Samsung Galaxy A05s review - Bargain smartphone with 90 Hz screen
Samsung's entry-level smartphone has been given a makeover and has improved compared to the Galaxy A04s, especially in terms of the casing and display. There is still no 5G, but a 90-Hz display, a 50-MP camera, and a 5000 mAh battery, which can be charged with up to 25 watts, are available. However, you have to buy the power supply separately.
In the test, we find out how well the Samsung Galaxy A05s performs compared to other affordable smartphones and what it does better than its predecessor, which is still available and is now approaching the 100 euro mark.
Possible competitors in comparison
Rating | Version | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 68.5 % | v8 | 07 / 2024 | Samsung Galaxy A05s SD 680, Adreno 610 | 194 g | 64 GB eMMC Flash | 6.70" | 2400x1080 | |
| 80.7 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 10 / 2023 | Motorola Moto G54 Dimensity 7020, IMG BXM-8-256 | 177 g | 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash | 6.50" | 2400x1080 | |
| 78.7 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 05 / 2023 | Nokia G22 T7200 (T606), Mali-G57 MP1 | 195 g | 64 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.52" | 1600x720 | |
| 74.7 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 10 / 2022 | Samsung Galaxy A04s Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1 | 195 g | 32 GB eMMC Flash | 6.50" | 1600x720 | |
| 80 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 04 / 2024 | Samsung Galaxy A15 Helio G99, Mali-G57 MP2 | 200 g | 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.50" | 2340x1080 | |
| 80.2 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 02 / 2024 | Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G SD 685, Adreno 610 | 188.5 g | 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 |
Note: We have updated our rating system and the results of version 8 are not comparable with the results of version 7 available here.
Case - Plastic chassis with modern design
The Samsung Galaxy A05s has the same design as its more expensive Galaxy-A counterparts. The back is flat throughout and gives the smartphone a high-quality appearance thanks to its matt surface finish.
Compared to the Galaxy A04s, the device become slightly narrower. The vertically arranged camera modules on the back cover have been carried over directly from the predecessor. The selfie camera is once again located in a drop-shaped recess.
At 194 grams, the Galaxy A05s is a tiny bit lighter than the Galaxy A04s (195 g). Stability has also improved, as the smartphone can hardly be pressed in or twisted. However, a little more pressure gets through to the display and is noticeable there in the form of slight image artifacts.
At the time of testing, the Galaxy A05s was only available in black in the Samsung webshop. It is also available in silver or light green in other online stores.
Features - 4 GB RAM and up to 128 GB memory
The Galaxy A05s makes a leap forward in terms of memory. While the Galaxy A04s is limited to 3 GB RAM and a meager 32 GB memory, the successor offers at least twice as much storage space. Samsung offers its smartphone in two memory variants.
- 4 GB RAM, 64 GB ROM: 159 euros
- 4 GB RAM, 128 GB ROM: 179 euros
Apart from the more up-to-date Bluetooth version (5.1 compared to 5.0), the Galaxy A05s does not differ from its predecessor in terms of features. In addition to USB-C 2.0, there is an NFC module, a 3.5 mm jack connection, and a card slot that can accommodate two nano SIM cards as well as a microSD card of up to 1 TB.
microSD card reader
Fed with our Angelbird AV Pro V60 microSD reference card, the card reader works quite quickly in the copy test but does not quite match the performance of the Galaxy A04s. It is much better in terms of sequential transfer rates.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 (Angelbird V60) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s (Angelbird V60) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s (Angelbird V60) | |
| Motorola Moto G54 (Angelbird V60) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G (Angelbird V60) | |
| Nokia G22 (Angelbird V60) | |
Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)
Software - Upgrade to Android 14
Samsung delivers the Galaxy A05s with Android 13 and its OneUI user interface in version 6.1. The update to Android 14 is now available for the smartphone. At the time of testing at the beginning of July, the Android security patches were also updated to June 2024.
According to Samsung, the Galaxy A05s should https://security.samsungmobile.com/workScope.smsb receive security updates every three months. The manufacturer does not reveal how long on its European websites. In other regions such as India or Malaysia on the other hand, there is talk of 2 OS upgrades and 4 years of security updates, so this can also be assumed in this country.
