Verdict - Samsung Galaxy A17 5G
The Galaxy A17 5G is a relatively small update compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy A16 5G. Nevertheless, it's still an affordable and feature-packed smartphone that's well-suited for everyday use.
It's a bit annoying that Samsung has immediately restricted its six-year update promise by making it less of a promise and more of a goal. There may be good reasons for this, such as uncertainties regarding driver compatibility with future Android versions, but it still leaves a bitter aftertaste.
We are impressed by the sturdy chassis, which even has Gorilla Glass Victus protecting the screen. Samsung has also tweaked the weight and dimensions a bit, making the phone even more compact than before.
Why the battery life of devices with Exynos SoCs is always shorter than that of the competition is a mystery that Samsung ought to finally solve. The Galaxy A17 5G also offers poorer battery life than many comparable phones.
The performance is acceptable for everyday use, and the manufacturer has optimized the power consumption a bit. We like the precise positioning and the decent speaker sound. The very bright AMOLED is also a strong selling point in this price range.
Overall, the Galaxy A17 5G is recommendable. However, you shouldn't rely too much on that update promise.
Pros
Cons
Price and availability
The phone is already available from many retailers, with prices starting at just under $230.
That's about the same price as Amazon.com charges for the entry-level (128GB version) smartphone.
Table of Contents
- Verdict - Samsung Galaxy A17 5G
- Specifications
- Case – Robust with Gorilla Glass
- Features – More RAM would have been nice
- Software – The update promise sounds great
- Communication and GNSS – 5G and averagely fast Wi-Fi
- Telephone functions and voice quality – The Galaxy phone lets us be heard
- Cameras – Good lenses for little money
- Accessories and warranty - 2-year peace of mind
- Input devices and operation – A speedy display and decent biometrics
- Display – AMOLED is a Galaxy phone highlight
- Performance – Not much new
- Games – Lower scale gaming
- Emissions – Stays cool and hardly throttles
- Battery runtime – It could do better
- Notebookcheck overall rating
- Possible alternatives compared
Judging by sales figures, many people own one of Samsung's A series smartphones. The Galaxy A17 5G is likely to be particularly popular again, as it's also very affordable: It features the fastest mobile network standard currently available, and the manufacturer promises us long-term updates.
Add to that a simple yet reasonably high-quality exterior, and it's bound to be a best-seller, right? Well, there are plenty of discussion points regarding this entry-level phone, so let's get started with a detailed analysis.
Specifications
Case – Robust with Gorilla Glass
The Galaxy A17 5G is presented to buyers with rounded corners and a matte back. Unlike its predecessor, the Galaxy A16 5G, the camera lenses on the back of the device now share a common frame.
The chassis is slightly thinner and a few grams lighter than its predecessor. The matte back is quite susceptible to fingerprints, and these are particularly visible on our dark gray model. Additional color options are light gray and medium blue.
Unchanged from last year, the case is IP54 water and dust resistant. This results in a fairly good level of protection from foreign objects, but you shouldn't immerse the splash-resistant phone in liquids.
The chassis is very stable, with nothing creaking or bending. Overall, the phone appears very compact and durable. Similar to its predecessor, the very robust Gorilla Glass Victus has been installed on the front to protect the screen.
Features – More RAM would have been nice
Samsung has equipped its entry-level phone with a meager 4GB of RAM. UFS 2.2 flash storage is used for storage and comes in either 128GB or 256GB sizes. The price difference is about $30.
Unfortunately, the headphone jack has been removed since last year's model. Audio output is handled via the USB-C port, which is internally connected according to the USB 2.0 standard and therefore only allows for relatively slow data transfers. There's also an NFC interface, which provides support for contactless payments.
