Flexible camera system for under $200: Why this Samsung smartphone won us over

Those who purchase a smartphone such as the Samsung Galaxy A17 4G should not expect too much. After all, it is one of the most affordable Samsung smartphones: the Galaxy A17 4G is currently available for as little as $175 on amazon.com.

And yet, in our detailed review of the Galaxy A17 4G, we found that it is unusually well equipped for such an affordable smartphone.

Why the Samsung Galaxy A17 4G's excellent features are a double surprise

This has not always been the case with Samsung. In the past, its lower-priced models often lagged behind comparable devices, and Samsung made few changes to its smartphones over the years.

When we reviewed the Samsung Galaxy A13 5G three years ago, we were annoyed that the manufacturer was still offering little storage and a rather dark screen for a higher price of around $250.

What has changed

It's good that Samsung now packs tons of storage into the Galaxy A17 4G, but the storage configuration is still nothing special. Just average for its class. The smartphone is light and compact with a simple design, but it's still reasonably stylish.

The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, a type of glass with high protection against damage from falls that was previously only found on significantly more expensive smartphones.

And the high-brightness AMOLED screen is also a great feature.

The camera system is impressive

Surprisingly, the Samsung Galaxy A17 4G comes with a dedicated wide-angle and macro camera in addition to the main camera. In this price range, we're used to a maximum of two cameras.

The three lenses give the Galaxy A17 4G's camera system a high degree of flexibility, allowing you to get very close to your subject or move far away and create different types of shots.

The quality isn't exceptionally good, but it's sufficient for snapshots and sharing on social media.

More information in our review

The Samsung Galaxy A17 4G surprised us.

You can find our final assessment of this affordable smartphone, along with detailed analyses and measurements, in our comprehensive review.