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MagyarSamsung Galaxy A12 review: Budget Samsung smartphone with NFC and huge battery life
With the Galaxy A12, the Korean manufacturer adds another entry-level model to its very successful A series. For an MSRP of 179 Euros (~$218), buyers of Samsung's 6.5-inch smartphone get an HD+ display with a waterdrop notch, a 5,000 mAh battery, and a quad-camera setup with a 48 MP main sensor.
The MediaTek MT6765 is used as SoC, which is supported by 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage in Germany. The latter can be expanded by up to 1 TB via a microSD card.
In this review, we will clarify how the Galaxy A12 compares with its very similar sibling, the Galaxy A21s, and the low-priced mid-range competition.
Possible contenders in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75.2 % | 02/2021 | Samsung Galaxy A12 Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320 | 205 g | 64 GB eMMC Flash | 6.50" | 1600x720 | |
| 81.8 % | 10/2020 | Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC SD 732G, Adreno 618 | 215 g | 64 GB UFS 2.0 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
| 76.4 % | 08/2020 | Samsung Galaxy A21s Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1 | 192 g | 32 GB eMMC Flash | 6.50" | 1600x720 | |
| 79.9 % | 09/2020 | Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2 | 199 g | 64 GB eMMC Flash | 6.53" | 2340x1080 | |
| 77.2 % | 01/2021 | OnePlus Nord N100 SD 460, Adreno 610 | 188 g | 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.52" | 1600x720 | |
| 76.7 % | 12/2020 | Alcatel 3X 2020 Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320 | 186 g | 128 GB eMMC Flash | 6.52" | 1600x720 |
Case - Samsung smartphone with notch
Samsung stays true to its line for the German market in terms of colors - similar to other Galaxy A models, buyers of the A12 only have a fairly limited choice of colors - you have to decide between a black and white version in Germany. The screen-to-body ratio is a good 86% for this price range thanks to the notch and relatively thin bezels around the 6.5-inch panel.
Workmanship is at a satisfactory level. Both the back and the frame are made of plastic. We like the slightly textured surface very much - considering the material type - and it gives the Galaxy phone a comfortable grip. The built-in buttons also sit firmly in the case, and the pressure points are pleasingly firm.
The A12 doesn't have an IP certification against dust and water, and the Korean manufacturer doesn't specify whether the mid-range phone is at least protected by a nanocoating.
Connectivity - Galaxy A12 with 3.5 mm jack
The Samsung smartphone's features include a dual-SIM function, an SD card slot, and a 3.5 mm audio jack. In addition, the A12 has a USB-C port at the bottom of the case based on the 2.0 standard, which allows USB OTG so that flash drives can be easily connected to the Samsung phone.
Video content from streaming services can be watched in HD quality with the Galaxy A12, since it has gone through the Widevine L1 certification process. Wireless transmission of display content to an external monitor via Miracast is also supported. The internal eMMC storage has a capacity of 64 GB, whereby 51 GB is already occupied by the system and preinstalled apps out of the box.
Software - Samsung phone with OneUI
At the time of testing, the Galaxy A12 is still based on Android 10 and has the security updates from November 2020. As usual, Samsung combines the Android system with its in-house user interface One UI (Core) 2.5, which also includes the smart assistant Bixby. According to the manufacturer, the affordable Samsung phone will receive an update to the latest Android version 11 and the newest One UI 3.0 in Q2/Q3 of this year.
Samsung's security environment Knox is integrated both into the software and the hardware of the Galaxy A12. However, the affordable mid-range model lacks the extra desktop mode that Samsung DeX provides.
Buyers of the Samsung phone have to put up with some preinstalled third-party apps, but they can be easily uninstalled - with the exception of Netflix.
Communication and GPS - Galaxy A12 with slow WLAN but with NFC
The inexpensive mid-range phone reveals some weaknesses when it comes to the home network. Since the Galaxy A12's WLAN module only supports the IEEE 802.11b/g/n standard, the Galaxy A model can only be used in the 2.4 GHz frequency band, and consequently, the transfer rates in our WLAN test are very low. In combination with our reference router, the Netgear Nighthawk AX12, we determine transfer rates of about 50 Mb/s, which isn't very good even for a smartphone in this price range.
