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Samsung Galaxy A30s Smartphone Review: A breath of fresh air with a playful design

A colourful entry-level smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy A30s is comparatively affordable but features a design that should distinguish it from many of its contemporaries. While the Galaxy A30s looks the part, our tests will reveal whether it can keep up with the competition.
Samsung Galaxy A30s

Samsung prices the Galaxy A30s in between the Galaxy A40 and the Galaxy A50; a tad confusing considering its name. Inside the A30s we find the Exynos 7904 and 4 GB of RAM, along with an ARM Mali-G71 MP2 GPU and 64 GB of internal storage. Samsung uses the same hardware in the Galaxy A40, but it has a noticeably smaller display than the A30s does.

We shall compare the A30s against comparably equipped smartphones, an overview of which you can find in the table below. Please note that you can add more smartphones from our database to each of the comparison tables in this review too.

Samsung Galaxy A30s (Galaxy A30 Series)
Processor
Samsung Exynos 7904 8 x 1.8 GHz, Cortex-A73/-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
4 GB 
Display
6.40 inch 19.5:9, 1560 x 720 pixel 268 PPI, capacitive, Super AMOLED, glossy: yes
Storage
64 GB eMMC Flash, 64 GB 
, 49 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm jack, USB Type-C, Card Reader: up to 512 GB microSD cards. FAT, FAT32, and exFAT file systems supported., 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Accelerometer, compass, proximity sensor,, USB Type-C
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0, 2G/GSM: 850, 900, 1,800, 1,900. 3G/UMTS: B1, B2, B5, B8. 4G/LTE: B1, B3, B5, B7, B8, B20, B38, B40, B41/, Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 7.8 x 158.5 x 74.7 ( = 0.31 x 6.24 x 2.94 in)
Battery
4000 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Charging
fast charging / Quickcharge
Operating System
Android 9.0 Pie
Camera
Primary Camera: 25 MPix (f/1.7) + 8 MPix (f/2.2) + 5 MPix (f/2.2)
Secondary Camera: 16 MPix (f/2.0)
Additional features
Speakers: 2, Keyboard: onscreen, Keyboard Light: yes, modular charger, USB Type-C cable, headphones, One UI 1.5, 24 Months Warranty, SAR values: Body - 1.54 W/kg, Head - 1.05 W/kg, fanless
Weight
166 g ( = 5.86 oz / 0.37 pounds), Power Supply: 56 g ( = 1.98 oz / 0.12 pounds)
Price
300 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Device comparison

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Drive
Size
Resolution
Best Price
79.2 %
11/2019
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2
166 g64 GB eMMC Flash6.40"1560x720
79.1 %
05/2019
Samsung Galaxy A40
Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2
140 g64 GB eMMC Flash5.90"2340x1080
75.7 %
11/2019
Honor 9X
Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4
197 g128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash6.59"2340x1080
78.6 %
11/2019
Nokia 7.2
SD 660, Adreno 512
180 g64 GB eMMC Flash6.30"2340x1080
77.3 %
10/2019
HTC Desire 19+
Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320
170 g64 GB eMMC Flash6.20"1520x720
78.3 %
05/2019
Huawei P30 Lite
Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4
159 g128 GB eMMC Flash6.15"2312x1080

Case - Multiple colours and a modern design

The A30s has a metal frame, while our review unit feels expensive and is well-built. While metal frames are not always guaranteed on sub-300 Euro (~$330) smartphones, the most eye-catching area of the A30s is its back panel. Samsung has given the panel a gradient and prism-like finish, the likes of which we have not seen before.

Samsung currently sells the A30s in Prism Crush Green, the colour of our review unit, Prism Crush Black and Prism Crush White. Incidentally, the A30s is well-built and sturdy, with there being no flaws to the frame, back panel or display of our review unit. Its two hardware buttons sit firmly in place too.

The A30s is about as heavy and compact as the average of our comparison devices. The device weighs 166 g and measures 158.5 x 74.7 x 7.8 mm, which is what we would expect from a device with a 6.4-inch display.

Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Galaxy A30s

Size Comparison

163.5 mm / 6.44 inch 77.3 mm / 3.04 inch 8.8 mm / 0.3465 inch 197 g0.4343 lbs159.92 mm / 6.3 inch 75.15 mm / 2.96 inch 8.25 mm / 0.3248 inch 180 g0.3968 lbs158.5 mm / 6.24 inch 74.7 mm / 2.94 inch 7.8 mm / 0.3071 inch 166 g0.366 lbs156.2 mm / 6.15 inch 74.8 mm / 2.94 inch 8.5 mm / 0.3346 inch 170 g0.3748 lbs152.9 mm / 6.02 inch 72.7 mm / 2.86 inch 7.4 mm / 0.2913 inch 159 g0.3505 lbs144.4 mm / 5.69 inch 69.2 mm / 2.72 inch 7.9 mm / 0.311 inch 140 g0.3086 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity - An affordable smartphone with a few luxuries

The A30s has an Exynos 7904 SoC, 4 GB of RAM, an ARM Mali-G71 MP2 GPU and 64 GB of eMMC flash storage, as we mentioned earlier. The device supports dual-SIM functionality and microSD card expansion, with Samsung including dedicated slots for both. The A30s supports dual-SIM voice over LTE (VoLTE) and Wi-Fi calling (VoWiFi), although the device can only utilise either technology if your carrier supports the A30s on its network.

Samsung does not include a notification LED on the A30s, while its USB Type-C port operates on the older USB 2.0 standard. Moreover, it has a Limited Camera2 API. However, the A30s has DRM Widevine L1 certification, meaning that it can stream DRM-protected content from services like Amazon Prime and Netflix in HD. There is a 3.5 mm jack onboard too, which is always good to see.