An eSIM is still not supported, but up to two nano-SIMs are.
microSD card reader
You can also insert just one SIM card, with the other slot being used for storage expansion via a microSD card instead. Samsung has actually installed a pretty fast reader here, as you can see in our tests with our reference microSD card, the Angelbird V60.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G (Angelbird AV Pro V60) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G (Angelbird V60) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi 14C (Angelbird V60) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (5.72 - 58.9, n=62, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G (Angelbird AV Pro V60) | |
| Motorola Moto G15 (Angelbird V60) | |
Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)
Software – The update promise sounds great
Android 15 serves as the basis for Samsung's OneUI, which significantly changes the operating system and also brings many system apps to the party, such as the photo gallery, in addition to the standard Google apps. The security patches are from September 2025 and are therefore up-to-date at the time of reviewing.
Samsung's promise of security updates for this affordable smartphone until 2031 is excellent, and these will be released quarterly. In addition, six operating system updates are also planned, which would bring it up to Android 21.
However, Samsung adds the suffix "up to," which puts the whole promise in perspective. The fine print also states: "The above operating system and security update policies are subject to change."
Sustainability
Data regarding the Samsung Galaxy A17 5G's CO2 emissions is not available. Samsung only reports a 1.2% recycled content share, and only 12.2% of the phone's materials are recyclable.
The Samsung Galaxy A17 5G hasn't yet appeared in any of Samsung's self-repair databases, since the phone is still quite new.
The packaging is made entirely of paper.
Communication and GNSS – 5G and averagely fast Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 5 is once again the fastest Wi-Fi standard, but unfortunately, the data speeds don't quite match the previous smartphone's performance. In particular, in our test with the Asus ROG Rapture AXE11000 reference router, we saw significant drops, sometimes dipping below 200 Mbps. That sort of speed is still stable enough for everyday browsing, but anyone wishing to take advantage of its gigabit performance will have to look elsewhere.
This review covers the 5G version of the Galaxy A17, but the smartphone is also available with a 4G modem and a different SoC. A review of this model will follow soon. Our current review device has enough 4G and 5G bands available for use abroad, but the Galaxy A17 5G isn't a world phone.
Compared to high-end phones, reception is often somewhat weaker, especially in challenging environments such as narrow alleys.
| Networking | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Motorola Moto G15 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi 14C | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Average 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Average of class Smartphone | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
Outdoors, the tracking system located us with an accuracy of up to 3 meters, but this occasionally took some time.
Our practical location tracking test is a bike ride, for which we are also accompanied by the very precise Garmin Venu 2 smartwatch.
In this test, the Samsung Galaxy A17 5G proved itself to be almost exemplary. Apart from a few minor deviations from the route, everything was tracked accurately.
This means we can recommend this affordable Samsung smartphone as a replacement for a navigation system.
Telephone functions and voice quality – The Galaxy phone lets us be heard
As long as your mobile provider supports it, you can enable Wi-Fi calling in Samsung's phone app. VoLTE can be found in the connection settings.
We made several calls to test the Galaxy A17 5G's voice quality, and noticed that our voice was transmitted quite clearly, while the other person sounded a bit muffled. When we activated the hands-free microphone and speaker, we were still easily understood, although our caller noted a slight echo.
Cameras – Good lenses for little money
Samsung hasn't changed the camera setup compared to either the Galaxy A16 5G or the Galaxy A15 5G. But that's not absolutely necessary, because for under $230, the Galaxy A17 still offers a 50-megapixel main lens that takes decent photos in good light.
Sure, the images don't quite match the cameras found in high-end smartphones in terms of detail and dynamic range. But the color reproduction and sharpness are quite impressive.
Videos can be recorded at a maximum of 1080p and 30fps. The autofocus is a bit sluggish at times, but overall, the image quality is still decent.
For additional flexibility, there's also a 5-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens and a 2-megapixel macro camera. Don't expect extreme detail from either of them - the resolution is simply too low for that. There's also no continuous zoom between the different focal lengths, meaning you can only switch manually.
The front camera has a resolution of 13 megapixels and takes pretty decent selfies, although the details can appear a bit patchy.
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 camera plantMain camera environmentMain camera low lightWide-angle camera
At first glance, the test chart appears quite clean on the main camera under full studio lighting. In detail, the text's blurred edges become apparent against the brown background. Sharpness at the edges of the image decreases somewhat.