Besides the slow Wi-Fi, the Korean manufacturer uses "real" dual SIM and Bluetooth 5.0 for the communication modules. An NFC chip for near-field communication and contactless payments is also on board.
As the Galaxy A12's price range already suggests, the Samsung phone only has access to the LTE network; a 5G modem for fast on-the-go Internet is not on board. The price range of the affordable mid-range smartphone is also evident in the number of supported LTE frequencies - it only supports access to a total of 10 LTE bands. All relevant frequencies are covered in Germany, but users of the Galaxy A12 should probably check the frequency coverage before going abroad.
In order to assess the positioning accuracy in practice, we track a route in parallel with a Garmin Edge 520 for comparison purposes. About 140 meters lie between the smartphone GPS module and the navigation device at the end of the four-kilometer test route. Therefore, the distance deviations aren't too big, and if the detailed course of the GPS tracking is evaluated, the Samsung phone is well-suited for navigating by car due to its solid positioning accuracy.
The Galaxy A12 uses the main satellite systems GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, and Galileo to determine its position with an accuracy of three meters. Even indoors, the positioning is quite accurate, but it's much slower, and the signal isn't very stable.
Telephone and call quality - Galaxy smartphone with VoLTE
The Galaxy A12 offers a solid earpiece quality. The person on the other end of the line sounds sufficiently loud and clear, and voices barely get distorted even at high volumes. However, according to the other party, the microphone sounds muffled. Skype video calls using the built-in front-facing camera also work without issues.
Despite the low price, one of the Samsung phone's features is the support of Voice over LTE (VoLTE), which allows voice calls via the 4G network. In addition, the Galaxy A12 uses Voice over Wi-Fi (WLAN calling), so that calls can also be made in places where no mobile network is available using the corresponding WLAN connection.
Cameras - Samsung smartphone with quad-camera setup
The camera module on the back of the Galaxy A12 offers an ultra wide-angle lens with a resolution of 5 MP in addition to a macro lens and a depth camera. The photos with a field of view of 123° have big problems with exposure, and the sharpness decreases visibly at the edges in particular. Nevertheless, the pictures taken with the 5 MP ultra wide-angle camera are at a very decent level for this price range.
The quad-camera setup's 48 MP main camera uses a maximum aperture of f/2.0 as well as EIS, and it supports pixel-binning. Image quality is also convincing for the most part, considering that the smartphone costs 160 Euros (~$195) - we've seen worse in this price range. The autofocus isn't always reliable, and exposure isn't always optimal, but the 12 MP pictures show a satisfactory image sharpness in daylight, and details are also reproduced quite well.
Clear compromises have to be made in terms of image sharpness in low light. Subjects look blurry, and bright areas are often overexposed, but the brightness in the pictures isn't bad for a budget mid-range phone.
The Galaxy phone is not at its best when it comes to video quality. Video can only be recorded at up to 30 fps in Full HD quality. Switching between the wide-angle and ultra wide-angle lenses during a recording isn't possible with the Galaxy A12.
The 8 MP camera, which is located in the punch hole on the front, is at most only adequate for social media content, even in bright light. Color accuracy is at a good level, but the captured selfies tend to be blurry and lack details.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Main cameraMain cameraLow-lightWide-angle camera
We examine the Galaxy A12's color reproduction under controlled lighting conditions. Compared to the actual reference tones, the colors reproduced by the mid-range phone are visibly brighter, and the color deviations are quite high. Especially white and black tones are displayed rather grayish with the Samsung phone.
Photos of the test chart reveal a solid image sharpness in the center area of the picture. Both the sharpness and contrast decrease visibly at the edges.
