Latest Galaxy A01 news
Introduction
Samsung made many significant changes to its budget and mid-range smartphone lineup in 2019 to compete with Chinese rivals more effectively. Expanding the scope of the Galaxy A series to include everything from entry-level devices to premium midrangers is one of them. This brought much-needed simplicity and clarity to Samsung’s crowded smartphone lineup.
The Galaxy A01 is the latest entry-level budget model from Samsung under this new strategy. In terms of positioning, it sits above the Android-Go powered Galaxy A2 Core and below the Galaxy A10. It is supposed to compete with the sub-$100 bestsellers from Redmi and Realme which have helped them capture sizable market share in developing markets like India.
Design
The Galaxy A01 follows the same design language as the other Galaxy A series budget devices, particularly the Galaxy A10s. With dimensions of 146.3 x 70.9 x 8.3 mm and 150g weight, the A01 is smaller and lighter than the A10 but features a similar plastic build and design.
On the front, the Galaxy A01 has an Infinity display with a v-shaped notch and a relatively large chin. Unlike the other Galaxy A 2020 models, the power button is still on the right side of the device, while the volume rocker is on the left. The SIM tray is placed above the power button and includes a dedicated microSD slot for storage expansion. The bottom side of the device sports a headphone jack, micro-USB port, and a mic.
The rear side of the A01 has a vertically-arranged dual-camera module with an LED flash at the top-left corner, Samsung branding in the middle, and a speaker grille towards the bottom-left corner. Unlike the A10s, the A01 lacks a fingerprint scanner.
Specifications
The Galaxy A01 is the cheapest device so far in the new A-series lineup for 2020, and the specifications reflect that. It comes with a 5.7-inch HD+ Infinity-V display, Snapdragon 439 octa-core (4×1.95GHz cores + 4×1.45GHz cores) chipset, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, dual cameras (13MP + 2MP) on the back, 5MP selfie camera, FM Radio, and a 3,000mAh battery. It runs Android 10 with One UI Core 2.0 out of the box.
Compared to the A10s, the A01 sports a smaller display, weaker chipset, less internal storage, and a smaller battery. It also lacks a fingerprint scanner.
Display
The screen on the Galaxy A01 is similar to what you find on the A10s but smaller in size. It is a 5.7-inch Infinity-V display with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. It has a resolution of 720×1520 pixels, which gives it a pixel density of ~301 PPI. This is slightly higher than the pixel density of the A10s because of the smaller display here.
The Galaxy A01 uses an IPS LCD panel, lacking the vibrant colors and contrast of Super AMOLED screens in other Galaxy devices. However, given the A01’s low price tag, the display quality and specifications are still more than acceptable.
Camera
The Galaxy A01 sports dual rear cameras and a single selfie shooter. The rear-camera module consists of a 13 MP f/2.2 primary sensor, a 2 MP f/2.4 depth sensor, and an LED flash for shooting in low-light conditions. The selfie camera, meanwhile, is equipped with a 5 MP f/2.0 sensor. The primary 13 MP camera can record 1080p video at 30fps.
Software
The onboard software is one of the biggest advantages of the Galaxy A01. It runs Android 10 with Samsung One UI 2.0. The software experience here is nothing special, and the feature-set is what you would expect from a budget Galaxy smartphone. You can read our One UI 2.0 Feature Focus series to learn about some of the new features and UI changes included in Samsung’s latest software.
We have to wait and see if Samsung extends its two-Android-version-updates-per-device policy to cheaper devices like the A01 as well. If it does, then the A01 will receive Android 11 and 12 in the coming years.
Availability
Samsung quietly announced the Galaxy A01 in the third week of December 2019. The company is yet to announce pricing and availability details. The A01 will come in black, blue, and red.