Samsung pre-installs many apps from third-party providers such as Facebook, Spotify, or TikTok on its smartphone in addition to numerous of its own applications. The 64 GB version can, therefore, quickly run out of storage space, as only around 42 GB is available to the user.
Sustainability
The smartphone comes in packaging that, according to Samsung, is made from 100% recycled cardboard. To further reduce its ecological footprint, Samsung also uses recycled materials for its smartphones. In 2021, alternative materials such as old fishing nets, post-consumer materials (PCM), or bio-based plastics were already used in a total of 90 percent of Galaxy devices. Samsung does not provide precise information on CO2 emissions during the production of its smartphones.
Communication and GNSS - WiFi 5 and 4G
With WiFi 5, the Samsung Galaxy A05s supports a typical Wi-Fi standard for its price range. In terms of WiFi speeds, it is on par with other competitors and achieves very stable transfer rates in combination with our reference router Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000.
Mobile Internet access with the Galaxy A05s is via 4G. There is no broad frequency coverage, but the total of 10 4G bands should be sufficient, at least for the EU region.
| Networking | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| Motorola Moto G54 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| Nokia G22 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| Average of class Smartphone | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
The Galaxy A05s uses GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo, and QZSS satellite navigation services to determine its current location. Inside buildings and outdoors, the smartphone locates us with an accuracy of up to 3 meters after a short wait.
The Galaxy A05s then has to prove its practicality on a short bike ride. It was pitted against the Garmin Venu 2 fitness smartwatch.
The Samsung smartphone is basically suitable for everyday navigation but lacks accuracy in some areas. In the test, the Galaxy A05s often floundered in densely built-up areas and then moved our location to the river instead of the road or assumed that our bike had taken a collision course to the next building. As with the Galaxy A04s, the direction of view is not displayed in apps.
Phone functions and voice quality
The Galaxy A05s offers space for 2 SIM cards and supports VoLTE as well as Wi-Fi calls.
When making calls via the earpiece, the Samsung smartphone scores with solid voice quality, but sometimes transmits our voice a little tinny. However, intelligibility remains high even in hands-free mode.
Camera - Useful images in daylight
The selfie camera of the Galaxy A05s has a resolution of 13 MP and takes solid pictures as long as the lighting conditions are good. Its image quality is fine for video chats. As with the main camera, videos can be recorded at up to 1080p at 60 frames per second.
The main camera is equipped with autofocus, offers a resolution of 50 MP, and shoots 12.5 MP photos using 4-in-1 pixel binning. The images look quite vivid thanks to the intense coloration of the camera software but are neither particularly sharp nor particularly detailed, even in good lighting conditions. The main camera produces videos of a similar quality. It can hardly be used at night or for zoom shots.
There are three cameras on the back cover, but two of them have little to offer and are mainly used for show purposes. In addition to the 50 MP main camera, which sits in the middle of the lens trio, there is a macro camera and an out-of-focus sensor, both of which only have a resolution of 2 MP.
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-light
In the test lab, the main camera shows that it always overexposes images slightly and has difficulties displaying fine image details clearly. At 1 lux residual light, the ColorChecker color chart and the test chart disappear in the dark.
Accessories and warranty - 24-month warranty, but no Care+
In addition to the smartphone, the slim packaging of the Galaxy A05s only contains a USB-C cable, a SIM tool, and a quick start guide.
The Galaxy A05s comes with a 24-month warranty. Its optional insurance package Care+ is not offered by Samsung for the smartphone.
Input devices & operation - 90 Hz screen and fingerprint sensor
Thanks to its 90 Hz refresh rate, the Samsung Galaxy A05s can be operated fairly smoothly. However, due to the not exactly high processor performance, stutters and small delays can occur from time to time during operation.
The fingerprint sensor is also located in the power button. It recognizes fingers even when the display is switched off and unlocks the smartphone very quickly and reliably. Users can also authenticate themselves biometrically using 2D facial recognition, which works just as well as the fingerprint sensor if there is sufficient ambient light.
