Samsung's 2019 Mid-Range Marvel Revisited

Launched in 2019, the Samsung Galaxy A60 struck a compelling balance with its capable Snapdragon chipset, versatile triple camera system, and a large, bezel-less display, making it a strong contender in the mid-range segment of its time.

Introduction: The Balanced Performer

The Samsung Galaxy A60 was announced in April 2019 as part of Samsung's refreshed A-series lineup aimed at delivering premium features at a more accessible price point. It stood out with its competitive specifications, including a capable processor and a versatile camera setup, packaged in a modern design.

Design & Display

With dimensions of 155.3 x 73.9 x 7.9 mm and a weight of 168g, the A60 offered a comfortable grip. Its plastic build was topped with a Gorilla Glass 3 protected front. The device featured a 6.3-inch PLS LCD display with a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels, resulting in a sharp 409 ppi density. The near bezel-less design achieved an impressive 84.9% screen-to-body ratio, providing an immersive viewing experience for its era.

Performance & Hardware

At its heart, the Galaxy A60 was powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675, an 11nm chipset that was quite powerful for mid-range phones in 2019. This octa-core CPU, featuring two high-performance Kryo 460 Gold cores (based on Cortex-A76) and six efficiency-focused Kryo 460 Silver cores, was paired with an Adreno 612 GPU. It came with a solid 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM and offered a choice of 64GB or 128GB of eMMC 5.1 storage, expandable via a microSDXC card slot.

Camera

The camera system was a key selling point. On the rear, a triple-camera array consisted of:

• 32MP Main sensor: With an f/1.7 aperture for capturing detailed shots in good light.
• 8MP Ultra-wide sensor: With a 123-degree field of view for capturing more of the scene.
• 5MP Depth sensor: For adding background blur (bokeh) to portrait shots.

The camera supported 4K video recording at 30fps. For selfies, a 16MP front-facing camera with an f/2.0 aperture handled video calls and self-portraits.

Battery & Charging

The device was equipped with a 3500mAh lithium-polymer battery, which was a standard capacity for its time. It supported 15W wired fast charging, allowing users to quickly top up the non-removable battery.

Software & Features

The Galaxy A60 launched with Android 9 Pie skinned with Samsung's One UI. Notably, it received an update to Android 11 with One UI 3.0, extending its software support. It featured a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor for security and connectivity options like NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, and USB Type-C. Notably, it did not retain the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Strong performance from the Snapdragon 675 chipset.
• Versatile triple-camera system with an ultra-wide lens.
• Modern, high screen-to-body ratio display.
• Included NFC for contactless payments.
• Received a major OS update to Android 11.

Cons

• Uses older eMMC 5.1 storage instead of faster UFS.
• No 3.5mm headphone jack.
• Plastic build may feel less premium to some.
• Battery capacity was average, not class-leading.

Tags: Samsung, Galaxy A60, Android, smartphone, review, specs, camera, mid-range

A look back at the Samsung Galaxy A60, a feature-packed 2019 mid-ranger with a versatile triple camera and vibrant display.