Underside: speaker, microphone, USB Type-C, 3.5 mm jack
Underside: speaker, microphone, USB Type-C, 3.5 mm jack
Left-hand side: card slot
Left-hand side: card slot
Top side: microphone
Top side: microphone
Right-hand side: volume rocker, power button
Right-hand side: volume rocker, power button

Software - One UI 1.5 and outdated security patches

Samsung ships the A30s with One UI 1.5, its in-house version of Android 9.0 Pie. The South Korean company had released the August 1, 2019 set of security patches to our review unit at the time of testing in November, something that we also complained about in our recent Galaxy M30s review.

One UI 1.5 operates much like stock Android but has a few customisations and Samsung's suite of apps instead of Google's. The most noticeable difference between One UI and the version of Android that Google installs on its Pixel smartphones is the main settings menu, but it should only take a short period of acclimatisation for most people to get used to it. Samsung preinstalls a few third-party apps on the A30s too along with the Galaxy Store, its alternative to the Google Play Store. The A30s contains the latter too, though.

Default home-screen
Default home-screen
Default home-screen
Default home-screen
Default app drawer
Default app drawer
Quick settings
Quick settings
Quick settings
Quick settings
Storage information
Storage information
Device information
Device information
Device information
Device information

Communication & GPS - Bluetooth 5.0, NFC and slow Wi-Fi

The A30s supports all major GSM, 3G and LTE networks, while it utilises LTE Cat.10 for up to 450 Mb/s downloads and 100 Mb/s uploads. The device also supports Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC for near-field communications.

Samsung advertises the A30s as supporting the fast Wi-Fi 5 protocol, but our review unit achieved comparatively slow Wi-Fi transfer speeds in our iperf3 Client tests. As the tables below show, the A30s can only average 100 Mb/s when transmitting to and 122 Mb/s when receiving data from our Linksys EA8500 reference router. Only the HTC Desire 19+ averaged a lower transmission speed than our review unit did of our comparison devices. Additionally, the A30s received data between 28% and 65% slower than our comparison devices did.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Nokia 7.2
Adreno 512, SD 660, 64 GB eMMC Flash
296 (223min - 308max) MBit/s +196%
Samsung Galaxy A40
Mali-G71 MP2, Exynos 7904, 64 GB eMMC Flash
268 (244min - 288max) MBit/s +168%
Huawei P30 Lite
Mali-G51 MP4, Kirin 710, 128 GB eMMC Flash
218 (95min - 239max) MBit/s +118%
Honor 9X
Mali-G51 MP4, Kirin 710, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
142 (118min - 160max) MBit/s +42%
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Mali-G71 MP2, Exynos 7904, 64 GB eMMC Flash
100 (92min - 105max) MBit/s
HTC Desire 19+
PowerVR GE8320, Helio P35 MT6765, 64 GB eMMC Flash
84 (22min - 191max) MBit/s -16%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s +208%
Nokia 7.2
Adreno 512, SD 660, 64 GB eMMC Flash
344 (336min - 352max) MBit/s +182%
Samsung Galaxy A40
Mali-G71 MP2, Exynos 7904, 64 GB eMMC Flash
222 (203min - 243max) MBit/s +82%
Huawei P30 Lite
Mali-G51 MP4, Kirin 710, 128 GB eMMC Flash
188 (45min - 237max) MBit/s +54%
HTC Desire 19+
PowerVR GE8320, Helio P35 MT6765, 64 GB eMMC Flash
186 (115min - 228max) MBit/s +52%
Honor 9X
Mali-G51 MP4, Kirin 710, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
170 (156min - 179max) MBit/s +39%
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Mali-G71 MP2, Exynos 7904, 64 GB eMMC Flash
122 (119min - 123max) MBit/s
0102030405060708090100110120Tooltip
Samsung Galaxy A30s; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø121.1 (119-123)
Samsung Galaxy A30s; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø100 (92-105)
GPS Test: Inside
GPS Test: Inside
GPS Test: Outdoors
GPS Test: Outdoors

The A30s uses BeiDou, Galileo, GLONASS, and GPS for location services, with which it can maintain a satellite fix to three metres. This only applies when using the device outdoors though, as our review unit could not locate us when we moved inside.

The device also took some noticeable deviations during our cycle ride, to which we subject all the smartphones and tablets we review. The A30s particularly struggled to keep up with us on long straights, but it plotted about as accurate of a route as our Garmin Edge 500 did when we were cycling around things. Overall, we would only recommend the A30s for simple navigation tasks.

GPS test: Samsung Galaxy A30s - Overview
GPS test: Samsung Galaxy A30s - Overview
GPS test: Samsung Galaxy A30s - Cycling around a lake
GPS test: Samsung Galaxy A30s - Cycling around a lake
GPS test: Samsung Galaxy A30s - Loop
GPS test: Samsung Galaxy A30s - Loop
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Overview
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Overview
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Cycling around a lake
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Cycling around a lake
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Loop
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Loop

Telephone Features & Call Quality - Loud enough for noisy environments, but lacking in quality

Samsung preinstalls its suite of telephony apps on the A30s instead of Google's. The default phone app operates like many others do, with it loading to a numeric keypad and sorting call history, stored contacts and favourites into tabs.

Our review unit has acceptable call quality, with its earpiece able to get loud enough to make and receive calls from noisy environments. Voices always remained intelligible during our test calls, but Samsung has tweaked the earpiece more for higher-pitched voices to our ears.

