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

Samsung is going all-in on budget phones. The tech giant on Wednesday announced the Galaxy A13, a $250 phone that comes with 5G support and a triple-lens camera and that launches through AT&T on Dec. 3. At that price, the Galaxy A13 5G is even cheaper than the Galaxy A32, which was Samsung’s cheapest 5G phone when it debuted in the US last April for $280.

Samsung is best known for its line of high-end Galaxy S phones, but the Galaxy A13’s launch is another sign that the company intends to continue expanding its footprint in the budget market, an area where Google and Motorola have seen success. In addition to the Galaxy A13 5G, Samsung is also announcing the Galaxy A03S, which launches in January, starts at $160 and comes with a triple-lens camera. Samsung first brought its cost-conscious Galaxy A series to the US in April. 

The Galaxy A13 appears to be a successor to Samsung’s Galaxy A12, which debuted for $180 in April and lacks 5G connectivity. But the Galaxy A13 improves on its predecessor in a few other ways besides the addition of 5G support. It comes with twice the amount of internal storage (64GB compared to 32GB), a screen with a 90Hz adaptive refresh rate and a 50-megapixel main camera. Like its predecessor, the Galaxy A13 has a screen that measures 6.5 inches.

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However, the Galaxy A13 comes with a triple-lens main camera compared with the Galaxy A12’s four-lens system. Along with that 50-megapixel main camera, you’ll get a 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth camera on the Galaxy A13. The Galaxy A12, by comparison, features a 16MP main camera, 5MP ultra-wide camera, 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth camera. There’s also only a 5-megapixel front camera on the Galaxy A13, while the Galaxy A12 has an 8-megapixel selfie camera. 

The Galaxy A13 5G has a 5,000 mAh battery, like its predecessor, and supports 15-watt fast charging. It runs on MediaTek’s Dimensity 700 processor, which is also found in the wallet-friendly RealMe 8 5G. It’s also important to note that the Galaxy A13 5G supports sub-6GHz 5G and not millimeter wave 5G, which is significantly faster but only operates at short ranges. 

Although the Galaxy A13 5G seems like a successor to the Galaxy A12 in name, it feels more like a cheaper version of the Galaxy A32. Both the Galaxy A13 5G and Galaxy A32 5G come with a 6.5-inch screen, a 5,000 mAh battery and 64GB of storage. The A13’s LCD display has a 720-by-1,600 resolution, which is similar to the A12, but the 90Hz refresh rate is more like the A32’s display. The Galaxy A32 also runs on a similar processor designed for midrange phones, the MediaTek Dimensity 720.  

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Where they really differ is in the camera, considering the slightly pricier Galaxy A32 5G comes with a 13MP selfie camera and a four-lens rear camera that includes a 48MP main lens, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, a 5MP macro camera and a 2MP depth camera.

The Galaxy A13 5G will be available through AT&T starting on Dec. 3 and will come to T-Mobile and Samsung’s website in January. If the Galaxy A13 5G turns out to be anything like the Galaxy A32 5G, it’ll be a promising option for those shopping for a basic and affordable 5G phone. CNET’s Andrew Hoyle was impressed with the Galaxy A32’s long battery life, decent performance and vibrant design, so we’re hoping the Galaxy A13 5G will make a similar impression.

Samsung is releasing the Galaxy A13 5G just before a couple of other promising midrange smartphones are expected to make their debut. Apple is rumored to release another version of the iPhone SE in early 2022, while Korean news website DDaily reports that Samsung could introduce the Galaxy S21 FE in January.