At 1 lux, the subject is still recognizable, but very blurry.
Accessories and warranty - 2-year peace of mind
In the box, besides the phone, you will only find a USB-C cable and a SIM tool.
Samsung offers a 24-month warranty on its smartphones.
Input devices and operation – A speedy display and decent biometrics
The Galaxy A17 5G's 90 Hz display is a real highlight that is responsible for smooth operation.
The volume rocker and power button are located on the right-hand side of the case. They are easy to find with your fingers, partly because Samsung has slightly raised the case here.
The power button has a fingerprint sensor integrated inside it, which reliably recognizes fingerprints once paired. This allows you to quickly unlock the smartphone, even when the screen is off.
You can also log in using the front camera and 2D facial recognition, and the screen provides sufficient illumination in low-light conditions.
Display – AMOLED is a Galaxy phone highlight
Unusually, Samsung has fitted its affordable, entry-level smartphone with an AMOLED display. The high resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels is also impressive, allowing the 6.7-inch display to display content sharply. The pixel density is 385 PPI.
The achievable brightness levels are also impressive, with up to 691 cd/m² possible, and even up to 1144 cd/m² is achievable with less bright area on the screen. That's quite an achievement in this price range.
We measured a PWM frequency of 120 Hz at low brightness. This is adjusted according to the frame rate and may therefore be less disruptive for sensitive users. However, we recommend testing the display before splashing the cash if you know there might be a problem.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 92 %
Center on Battery: 691 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE ColorChecker Calman: 3.15 | ∀{0.5-29.43 Ø4.81}
ΔE Greyscale Calman: 3.6 | ∀{0.09-98 Ø5.1}
99.8% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.041
CCT: 6507 K
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.7" | Samsung Galaxy A16 5G Super AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.7" | Motorola Moto G15 IPS, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Xiaomi Redmi 14C IPS, 1640x720, 6.9" | Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.7" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 15% | -1% | -18% | 40% | |
| Brightness middle (cd/m²) | 691 | 739 7% | 468 -32% | 422 -39% | 1147 66% |
| Brightness (cd/m²) | 672 | 741 10% | 452 -33% | 401 -40% | 1146 71% |
| Brightness Distribution (%) | 92 | 97 5% | 86 -7% | 89 -3% | 96 4% |
| Black Level * (cd/m²) | 0.3 | 0.3 | |||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.15 | 2.6 17% | 2.07 34% | 3.21 -2% | 1.6 49% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 4.41 | 3.8 14% | 6.38 -45% | 6.29 -43% | 3.7 16% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 3.6 | 2.2 39% | 0.8 78% | 2.9 19% | 2.3 36% |
| Gamma | 2.041 108% | 2.04 108% | 2.202 100% | 2.382 92% | 2.27 97% |
| CCT | 6507 100% | 6327 103% | 6607 98% | 6338 103% | 6368 102% |
| Contrast (:1) | 1560 | 1407 |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 120 Hz Amplitude: 14 % |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 120 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 120 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8228 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
A series of measurements with a fixed zoom level and different brightness settings (The amplitude curve at minimum brightness appears flat, but this is due to the scaling. The enlarged version of the amplitude at minimum brightness can be seen in the info box.)
Using the "Natural" color profile, the Galaxy A17 5G displays slightly bright colors, but no color tint. Overall, colors and grayscale are displayed quite accurately, with the difference barely noticeable to the naked eye.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 19.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 1.5 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 17.9 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 41 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (20.4 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 3.7 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 1.8 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1.9 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 13 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (31.8 ms). | ||
The AMOLED's high brightness helps the smartphone provide high legibility even in bright environments.
Even very narrow viewing angles don't distort the color or brightness.
Performance – Not much new
Like its predecessor, the Galaxy A17 5G relies on an Exynos 1330 for its SoC. The benchmark results are slightly higher this time, but this is likely due to software optimizations.
