Samsung Galaxy A13 4G A137F smartphone review - Better with MediaTek
Possible competitors in comparison
Bewertung | Datum | Modell | Gewicht | Laufwerk | Groesse | Aufloesung | Preis ab |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77.3 % v7 (old) | 11 / 2022 | Samsung Galaxy A13 4G A137F Helio G80, Mali-G52 MP2 | 195 g | 64 GB eMMC Flash | 6.60" | 2408x1080 | |
| 76.5 % v7 (old) | 05 / 2022 | Samsung Galaxy A13 4G Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1 | 195 g | 64 GB eMMC Flash | 6.60" | 2408x1080 | |
| 74.4 % v7 (old) | 11 / 2022 | Xiaomi Poco C40 JR510, Mali-G52 MP1 | 204 g | 32 GB eMMC Flash | 6.71" | 1650x720 | |
| 75.1 % v7 (old) | 05 / 2022 | Motorola Moto G22 Helio G37, PowerVR GE8320 | 185 g | 64 GB eMMC Flash | 6.50" | 1600x720 |
Case and features - Plain plastic chassis
It is not unusual for Samsung to release a new version of a smartphone after a few months. This usually arrives with a different SoC. In this case, the Galaxy A13 4G New Edition with the model number A137F now has a MediaTek processor.
The Korean marketing department describes the casing as "minimalistic with a lot of style", which euphemistically stands for very simple, glossy plastic. The chassis in black, white, or light blue is susceptible to fingerprints, but it is quite stable and hardly allows pressure to reach the display.
The original Galaxy A13 4G variant has the same casing, and nothing has changed in terms of dimensions or weight.
Samsung offers three configuration variants. The entry-level model with 32 GB of mass storage also only offers 3 GB of RAM. The better-equipped models with 64 and 128 GB of mass storage each have 4 GB of working memory. We tested the 64 GB variant.
We like the fact that Samsung uses USB-C despite the low price and also installs an NFC module so that mobile payment services can be used, for example.
The microSD reader is separate from the two SIM slots. We tested the reader's speed with our Angelbird V60 reference card, and the A137F was marginally slower than the original in the copy test Galaxy A13 4G. In the CPDT benchmark, on the other hand, the phone is faster but brings somewhat inconsistent values. The perceived speed of the card reader should be on a similar level in everyday use.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 4G (Angelbird V60) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 4G A137F (Angelbird V60) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (7.7 - 77, n=78, last 2 years) | |
| Motorola Moto G22 (Angelbird V60) | |
| Xiaomi Poco C40 (Angelbird V60) | |
Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)
Communication, software and operation - Still with few LTE frequencies
There is little change in terms of Wi-Fi speed: the New Edition also features Wi-Fi 5 as the fastest standard, delivers quite stable transfer rates, and is similarly fast on Wi-Fi as the original Galaxy A13 4G and other phones in the price range.
Although the new SoC would actually support more LTE bands, the new Galaxy A13 also only communicates with the most necessary bands to be able to operate it in Europe. Thus, as soon as you travel to other countries, you have to take a close look at whether the necessary frequencies for mobile Internet are supported.
Samsung again installs OneUI 4 based on Android 12. The security updates are from October 2022 at the time of testing and thus relatively up-to-date. An update to Android 13 has also been announced.
The phone can be operated quite smoothly despite the 60 Hz screen and feels even more responsive with the new SoC. The phone can be unlocked via the fingerprint sensor in the standby button on the right side of the casing. This is not 100% reliable, but it works most of the time and is also quite fast.
Face recognition via the front-facing camera is also available, and it also works satisfactorily in good lighting conditions.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| Motorola Moto G22 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 4G A137F | |
| Xiaomi Poco C40 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 4G | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 4G | |
| Motorola Moto G22 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 4G A137F | |
| Xiaomi Poco C40 | |
Cameras - 50-megapixel with passable dynamic range
Again, nothing has changed compared to the predecessor: as in many inexpensive Samsung phones, the in-house Isocell JN1 sensor is used as the main camera. It has a maximum resolution of 50 megapixels, but usually only takes pictures with a quarter of it, although with larger and more light-sensitive pixels.