Accessories and warranty - The Galaxy A12 comes without bells and whistles
The Galaxy A12 comes with a modular 15-watt power adapter and a USB cable. The Samsung phone doesn't come with a protective case. In addition, the Korean manufacturer hasn't listed any special accessories in its online store so far.
There's a 24-month warranty after the purchase date.
Input devices and handling - Samsung smartphone with face unlock
The capacitive 60 Hz touchscreen is precise, and the screen's glass surface lets fingers reach every position reliably. Inputs made on the 6.5-inch IPS display are accurately implemented up to the touchscreen's corners.
The active fingerprint reader integrated into the frame unlocks the inexpensive mid-range phone reliably. However, the time it takes for the display to come out of standby mode could be shorter, because the sensor itself responds quite quickly. The face unlock feature with the front-facing camera also works reliably, but it's based on simple 2D face recognition.
Display - The Galaxy A12's LCD panel supports 60 Hz
The 20:9 PLS LCD display measures 6.5 inches diagonally and has a resolution of 1600x720 pixels. The resulting pixel density of less than 300 ppi is sufficient for everyday use and still satisfactory for this price range, despite the provided image sharpness being low. The Galaxy A12's panel looks quite blurry when small fonts are displayed in particular.
In terms of brightness, the Samsung smartphone performs solidly - we measure a maximum of 458 cd/m² on a white background. The more realistic APL50 measurement, which simulates an even distribution of bright and dark areas on the panel, shows only 440 cd/m² as well. Furthermore, the brightness distribution could be a bit more homogeneous.
Samsung uses pulse width modulation (PWM) to control the display brightness despite using an LC display. We detected flickering at brightness levels of 20% and below. However, the flickering frequency of 338 Hz is relatively high. In addition, the Galaxy A12 exhibits known weaknesses of the LC technology such as uneven illumination, especially at the upper display edge.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 458 cd/m²
Contrast: 864:1 (Black: 0.53 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.04 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 4.8 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
96.3% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.293
| Samsung Galaxy A12 PLS-LCD, 1600x720, 6.50 | Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC IPS, 2400x1080, 6.67 | Samsung Galaxy A21s PLS, 1600x720, 6.50 | Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 IPS LCD, 2340x1080, 6.53 | OnePlus Nord N100 IPS, 1600x720, 6.52 | Alcatel 3X 2020 IPS, 1600x720, 6.52 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 29% | -2% | 74% | 28% | 63% | |
| Brightness middle | 458 | 623 36% | 540 18% | 553 21% | 474 3% | 510 11% |
| Brightness | 427 | 600 41% | 509 19% | 527 23% | 456 7% | 491 15% |
| Brightness Distribution | 85 | 93 9% | 91 7% | 89 5% | 86 1% | 92 8% |
| Black Level * | 0.53 | 0.54 -2% | 0.36 32% | 0.12 77% | 0.35 34% | 0.09 83% |
| Contrast | 864 | 1154 34% | 1500 74% | 4608 433% | 1354 57% | 5667 556% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 4.04 | 1.8 55% | 6.58 -63% | 3.8 6% | 2.7 33% | 6 -49% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 6.84 | 4.7 31% | 11.55 -69% | 8.7 -27% | 4.89 29% | 11.9 -74% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4.8 | 3.3 31% | 6.4 -33% | 2.2 54% | 1.9 60% | 6.9 -44% |
| Gamma | 2.293 96% | 2.26 97% | 2.206 100% | 2.3 96% | 2.31 95% | 2.31 95% |
| CCT | 7535 86% | 6712 97% | 8482 77% | 6727 97% | 6430 101% | 7971 82% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 337.8 Hz | ≤ 20 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 337.8 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 20 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 337.8 Hz is relatively high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. However, there are reports that some users are still sensitive to PWM at 500 Hz and above, so be aware. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17900 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
The PLS-based panel achieves a relatively poor black level of 0.53 cd/m² in our display measurements, so that contrast is clearly below 1,000:1. In our display color analysis, which we perform with the help of a spectrophotometer and the CalMAN software, the Galaxy A12 shows some improvement, but the deviations in colors (4) and grayscales (4.8) are also relatively high here - but the differences compared to the ideal range of less than 3 are absolutely acceptable for this product class. The panel's color temperature is also calibrated solidly at around 7,500 K. Moreover, it's not possible to adjust the color preferences or color temperature in the settings menus of Samsung's OneUI Core.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 40 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 19 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 21 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 97 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 64 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 31 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 33 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 97 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms). | ||
Outdoors, the Galaxy phone leaves a mixed impression. While the low contrast and relatively low brightness are absolutely sufficient in wintry weather conditions, the Galaxy A12 reaches its limits in direct sunshine. In the summer, it will be almost impossible to read the Galaxy phone's screen without using your hands to shade it. Furthermore, it's worth noting that the Samsung phone's oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating, which is supposed to reduce fingerprints on the screen, isn't particularly effective.