Overall, the review device is fast for an entry-level phone in this price range, but it quickly runs into problems with more demanding apps. Even in everyday use, it occasionally stutters when navigating menus or performing simple animations.
And only relatively limited processing power is available for AI calculations.
| UL Procyon AI Inference for Android - Overall Score NNAPI | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3769 - 81594, n=136, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 1330 (5095 - 5194, n=2) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G15 | |
| AImark - Score v3.x | |
| Average of class Smartphone (82 - 307528, n=124, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 1330 (293 - 362, n=2) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| Geekbench AI | |
| Single Precision NPU 1.4 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (153 - 1176, n=29, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 1330 (n=1) | |
| Half Precision NPU 1.4 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (178 - 5178, n=29, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 1330 (n=1) | |
| Quantized NPU 1.4 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (133 - 4983, n=29, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 1330 (n=1) | |
The SoC's graphics unit is fast enough for simple 3D applications, but more complex effects significantly impact frame rates. For example, in GFXBench, only simple benchmarks run at higher than 30fps.
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7: T-Rex Onscreen | 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen
GFXBench 3.0: on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL | 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen
GFXBench 3.1: on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen
GFXBench: on screen Car Chase Onscreen | 1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | 2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | 3840x2160 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme Unlimited | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G15 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi 14C | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G15 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi 14C | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Unlimited Score | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G15 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi 14C | |
| 3DMark / Solar Bay Score | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| 3DMark / Solar Bay Unlimited Score | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| 3DMark / Steel Nomad Light Unlimited Score | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| 3DMark / Steel Nomad Light Score | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Onscreen | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G15 | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G15 | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / Manhattan Onscreen OGL | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G15 | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / 1080p Manhattan Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G15 | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G15 | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G15 | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Onscreen | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G15 | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G15 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi 14C | |
| Motorola Moto G15 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi 14C | |
| Motorola Moto G15 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi 14C | |
| Motorola Moto G15 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi 14C | |
| Motorola Moto G15 | |
| GFXBench / 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G15 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi 14C | |
Although browsing the internet can feel a bit slow at times on the Galaxy A17 5G, other entry-level phones are sometimes considerably slower.
| Jetstream 2 - 2.0 Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 387, n=149, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G (Chrome 133.0.6943.49) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G (Chrome 131.0.6778.200) | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 1330 (97.7 - 99.8, n=2) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G (Chrome 140) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
| Average of class Smartphone (15.2 - 621, n=131, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G (Chrome 140) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G (Chrome 133.0.6943.49) | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 1330 (87.6 - 114, n=2) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G (Chrome 131.0.6778.200) | |
| Motorola Moto G15 (Chrome 134) | |
| Speedometer 3.0 - Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (7.07 - 41.7, n=118, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G (Chrome 140) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G (Chrome 133.0.6943.49) | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 1330 (4.98 - 7.07, n=2) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G (Chrome 131.0.6778.200) | |
| Motorola Moto G15 (Chrome 134) | |
| WebXPRT 4 - Overall | |
| Average of class Smartphone (27 - 302, n=144, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G (Chrome 133.0.6943.49) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G (Chrome 131.0.6778.200) | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 1330 (102 - 109, n=2) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G (Chrome 140) | |
| Motorola Moto G15 (Chrome 134) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 119218, n=197, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G (Chrome 133.0.6943.49) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G (Chrome 131.0.6778.200) | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 1330 (30119 - 33085, n=2) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G (Chrome 140) | |
| Motorola Moto G15 (Chrome 134) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi 14C (Chrome 131) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Motorola Moto G15 (Chrome 134) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (263 - 28190, n=152, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G (Chrome 131.0.6778.200) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G (Chrome 133.0.6943.49) | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 1330 (1055 - 1184, n=2) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G (Chrome 140) | |
* ... smaller is better
The UFS 2.2 storage ensures reasonably acceptable loading times and also speeds up data transfers somewhat.
However, it must be noted that the predecessor's storage controller did a better job.
