Table of contents:
Overview
The Samsung Galaxy A13 is the last of Samsung’s entry-level phones. And if you compare the Galaxy A13 to its previous model, the A12, you can see that it looks even better. Having said that, the price increase might be fair.
Let’s find out.
For this article, we will just call this smartphone the “A13” which means Samsung Galaxy A13.
Samsung Galaxy A13 specs
- Android 12, One UI 4.1
- Dual SIM, Dual standby
- 6.6-inches FHD+ TFT display, 2408 x 1080 pixel resolution, 400ppi
- Corning Gorilla Glass 5
- 2.2GHz octa-core processor
- 4GB RAM
- 128 GB internal storage, expandable via microSD
- 8MP front camera
- 50MP(f/1.8, PDAF) + 5MP(ultra-wide) + 2MP(macro) + 2MP(depth sensor) rear cameras, LED flash
- Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
- Headphone jack, Single loudspeaker
- WiFi
- Bluetooth
- GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
- USB Type-C
- Dimensions: 165.1 x 76.4 x 8.8mm
- Weight: 195g
- Colors: Blue, Peach, White, Black
- 5,000mAh non-removable battery, 25W fast charging
Availability & Pricing (Philippines)
The powder blue A13 is very much for the young audience. Gen Z will love this colorway and the best news is that is available for only P10,490 SRP.
Design & build
Let’s talk about its aesthetics. How it feels in the hands and the overall looks of this smartphone.
High-quality plastic is precisely molded without any play. The camera module itself only extends from the casing by a hair’s breadth.
In addition, there is no awkwardness in the arrangement of any of the required buttons. Even the placement of the fingerprint scanner on the power button is so subtle that it is unlikely to be spotted unless the technical specifications are examined.
Only the free TPU transparent case is “missing” from this brand-new phone. Of course, this is a Samsung product, so it shouldn’t be like other brands. But the free transparent casing gives the new owner more protection. And, I’ll say it again, other brands give you one for free when you buy them.
Having said that, the only additional purchase you’ll ever have upon unboxing the A13 is a casing. That would only cost +/- P300.
Overall the design and the colorway are very attractive and very easy to hold in the hands. I’ll give it an overall score of 9/10.
Software/OS
The phone’s OS and UI are what make it work. This one comes with Android 12 and One UI 4.1 from Samsung.
With the dark them present, this is how it looks like when turned on.
As someone who switches phones practically regularly, I configured my A13 using the Android migration software. I previously had a realme 9 Pro Plus. I basically let Android handle things for me to configure the A13 more easily.
The A13 has already replicated all the settings from the Realme 9 Pro Plus, including my favorite applications, with just a few taps and clicks.
It worked, but not 100%.
I still manually installed some apps. But the settings like WiFi names and password was copied, including the SMS & calls archives.
Camera
The A13 comes loaded with all the cameras you will need. There’s an 8MP front camera for selfies and vlogging.
And for the usual snapping and video documentation, you can rely on the 50MP(f/1.8, PDAF) + 5MP(ultra-wide) + 2MP(macro) + 2MP(depth sensor) rear cameras, LED flash setup.
Before you get too excited about the features of the camera, though, you should know that it takes a few moments before it really shoots the picture.
Yes, if you want a decent shot, you are going to require a lot of patience in order to achieve it. If you do it at night, it will be considerably more difficult for you.
But colors are accurate, especially during the daytime.
And with steady hands, you’ll capture captivating photos just like this cat who let us do a close-up shot of him.
Battery & charging
The big capacity battery is undoubtedly one of this phone’s most appealing selling points. It comes with a 25-watt fast charger and a battery with a capacity of 5,000 mAh.
Due to the fact that I am not an avid user and consider myself more of a casual user of social media, I was able to go through up to two days on a single charge.
Conclusion
As I said in the beginning, this is a phone for beginners. So I hope you know what to expect if you decide to buy this phone, whether it will be your main phone or a backup.
If you want to use this as your daily driver, you might be let down. Even more so when taking photos quickly. You’ll end up with photos that aren’t clear. But if you’re not in a hurry and have a lot of time, you’ll get photos that are very clear and sharp.
As I was using it, I always had my previous phone with me as a backup.
Overall, I enjoyed using this phone. I know what it can do and its limitations, so I wasn’t surprised at its performance.
