To understand what it’s really like to own the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G, we analyzed 838 reviews from verified users. Our method goes beyond star ratings to pinpoint the phone’s true strengths and weaknesses based on real-world experiences.
We read every comment to identify key product characteristics, which we call ‘aspects’—like the Screen, Battery, and Performance. For each aspect, we tallied all positive, negative, and neutral mentions to calculate a percentage score. This process shows exactly which features delight owners and which ones cause frustration.
💰 Value for Money: Great Phone, Hidden Cost
Value for Money
For the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G, the perception of value is anchored in a powerful sense of getting more than you pay for. A remarkable 89% of users feel their overall satisfaction outweighs the phone’s cost, a score that sits a full five points above the category average. This isn’t just about being cheap; it’s about delivering a premium experience on a budget.
Owners repeatedly express their pleasant surprise, with one calling it
“very impressive for a mid price level range phone”
and another concluding it is
“Fully featured at an affordable price. Not leaving anything to be missed.”
This feeling of discovering unexpected quality and capability is the foundation of its appeal.
Unexpected Costs
However, this positive first impression is frequently soured by a frustrating and entirely avoidable issue. A mere 14% of user feedback regarding missing items is positive, a score lagging 7 points behind the already low category average. The culprit is almost universally the same.
The lack of an included charging brick in the box catches buyers off guard, turning a good deal into an immediate errand and extra expense. As one user bluntly put it,
“I would prefer to have a proper charging cable so I didn’t need to spend a further 15 pounds for a USB-C to USB Cable to be able to charge my phone.”
Another summarized the sentiment perfectly:
“The phone is great but why doesn’t it come with a charger? I managed to use another adapter but just felt this wasn’t thought out.”
Upgrade Justification
The A23 5G’s value proposition becomes much clearer when viewed as an upgrade, particularly from its own predecessor. While sentiment around whether this phone is a worthy upgrade is mixed at 57%, that number tells a crucial story of improvement. It represents a massive leap from the non-5G A23, which scored a dismal 29% on the same measure. For users coming from the immediately preceding model, this phone feels like a significant and necessary step up.
This is a key difference from competitors like the OnePlus Nord N30, which, despite a higher initial satisfaction score, posts a much weaker upgrade justification rating of just 47%. While some users coming from higher-end devices expressed disappointment, stating they
“wish I never changed to this phone,”
those moving up within the Samsung ecosystem feel the progress is tangible.
Trade-Off: The Samsung Galaxy A23 5G delivers impressive features for its price but forces a compromise by offloading the hidden cost and hassle of a charger onto the customer.
📸 Camera: Features vs. Quality
The camera system on the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G presents a curious case of software ambition meeting hardware reality. While the overall score sits near the category average, the story underneath is one of surprising strengths in areas where budget phones often cut corners.
The standout positive factor is its suite of camera features and modes, which earns a 75% positive rating—a full 14 points above the category average of 61%. This isn’t just a number; it represents a tangible creative advantage for users who feel empowered to do more with their photos.
Camera Features and Modes
As one person shared, they love the creative options:
able to modify it in the ways you want with text or different backgrounds… It’s really cool and they always turn out great.
This sentiment is echoed by users who appreciate having a full toolkit for their photos.
all the features I would need to access, that help my world pop in pictures the way they pop out in life to me.
However, this creative flexibility is undermined by frustrations with the most fundamental aspect: basic image and video quality. This factor’s 75% positive score is deceptive, as it actually falls 3 points short of the 78% category average, indicating a failure to meet baseline user expectations.
Image and Video Quality
This shortfall manifests in very specific and frustrating ways for users. One reviewer lamented an issue that impacts everyday usability:
camera has a hard time focusing whether I’m taking pictures or scanning QR codes or barcodes.
Others expressed deeper disappointment with the final output. One user stated bluntly:
the camera quality is terrible… picture quality is something you would see on a 39 dollar phone.
Another pointed out a specific flaw with color reproduction, noting that “colors are not true at all, red will always show kinda pink.”
Competitive Trade-Offs
This internal conflict between features and quality becomes even sharper in a competitive context. Compared to its predecessor, the non-5G Galaxy A23, this phone is a massive upgrade, particularly in camera features, which leap from a dismal 31% positive score to 75%.