Cameras - Vibrant colours but faint details

Taking a selfie photo with the Galaxy A30s
Taking a selfie photo with the Galaxy A30s

The A30 has three rear-facing cameras and a single front-facing one. The primary of the former is a 25 MP sensor that has an f/1.7 aperture, which Samsung complements with a 5 MP depth sensor and an 8 MP ultra-wide camera that both have f/2.2 apertures. Meanwhile, there is a 16 MP camera up front with an f/2.0 aperture.

The latter takes vibrant-looking portraits but at the expense of preserving detail. As the selfie to the right demonstrates, the sensor struggles to reproduce fine structures and details, while objects are poorly delineated from each other too.

While the default camera app does not include a pro or manual mode for the front-facing camera, there are a host of other options from which to choose. Samsung includes several filters and beautification modes, for example, along with options for adjusting the resolution, HDR, and the intensity of the bokeh effect that the device applies to shots.

The primary rear-facing sensor struggles in the same areas that the front-facing one does. While the 25 MP camera reproduces objects and panoramic scenes well, the edges of objects and textures lack clarity. Colours always look vivid, though.

The A30s handles macro photos better, with its 25 MP sensor able to capture more details than when in general shots. The edges of objects are more distinguishable too, while blurriness only sets in at high zoom levels. On the other hand, the primary camera struggles in low-light conditions, as scene 3 demonstrates below. The sensor captures hardly any details and underexposes the whole scene, while image noise dominates too.

The default camera app includes a pro mode for the rear-facing sensors though, including those we described above. The pro mode contains options for adjusting the ISO, white balance and brightness.

The A30s can record videos in up to 2336x1080, or in 1440x1440 for square videos. The default camera app does not have a slow-motion mode or any equivalents, though. Overall, the image quality of our test videos is on par with that of our test photos. The primary camera has an image stabiliser to compensate against small camera shakes, but sensors are optically stabilised.

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.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3

We also subjected our review unit to further tests under controlled lighting conditions, the results of which you can view below. Our tests determine that the primary rear-facing sensor reproduces colours more brightly than it should, although it struggles to pick out any at 1 lux.

As expected, our test chart also looks overexposed under controlled light conditions, but the A30s preserves fine details and textures. Contrast levels drop off slightly in the lower corners of our test image, but this is often the case even with flagship smartphones. Our test chart is almost unrecognisable at 1 lux too.

ColorChecker
22.6 ∆E
13.3 ∆E
19.6 ∆E
26.6 ∆E
17.7 ∆E
11.6 ∆E
12.2 ∆E
17.9 ∆E
15.5 ∆E
7.5 ∆E
12.4 ∆E
10.5 ∆E
7.2 ∆E
19 ∆E
16.7 ∆E
3.9 ∆E
7.9 ∆E
12.5 ∆E
3.6 ∆E
4.3 ∆E
10.6 ∆E
13.5 ∆E
8.9 ∆E
0.7 ∆E
ColorChecker Samsung Galaxy A30s: 12.34 ∆E min: 0.7 - max: 26.59 ∆E
ColorChecker
29.6 ∆E
53.9 ∆E
39.4 ∆E
34.8 ∆E
45.2 ∆E
61.5 ∆E
52.5 ∆E
34.8 ∆E
43.1 ∆E
29 ∆E
64.9 ∆E
63.3 ∆E
29.4 ∆E
47.7 ∆E
36.6 ∆E
76.1 ∆E
44.1 ∆E
41.9 ∆E
91 ∆E
70.6 ∆E
52.5 ∆E
36.9 ∆E
23.8 ∆E
13.3 ∆E
ColorChecker Samsung Galaxy A30s: 46.5 ∆E min: 13.35 - max: 90.96 ∆E
A photo of our test chart
A photo of our test chart
A photo of our test chart at 1 lux
A zoomed-in photo of our test chart

Accessories & Warranty - All the essentials and a 24-month warranty

Samsung includes a modular USB charger, a matching Type-C cable, and a pair of headphones in the box. There is a tool for opening the card slot too, along with the usual set of warranty guidelines. Samsung sells other accessories like power banks, cables and headphones on its website too.

The A30s comes with a 24-month limited manufacturer's warranty. Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies & Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices & Operation - Reliable Touchscreen

Samsung preinstalls its in-house keyboard on the A30s, as it does for all its smartphones. The app functions like Google Gboard or SwiftKey do, with options for customising its layout or size. The touchscreen in our review unit reliably reproduced our inputs without delay during our tests, but the display has a slightly resistive finish to it that makes drag-and-drop movements a chore after a while. The accelerometer consistently adjusted the orientation of the screen correctly and quickly throughout our tests too.

You can secure the A30s with a password, pattern, PIN or a fingerprint. The latter is registered using a sensor that sits underneath the display, as opposed to a capacitive one to which you may have become accustomed. While having the sensor underneath the display may seem futuristic, the one in our review unit cannot recognise stored fingerprints as accurately as a traditional capacitive sensor can. The sensor will only accept our thumb if we place it at just the right angle, for instance.

Using the default keyboard in landscape mode
Using the default keyboard in landscape mode
Using the default keyboard in portrait mode
Using the default keyboard in portrait mode

Display - A vibrant, bright, and low-resolution SuperAMOLED panel

Sub-pixel array
Sub-pixel array

The A30s has a 6.4-inch SuperAMOLED panel that resolves natively at 1560x720. While all but one of our comparison devices have 1080p displays compared to the 720p in the A30s, our review unit achieved the second-highest maximum average brightness of the devices in our comparison table. While X-Rite i1Pro 2 claims that the display reaches 489 cd/m², the more practical APL50 test states that it reaches 607 cd/m². This only applies when the ambient light sensor is activated though, as peak luminosity drops to just 306 cd/m² on manual brightness. The panel can also dim as low as 4.42 cd/m² and is 93% evenly lit.