Display - PLS panel without PWM
Samsung uses a PLS panel for the Galaxy A05s, which is technically almost identical to the classic IPS panel. Compared to its predecessor, the resolution is noticeably higher. Instead of a meagre 1600 x 720 pixels, it now has 2400 x 1080 pixels, which makes the display sharper. The display does not support HDR.
The display brightness of the Galaxy A05s has also improved compared to the Galaxy A04s. While it previously had up to 427 cd/m², we now measure a maximum of 520 cd/m². However, this good brightness value won't knock any of its competitors off their feet. Like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G shows, almost four-digit brightness values are also possible in the price range below 200 euros.
The PLS panel does not require pulse width modulation (PWM). This makes the Galaxy A05s well suited for users who are sensitive to PWM flickering.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 84 %
Center on Battery: 520 cd/m²
Contrast: 1444:1 (Black: 0.36 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.25 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.86
ΔE Greyscale 7.1 | 0.09-98 Ø5.1
98.8% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.25
| Samsung Galaxy A05s PLS LCD, 2400x1080, 6.7", 90 Hz | Motorola Moto G54 IPS, 2400x1080, 6.5", 120 Hz | Nokia G22 IPS, 1600x720, 6.5", 90 Hz | Samsung Galaxy A04s PLS, 1600x720, 6.5", 90 Hz | Samsung Galaxy A15 Super AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.5", 90 Hz | Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.7", 120 Hz | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 17% | 17% | 4% | 51% | 71% | |
| Brightness middle | 520 | 492 -5% | 674 30% | 426 -18% | 731 41% | 940 81% |
| Brightness | 467 | 470 1% | 641 37% | 390 -16% | 711 52% | 922 97% |
| Brightness Distribution | 84 | 90 7% | 90 7% | 84 0% | 93 11% | 96 14% |
| Black Level * | 0.36 | 0.3 17% | 0.43 -19% | 0.33 8% | ||
| Contrast | 1444 | 1640 14% | 1567 9% | 1291 -11% | ||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 5.25 | 3.9 26% | 4.45 15% | 4.39 16% | 2.31 56% | 1.2 77% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 10.48 | 6.26 40% | 7.41 29% | 7.97 24% | 3.51 67% | 2.28 78% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 7.1 | 4.3 39% | 5.1 28% | 5.1 28% | 1.7 76% | 1.4 80% |
| Gamma | 2.25 98% | 2.275 97% | 2.072 106% | 2.184 101% | 2.091 105% | 2.27 97% |
| CCT | 8660 75% | 7656 85% | 7799 83% | 7985 81% | 6424 101% | 6503 100% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8445 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Measurement series with fixed zoom level and different brightness settings
The PLS panel displays content quite vividly thanks to its good contrast ratio of 1444:1, but is not too evenly illuminated (84%). As the measurements with the spectrophotometer and the Calman analysis software show, the PLS panel is also off the mark in terms of color and grayscale representation and produces a clear blue cast. Overall, however, the deviations are within reasonable limits.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 22.9 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 12.9 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 10 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. » 49 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.7 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 37.3 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 19.4 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 17.9 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 52 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.4 ms). | ||
The Galaxy A05s performs well outdoors. The PLS panel adapts quickly to changing light conditions and content remains clearly visible even on bright sunny days. However, the PLS panel reaches its limits in direct sunlight, as the brightness is then barely sufficient to compensate for the strong display reflections. There are no problems with readability in the shade.
The PLS panel displays content clearly and without color distortion, even when viewed from very flat angles. However, it also darkens quickly if it is not held exactly perpendicular to the viewing direction.