Yet, when pitted against its contemporary sibling, the cheaper Galaxy A14 5G, a difficult choice emerges for buyers. The A23 5G’s rich features (75%) easily outclass the A14 5G’s more basic set (55%).
But for those who just want to point and shoot, the A14 5G delivers far superior core image quality, scoring an impressive 88% in that area. This forces a user to decide what they value more: creative tools or reliable, high-quality results.
Trade-Off: The Galaxy A23 5G offers a surprisingly feature-rich and versatile camera experience for its class, but this comes at the cost of fundamental image quality that falls short of both user expectations and key competitors.
📱 Screen: Looks Great, Touches Awful
The screen on the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G tells a polarizing story, delighting users with what they see but often infuriating them with what they touch.
While its visual presentation is a clear strength, the day-to-day experience of interacting with the display reveals deep-seated frustrations that define the user experience.
A Feast for the Eyes
The phone’s greatest asset is its sheer visual appeal, where display quality and vibrancy earn an impressive 92% positive sentiment, significantly outperforming the category average of 83%.
Users consistently describe the viewing experience in glowing terms, finding it to be “a feast for the eyes” with “vibrant colors and the crispness of the images.” For those using their phone for entertainment, this is a major draw.
One user explained that “the graphics when watching a movie or playing a game is amazing,” making it a go-to device for media consumption. The 90% positive score for size and handling further supports this, with owners appreciating that the “large screen [is] optimal for watching videos and gaming.”
Tactile Frustrations
However, this visual satisfaction is profoundly undermined by a critical failure in usability. Touchscreen responsiveness receives a dismal 18% positive rating, plummeting far below the 43% category average.
This isn’t a minor inconvenience; it’s a source of daily, functional frustration. Users report having to “select things three or four times to get it to register,” a problem that cripples basic navigation. For some, the consequences are even more severe, as one owner reported:
touch screen randomly freezes not accepting touch commands. I see the phone’s activity but cannot even answer a call.
This is compounded by concerns over durability, with build quality scoring a mere 9% in positive sentiment. One customer described an extreme lack of resilience:
the most fragile phone screen in history with the inability to withstand even the most minor of real-life events.
The Competitive Landscape
In the competitive landscape, this duality becomes even starker. The A23 5G’s visual quality (92%) easily outshines rivals like the OnePlus Nord N30 (68%) and even Samsung’s own Galaxy A14 5G (84%), which explains why a buyer might be initially drawn to it on the shelf.
Yet, the interaction experience is a different story entirely. The A23 5G’s 18% score for touchscreen responsiveness is abysmal compared to the far more reliable competitors, including the OnePlus Nord N30 (60%) and the Galaxy A14 5G (46%), making a simple task like answering a call or typing a message a gamble that users of competing phones simply do not face.
Trade-Off: Users get a visually superior display perfect for media consumption but must accept a profoundly unreliable and fragile touchscreen that compromises fundamental daily interactions.
💪 Design: Tough Body, Bad Fit
When it comes to the Design of the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G, the user experience is a story of stark contrasts. While owners praise its unexpected resilience, they are equally vocal about baffling design choices that create daily frustrations. The phone’s physical integrity earns high marks, but its practical usability is a source of significant complaint.
Exceptional Build Quality
The clear highlight for users is the phone’s exceptional build quality and materials, which score an 85% positive sentiment, a full 9 points above the category average. This isn’t just about feeling solid; it translates into real-world confidence and peace of mind.
Owners are consistently surprised by its durability, with some sharing almost unbelievable stories of survival. As one user dramatically recounted:
“I accidentally dropped it and my dad ran over it and there were no scratches on it; it was still working.”
Another user, who works in a demanding environment, echoed this sentiment, stating the phone has “outlasted even working in the construction field.” This ruggedness gives users the sense that they have a device that can withstand the rigors of daily life without constant worry.
Frustrating Design Flaws
However, this praise for the phone’s toughness is sharply undercut by a wave of frustration directed at its design features. This factor receives a dismal 20% positive rating, plummeting 20 points below the category average of 40%.