We also recorded the display flickering at 240 Hz, a frequency that can cause health issues like eyestrain and headaches for those who are sensitive to pulse-width modulation (PWM). Hence, we would recommend trying the A30s before buying it if you are PWM sensitive.

481
cd/m²
492
cd/m²
506
cd/m²
479
cd/m²
488
cd/m²
501
cd/m²
471
cd/m²
481
cd/m²
502
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 506 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 489 cd/m² Minimum: 4.42 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 93 %
Center on Battery: 488 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.7 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 2 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
98% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.1
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Super AMOLED, 1560x720, 6.40
Samsung Galaxy A40
Super AMOLED, 2340x1080, 5.90
Honor 9X
LCD IPS, 2340x1080, 6.59
Nokia 7.2
IPS, 2340x1080, 6.30
HTC Desire 19+
IPS, 1520x720, 6.20
Huawei P30 Lite
IPS LCD, 2312x1080, 6.15
Screen
-127%
-119%
-98%
-72%
-11%
Brightness middle
488
358
-27%
494
1%
604
24%
491
1%
451
-8%
Brightness
489
370
-24%
483
-1%
593
21%
470
-4%
430
-12%
Brightness Distribution
93
94
1%
94
1%
92
-1%
84
-10%
90
-3%
Black Level *
0.51
0.4
0.33
0.55
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
1.7
7.4
-335%
5.74
-238%
5.1
-200%
4.34
-155%
1.4
18%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
3.3
12.5
-279%
10.26
-211%
10.3
-212%
8.17
-148%
4.4
-33%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
2
4
-100%
7.3
-265%
6.4
-220%
4.3
-115%
2.5
-25%
Gamma
2.1 105%
2.084 106%
2.086 105%
2.23 99%
2.302 96%
2.22 99%
CCT
6506 100%
7078 92%
8572 76%
8149 80%
7214 90%
6422 101%
Contrast
969
1510
1488
820

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 240.4 Hz ≤ 99 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 240.4 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 99 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 240.4 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

A benefit of AMOLED panels is their ability to disable pixels individually. This allows them to use switched-off pixels to reproduce the colour black, giving the A30s and all other AMOLED-equipped devices theoretically infinite contrast ratios and 0 cd/m² black levels. Expectedly, our review unit demarcates colours well from each other, while blacks look deep and full.

However, the display can make colours a bit pale depending on the mode to which it is set. Samsung leaves the display on Natural by default, which CalMAN confirms has a balanced colour reproduction with only slight variations from the sRGB colour space. On the other hand, while the Vivid mode makes colours look more vivid, it also increases the proportion of blue that the display reproduces. Not only does this skew colour accuracy, but it also gives the panel a blue tint. You can manually alter the white balance to offset this, though. Alternatively, you can choose between warmer or cooler colours if you do not want to set tweak red, yellow and blue levels.

CalMAN: Colour accuracy - Natural, sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour accuracy - Natural, sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour accuracy - Vivid , AdobeRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour accuracy - Vivid , AdobeRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour space - Natural, sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour space - Natural, sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour space - Vivid , AdobeRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour space - Vivid , AdobeRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Grayscale - Natural, sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Grayscale - Natural, sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Grayscale - Vivid , AdobeRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Grayscale - Vivid , AdobeRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour saturation - Natural, sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour saturation - Natural, sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour saturation - Vivid , AdobeRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour saturation - Vivid , AdobeRGB target colour space

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 2 ms rise
↘ 2 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 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 10 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 2 ms rise
↘ 2 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 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 9 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

We had no issues with using the A30s outside thanks to its bright and vivid SuperAMOLED. The display glass also catches the light less than comparable smartphones, so you should notice fewer reflections when using the A30s outside on a sunny day. Reflections will obscure the display slightly, though.

Using the Galaxy A30s outdoors
Using the Galaxy A30s outdoors
Using the Galaxy A30s outdoors
Using the Galaxy A30s outdoors

The SuperAMOLED display also gives the A30s stable viewing angles. As the montage below demonstrates, there are no brightness or colour distortions even at acute viewing angles. Hence, the A30s should always remain readable regardless of the angle from which you are looking at it.

Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance - Enough for everyday use

The A30s is best suited for those who do not demand much from their smartphones. Its hardware can handle all daily apps and tasks smoothly, while most games should be playable at medium graphics settings. We also encountered no stuttering or system issues during our time with the device.

Our review unit generally finished in the midfield of our synthetic benchmark comparison tables and on par with the identically equipped Galaxy A40. The Honor 9X and Huawei P30 Lite have the edge over the A30s in most tasks though, as the Nokia 7.2 does in GPU-heavy benchmarks.

Geekbench 5.0
5.0 Single-Core (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
273 Points
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
335 Points +23%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
313 Points +15%
HTC Desire 19+
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
165 Points -40%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
 
273 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (703 - 1668, n=12, last 2 years)
963 Points +253%
5.0 Multi-Core (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1010 Points
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
1412 Points +40%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1483 Points +47%
HTC Desire 19+
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
1031 Points +2%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
 
1010 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1908 - 4353, n=12, last 2 years)
3139 Points +211%
OpenCL Score 5.0 (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
841 Points
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
984 Points +17%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
601 Points -29%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
 
841 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (498 - 9123, n=7, last 2 years)
3975 Points +373%
Vulkan Score 5.0 (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
490 Points
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
183 Points -63%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
 