The brightness drop is clearly noticeable when the LC panel is tilted a bit, but colors are relatively stable from flat viewing angles. Under normal viewing conditions, there are hardly any losses in color accuracy.
Performance - Samsung smartphone without much performance
The MediaTek MT6765 Helio P35 is a 2018 SoC that integrates eight ARM Cortex-A53 cores into two clusters. Four performance cores clock at up to 2.3 GHz, while the power-saving cluster runs at 1.8 GHz. Thanks to Heterogeneous Multiprocessing, both clusters can be used together. The integrated graphics card is a PowerVR GE8320 that has a clock speed of 680 MHz.
The Helio P35 in combination with 4 GB of RAM ensures solid system performance in everyday use. Application loading times are quite prominent due to the slow eMMC storage, and brief lags are an everyday occurrence. Particularly on Internet websites where a lot of content has to be loaded, scrolling is very choppy. The Galaxy A12's One UI also takes a few seconds to think in complex apps or when processes are being executed in the background.
The MediaTek CPU places itself in the back row in our benchmark package. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 in the OnePlus Nord N100 and even the in-house Samsung Exynos 850 in the A21s have more power than the Galaxy A12.
| GFXBench 3.1 | |
| on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A12 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s | |
| OnePlus Nord N100 | |
| Average Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765 (6 - 14, n=6) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 158, n=185, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A12 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s | |
| OnePlus Nord N100 | |
| Average Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765 (5.8 - 8.1, n=6) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 279, n=185, last 2 years) | |
| AnTuTu v8 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A12 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s | |
| OnePlus Nord N100 | |
| Average Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765 (101535 - 109518, n=4) | |
| Jetstream 2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 351, n=173, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC (Chrome 85) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 (Chrome 85) | |
| OnePlus Nord N100 (Chrome 87) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s (Chrome 84) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A12 (Chrome 88) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765 (13.6 - 17.3, n=4) | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC (Chrome 85) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 (Chrome 85) | |
| OnePlus Nord N100 (Chrome 87) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s (Chrome 84) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765 (23.8 - 31.3, n=5) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A12 (Chrome 88) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
| Average of class Smartphone (14.9 - 445, n=157, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC (Chrome 85) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 (Chrome 85) | |
| OnePlus Nord N100 (Chome 87) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s (Chome 84) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765 (13.7 - 16, n=4) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A12 (Chrome 88) | |
| WebXPRT 3 - Overall | |
| Average of class Smartphone (39 - 304, n=122, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC (Chrome 85) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 (Chrome 85) | |
| OnePlus Nord N100 (Chrome 87) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s (Chrome 84) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A12 (Chrome 88) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765 (29 - 36, n=4) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=211, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC (Chrome 85) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 (Chrome 85) | |
| OnePlus Nord N100 (Chrome 87) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s (Chrome 84) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765 (4347 - 5543, n=5) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A12 (Chrome 88) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Samsung Galaxy A12 (Chrome 88) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765 (9756 - 11323, n=5) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s (Chrome 84) | |
| OnePlus Nord N100 (Chrome 87) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 (Chrome 85) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC (Chrome 85) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=173, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