The core issue stems from slight physical modifications in certain versions of the A23 5G, which wreaks havoc on accessory compatibility. This seemingly minor detail creates a major headache for owners, with one explaining the infuriating search for protection:
“You go to get them cases and you find out that the ‘uw’ means you can’t get a case for it… a slight modification from the non uw means the volume buttons don’t line up with case buttons and the fingerprint button is no longer operational.”
Another user shared their disappointment, lamenting:
“I loved the color of the phone and had planned to get a clear case. I’ve had it for months now and had to settle with a black bulky otter box.”
Comparison with Predecessor and Rivals
This internal conflict becomes even clearer when comparing the A23 5G to its predecessor and competitors. While its build quality is a significant step up from the previous Galaxy A23 model (85% vs. 67% positive), satisfaction with its design features has collapsed (20% vs. 42%). This signals that while Samsung improved the phone’s physical shell, it introduced new problems that soured the user experience.
Furthermore, when placed against a rival like the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G, the A23 5G’s design appeal fades; the OnePlus scores a remarkable 94% for aesthetics and 91% for build quality, making it a more attractive option for buyers who prioritize a flawless physical design.
Trade-Off: Buyers are getting a phone with impressive, work-proof durability at the cost of wrestling with frustrating design choices and a maddeningly limited selection of accessories.
🐌 Performance: Daily Use, Bad Under Load
When it comes to the Performance of the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G, the story is one of conflicting experiences. While it manages daily productivity surprisingly well, a deeper look at the data reveals significant frustration when users push the phone beyond basic tasks.
Dependable Multitasking
The phone’s strongest asset is its multitasking capability, which earns a 77% positive sentiment score. For users juggling work and personal life, this translates into a dependable daily driver.
Users appreciate that the phone:
runs smooth even if I have multiple things open.
One person noted how they can:
use it like it’s my small computer.
This satisfaction allows users to feel efficient and productive, with one happily stating:
I like the way I can have multiple features open… It allows me to get a lot done in a day and be productive.
Processing Power and Heat Issues
However, this smooth experience quickly deteriorates under load, exposing a core weakness in processing power and a critical failure in thermal management. The phone’s general processing speed, with a 72% positive rating, already lags 11 points behind the category average, leading to tangible user frustration.
Owners describe a device that has:
always been a little slow and langgy
and frequently:
gets bogged down and slow to respond.
This sluggishness is compounded by a severe problem with heat. The thermal management factor scores a dismal 31% positive sentiment, with users complaining about:
how hot it gets when I play games or watch YouTube videos for an extended time.
For some, this isn’t just an annoyance but a source of worry, as one user pointed out:
it does heat up and worry me a bit when trying to play games.
Competitor Comparison
This performance gap becomes a chasm when compared to key competitors. Both the OnePlus Nord N30 and Nord CE 2 Lite 5G significantly outperform the A23 5G, with processing power scores of 88% and 91% respectively. This 16-19 point difference is what separates a fluid user experience from one plagued by constant:
delays and lag every time they are used.
Yet, for those upgrading from its direct predecessor, the non-5G Galaxy A23, the new model offers a clear step up. The 5G version provides a noticeable 39-point jump in multitasking satisfaction, giving long-time Samsung users in this price bracket a concrete reason to upgrade, even if it can’t keep pace with the competition.
Trade-Off: This phone competently handles everyday multitasking but forces users to accept significant compromises in speed, gaming, and thermal control that competitors have already solved.
📉 Software: Familiar, Yet Broken
When it comes to the Software and Operating System, the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G presents a classic case of a comfortable experience being undermined by deep-seated problems.
While users find the interface familiar and feature-rich, scoring 72% for user experience and UI smoothness, this surface-level satisfaction is heavily compromised by underlying instability.
Many users appreciate the easy-to-use nature of Samsung’s software, with one stating,
The functional and intuitive operating system really compliments the robust hardware that makes up this mid-range phone.
For those already in the Samsung ecosystem, it feels like home, as a user noted it was
so easy to transfer my data from my old phone.
Unreliable Foundation
However, the story unravels when looking at software stability, which received a troubling 24% positive score, falling below the category average of 27%.
