
Front camera: 8MP, 1080 video recording
Rating:7.5/10
Price:RM799.00
Samsung makes a plethora of phone models with many of them having interchangeable components and displays. This is true of flagship models as it is for budget devices. The permutations are endless because the phone maker’s almost endless supply of parts allows it to mix & match hardware to fit various needs.
The A13 is a perfect example of this notion. It’s a product meant to entice budget buyers who want the best bang for their buck. The entire chassis consists of a single piece of plastic. Its glossy, blue finish gives it a youthful and playful look. Besides this color, you could also have it in Black, Peach or White.
Its appearance is reminiscent of the iPhone 5c, a colorful candy bar design meant to appeal to younger generations of consumers. In the case of the A13, the strategy might pay off considering that the phone costs RM699 – RM799, slightly cheaper if you buy it when it’s on sale. But the exterior color isn’t the only thing interesting about the phone.
The Display
It has a large 6.6-inch, 1080p LCD screen that’s impressive for what it is. Though a far cry from what an AMOLED display can deliver, the vibrancy and smoothness is far better than what you’d normally expect of a budget phone. Pictures and videos look good, regardless of the content. And the screen gets very bright, good enough to view in direct sunlight.
It’s a pleasant surprise to see a proper display on a budget phone. Despite being of the LCD variety, the viewing angles aren’t bad and the colors don’t seem to fade much when moving the phone from side to side. The size and vibrancy should appeal to budget minded consumers who want a large screen phone without paying flagship money.
Though it’s an older teardrop display rather than the more recent hole-punch layout, this won’t bother its target demographic. They’d be quite content with its overall quality to bother with such trivial comparisons. However, since it has a traditional 60Hz refresh rate, the UI might seem sluggish to people who’ve experienced phones with 90 or 120Hz refresh rates.
The Performance
But what exacerbates the problem is the Exynos 850 chipset, 6GB RAM and eMMC 5.1 storage. The combination doesn’t do the A13 any favors. Moving between app lists, sub menus or simply launching a new app, causes noticeable stuttering. It is only momentary, but is enough to be an annoyance especially when you’d like to access something in a hurry.
It feels as though the phone isn’t quite sure of what it wants to do, and as such takes a second or two to figure things out. This is a little disheartening, especially because the 6.6-inch display is large enough to allow users to be very productive with mobile apps. This is also true when entering split screen mode to view dual apps, side by side.
There’s a slight stutter before the A13 gets going. It tends to pick up speed half way through a task, which leads me to believe that the Exynos 850 isn’t the right chip for the phone. It’s possible that with 8GB RAM, things would improve slightly. However, if you’re focusing on single tasks, the effect is less noticeable.
But moving between apps, or doing more than a few tasks at once, will bog down the processor and cause a noticeable performance drop. This is why the A13 isn’t suited for most games. While simpler titles like Angry Birds and Subway Surfer might be playable, it’s not advisable to try more graphically intensive ones.
If you’d like to have a good user experience, stick with arcade style games and limit yourself to 1 or 2 tasks at a time. At this level, the phone is able to cooperate well and get things done without tripping over itself. This level of moderation will yield good results, and in turn, grant you an enjoyable user experience.
The Cameras
Samsung has given the A13 a 50MP (wide) main camera and 5MP (ultra-wide) one as well as a 2MP macro and depth sensors. There’s nothing to write home about, but when used with decent lighting, picture quality can be quite decent.
The 50MP sensor can capture respectable shots provided there’s a good amount of light directed at your subject and that you maintain a steady stance. The color and saturation of each shot is somewhat natural. There’s also an acceptable amount of detail between the background and foreground.
This provides a good sense of depth for scenic shots. To a certain degree, the phone is able to adequately capture the beauty and vibrancy of places without much post-processing work. It’s a testament to how far budget cameras have progressed in recent years. Said results are great for posting on social media platforms or sharing with friends.
For the best results, stick with the 50MP main sensor and ignore the 5MP ultra-wide one. The former is able to capture more of what you want without introducing unwanted artifacts. The latter is only good when used in broad daylight and with not much happening in the background.
In low lighting conditions, things seem to fall apart. Pictures appear a little grainy and under-exposed. The 50MP camera seems to struggle with striking a proper balance between brightness and saturation. With good camera positioning, the results are passable at best but nothing to boast about.
When using the A13 for photography, light is your best friend, and to yield decent results always ensure that you are positioned and shooting towards the light. When an ample amount of it hits your subjects, the phone is able to do its job well and capture the essence of a particular moment to create “artistic” results.
The 8MP front camera isn’t great for taking selfies. But the results can be improved if you have adequate lighting in the background. Keep in mind that it lacks the same post processing wizardry exhibited by higher-end Galaxy models. As such, don’t expect the phone to work miracles with an ill lit scene or subject.
The absence of optical image stabilization is a major point against the A13. This means you’ll need to be extra careful with your movements to avoid capturing blurry pictures. Said characteristics are exacerbated when it comes to videography. Sudden movements result in choppy and unfocused footage that isn’t great to watch.
For the best results, capture videos with a static pose and subjects that aren’t moving about too much. This way, you will be able to shoot decent footage with a good amount of exposure and sharpness. Like the photos, you’ll need the presence of good lighting to achieve the intended results.
Night time video taking is a serious “no no” here. In low light, you won’t be able to shoot usable videos. The results are grainy and choppy, which gets a lot worse when you constantly move the phone around. But with decent ambient lighting, results should improve. That’s why it’s best to shoot in environments where the backdrop is properly lit with fluorescent lights.
The Battery
Despite heavy usage when gaming, streaming content or shooting videos, the A13 doesn’t get uncomfortably warm to hold. This is a great sign for people who want a rugged phone that can keep up with their activities. Since it has a 5,000mAh battery, expect close to two days of battery life with moderate use.
In real world conditions and with heavy usage of social media and chatting apps, you should be able to use the phone for a day and a half without needing to recharge. But since it supports 15W fast charging technology, you should be able to get a full charge from a nearly depleted battery in slightly over two hours.
Should You Buy it?
The A13 is a bit of an enigma. It has the basic recipe of a great phone thanks to a bright and somewhat vivid 6.6-inch FHD+ display, rugged build, decent processor and 50MP rear camera.
But it falls short of the mark in several areas. This is especially true when trying to multitask or capture good picture/video quality.
This phone is best suited to people who are looking for a budget friendly device, that offers a decently large screen, offers great battery life and is able to accomplish basic smartphone tasks for social media use, streaming videos or chatting on WhatsApp. For everything else, including gaming, the A13 isn’t the best option.
