Samsung introduced the Galaxy A42 5G earlier this year, its cheapest 5G phone to date and one of the first to use the new Snapdragon 750G chipset. We received the device for a review and here are our first impressions of the Galaxy A42 5G before handing it over to the review team.
Right out of the box, the Galaxy A42 5G feels quite comfortable in the hand, even with its 6.6 ”screen. On the one hand, it is good that the panel is Super AMOLED because it is bright and vibrant, on the other, the resolution is 720p, which is quite disappointing. At least the fingerprint scanner made its way under the screen, a feature that many other more expensive media cannot match.
The phone’s chipset, the Snapdragon 750G, is a 5G variant of the Snapdragon 730G and is based on the 8nm process. This means that it should offer excellent efficiency, which together with the 5000 battery should offer stellar battery life. Samsung brought 15W fast charging to the Galaxy A42 5G and there is an adapter in the retail box.
There are four shooters on the back, lined up in a square, and visually they’re fine – it’s the quality of the photos that matters, not the look of the camera island.
The Galaxy A42 5G is among the growing number of mid-ranges offering 5G support, but the company’s name alone gives it an edge over most Chinese rivals in Western markets. The thing is, people who buy phones in these price ranges will not necessarily insist on having 5G connectivity (if they have access to such a network in the first place). This means that the phone will have to demonstrate that its qualities go beyond the advanced modem. We’ll know how this turns out in a few days.