490 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (261 - 7988, n=6, last 2 years)
3373 Points +588%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
6628 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
6923 Points +4%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
9509 Points +43%
HTC Desire 19+
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
7753 Points +17%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
8125 Points +23%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (5802 - 6923, n=4)
6452 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +128%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
5474 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
5293 Points -3%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
7018 Points +28%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
5917 Points +8%
HTC Desire 19+
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
5703 Points +4%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
6483 Points +18%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (5269 - 5474, n=4)
5372 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +99%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
14020 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
13457 Points -4%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
21943 Points +57%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
25513 Points +82%
HTC Desire 19+
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
13081 Points -7%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
18377 Points +31%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (13183 - 14020, n=4)
13567 Points -3%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
14338 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
13821 Points -4%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
21792 Points +52%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
28898 Points +102%
HTC Desire 19+
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
12205 Points -15%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
21643 Points +51%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (13392 - 14338, n=4)
13836 Points -4%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
13009 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
12321 Points -5%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
22492 Points +73%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
18094 Points +39%
HTC Desire 19+
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
17468 Points +34%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
12023 Points -8%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (12321 - 13009, n=4)
12706 Points -2%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
827 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
807 Points -2%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
1490 Points +80%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2037 Points +146%
HTC Desire 19+
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
800 Points -3%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
1414 Points +71%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (752 - 827, n=4)
800 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (712 - 7285, n=52, last 2 years)
3548 Points +329%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
713 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
702 Points -2%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
1333 Points +87%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1913 Points +168%
HTC Desire 19+
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
733 Points +3%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
1256 Points +76%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (650 - 713, n=4)
693 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (618 - 9451, n=52, last 2 years)
3905 Points +448%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1874 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1687 Points -10%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
2536 Points +35%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2632 Points +40%
HTC Desire 19+
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
1177 Points -37%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
2490 Points +33%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (1677 - 1874, n=4)
1735 Points -7%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1093 - 4525, n=52, last 2 years)
3005 Points +60%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
933 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
930 Points 0%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
1525 Points +63%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2120 Points +127%
HTC Desire 19+
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
881 Points -6%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
1494 Points +60%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (752 - 933, n=4)
886 Points -5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (704 - 23024, n=115, last 2 years)
9038 Points +869%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
824 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
823 Points 0%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
1350 Points +64%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2007 Points +144%
HTC Desire 19+
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
817 Points -1%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
1336 Points +62%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (650 - 824, n=4)
780 Points -5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (607 - 45492, n=114, last 2 years)
15757 Points +1812%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1745 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1710 Points -2%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
2598 Points +49%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2640 Points +51%
HTC Desire 19+
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
1213 Points -30%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
2578 Points +48%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (1677 - 1745, n=4)
1712 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1075 - 8749, n=114, last 2 years)
4335 Points +148%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
647 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
635 Points -2%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
995 Points +54%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1347 Points +108%
HTC Desire 19+
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
512 Points -21%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
963 Points +49%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (582 - 647, n=4)
626 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (286 - 7890, n=102, last 2 years)
2685 Points +315%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
545 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
539 Points -1%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
848 Points +56%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1181 Points +117%
HTC Desire 19+
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
441 Points -19%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
819 Points +50%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (488 - 545, n=4)
529 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (240 - 9814, n=102, last 2 years)
2675 Points +391%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1869 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1675 Points -10%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
2549 Points +36%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2649 Points +42%
HTC Desire 19+
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
1183 Points -37%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
2489 Points +33%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (1657 - 1869, n=4)
1726 Points -8%
Average of class Smartphone
  (858 - 4679, n=102, last 2 years)
3127 Points +67%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
646 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
646 Points 0%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
992 Points +54%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1425 Points +121%
HTC Desire 19+
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
564 Points -13%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
981 Points +52%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (579 - 646, n=4)
629 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (317 - 20131, n=174, last 2 years)
6545 Points +913%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
548 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
549 Points 0%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
844 Points +54%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1256 Points +129%
HTC Desire 19+
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
489 Points -11%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
843 Points +54%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (488 - 549, n=4)
533 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (267 - 33376, n=173, last 2 years)
9330 Points +1603%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1729 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1691 Points -2%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
2579 Points +49%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2693 Points +56%
HTC Desire 19+
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
1221 Points -29%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
2550 Points +47%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (1657 - 1755, n=4)
1708 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (938 - 8480, n=173, last 2 years)
4158 Points +140%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
735 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
717 Points -2%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
938 Points +28%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1278 Points +74%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
Points -100%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (717 - 1091, n=4)
817 Points +11%
Average of class Smartphone
  (365 - 6439, n=96, last 2 years)
2611 Points +255%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
620 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
604 Points -3%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
801 Points +29%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1141 Points +84%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (604 - 964, n=4)
700 Points +13%
Average of class Smartphone
  (298 - 8601, n=96, last 2 years)
2775 Points +348%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
2096 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
2061 Points -2%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
2345 Points +12%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2207 Points +5%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (2028 - 2096, n=4)
2060 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1667 - 3525, n=96, last 2 years)
2671 Points +27%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
21 fps
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
23 fps +10%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
35 fps +67%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
46 fps +119%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
31 fps +48%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (12 - 24, n=4)
20 fps -5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (22 - 165, n=177, last 2 years)
83.6 fps +298%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
14 fps
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
25 fps +79%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
39 fps +179%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
50 fps +257%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
33 fps +136%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (14 - 25, n=4)
19.5 fps +39%
Average of class Smartphone
  (19 - 791, n=177, last 2 years)
243 fps +1636%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
24 fps
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
12 fps -50%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
19 fps -21%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
21 fps -12%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
16 fps -33%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (6.2 - 24, n=4)
13.8 fps -42%
Average of class Smartphone
  (6.8 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
71.3 fps +197%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
12 fps
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
13 fps +8%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
21 fps +75%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
23 fps +92%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
17 fps +42%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (7 - 13, n=4)
11.3 fps -6%
Average of class Smartphone
  (9.2 - 363, n=178, last 2 years)
137.9 fps +1049%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
17 fps
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
7.4 fps -56%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
12 fps -29%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
13 fps -24%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
11 fps -35%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (3.8 - 17, n=4)
8.98 fps -47%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.7 - 158, n=178, last 2 years)
60.2 fps +254%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
8.1 fps
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
8.1 fps 0%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
14 fps +73%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
15 fps +85%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
12 fps +48%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (4.3 - 8.1, n=4)
7.15 fps -12%
Average of class Smartphone
  (6.2 - 279, n=178, last 2 years)
97 fps +1098%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
10 fps
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
4.6 fps -54%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
6.5 fps -35%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
8.2 fps -18%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
6.5 fps -35%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (2.7 - 10, n=4)
5.58 fps -44%
Average of class Smartphone
  (5 - 117, n=178, last 2 years)
42.9 fps +329%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
5.2 fps
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
5.2 fps 0%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
7.7 fps +48%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
9 fps +73%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
6.9 fps +33%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (2.6 - 5.2, n=4)
4.55 fps -12%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.9 - 166, n=178, last 2 years)
58.6 fps +1027%
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
9.7 fps
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
4.2 fps -57%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
6.1 fps -37%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
7.7 fps -21%
HTC Desire 19+
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
7.3 fps -25%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
6.4 fps -34%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (4.2 - 9.7, n=4)
5.78 fps -40%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.6 - 123, n=218, last 2 years)
43.3 fps +346%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
5 fps
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
4.7 fps -6%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
7 fps +40%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
8.7 fps +74%
HTC Desire 19+
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
3.9 fps -22%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
7 fps +40%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (4.7 - 5, n=4)
4.85 fps -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.3 - 229, n=218, last 2 years)
62.9 fps +1158%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
5.8 fps
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
2.9 fps -50%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
2.3 fps -60%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
4.9 fps -16%
HTC Desire 19+
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
4.7 fps -19%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
4.2 fps -28%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (2.7 - 5.8, n=4)
3.6 fps -38%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.8 - 105, n=218, last 2 years)
32.2 fps +455%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1.8 fps
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1.8 fps 0%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
4 fps +122%
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
3.2 fps +78%
HTC Desire 19+
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
1.5 fps -17%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
2.6 fps +44%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (1.7 - 1.8, n=4)
1.775 fps -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (0.85 - 94, n=218, last 2 years)
25 fps +1289%
AnTuTu v8 - Total Score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
105840 Points
Nokia 7.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
157877 Points +49%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
 