Performance - Galaxyy A05s with Snapdragon 680 4G
The Samsung Galaxy A05s uses the Snapdragon 680 4G SoC presented at the end of 2020, which also can be found in many affordable smartphones. Its performance gives the Galaxy A05s a solid speed. It can clearly beat Nokia G22 and the Galaxy A04s in the synthetic benchmarks. In terms of performance, it comes close to the Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G with the Snapdragon 685 4G.
| UL Procyon AI Inference for Android - Overall Score NNAPI | |
| Average of class Smartphone (1267 - 81594, n=149, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 | |
| Motorola Moto G54 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G (3820 - 4853, n=7) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s | |
| Geekbench ML | |
| 0.6 TensorFlow Lite CPU | |
| Average of class Smartphone (246 - 1342, n=34, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G (n=1) | |
| 0.6 TensorFlow Lite GPU | |
| Average of class Smartphone (123 - 1478, n=33, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| 0.6 TensorFlow Lite NNAPI | |
| Average of class Smartphone (186 - 3410, n=29, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
The Adreno 610 takes over the graphics calculations. The Galaxy A05s performs quite well with this, but as with the synthetic benchmarks, it does not achieve more than a place in the lower midfield. The GPU power is sufficient for simple graphics calculations. However, games are not the smartphone's métier, as the frame rates in GFXBench fall below 30 frames per second even with slightly more complex graphics.
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 A15 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| Nokia G22 | |
| Motorola Moto G54 | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| Nokia G22 | |
| Motorola Moto G54 | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Unlimited Score | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s | |
| Nokia G22 | |
| Motorola Moto G54 | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Score | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s | |
| Nokia G22 | |
| Motorola Moto G54 | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics | |
| Motorola Moto G54 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 | |
| Motorola Moto G54 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited | |
| Motorola Moto G54 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Onscreen | |
| Motorola Moto G54 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s | |
| Nokia G22 | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Offscreen | |
| Motorola Moto G54 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s | |
| Nokia G22 | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / Manhattan Onscreen OGL | |
| Motorola Moto G54 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s | |
| Nokia G22 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / 1080p Manhattan Offscreen | |
| Motorola Moto G54 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s | |
| Nokia G22 | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | |
| Motorola Moto G54 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s | |
| Nokia G22 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen | |
| Motorola Moto G54 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s | |
| Nokia G22 | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Onscreen | |
| Motorola Moto G54 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s | |
| Nokia G22 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Offscreen | |
| Motorola Moto G54 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s | |
| Nokia G22 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | |
| Motorola Moto G54 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s | |
| Nokia G22 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Motorola Moto G54 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s | |
| Nokia G22 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | |
| Motorola Moto G54 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s | |
| Nokia G22 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | |
| Motorola Moto G54 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s | |
| Nokia G22 | |
| GFXBench / 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Motorola Moto G54 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s | |
| Nokia G22 | |
The Galaxy A05s loads websites quickly, although it sometimes takes a while for all elements to load completely. Overall, however, the surfing speed is relatively high.
| Jetstream 2 - 2.0 Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 387, n=165, last 2 years) | |
| Motorola Moto G54 (Chrome 118.0.5993.80) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 (Chrome 122) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s (Chrome 126.0.6478.122) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G (Chrome 120) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G (35.7 - 66, n=9) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s (Chrome 106) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
| Average of class Smartphone (15.2 - 569, n=146, last 2 years) | |
| Motorola Moto G54 (Chrome 118.0.5993.80) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s (Chrome 126.0.6478.122) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 (Chrome 122) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G (Chrome 120) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G (32.7 - 65.3, n=9) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s (Chome 106) | |
| WebXPRT 4 - Overall | |
| Average of class Smartphone (22 - 273, n=157, last 2 years) | |
| Motorola Moto G54 (Chrome 118.0.5993.80) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 (Chrome 122) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s (Chrome 126.0.6478.122) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G (41 - 68, n=6) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G (Chrome 120) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s (Chrome 106) | |
| WebXPRT 3 - Overall | |
| Average of class Smartphone (38 - 347, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Motorola Moto G54 (Chrome 118.0.5993.80) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 (Chrome 122) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s (Chrome 126.0.6478.122) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G (58 - 94, n=7) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s (Chrome 106) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 100368, n=206, last 2 years) | |
| Motorola Moto G54 (Chrome 118.0.5993.80) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 (Chrome 122) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G (Chrome 120) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s (Chrome 126.0.6478.122) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G (6358 - 16498, n=13) | |
| Nokia G22 (Chrome 112) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s (Chrome 106) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s (Chrome 106) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G (2459 - 3461, n=8) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G (Chrome 120) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s (Chrome 126.0.6478.122) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 (Chrome 122) | |
| Motorola Moto G54 (Chrome 118.0.5993.80) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (277 - 28190, n=166, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
The Samsung smartphone relies on slow eMMC flash memory. In practice, you sometimes have to wait a little longer for applications to start or apps to load content. As the competition, which is all equipped with UFS memory, shows, eMMC memory is no longer up to date, even for inexpensive smartphones.