The camera shows mediocre image sharpness but offers a decent balance in dynamics, especially in low light. For its inexpensive price range, the main camera does not do a bad job at all.
Even a wide-angle lens is installed in the Galaxy A13 4G New Edition, but it has a rather low resolution like its sister model. It is sufficient for nice snapshots, but it does not meet higher demands.
The front-facing camera with 8 megapixels could use a bit more light sensitivity, but it takes decent selfies in good lighting conditions. However, there is hardly any drawing in dark areas.
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 LightUltra wide-angle
Display - FullHD screen with less luminosity
The display shows slight differences between the two models, even though the specs of the PLS screen with 2,408 x1,080 pixels and 60 Hz panel sound the same at the start.
However, the new model doesn't quite reach the luminosity of the Galaxy A13 4G with Exynos SoC. The 453 cd/m² is not a bad value, but still significantly lower than the predecessor.
Again, no PWM is used to dim the screen. Sensitive people should therefore be able to use the display without any problems.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 492 cd/m²
Contrast: 1330:1 (Black: 0.37 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.34 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 4.7 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
99.9% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.398
| Samsung Galaxy A13 4G A137F PLS, 2408x1080, 6.6" | Samsung Galaxy A13 4G PLS, 2408x1080, 6.6" | Xiaomi Poco C40 IPS, 1650x720, 6.7" | Motorola Moto G22 IPS LCD, 1600x720, 6.5" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Response Times | 9% | 6% | -11% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 39 ? | 47 ? -21% | 40 ? -3% | 46 ? -18% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 33 ? | 20 ? 39% | 28 ? 15% | 34 ? -3% |
| PWM Frequency | ||||
| Screen | -7% | -14% | -22% | |
| Brightness middle | 492 | 553 12% | 468 -5% | 451 -8% |
| Brightness | 453 | 506 12% | 450 -1% | 431 -5% |
| Brightness Distribution | 87 | 87 0% | 92 6% | 90 3% |
| Black Level * | 0.37 | 0.44 -19% | 0.4 -8% | 0.5 -35% |
| Contrast | 1330 | 1257 -5% | 1170 -12% | 902 -32% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 4.34 | 4.64 -7% | 4.53 -4% | 5.82 -34% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 5.94 | 7.86 -32% | 8.96 -51% | 9.3 -57% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4.7 | 5.6 -19% | 6.5 -38% | 5 -6% |
| Gamma | 2.398 92% | 2.18 101% | 2.191 100% | 2.776 79% |
| CCT | 7668 85% | 8002 81% | 8122 80% | 7683 85% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 1% /
-4% | -4% /
-10% | -17% /
-20% |
* ... smaller is better
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 33 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 15 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 18 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. » 88 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 39 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 13 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 16 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. » 55 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). | ||
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 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Performance, emissions and battery life - More power for the budget phone
The biggest difference between the two A13 4G models is seen in the performance: the Helio G80 of the New Edition offers considerably more power in our benchmarks and also stands out compared to other devices in the price range.
The faster processor also ensures a smoother experience in everyday use, whether browsing the Internet, in menus, or in apps. The data storage is still slow, but there are only a few smartphones that offer faster storage modules in this price range.
Heating up under a longer load is noticeable at room temperature, but not unpleasant. The Galaxy A13 4G with MediaTek SoC can maintain its full performance even under a long load.
The mono speaker on the lower edge is treble-heavy and lacks a lot of richness, but at least reproduces speech well. However, we would recommend headphones for music. The new SoC offers a 3.5 mm audio port as well as a more modern Bluetooth 5.2. The codec variety is also very limited in the New Edition.