105840 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
101336 Points -4%
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
109906 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
103205 Points -6%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
183420 Points +67%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
132834 Points +21%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (101367 - 109906, n=4)
105710 Points -4%
AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
75333 Points
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
109802 Points
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (71303 - 75333, n=2)
73318 Points
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1762 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1679 Points -5%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
2240 Points +27%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
2201 Points +25%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (1679 - 1862, n=4)
1746 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points +224%
System (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
3869 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
3788 Points -2%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
5297 Points +37%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
5146 Points +33%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (3517 - 3957, n=4)
3783 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points +149%
Memory (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
2154 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1935 Points -10%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
2948 Points +37%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
3036 Points +41%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (1935 - 2973, n=4)
2285 Points +6%
Average of class Smartphone
  (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points +189%
Graphics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1118 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1114 Points 0%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
1478 Points +32%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
1478 Points +32%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (1038 - 1118, n=4)
1086 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points +1143%
Web (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1035 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Exynos 7904, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
974 Points -6%
Honor 9X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
1090 Points +5%
Huawei P30 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
1024 Points -1%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
  (974 - 1035, n=4)
1002 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points +44%

Our browser benchmarks show a similar picture. Again, the A30s and Galaxy A40 scored similarly and finished behind all our other comparison devices.

Our review unit loaded websites quickly during our tests, so do not let its middling benchmark performance put you off. The handset even loaded media content promptly.

Jetstream 2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 351, n=167, last 2 years)
104 Points +305%
Honor 9X (Chrome 78)
32.92 Points +28%
Huawei P30 Lite (Chrome 74)
31.78 Points +24%
Samsung Galaxy A30s (Chrome 78)
25.69 Points
Average Samsung Exynos 7904 (22.1 - 25.7, n=4)
23.3 Points -9%
Samsung Galaxy A40 (Chrome 73)
22.65 Points -12%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 104.3, n=2, last 2 years)
85.2 Points +102%
Huawei P30 Lite (Chrome 74)
55.1 Points +31%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904 (42.2 - 45.1, n=4)
43.3 Points +3%
Samsung Galaxy A40 (Chrome 73)
42.7 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy A30s (Chrome 78)
42.19 Points
Speedometer 2.0 - Result
Average of class Smartphone (14.9 - 445, n=151, last 2 years)
104.7 runs/min +355%
Honor 9X (Chrome 78)
33.9 runs/min +47%
Huawei P30 Lite (Chrome 74)
31.7 runs/min +38%
Samsung Galaxy A40 (Chrome 73)
24.1 runs/min +5%
Samsung Galaxy A30s (Chrome 78)
23 runs/min
Average Samsung Exynos 7904 (19.3 - 24.1, n=4)
22 runs/min -4%
WebXPRT 3 - Overall
Average of class Smartphone (37 - 304, n=118, last 2 years)
130.7 Points +204%
Huawei P30 Lite (Chrome 74)
66 Points +53%
Samsung Galaxy A40 (Chrome 73)
52 Points +21%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904 (43 - 56, n=4)
50.8 Points +18%
Samsung Galaxy A30s (Chrome 78)
43 Points
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33355 Points +314%
Honor 9X (Chrome 78)
9851 Points +22%
Huawei P30 Lite (Chrome 74)
9779 Points +22%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904 (7798 - 9087, n=4)
8407 Points +4%
Samsung Galaxy A30s (Chrome 78)
8048 Points
Samsung Galaxy A40 (Chrome 73)
7798 Points -3%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Samsung Galaxy A30s (Chrome 78)
5707 ms *
Samsung Galaxy A40 (Chrome 73)
4976 ms * +13%
Average Samsung Exynos 7904 (3703 - 5707, n=4)
4610 ms * +19%
Huawei P30 Lite (Chrome 74)
4138 ms * +27%
Honor 9X (Chrome 78)
4123 ms * +28%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1658 ms * +71%

