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      Samsung Galaxy A13 vs. Galaxy A12: The Clash of the Mid-Range Titans

      Robert Cerff / 10-08-2022 / Reviews

      Samsung’s most affordable smartphones on the market, the Galaxy A12 and A13, are going head to head in this comparison by Mondo. Considering you can own either one of these mid-range handsets without breaking the bank, which one will you pick?


      The more dynamic display 

       

      If you’re looking for a smartphone with a striking display for watching videos or light gaming, the Samsung Galaxy A13 is the better option. Launched in March this year, it sports a larger screen size at 6.6-inches with 400 PPI (pixels per inch). In comparison, the Samsung Galaxy A12, launched in February 2020, has a 6.5-inch screen and 264 PPI. The Galaxy A13 also has a better screen resolution at 2 408 x 1 080 than the A12’s 720 x 1 600, and although it falls just short of a Full HD experience, it’s still sharp for day-to-day use.


      This doesn’t mean the A12 is a dud. On the contrary, the display specs are decent, with a pretty good maximum brightness. Although both phones lose out on high-end AMOLED tech, they have very similar displays (PLS on the A12 and IPS on the A13) that are surprisingly good and produce bright, punchy colours. One place the A12 wins is its bigger screen-to-body ratio, which is 85.8% to the A13’s 83.2%.


      Winning battery performance


      Turning our attention to battery power, the Galaxy A13 and A12 sport a big 5,000mAh battery with fast charging capabilities of up to 15W. The phones can last up to two days on a single charge, ensuring that these mid-range powerhouses go the distance without needing to be constantly charged. In video playback tests, the Galaxy A13 reached just over 19 hours, while the A12 surprisingly lasted an extra 7 hours under the same conditions.


      Latest software is unbeatable


      Since the Samsung A12 was launched a whole 2 years before the A13, there are some drawbacks in terms of software simply because it’s an older release. Both phones run on Android with Samsung skins on top. However, the A12 features Android 10 with a One UI skin, while the A13 runs on the latest Android 12 and One UI 4.1. Even so, both versions of Android offer excellent security upgrades, more personalisation and easy multitasking. Plus, the Samsung skins allow for a unique Android experience that isn’t possible with other brands.


      Changing chipsets


      The chipset of the Galaxy A12 was introduced with a MediaTek Helio P35 processor. But Samsung soon replaced it with the snappier Exynos 850 processor.


      Now, the A13 is following a similar path with a change of chipsets planned. It’s powered by the 5G-enabled MediaTek Dimensity 700 in the US but currently ships with the 4G-only Samsung Exynos 850. The Samsung chip is planned to be swapped out for the faster MediaTek Helio G80 processor. The upgrade will see a boost in gaming, camera and connectivity capabilities.


      Cameras find common ground


      When it comes to camera specs, the Samsung Galaxy A13 boasts a slightly more powerful 50MP main shooter, while the Galaxy A12 holds steady with a capable 48MP offering. Both feature a quad lens setup on the back, and the main cameras are supported by a 5MP ultra-wide lens, 2MP macro lens and 2MP depth sensor. On the front, they’re both equal with an 8MP selfie snapper. The handsets capture vibrant, shareable photos with enough detail and decent composition.


      More memory


      Both phones combine octa-core processing with a good amount of RAM for a smoother performance. On the Galaxy A12, you get 4GB RAM, 64GB of internal storage, and a MicroSD card slot that holds up to 1TB. The A13 offers a choice between 3GB, 4GB, or 6GB of RAM, and 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB of internal storage. It mirrors the A12 with a 1TB MicroSD card slot.


      Verdict


      The newer Samsung Galaxy A13 features plenty of upgrades that place it a step above the Galaxy A12. If you’re looking for a faster chipset, the latest software, better main camera and display, and more storage, this one's for you. However, the A12 holds its own for a 2020 model with a bigger screen-to-body ratio, decent screen and camera quality, and unbeatable battery performance.


      So which one should you choose? Both are excellent entry-level handsets from this A-series lineup. If you’re looking for a smartphone that fits the current mid-range standard, the Samsung Galaxy A13 ticks more boxes. But if you’re willing to cut back on certain specs for a better battery, then the Galaxy A12 is a good contender.

      TECH NEWS

      Samsung’s 100 Megapixel Camera is Coming!