| Samsung Galaxy A12 | Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC | Samsung Galaxy A21s | Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 | OnePlus Nord N100 | Alcatel 3X 2020 | Average 64 GB eMMC Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 56% | 20% | 53% | 63% | -11% | -8% | 439% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 269.7 | 506 88% | 307 14% | 306.6 14% | 504 87% | 288.9 7% | 273 ? 1% | 1505 ? 458% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 211.6 | 173.1 -18% | 104.3 -51% | 248.1 17% | 219 3% | 185.7 -12% | 176.8 ? -16% | 1112 ? 426% |
| Random Read 4KB | 65.4 | 123.4 89% | 77.2 18% | 65.1 0% | 106.1 62% | 65.7 0% | 59.1 ? -10% | 247 ? 278% |
| Random Write 4KB | 39.1 | 112.6 188% | 89.5 129% | 146.9 276% | 120.8 209% | 11.49 -71% | 31.7 ? -19% | 271 ? 593% |
| Sequential Read 256KB SDCard | 77.4 ? | 75.2 ? -3% | 80 ? 3% | 84.4 ? 9% | 85.2 ? 10% | 82.8 ? 7% | 77.4 ? 0% | |
| Sequential Write 256KB SDCard | 61.6 ? | 55.6 ? -10% | 66.4 ? 8% | 63.5 ? 3% | 64.3 ? 4% | 63.3 ? 3% | 58.3 ? -5% |
Games - The Galaxy A12 is not suitable for gamers
The graphics performance of the PowerVR GE8320 doesn't offer enough graphics power to ensure that demanding games can be played smoothly at 30 fps - we use the GameBench app to determine our frame rates.
The racing game Asphalt 9 Legends repeatedly shows frame-rate drops even at low details, but it's playable. However, the Galaxy A12 reaches its limits if you choose the best graphics settings. The shooter PUBG Mobile is rendered relatively consistently at 30 fps at minimum details. However, it's impossible to get a completely smooth experience close to the native refresh rate of the 60 Hz panel. High graphics settings can't be selected with the Samsung phone.
The integrated position sensors work without problems when playing games, and the touchscreen works accurately for the most part. Nevertheless, we occasionally had to tap the screen several times in the test so that actions were executed in PUBG Mobile. It should also be noted that the Galaxy A12's lack of sensors limits the game selection to some extent - some games can't be played without a compass and gyroscope.
PUBG Mobile and Asphalt 9 Legends
Emissions - The Samsung smartphone gets warm
Temperature
The Samsung phone barely heats up with moderate load in everyday use, but heat development is very irregular when the Galaxy A12 is subjected to stress. It actually stays comparatively cool in the area of the front-facing camera, while the lower part of the case heats up noticeably at over 43 °C (~109 °F).
However, heat development inside the inexpensive mid-range phone is the more interesting aspect. We use the battery test of the app GFXBench to examine the Samsung smartphone's heat generation during continuous load. The Manhattan 3.1 test clearly shows that frame rates remain relatively stable with increasing load, making performance drops under load unlikely.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.7 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 43.2 °C / 110 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.6 °C / 87 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Speaker
The Galaxy A12's built-in mono speaker is sufficiently loud at 81 dB, but there are mid-range models in this price range that are much louder and also sound better. Sound is characterized by less linear mids, marginally present highs, and hardly any bass.
In contrast, the Samsung phone's 3.5 mm audio jack leaves a better impression. The sound output is clean, loud, and with only little noise. The SBC, AAC, aptX, and LDAC codecs are available for wireless music playback via Bluetooth 5.0.
Samsung Galaxy A12 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 63% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 63% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 63% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (119.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 86% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 4% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 96% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 1% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (89.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 24.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.9% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.4% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 11% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 82% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 32% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 61% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Battery life - Galaxy A12 with 5,000 mAh battery
Energy consumption
The Samsung smartphone doesn't support wireless charging, but at least fast charging at up to 15 watts is supported. As a result, the charging process takes a bit over 120 minutes when the battery is completely depleted.