Again, there is a 5,000 mAh battery, which offers good runtimes that are even slightly higher than those of the Galaxy A13 4G with Exynos SoC in our WLAN test. Just under 15 hours should be enough for an intensive workday and even two days without a power outlet are possible with moderate use. Although the SoC would support higher charging speeds, a maximum of 15 watts is possible, and a charger is not included in the New Edition either.
| GFXBench | |
| on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3.6 - 247, n=208, last 2 years) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G80 (7.5 - 18, n=11) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 4G A137F | |
| Motorola Moto G22 | |
| Xiaomi Poco C40 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 4G | |
| 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2.3 - 321, n=208, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 4G A137F | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G80 (8.2 - 9.2, n=11) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 4G | |
| Motorola Moto G22 | |
| Xiaomi Poco C40 | |
| on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | |
| Average of class Smartphone (0.85 - 144, n=208, last 2 years) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G80 (4.8 - 11, n=11) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 4G A137F | |
| Motorola Moto G22 | |
| Xiaomi Poco C40 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 4G | |
| 2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Average of class Smartphone (0.85 - 115, n=208, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 4G A137F | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G80 (3.1 - 3.3, n=11) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 4G | |
| Motorola Moto G22 | |
| Xiaomi Poco C40 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 4G A137F | Samsung Galaxy A13 4G | Xiaomi Poco C40 | Motorola Moto G22 | Average 64 GB eMMC Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 6% | -27% | -53% | -29% | 418% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 300.6 | 308.5 3% | 281.7 -6% | 215.45 -28% | 274 ? -9% | 1887 ? 528% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 230.3 | 236.8 3% | 129.8 -44% | 112.78 -51% | 176.6 ? -23% | 1474 ? 540% |
| Random Read 4KB | 94.5 | 104.4 10% | 29.2 -69% | 39.32 -58% | 59.4 ? -37% | 279 ? 195% |
| Random Write 4KB | 61.5 | 67.3 9% | 67.7 10% | 16.34 -73% | 32.2 ? -48% | 312 ? 407% |
Temperature
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 38.1 °C / 101 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 42.3 °C / 108 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 22.6 °C / 73 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speaker
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G A137F audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 25.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.8% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 8% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (24.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 55% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 38% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 71% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 22% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Motorola Moto G22 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 32.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.6% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (26.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 63% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 30% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 79% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 17% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Battery life
| Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing | |
| Xiaomi Poco C40 | |
| Motorola Moto G22 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (476 - 3244, n=209, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 4G A137F | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 4G | |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - Power to the Galaxy
It is primarily the higher performance that makes the Galaxy A13 4G A137F superior to its sister model: everything runs a bit smoother and you have a bit more reserves for more complex apps, even though the device is of course still not a powerhouse and rather intended for simple applications.
The other differences between the versions are limited to the lower screen brightness and the battery life, which is slightly improved with the new SoC. It is a pity that Samsung does not use the SoC's possibilities with higher charging speeds and more LTE frequencies.
Overall, we would prefer the New Edition over the still available Galaxy A13 4G with Exynos SoC. However, if you get the older version much cheaper, the differences are not big enough to justify a strong surcharge either.
The MediaTek SoC has made the Galaxy A13 4G more powerful, but the differences to the Exynos model are otherwise quite small.
The runtimes of the Xiaomi Poco C40 are significantly longer, but you have to live with less performance. The Moto G22 from Motorola has a lower resolution, but a 90-Hz panel.
Price and availability
If you want to buy the version of Samsung's Galaxy A13 4G with a fast MediaTek processor, you should look out for the addition "New Edition" and/or the model number A137F. This is available directly from the manufacturer in all colors for 148 Euros in the 64 GB variant.
The smaller 32 GB variant can be found at retailers on the Internet, for example at our lender notebooksbilliger.de. It costs 150 Euros, so Samsung's store offers a better deal with more storage at the time of testing. The 64 GB version costs just under 170 Euros at notebooksbilliger.de and with 128 GB it is available for 190 Euros.
Also at other retailers like Cyberport or amazon.com the phone is also available from stock at the time of testing.
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G A137F
- 11/07/2022 v7 (old)
Florian Schmitt
Price comparison