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | Motorola Moto G54 | Nokia G22 | Samsung Galaxy A04s | Samsung Galaxy A15 | Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | Average 64 GB eMMC Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 258% | 113% | -32% | 186% | 195% | -22% | 547% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 441.25 | 983.01 123% | 881 100% | 302.4 -31% | 967.8 119% | 909.8 106% | 274 ? -38% | 2054 ? 365% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 114.19 | 817.55 616% | 367 221% | 83.3 -27% | 488.5 328% | 606.3 431% | 177.3 ? 55% | 1667 ? 1360% |
| Random Read 4KB | 102.99 | 232.74 126% | 131 27% | 62.7 -39% | 233.2 126% | 177.1 72% | 59.9 ? -42% | 286 ? 178% |
| Random Write 4KB | 84.71 | 224.58 165% | 172 103% | 58.9 -30% | 229.6 171% | 228 169% | 32.7 ? -61% | 327 ? 286% |
Games - Smooth gaming is definitely possible
With the test tool Gamebench we check how well the Samsung Galaxy A05s runs games. It is not a gaming phone, but it is certainly suitable for gaming in between, as long as the games are not too demanding.
The tactical shooter PUBG Mobile is consistently easy to play and runs in the balanced setting- a higher graphics level cannot be selected - at an almost constant 30 frames per second. The more demanding Genshin Impact, on the other hand, is not much fun. Even at the lowest graphics level, there are sharp drops in the frame rate, and higher presets only run jerkily.
Emissions - No throttling despite high temperatures
Temperature
After an hour of stress testing with the burnout benchmark, we measured up to 52 °C on the surface of the Galaxy A05. If you push the smartphone hard for a long time, it can become uncomfortable to hold it in your hands.
Despite occasional barbecue party temperatures on the outside, everything remains relaxed internally. The Galaxy A05s can dissipate the heat generated during operation so efficiently that it loses virtually none of its performance even under constant stress.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 51.3 °C / 124 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 52 °C / 126 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.6 °C / 83 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
3DMark Steel Nomad
| 3DMark | |
| Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s | |
| Nokia G22 | |
| Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A04s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A15 | |
Speaker
The mono speaker of the Galaxy A05s, which is located next to the USB-C port, sounds very treble-suppressed and lacks any bass tones, but is okay for this price range. In addition, it does not distort even at maximum volume.
External audio devices can be connected to the smartphone via the 3.5 mm jack connection or via Bluetooth 5.1. With SBC, AAC, aptX, LDAC, and the in-house Samsung Scalable Codec (SSC), the Galaxy A05s only supports a few Bluetooth codecs.
Samsung Galaxy A05s audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 29.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.6% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (24.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 56% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 37% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 72% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 22% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (76.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 23.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.2% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.2% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (10.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (22.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 45% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 48% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 64% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 31% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Battery life - Charging with up to 25 watts
Power consumption
The Samsung smartphone's 5000 mAh battery can be charged with up to 25 watts, a significant increase compared to the maximum of 10 watts that the Predecessor are possible. A charging cycle took 2:38 hours in the test. The battery is 50 percent charged after 31 minutes, while 80 percent is reached after 1:36 hours.