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | Motorola Moto G15 | Xiaomi Redmi 14C | Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | Average 128 GB eMMC Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 31% | -2% | -6% | 218% | -16% | 478% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB (MB/s) | 528.2 | 529.46 0% | 287.7 -46% | 300.9 -43% | 950.62 80% | 297 ? -44% | 2222 ? 321% |
| Sequential Write 256KB (MB/s) | 170.7 | 273.75 60% | 228.5 34% | 193.1 13% | 792.56 364% | 195.2 ? 14% | 1822 ? 967% |
| Random Read 4KB (MB/s) | 134.7 | 206.73 53% | 65.2 -52% | 88.6 -34% | 257.91 91% | 85.2 ? -37% | 295 ? 119% |
| Random Write 4KB (MB/s) | 56.4 | 62.47 11% | 87.4 55% | 78.9 40% | 245.16 335% | 57.9 ? 3% | 340 ? 503% |
Games – Lower scale gaming
Anyone who enjoys demanding games won't have their needs met by the Samsung Galaxy A17 5G.
While the performance is sufficient for casual games with straightforward graphics, our test games, Genshin Impact and PUBG Mobile, only achieved around 30-40fps, and even then, there were dropped frames and stuttering.
We measured the frame rates using the GameBench software.
Emissions – Stays cool and hardly throttles
Temperature
The heat production on the surface of the case is not problematic, with temperatures reaching up to 43.8°C even under load.
And the 3DMark stress tests show us that the system doesn't need to throttle during extended load operation to keep the internal temperature at an acceptable level.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 43.8 °C / 111 F, compared to the average of 35.2 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 247 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 44.7 °C / 112 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.2 °C / 74 F, compared to the device average of 32.9 °C / 91 F.
3DMark Stress Tests
| 3DMark | |
| Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G15 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi 14C | |
| Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G15 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi 14C | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | |
| Steel Nomad Light Stress Test Stability | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | |
Speakers
You will have to make do with a single speaker on the bottom edge. Although it can get quite loud, it always sounds a bit treble-heavy.
Nevertheless, the sound quality is quite acceptable, especially for such an inexpensive smartphone. The speaker doesn't clip even at maximum volume.
External audio devices can be connected via USB-C or Bluetooth. Codecs available for wireless transmission include SBC, AAC, aptX, LDAC, and the Samsung Seamless Codec (SSC), but other smartphones offer a wider selection.
Samsung Galaxy A17 5G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (89.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 24.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 7.6% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (22.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 49% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 44% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 35%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 67% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 28% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (91.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 24.4% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (3.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 8.7% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 23% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 68% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 35%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 44% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 49% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Battery runtime – It could do better
Power consumption
In our power consumption tests, the Galaxy A17 5G displayed a significantly different energy appetite than its predecessor: The minimum power consumption is still quite similar, but in idle mode, the current model is significantly more economical compared to the Galaxy A16 5G.
Under load, however, slightly more power is required to deliver good performance.
It looks like Samsung has made improvements here to get a bit more performance out of the SoC while simultaneously optimizing power consumption under light load.
| Off / Standby |   0.1 / 0.2 Watt |
| Idle |  1 / 1.3 / 1.6 Watt |
| Load |
4.9 / 8.1 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G 5000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A16 5G 5000 mAh | Motorola Moto G15 5200 mAh | Xiaomi Redmi 14C 5160 mAh | Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G 5110 mAh | Average Samsung Exynos 1330 | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -14% | 8% | -1% | -7% | -16% | ||
| Idle Minimum * (Watt) | 1 | 1.19 -19% | 0.6 40% | 1.15 -15% | 1.095 ? -10% | 0.855 ? 14% | |
| Idle Average * (Watt) | 1.3 | 2.14 -65% | 1.3 -0% | 1.55 -19% | 1.72 ? -32% | 1.421 ? -9% | |
| Idle Maximum * (Watt) | 1.6 | 2.17 -36% | 1.6 -0% | 1.57 2% | 1.885 ? -18% | 1.59 ? 1% | |
| Load Average * (Watt) | 4.9 | 3.11 37% | 4.7 4% | 3.87 21% | 4.01 ? 18% | 7.27 ? -48% | |
| Load Maximum * (Watt) | 8.1 | 7.15 12% | 8.5 -5% | 7.66 5% | 7.63 ? 6% | 11.2 ? -38% |
* ... smaller is better
Power consumption: Geekbench (150 cd/m²)
Power consumption: GFXbench (150 cd/m²)
Battery life
Overall, the Samsung Galaxy A17 5G also draws rather mediocre battery life from its 5,000 mAh battery. 13 hours 14 minutes of Wi-Fi surfing is more than its predecessor, but at the same time, relatively short compared to other entry-level smartphones.