      It’s no secret that the camera has always been the smartphone’s strongest selling point. With the growing popularity of social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, users have become photo-centric, constantly chasing after the best cameras to produce the best pictures to share with their followers. In fact, digital camera sales have taken a dip since the rise of the camera phone, which allows users to carry one device that performs many functions rather than purchasing a specific device for each of their needs. The first phone with a built-in camera was manufactured by Samsung in the year 2000. This digital camera could take up 20 photos at 350 000-pixels, or 0.35-megapixels, but you could only access your photos by connecting to a computer. By the year 2003, camera phones were becoming more popular with better specs and lower prices. In 2004, Sprint released a phone with a 1.3-megapixel camera that could capture images, share them wirelessly and even allowed you to print them. Finnish manufacturer Nokia jumped on the bandwagon in 2005 and released a 2 megapixel camera on their N90 model. Shortly after, the world was introduced to Sony Ericsson, whose aim was to steal the crown from Nokia. They adopted Sony’s Cybershot digital camera branding, which earned them first place in the camera phone market. The Sony Ericsson K800i was released in 2006 with a 3.2-megapixel camera that had auto focus, image stability and a Xenon flash. The baton was passed back to Samsung when they released the first ever 5-megapixel camera and then the 8 megapixel camera in 2008. The smartphone camera race continued, with Samsung appearing to be the winner with their release of the M8910 Pixon 12, which had a 12MP camera, in 2009. However, they were soon bested by Nokia’s N8 in 2010 and then the 16MP Sony Ericsson S006 that came at the end of 2010. Fast forward a few years and Samsung are at it again! To maintain their position in the market, the technology giant has decided to partner up with Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi to create the world’s first 108-megapixel camera. Current high-end smartphones typically host cameras with between 12 and 16-megapixel resolutions, so a 108 megapixel camera would be a massive improvement to the conventional smartphone camera. The Isocell Bright HMX is designed to shoot incredibly detailed photos and is said to be comparable to a top DSLR camera. You can expect to capture better low-lit images as this camera will merge pixels to absorb more light. In terms of video recording, no smartphone camera will have better capabilities than this one. It will be capable of shooting up to 6K resolution at 30 frames per second which is very impressive compared to the 4K resolution at 60 frames per second limit of other smartphones. It’s been predicted that Xiaomi will release a smartphone with a similar camera before Samsung does, and even though Samsung has announced that production on these camera lenses begun at the end of August, they’ve remained tight-lipped about when we’ll be seeing a device with the 108-megapixel camera on the shelves.

      Read More...

      Samsung Galaxy A Series: Flagship Experiences on a Budget

      South Korean electronics manufacturer Samsung has blazed a trail in the local smartphone market with the launch of their mid-tier A series cell phones that give their more expensive flagship counterparts a run for their money. Most likely, this range was created in response to stiff competition in the mid-tier smartphone category from the likes of Chinese rivals Huawei and Xiaomi. The company launched the Galaxy A2 Core, A10, A20, A30, A50, A70 and the A80 in South Africa this year, with the A90 expected soon. The A Series is a welcome change in pace for the company’s mid-tier devices, as the range now offers you a premium look and feel at a lower cost, as well as upgrades to the internals to give these devices more power and features, such as triple-lens camera systems on selected models. Let’s take a quick look at each model in the Galaxy A range: Galaxy A2 Core A simple but powerful entry-level device, the Galaxy A2 Core features the Android Go operating system, which is designed to optimise performance through the device’s hardware. Android Go is a lite version of the OS but allows devices like the A2 Core to offer a smooth user experience at an affordable cost. The A2 Core also features 5 MP cameras on the rear and face of the device and can support an SD card of up to 512GB, complementing its 8GB or 16GB of onboard storage. This will allow the user to cram more music and pictures into the device. The A2 Core also comes fitted with a 5-inch display. Galaxy A10 & A20 The Galaxy A10 and Galaxy A20 smartphones have many similarities. While both come with the Android 9.0 operating system, one of the most distinct differences is the screen size, as the A10 features a 6.2-inch display, while the A20 features a slightly larger 6.4-inch AMOLED display. Both devices feature the same processor, with the A10 featuring 2GB of RAM and the A20 fitted with 3GB of RAM. Another major difference between the devices is that the A20 features a dual 13MP and 5MP rear camera, while the A10 offers a 13MP rear camera. The A20 offers an 8MP front camera versus the A10’s 5MP shooter. Both smartphones pack 32GB of internal storage. Galaxy A30 & A50 The A30 and A50 smartphones set a new benchmark for affordable smartphones in the mid-tier category. The A30 comes with 64GB of onboard storage, while the A50 offers a massive 128GB of storage. Both devices feature a gorgeous 6.4-inch AMOLED display, the Android 9.0 operating system, 4GB of RAM and all-day battery-life thanks to a colossal 4000 mAh battery, usually found in premium smartphones. The A50 smartphone features a triple rear camera setup with a 25MP, 8MP and 5MP cameras offering great wide screen shots, while the A30 features a dual 16MP and 5MP rear camera configuration. The A50 sports a powerful 25MP selfie camera and the A30 a 16MP front camera. Galaxy A70 & A80 Essentially competing in the premium smartphone segment, the A80 is set to become one of the most unique smartphones available on the South African market. The A80 will feature one of the first pop-up rotating camera modules, consisting of a powerful 48MP wide lens, 8MP ultra-wide lens and a Time of Flight (TOF) 3D camera to capture not only images from the rear but also for selfies. The device sports a 3700mAh battery and 128GB of onboard storage, with a 6.7-inch display. The Galaxy A70 features a slightly larger 4500mAh battery compared to the A80 but will run off the same processor and operating system – Android 9.0. The A70 smartphone features a triple camera module consisting of a 32MP lens, 8MP wide-angle lens and 5MP depth sensing lens with a 32MP selfie camera. Read the reviews: Galaxy A2 Core Galaxy A10 Galaxy A20

      Read More...