The Galaxy A12's power consumption shows no issues overall. Samsung's phone requires comparatively little energy in idle mode, while consumption peaks are pronounced under load.
| Off / Standby |   0 / 0.1 Watt |
| Idle |  1.1 / 1.6 / 2.6 Watt |
| Load |
4.5 / 6.4 Watt |
    
| |
| Samsung Galaxy A12 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC 5160 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A21s 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 5020 mAh | OnePlus Nord N100 5000 mAh | Alcatel 3X 2020 5000 mAh | Average Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765 | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -14% | -17% | 5% | 15% | 37% | 11% | 2% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 1.1 | 0.93 15% | 1.5 -36% | 0.74 33% | 0.56 49% | 0.55 50% | 0.932 ? 15% | 0.897 ? 18% |
| Idle Average * | 1.6 | 2.47 -54% | 2.1 -31% | 2.17 -36% | 1.8 -13% | 1.47 8% | 1.892 ? -18% | 1.452 ? 9% |
| Idle Maximum * | 2.6 | 2.51 3% | 2.9 -12% | 2.2 15% | 2.3 12% | 1.64 37% | 2.23 ? 14% | 1.629 ? 37% |
| Load Average * | 4.5 | 5.62 -25% | 4.6 -2% | 4.17 7% | 3.9 13% | 2.32 48% | 3.3 ? 27% | 5.55 ? -23% |
| Load Maximum * | 6.4 | 6.93 -8% | 6.6 -3% | 6.11 5% | 5.6 12% | 3.7 42% | 5.2 ? 19% | 8.31 ? -30% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery life
The built-in 5,000 mAh battery provides very long runtimes in our battery tests. With very similar hardware, the Galaxy A21s sibling model runs out of power about 5 hours earlier in our WLAN test. The Galaxy A12 is also enduring under load with over 5:30 hours.
| Samsung Galaxy A12 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC 5160 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A21s 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 5020 mAh | OnePlus Nord N100 5000 mAh | Alcatel 3X 2020 5000 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -8% | -16% | -13% | -7% | 10% | |
| Reader / Idle | 3743 | 2427 -35% | 2009 -46% | 2294 -39% | 2513 -33% | |
| H.264 | 887 | 1188 34% | 1087 23% | 1116 26% | 1206 36% | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 1288 | 1116 -13% | 943 -27% | 867 -33% | 1149 -11% | 1417 10% |
| Load | 336 | 280 -17% | 287 -15% | 314 -7% | 267 -21% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict on the Samsung Galaxy A12 - We would have liked to see a few more changes
With the Galaxy A12, Samsung has succeeded in creating a solid smartphone in the lower price segment. The mid-range phone, which was quite modest in our test, takes decent pictures with the main camera, is well built, and we also like the textured surface on the back. The very long battery life and good features including One UI and Samsung Knox are also on the Galaxy A12's plus side.
However, the Samsung phone shares these positive features with the Galaxy A21s that we already reviewed. We barely see any noteworthy progress between the 2021 and the 2020 model; partly the opposite is rather the case, because the latter has considerably faster WLAN and a somewhat faster SoC - in addition, the A21s is supposed to get the One UI 3 interface as well.
The Galaxy A12 was a bit dull in our test. We can only hope that Samsung will also use AMOLEDs in the inexpensive A models in the future.
If the Galaxy A12's limitations are not a deciding factor, you should consider Samsung's inexpensive smartphone in your purchase decision. However, other smartphones in this price range, such as the Redmi Note 9, show that a bit more could have been achieved even with this low budget.
Price and availability
There are several listings for the Samsung Galaxy A12 on Amazon that range between around $180 and $200. For example, there's unlocked 128 GB versions in black ($187.50), blue (~$187), and white ($199.99). You can also find a red 64 GB version bundled with a 64 GB microSD card for $199.99.
Samsung Galaxy A12
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02/15/2021 v7
Marcus Herbrich
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