The Galaxy A05s is frugal in operation, but requires slightly more power under load than the comparison devices. However, this is primarily due to the burnout benchmark that we use for our stress tests. Compared to the older Stability Test, it is considerably more demanding, which is therefore reflected in the higher consumption values of the test devices.
| Off / Standby |   0.1 / 0.2 Watt |
| Idle |  1.1 / 1.3 / 1.6 Watt |
| Load |
4.1 / 6 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Samsung Galaxy A05s 5000 mAh | Motorola Moto G54 5000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A04s 5000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A15 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G 5000 mAh | Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 12% | 11% | 13% | -2% | -23% | -27% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 1.1 | 0.9 18% | 1.1 -0% | 1.1 -0% | 1.1 -0% | 1.036 ? 6% | 0.872 ? 21% |
| Idle Average * | 1.3 | 1.2 8% | 1.3 -0% | 1.2 8% | 1.3 -0% | 1.898 ? -46% | 1.415 ? -9% |
| Idle Maximum * | 1.6 | 1.5 6% | 1.6 -0% | 1.5 6% | 1.5 6% | 2.24 ? -40% | 1.556 ? 3% |
| Load Average * | 4.1 | 3.3 20% | 2.7 34% | 2.9 29% | 3.6 12% | 4.75 ? -16% | 7.04 ? -72% |
| Load Maximum * | 6 | 5.6 7% | 4.7 22% | 4.8 20% | 7.8 -30% | 7.19 ? -20% | 10.6 ? -77% |
* ... smaller is better
Power consumption: Geekbench (150 cd/m²)
Power consumption: GFXBench (150 cd/m²)
Battery life
The Galaxy A05s draws good runtimes from its 5000 mAh battery. It manages around 15 hours of simulated web surfing and almost 16 hours of continuous video playback. However, the test candidate does not quite reach the battery runtimes of the Galaxy A04s and also lags somewhat behind the rest of the competition.
However, the Galaxy A05s has enough power for a day of intensive use. If you don't use the smartphone all the time, you should easily be able to last 2 days or more before it needs to be recharged.
| Samsung Galaxy A05s 5000 mAh | Motorola Moto G54 5000 mAh | Nokia G22 5050 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A04s 5000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A15 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G 5000 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 18% | 16% | 15% | 12% | 3% | |
| Reader / Idle | 2190 | 3481 59% | 2253 3% | 1622 -26% | 1509 -31% | |
| H.264 | 957 | 1041 9% | 1062 11% | 1446 51% | 1358 42% | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 905 | 875 -3% | 1052 16% | 977 8% | 885 -2% | 742 -18% |
| Load | 284 | 301 6% | 396 39% | 358 26% | 334 18% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy A05s is a very affordable smartphone that is suitable for everyday use. It has solid features such as a 90 Hz screen, NFC, fast WiFi 5, and good battery life. Compared to the Galaxy A04s, it offers at least twice as much memory, has a Full HD resolution, and also has a brighter display at the start.
The Samsung Galaxy A05s is a solid entry-level smartphone in the price range of up to 200 euros, but like its predecessor, it does not stand out from the competition.
You shouldn't expect too much from the camera and GPS module of the Galaxy A05s. Instead of 5G, there is only a relatively manageable number of 4G frequencies and with the slow eMMC flash memory, waiting times are inevitable. With the 64 GB version, you also have to make good use of the storage space. And there are no more than 2 OS upgrades, one of which has already been rolled out.
Measured against its price, the Samsung Galaxy A05s is solidly positioned, but cannot really set itself apart from the competition. If you look at the Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 4G, for example, you not only get more performance, but also an AMOLED panel and faster UFS 2.2 memory. All of this is also offered by the Samsung Galaxy A15 which hardly differs in price from the Galaxy A05s and is therefore also a good alternative.
Price and availability
The Samsung Galaxy A05s is widely available at common retailers, including Amazon.
Note: We have updated our rating system and the results of version 8 are not comparable with the results of version 7 here available here.
Samsung Galaxy A05s
- 07/10/2024 v8
Manuel Masiero
Total Sustainability Score: Transparency
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.
This is how Notebookcheck is testing
Every year, Notebookcheck independently reviews hundreds of laptops and smartphones using standardized procedures to ensure that all results are comparable. We have continuously developed our test methods for around 20 years and set industry standards in the process. In our test labs, high-quality measuring equipment is utilized by experienced technicians and editors. These tests involve a multi-stage validation process. Our complex rating system is based on hundreds of well-founded measurements and benchmarks, which maintains objectivity. Further information on our test methods can be found here.
Price comparison
