Samsung Galaxy A42 5G: The mid-range phone has a problem

Samsung's mid-range smartphones from the Galaxy A series are among the best-sellers among smartphones. The devices in the middle of this range, such as the Galaxy A41 or the A51, sold particularly well last year. However, there were definitely alternatives from other manufacturers that offered more features for the same amount of money or the same configuration at a lower price.

The successor generation is supposed to close the gap here, and in this way, not only has Samsung integrated the latest mobile radio standard into the Galaxy A42 5G but also more storage, a higher-capacity battery, and much more performance than in the predecessor. The camera is not exceptional, but at least it's at the class level, and indeed, very long runtimes can be squeezed out from the battery.

However, Samsung did two things that might have a controversial response from buyers: First, the case has been made significantly larger in contrast to the Galaxy A41. The Galaxy A42 has grown by half an inch with the same aspect ratio. As a result, the smartphone is no longer as manageable as the predecessor.

On the other hand, a larger display is naturally a great thing for all video fans, but you have to deal with Samsung's second odd decision here: The display only offers a 720p resolution, which would already be unusual for devices around 300 Euros (~$367), but Samsung is actually charging 370 Euros (~$453) for its smartphone.

The pixel grid is visible on the OLED screen, and you don't even have to look very closely to see it; this reduces the overall impression quite a bit. After all, the display is one of the most important components in a smartphone.

If you're now unsure whether the Galaxy A42 5G is at all suitable for you, we recommend our detailed review of the Samsung smartphone.