4 hours 30 minutes of battery life is possible under load scenarios, such as gaming.
The battery can be charged at up to 25 watts. This means a full charging cycle takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Our review device did not come with a charger, but the Galaxy A17 5G battery can be easily topped up with all the chargers we tested.
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G 5000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A16 5G 5000 mAh | Motorola Moto G15 5200 mAh | Xiaomi Redmi 14C 5160 mAh | Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G 5110 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -1% | 13% | 23% | 4% | |
| Reader / Idle (h) | 33.7 | 34.5 2% | 29.8 -12% | 30 -11% | |
| H.264 (h) | 17.9 | 18.7 4% | 19.8 11% | 17 -5% | |
| WiFi v1.3 (h) | 13.2 | 12.4 -6% | 17 29% | 16.3 23% | 12.9 -2% |
| Load (h) | 4.5 | 4.4 -2% | 5.5 22% | 6 33% |
Notebookcheck overall rating
On paper, the Samsung Galaxy A17 5G comes with a great six-year update promise, but the manufacturer's wording unfortunately restricts this somewhat.
In essence, however, the phone is a high-quality entry-level phone with decent features.
Samsung Galaxy A17 5G
- 09/25/2025 v8
Florian Schmitt
Total Sustainability Score: Possible alternatives compared
Image | Model / Review | Price | Weight | Drive | Display |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. 73.3%  | Samsung Galaxy A17 5G Samsung Exynos 1330 ⎘ ARM Mali-G68 MP2 ⎘ 4 GB Memory, 128 GB eMMC | Amazon: $252.00 List Price: 209€ | 192 g | 128 GB eMMC Flash | 6.70" 2340x1080 385 PPI AMOLED |
2. 73.1%  | Samsung Galaxy A16 5G Samsung Exynos 1330 ⎘ ARM Mali-G68 MP2 ⎘ 4 GB Memory, 128 GB UFS 2.1 | Amazon: $224.00 List Price: 200€ | 200 g | 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.70" 2340x1080 385 PPI Super AMOLED |
3. 72.3%  | Motorola Moto G15 Mediatek Helio G81 ⎘ ARM Mali-G52 MP2 ⎘ 4 GB Memory, 128 GB eMMC | Amazon: $133.00 List Price: 150€ | 190 g | 128 GB eMMC Flash | 6.72" 2400x1080 392 PPI IPS |
4. 70.7%  | Xiaomi Redmi 14C Mediatek Helio G81 Ultra ⎘ ARM Mali-G52 MP2 ⎘ 4 GB Memory, 128 GB eMMC | Amazon: $134.09 List Price: 150€ | 211 g | 128 GB eMMC Flash | 6.88" 1640x720 260 PPI IPS |
5. 75.4%  | Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G MediaTek Dimensity 7025 ⎘ IMG BXM-8-256 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 256 GB UFS 2.1 | Amazon: 1. $6.99 Natbok 2+2 Pack 3D Screen Pr... 2. $3.59 Anoowkoa 2 Pack for Redmi No... 3. $11.99 Ibywind Screen Protector For... | 190 g | 256 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.67" 2400x1080 395 PPI AMOLED |
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The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was provided to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or retailer for the purpose of this review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. We never accept compensation or payment in return for our reviews. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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