Samsung announced the Galaxy A14 5G at CES 2023, an update to the budget-priced Galaxy A13 5G from the previous year. The new phone is priced at $199.99, making it the most affordable option for 5G connectivity. While it may not have the same level of performance as higher-priced phones, it appears to be a good value for its price, which is $50 cheaper than the previous model.
One of the standout features of the Samsung Galaxy A14 is its 5G support. It’s rare to find phones in this price range with 5G capabilities, so we’re pleased to see that the A14 offers full sub-6GHz 5G support at an affordable price.
The Galaxy A14 5G features a 6.6-inch Full HD+ 90Hz screen, which is impressive for a phone in this price range. Most budget-friendly phones have a 60Hz display, so the higher refresh rate on the A14 is a nice upgrade. The A14’s predecessor had a 6.5-inch screen with a 90Hz refresh rate, so the A14 only has a slightly larger display.
The Galaxy A14 5G is powered by a MediaTek MT6833 Dimensity 700 processor with 4GB of RAM, which is standard for a phone in this price range. The outgoing Galaxy A13 5G also had the same chipset and RAM configuration, so there is no improvement in power. The base model of the A14 comes with 64GB of storage and has support for microSD cards up to 1TB.
The camera system on the Galaxy A14 5G appears to be strong. It has a 50MP primary camera, a 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth camera arranged vertically on the back. The front camera is a 13MP shooter located in the display notch. Although the resolution of the rear cameras is the same as the A13’s, the front camera has been significantly upgraded from a 5MP camera on the previous model. We’ll need to test the camera ourselves to fully evaluate its performance.
We anticipate that the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G will have excellent battery life, thanks to its 5,000mAh lithium-ion cell. The phone also has 15W fast charging, which is the same as the A13 5G, for relatively quick recharging. The large battery in this device should result in excellent battery performance.
As is typical, Samsung has a top-notch software upgrade policy for the Galaxy A14 5G, with up to two generations of Android OS upgrades and up to four years of security updates. This is impressive for a budget phone.
Although the Galaxy A14 is not a significant upgrade from the Galaxy A13, it does make some noteworthy improvements and is $50 cheaper. Overall, it could be a strong contender in the sub-$200 price range, but we’ll need to complete a full review before making a final judgment.
AT&T plans to offer the phone for $2 a month for 36 months with no trade-in required, which totals $72 for the phone. This makes it an affordable option for those already on AT&T or looking to switch. Cricket Wireless, owned by AT&T, also plans to sell the A14 for $189.99.
