Galaxy A01 Review: Budget Phone Basics

Samsung Galaxy A01 offers a solid entry‑level experience with a 5.7” display, 8MP camera, and 4000mAh battery—all for just $100.

Introduction

The Galaxy A01 is Samsung’s most affordable A‑series phone, priced around $100 when unlocked. It delivers the essential features you need—calls, texts, browsing, light photography—without any frills, making it a good starter device for budget‑conscious users.

Design & Display

Build and Size

The phone runs at 5.7 inches with a 720p WQVGA LCD panel, measuring 148 mm × 68 mm × 9.0 mm. A stylized teardrop notch houses the 5MP front camera, and a 3.5mm headphone jack sits near the top.

Display Quality

While the 720p resolution is enough for basic tasks, it can’t support Full HD video or the sharpness seen on Samsung’s higher‑end OLED screens. Colors are decent, but the screen lacks the vibrant contrast of newer models.

Performance & Hardware

Processor and Memory

The A01 is powered by the Exynos 850 octa‑core (4 × 1.8 GHz Cortex‑A55, 4 × 1.6 GHz Cortex‑A55) and comes with 2 GB of LPDDR4 RAM. Internal storage starts at 16 GB, expandable via a micro‑SD slot up to 512 GB.

Battery & Connectivity

A 4000 mAh non‑removable battery offers roughly 12 hours of mixed usage. Connectivity includes 4G LTE, Wi‑Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/GLONASS, and micro‑USB 2.0.

Camera

Rear Camera

The single 8‑megapixel rear camera with autofocus delivers solid stills in good lighting. It supports 1080p video recording at 30 fps but lacks optical image stabilization, making handheld footage shakier. Digital zoom up to 8× is available, though quality drops with increased zoom.

Front Camera

The 5 MP front sensor captures clear selfies, though the low resolution can be seen in detail‑heavy shots. Live Focus, which is intended to blur the background, often mis‑applies the effect, a flaw Samsung has noted but has not yet fully resolved.

Software & Features

Out of the box the device ships with Android 10 plus Samsung’s One UI. It is officially upgradeable to Android 12 with One UI 4.1. The phone supports a standard 5‑SIM slot, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and has a loudspeaker on the back (volume can be muffled when placed flat on a surface).

Pros & Cons

• Very affordable, $100 unlocked
• Decent 8 MP camera for the price
• Long battery life with a 4000 mAh cell
• Expandable storage up to 512 GB
• Solid 4G LTE and Wi‑Fi connectivity
• Weak 720p display compared to higher‑end phones
• Limited RAM can lead to lag on multitasking
• Live Focus inconsistent; no optical image stabilization

Tags: Samsung, Galaxy A01, budget phone, Android, review

Samsung Galaxy A01 offers a solid entry‑level experience with a 5.7” display, 8MP camera, and 4000mAh battery—all for just $100.