Skip to main content

Samsung’s Galaxy A13 5G is its cheapest 5G phone yet at $250

Samsung today announced the new Galaxy A13 5G, a budget phone that would lower the cost of entry to 5G in the A-Series to $250. It’ll launch in December at AT&T, with an expansion to T-Mobile in January.

As with all budget phones, Samsung isn’t pushing the envelope here in terms of what to expect. There’s a large 6.5-inch HD screen at the top, and you’ll find a triple-camera setup at the back with a 50-megapixel wide camera, and a pair of 2MP depth and macro sensors. Storage here isn’t great as there’s just 64GB of storage onboard. Samsung is offering little niceties, though, like outfitting that HD screen with a 90Hz refresh rate alongside a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and a 5,000mAh battery with 15-watt fast charging. This is a phone you buy to do the basics, and pretty much nothing beyond that.

In an odd omission for budget phones, Samsung will not be shipping a wall charger with the A13 5G, likely for the same environmental reasons that it excludes them from its flagships. This means that any buyer of the A13 5G for budget reasons will then have to include the cost of a charger, pushing the real cost a little bit higher. This is definitely an increasingly common — and annoying — trend.

Samsung's Galaxy A13 from all angles.
Samsung

The new A13 will go up against other cheap 5G phones like the new $252 Nokia X100 when it comes to luring budget-conscious customers who want 5G service. Samsung’s strong brand — reflected in its unified design — will likely be a deciding factor for many shopping in this bracket.

Samsung also announced a cheaper phone for those who just want the basics in the Galaxy A03S. It’s already been available in parts of Europe, and brings a large battery, a triple-camera system, and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for $160. The catch? You’ll only have 32GB of storage to play with, though there is support for a microSD slot for up to 1TB. The A03S will go on sale from January 2022 on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon

Editors' Recommendations

Michael Allison
A UK-based tech journalist for Digital Trends, helping keep track and make sense of the fast-paced world of tech with a…
Does the Samsung Galaxy A54 have wireless charging?
The Galaxy A54's main screen.

The Samsung Galaxy A54 is Samsung's latest addition to its excellent midrange A-series smartphones. While we've yet to spend a good amount of time with it, we're optimistic this cut-price king is likely to be a great option if you want a smartphone for just $450. But what does the wireless charging situation look like?

A lower price often means some features end up on the cutting room floor, and wireless charging is often one of those features first on the cost-saving block. If you're a fan of the convenience of wireless charging, you'll want to make sure your new phone supports your favored charging method. So, does the Samsung Galaxy A54 have wireless charging?
The Samsung Galaxy A54 does not have wireless charging

Read more
Could this be our first look at the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5?
Concept render of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5.

As the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 has drawn closer, there's been plenty of speculation regarding what the new foldable will look like. Now, we may be one step closer to solving that mystery.

Recent concept images shared by Technizo Concept and YouTuber Super Roader aim to give fans an idea of what to expect when the Z Fold 5 is officially revealed, or when leaked renders inevitably start to surface. Before viewing the concept images, it's important to remember that they're just that: a concept. There's nothing official about what Technizo Concept has made; they're not leaked renders or official stills. Instead, the renders provide a look into what the Galaxy Z Fold 5 could look like based on information that's leaked so far, as well as recent trends in Samsung hardware.

Read more
I love the Galaxy S23 — here are 5 things the iPhone still does better
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Apple iPhone 14 Pro

Samsung’s Galaxy S23 has arrived to the masses, and it’s one of the best Android phones you can get right now, especially the S23 Ultra. However, for those who don’t need all of the fancy bells and whistles, like the S Pen and 200MP main camera, the regular S23 is also plenty powerful for the average person, especially if you prefer smaller devices.

I’ve been using the Galaxy S23 for the past few weeks, and so far, my experience has been delightful. I know that it’s still early on in the year, but for me, the S23’s small size is perfect and comfortable. Android also does a lot of things better than iOS, like individual volume controls and notifications, for example. But I am still primarily using my iPhone 14 Pro — despite Apple having some big flaws, such as overprocessing images after you capture them.

Read more