Samsung has quietly announced a new budget phone with a rear design that appears to have been inspired by the iPhone 11. The Galaxy A03 is the company's latest Galaxy A smartphone and, apart from its new rear design, it also boasts an upgraded camera and a new processor. For those in the market for an affordable phone, this might be one to consider.
The Galaxy A series was originally a premium upper mid-range smartphone series, but that changed a few years ago when Samsung merged its other mid-range lines, such as the Galaxy J series, with the Galaxy A series. Now, it is not unusual to see a budget smartphone and a premium mid-range phone both launch under the Galaxy A umbrella. To make it easier to classify, Samsung uses a numerical nomenclature to denote which device is superior - lower numbers such as “0” and “1” are used for affordable budget phones while higher figures such as “5” and “7” typically denote higher spec devices.
The Galaxy A03 succeeds the Galaxy A02 announced back in January. It keeps the “Infinity-V display” of its predecessor, but drops the pill-shaped rear camera array in favor of a rounded rectangle that is reminiscent of the iPhone 11. There is still a camera bump, albeit a small one. Samsung will offer the phone in three colors - Black, Blue, and Red. The back is polycarbonate, which is not surprising considering it is a budget device, and there is a textured finish to allow for a firmer grip.
An Upgraded Camera But Still No 5G
The Galaxy A03 has a new primary camera - a 48-megapixel f/1.8 sensor that replaces the 13-megapixel f/1.9 on the Galaxy A02. It is paired with a 2-megapixel f/2.4 depth camera that replaces the 2-megapixel macro camera on the last-gen model. The 6.5-inch HD+ display, which lacks a high refresh rate, has remained unchanged and its notch houses a 5-megapixel camera for selfies and video calls. Samsung says there is a new chip inside, but doesn't mention the name. It is, however, an octa-core processor with 2 cores clocked at 1.6GHz and 6 cores clocked at 1.6GHz, and draws power from the 5,000 mAh capacity battery. While the identity of the chip remains a mystery, one thing that is clear is the lack of a 5G modem. It is also missing a fingerprint scanner, but should have support for face unlock. Samsung is still keeping the audio jack on its budget phones and this one even supports Dolby Atmos.
Depending on the market, the Galaxy A03 will be available in three configurations with a choice between 3GB RAM and 32GB storage, 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, or 4GB RAM and 128GB storage. While Samsung has yet to reveal pricing and availability information for the phone, the price tag is likely to sit somewhere between the cost of the Galaxy A03s and the Galaxy A03 Core.
Source: Samsung