Samsung’s budget-friendly Galaxy A14 5G phone has been making waves since its release. It’s being touted as the cheapest 5G phone on the market, and it has a sleek design that looks similar to the flagship S283 series. However, upon closer inspection, the A14 5G falls short in several key areas, making it a disappointing choice for those in the market for a budget smartphone.
The A14 5G’s base variant comes with only 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, which is not sufficient for Samsung’s one UI in 2023. To have a decent smartphone experience, a minimum of 6GB RAM and 128GB storage is required. Additionally, Samsung doesn’t provide basic accessories such as a power adapter, pre-applied screen protector, and a clear case inside the box, which can add up to the final cost.
The phone’s design is visually pleasing, with Samsung taking cues from the S283 series and combining them with ridges to create a unique look. However, the thick bezels and water drop notch look outdated, even for a budget phone in 2023. The display is nothing impressive, and although it’s good for an LCD screen, it’s nowhere near an AMOLED panel. The single bottom-firing speaker is also a bummer, as it lacks the rich stereo output of most other phones in this segment.
The Exynos 1330 chip powering the A14 5G looks capable on paper, but the processor hasn’t been optimized enough to make the most out of it. While it’s suitable for small tasks such as phone calls and web browsing, multitasking and opening big apps and games can cause the phone to lag. The lack of proper optimization continues in the gaming arena, with only Call of Duty playing nicely with the latest Exynos chip. Additionally, the cooling solution is not effective, leading to the phone heating up during extended gaming sessions.
The A14 5G ships with the new One UI 5 Core, and Samsung promises two years of Android and four years of security updates for this phone. However, the base variant’s 64GB storage is not enough for modern apps, and the system takes up around 15GB, making it difficult to store apps and data. The camera setup, consisting of a 50-megapixel primary, a 2-megapixel depth, and a 2-megapixel macro sensor, is average and doesn’t perform well in low light conditions.
In conclusion, the Galaxy A14 5G may be the cheapest 5G phone on the market, but it falls short in several key areas. The phone’s base variant is not suitable for modern apps and multitasking, and the lack of proper optimisation in gaming and cooling means that extended gaming sessions can lead to lag and heating issues. While the design is visually pleasing, it falls short in certain areas, and the camera setup is average at best. For those in the market for a budget smartphone, the Galaxy A14 5G may not be the best option.