* ... smaller is better

Unsurprisingly, the A30s reaches the level of the Galaxy A40 in storage benchmarks too. Moreover, both devices fall short of the transfer speeds that our other comparison devices achieved in AndroBench. Both outperform the class average, though.

The A30s performed comparatively better in microSD card benchmarks, but it is still a few percent off our fastest comparison devices. Only the Galaxy A40 beats the A30s in both AndroBench tests, though. Please keep in mind that the A30s does not support apps being stored on expandable storage, nor can it format microSD cards as internal storage.

Samsung Galaxy A30sSamsung Galaxy A40Honor 9XNokia 7.2HTC Desire 19+Huawei P30 LiteAverage 64 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
-4%
231%
7%
22%
94%
24%
833%
Sequential Read 256KB
291.8
295
1%
860
195%
290.8
0%
288
-1%
293.2
0%
273 ?(95.6 - 704, n=201)
-6%
1468 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
403%
Sequential Write 256KB
101.7
99.6
-2%
196.1
93%
161.4
59%
210.8
107%
158.6
56%
176.8 ?(40 - 274, n=201)
74%
1078 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
960%
Random Read 4KB
93.2
75.7
-19%
142.3
53%
79.6
-15%
76.5
-18%
71.6
-23%
59.1 ?(9.58 - 148.5, n=201)
-37%
242 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
160%
Random Write 4KB
13.95
13.2
-5%
159.3
1042%
13.38
-4%
20.4
46%
87.3
526%
31.7 ?(2.34 - 146.9, n=201)
127%
266 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
1807%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
80 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
81.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
2%
76.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-5%
83.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
4%
81.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
2%
76.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-4%
77.4 ?(21.1 - 107.6, n=144)
-3%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
64 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
65.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
2%
67.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
5%
64 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
0%
61.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-3%
67.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
6%
58.3 ?(11.2 - 83.3, n=144)
-9%

Games - Casual games or low graphics only

The ARM Mali-G71 MP2 is powerful enough to play games with moderate graphics demands. While our review unit had no issues with running Arena of Valor at high graphics, it could only average 27.8 FPS in Asphalt 9: Legends at low graphics.

Incidentally, the touchscreen and associated sensors worked perfectly during our gaming tests.

Arena of Valor
Arena of Valor
Asphalt 9: Legends
Asphalt 9: Legends
Arena of Valor
051015202530354045505560Tooltip
Samsung Galaxy A30s; min: Ø59.5 (55-61)
Samsung Galaxy A30s; high HD: Ø57.9 (49-61)
Asphalt 9: Legends
051015202530Tooltip
Samsung Galaxy A30s; High Quality: Ø23.3 (16-31)
Samsung Galaxy A30s; Standard / low: Ø27.8 (11-31)

Emissions - A loud speaker and low surface temperatures

Temperature

GFXBench Manhattan OpenGL ES 3.1
GFXBench Manhattan OpenGL ES 3.1
GFXBench T-Rex OpenGL ES 2.0
GFXBench T-Rex OpenGL ES 2.0

Our measurements certify that the A30s only reaches a maximum of 27.9 °C when idling and 31.8 °C under load. These are only the hottest areas of the device too, with our review unit averaging just 29.2 °C under sustained load. Hence, the A30s should never feel too hot to hold even after prolonged gaming sessions.

We also subjected the A30s to a series of GFXBench benchmarks to assess how well it fares under sustained load. The device maintained consistent frame rates throughout both benchmarks that we ran, so you should encounter no throttling when gaming or in other demanding tasks.

Max. Load
 30.6 °C
87 F
30.9 °C
88 F
27.5 °C
82 F
 
 30 °C
86 F
29.3 °C
85 F
27.5 °C
82 F
 
 29.6 °C
85 F
29.9 °C
86 F
27.4 °C
81 F
 
Maximum: 30.9 °C = 88 F
Average: 29.2 °C = 85 F
28.3 °C
83 F
27.7 °C
82 F
31.7 °C
89 F
28 °C
82 F
28.3 °C
83 F
31.8 °C
89 F
27.7 °C
82 F
28.3 °C
83 F
31.1 °C
88 F
Maximum: 31.8 °C = 89 F
Average: 29.2 °C = 85 F
Power Supply (max.)  24.4 °C = 76 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 29.2 °C / 85 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 30.9 °C / 88 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 31.8 °C / 89 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.3 °C / 81 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Heat map of the top of the device under load
Heat map of the top of the device under load
Heat map of the bottom of the device under load
Heat map of the bottom of the device under load

Speakers

Speaker characteristics
Speaker characteristics

The speakers in our review unit get comparatively loud. High-pitched frequencies dominate somewhat, making the A30s better suited for playing back speech than music.

