Samsung Galaxy A04 Full Review

The Samsung Galaxy A04 is that budget Samsung device you consider when you want the very minimum offering from Samsung but not too minimum, let’s say somewhere just above the core galaxy devices.

Not to be mistaken for the Samsung Galaxy A04s, this is a younger sibling but pretty much carries the same design language Samsung seems to want to replicate on all their devices, only that it has just two rear cameras which distinguish it from the others.

Samsung Galaxy A04 Price In Nigeria

The Samsung Galaxy A04 is priced at about N88,000 naira for the base version with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. There’s a 4GB version with 64GB of storage, both expandable by SD card.

Samsung Galaxy A04 Review

It is a very budget entry-level offering from Samsung where you can still experience full Android and One UI, not the GO edition. Actually, safe to call it an intended upgrade from the A03 we saw barely 9 months ago.

Design & Build Quality

What interest me most about this device is not just its similarity to the A04s, but actually its processor, which is the MediaTek Helio P35. The same processor on the Galaxy A12 of last year. So, safe to say this pack’s just as much power in raw performance hopefully. But there’s one thing always lacking with this end of Samsung’s A Series which still carries on with the A04.

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No fingerprint scanner! At this point I don’t even know why Samsung does this, cos I think they’re the only manufacturer in this segment doing this. You could say those this device is targeted at don’t really care about the fingerprint scanner as long as the device works fine and gives that One UI experience… Maybe elderly persons.

Just like the A13 and A04s, this comes with a 50MP Main camera, but I won’t say it packs the same level of performance. But let’s get to that later. On its design, we see a glossy rear finish and build quality expected of this price point. In the box, the Galaxy A04 comes with A15 watts charging brick and USB cable as the only accessories.

Performance, Processor & Android Operating System

On to its performance, I’d say it gives you pretty much the performance you can expect at this price point. Nothing exceptional but will handle your regular apps for the most part, including a decent level of multitasking.

It’s an entry-level phone so you definitely won’t be expecting it to perform like the more expensive ones. Great to see that we get the Mediatek Helio P35 which, while it’s an old processor, is great to have on an entry-level device. The software here is the core version of One UI 4.1 based on Android 12. It will get Android 13 in the not-too-distant future and I can say for certain Android 14 is guaranteed. That’s something you probably won’t get on any other devices at this price point.

It’s a typical One UI experience except that you don’t get the main features like a secure folder, edge panel, smart view, and default screen recording. But you get pretty much every other One UI feature that makes it one of the best Android experiences.

I like that it has been built in a similar fashion as the A04s from a design standpoint, but I dislike that it doesn’t have a fingerprint scanner.

Battery Capacity & Charging

The Samsung Galaxy A04 shines in the battery department as it packs a 5000mAh Battery and I can say for certain this can go more than a day of average to heavy use on a full charge. And it supports 15 watts of fast charging.

Gaming Performance

It is not a gaming device, that actually should not be expected at this price point, but it will handle some light gaming at low graphics quite well. As long as you keep your expectations at a minimum. Compared to other devices released so far this year around its price point I’d say it holds up to some extent except for the lack of a fingerprint scanner.

But that could be ignored when you consider that this has the best software experience at its price point and also with the longer support from Samsung. If however, you want something a little better than this, it is actually not priced far from the higher A04s which offer better refresh rates and cameras.

Camera Specs

The A04 gets a dual rear setup comprising a 50MP Main camera and a 2MP depth sensor. The selfie camera is 5MP. The camera performance is pretty much the expected for this price point. Nothing exceptional but good enough and probably better than most of the competition.

It requires the ideal lighting conditions to give you its best. However, I’ll recommend sticking to the rear camera for all photos as the selfie camera is not great. You will get presentable photos, but they won’t wow you. That is actually expected at this price point so no surprises there. It can shoot videos at 1080p 30fps from both its selfie and rear cameras, but as with the photos, find the best lighting conditions and keep your expectations low.

Verdict

If you’re buying the Galaxy A04, you’re probably on a really tight budget and this is definitely going to get the job done. If you need a device that will handle basic multitasking, has a great battery, is durable, and will last you a long time of usage, the A04 fits the description.

But if you want better, you probably shouldn’t be watching this video, and should also be revising your budget. With that said, this will serve as a great device for someone who’s not really into smartphones. Just make calls, occasionally browse the internet, and use regular apps. Maybe some basic gaming as well. That’s all from me. What do you think about the A04?