We would recommend using external audio equipment like external speakers or headphones for consuming most media content. These can be connected either via the 3.5 mm headphone jack or Bluetooth. The former holds headphones firmly in place, while both reproduced audio cleanly during our tests.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2034.931.12529.1263125.421.34029.427.35039.440.36327.3268021.623.81002421.212520.71916019.9312001839.525016.844.631516.248.840015.956.850013.559.663013.962.280012.965.510001468.6125014.770.4160014.172.4200014.274.6250014.576.6315015.477.8400014.976.2500014.875.163001577.2800015.374.71000015.367.11250015.659.41600015.550.4SPL2786.2N0.962.1median 15.3median 65.5Delta1.513.637.137.727.425.925.522.724.529.136.135.926.125.324.32422.124.419.122.120.243.819.449.216.554.515.158.815.3611461.114.564.91465.914.570.114.574.214.376.414.678.41479.814.779.714.37814.878.914.677.514.477.414.676.314.766.41559.526.788.90.873.3median 14.6median 70.10.611.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseSamsung Galaxy A30sHuawei P30 Lite
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Samsung Galaxy A30s audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 31.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.2% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 9.4% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (27.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 65% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 29% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 80% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 16% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Huawei P30 Lite audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.8% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 8.1% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (1.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (22.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 39% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 54% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 59% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 35% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Power Management - Shorter than expected battery life

Power Consumption

Our review unit consumed between 0.79 and 3.68 W during our tests, making it more efficient than all our comparison devices, the class average and the average of Exynos 7904-powered devices that we have tested. Samsung includes a 15 W charger in the box, which is powerful enough to always keep the device charging.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.02 / 0.57 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.79 / 1.98 / 2.03 Watt
Load midlight 2.37 / 3.68 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Samsung Galaxy A30s
4000 mAh
Samsung Galaxy A40
3100 mAh
Honor 9X
4000 mAh
Nokia 7.2
3500 mAh
HTC Desire 19+
3850 mAh
Huawei P30 Lite
3340 mAh
Average Samsung Exynos 7904
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
-66%
-126%
-52%
-39%
-51%
-60%
-45%
Idle Minimum *
0.79
0.8
-1%
2.3
-191%
0.77
3%
1.3
-65%
0.91
-15%
1.048 ?(0.79 - 1.66, n=4)
-33%
0.894 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
-13%
Idle Average *
1.98
1.4
29%
3
-52%
2.32
-17%
2
-1%
2.41
-22%
2.51 ?(1.4 - 4.28, n=4)
-27%
1.452 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
27%
Idle Maximum *
2.03
2.3
-13%
4.2
-107%
2.41
-19%
2.9
-43%
2.43
-20%
2.8 ?(2.03 - 4.44, n=4)
-38%
1.632 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
20%
Load Average *
2.37
7.4
-212%
5.3
-124%
4.44
-87%
3.6
-52%
4.57
-93%
5.28 ?(2.37 - 7.53, n=4)
-123%
5.55 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
-134%
Load Maximum *
3.68
8.6
-134%
9.4
-155%
8.79
-139%
5
-36%
7.57
-106%
6.61 ?(3.68 - 9.09, n=4)
-80%
8.23 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
-124%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Samsung equips the A30s with a 4,000 mAh battery, which lasted for 10:34 hours in our practical Wi-Fi test. This value is not bad, but many of our comparison devices achieve comparable or better runtimes with smaller batteries.

Our review unit takes around two hours to reach full charge with its included charger.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
10h 34min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
16h 22min
Load (maximum brightness)
5h 17min
Samsung Galaxy A30s
4000 mAh
Samsung Galaxy A40
3100 mAh
Honor 9X
4000 mAh
Nokia 7.2
3500 mAh
HTC Desire 19+
3850 mAh
Huawei P30 Lite
3340 mAh
Battery Runtime
-9%
31%
-10%
25%
-29%
H.264
982
825
-16%
685
-30%
WiFi v1.3
634
643
1%
832
31%
570
-10%
795
25%
515
-19%
Load
317
277
-13%
198
-38%
Reader / Idle
1689
1248

Pros

+ stylish design
+ robust
+ colour-accurate display
+ affordable

Cons

- comparatively short battery life
- sluggish in-screen fingerprint scanner
- slow Wi-Fi for its class

Verdict - A stylish smartphone with a few downsides

The Samsung Galaxy A30s smartphone review. Test device courtesy of notebooksbilliger.de.
The Samsung Galaxy A30s smartphone review. Test device courtesy of notebooksbilliger.de.

The Galaxy A30s is a decent entry-level smartphone that Samsung has priced appropriately. Its SuperAMOLED panel is colour accurate and bright, although its 720p resolution is rather low by today's standards. The Exynos 7904 is powerful enough for all everyday tasks too and even some gaming. Complex titles like Asphalt 9: Legends will push the A30s to its limits, though.

The Samsung Galaxy A30s fulfils our expectations considering its price. We would only ask for longer battery life.

Samsung has left some battery life optimisations on the table, in our opinion. While the A30s achieved respectable runtimes during our tests, many of our comparison devices lasted longer with smaller batteries. The sluggish in-screen fingerprint sensor is a miss too, as is the comparatively slow Wi-Fi performance. Overall, these are minor detractions from what is an accomplished entry-level smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy A30s - 08/31/2022 v7
Mike Wobker

Chassis
87%
Keyboard
66 / 75 → 88%
Pointing Device
96%
Connectivity
47 / 70 → 66%
Weight
91%
Battery
89%
Display
91%
Games Performance
8 / 64 → 13%
Application Performance
52 / 86 → 60%
Temperature
95%
Noise
100%
Audio
69 / 90 → 77%
Camera
57%
Average
73%
79%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Samsung Galaxy A30s Smartphone Review: A breath of fresh air with a playful design
Mike Wobker, 2019-11-28 (Update: 2019-11-29)