This isn’t just about occasional lag; it’s about a fundamental lack of reliability that creates immense frustration. Users report a pattern of unpredictable behavior that renders the phone untrustworthy for basic functions. One owner described how the phone,
Randomly turns on flashlight draining phone battery. Randomly mutes so I miss most of my calls. Randomly goes into airplane mode.
These are critical failures that disrupt daily life and erode user confidence, with another experiencing issues where,
opening a lot of apps in a row can freeze the phone temporarily and cause some problems like if music starts playing and you can’t stop it.
Competitive Context
This instability becomes even more apparent in a competitive context. While the A23 5G’s UI smoothness (72%) is decent, it significantly trails the slicker experience on the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G, which boasts a positive score of 87%. This means a OnePlus user is far more likely to feel their device is faster and more responsive.
More critically, the A23 5G’s stability score of 24% is markedly worse than its predecessor (30%) and its competitor, the OnePlus Nord N30 (38%). This indicates that users of those devices are far less likely to encounter the phone-breaking bugs that plague the A23 5G.
Dealbreaker: The familiar and feature-rich user interface is completely overshadowed by severe and unpredictable software instability that makes the phone unreliable for its most essential functions.
🔋 Battery: Long Life, Slow Charge
Regarding the battery of the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G, users tell a story of stark contrasts, where impressive endurance is shackled by frustrating limitations. The overwhelming positive sentiment is driven by sheer battery life, which scores an impressive 82% in positive mentions—a full 8 points above the category average.
For users, this translates directly into a feeling of freedom and reliability. They no longer feel tethered to a power outlet, as one owner explained:
The long battery life means I can take the phone off the charger in the early morning and not worry about carrying around a brick late into the night.
This reliability is a game-changer for heavy users, with another noting they can “listen to music all 10 hours of my shift and not even drain it down to half.”
Charging Methods and Missing Features
However, this satisfaction with longevity is severely undermined by deep frustration with the device’s charging methods. This factor received a dismal 8% positive rating, plummeting a massive 24 points below the category average of 32%.
This isn’t just a minor inconvenience; it’s a major point of contention rooted in missing features and accessories. Users feel the omission of wireless charging is a significant misstep, with one declaring:
I personally think that this was a HUGE MISTAKE on Samsung’s part by omitting wireless charging from this phone. Just because it is a ‘budget’ phone, doesn’t mean that it should lose this feature!
This frustration is compounded by practical issues right out of the box, as another user pointed out, “it does not come with a wall charger,” a decision that leaves customers feeling nickel-and-dimed.
Competitive Context and Predecessor Comparison
This internal conflict becomes even clearer in a competitive context. The A23 5G’s 82% score for battery life is a notable 10-point improvement over its predecessor, the Galaxy A23, explaining why many upgraders feel satisfied.
Yet, it still lags behind key competitors like the OnePlus Nord N30, which boasts a stellar 94% positive rating for battery life and an almost perfect 97% for charging speed. This 14-point gap in charging speed highlights what A23 5G users are missing out on.
The most jarring discovery, however, is that satisfaction with charging methods actually went backward from the previous model, which scored 29%—over three times higher than the A23 5G’s 8%. This regression suggests a cost-cutting measure that has not gone unnoticed by its user base.
Trade-Off: You gain impressive all-day battery life that is a clear upgrade from its predecessor, but at the cost of modern charging conveniences and the frustration of dealing with missing accessories.
Bottom Line
- ✅ Great Durability & Battery Life: Standout build quality (85% positive) and battery endurance (82% positive) provide peace of mind and true all-day use.
- ⚠️ Critically Flawed Performance: The phone is crippled by an unresponsive touchscreen with a dismal 18% positive rating and severe software instability (24% positive).
- 🤔 A Frustrating Experience: Users feel let down by fundamental failures, reporting the phone freezes so they “cannot even answer a call,” while the missing charger adds a surprise “hidden cost.”
- 🔻 A Clear Regression: It’s a step backward from its predecessor in convenience, with satisfaction in charging methods collapsing to just 8% positive—a massive drop from the previous model’s 29%.
- 🏁 Outmatched by Rivals: Processing power is a key weakness, with its 72% score trailing key OnePlus competitors by as much as 19 points, leading to significant lag.
- 💡 The Bottom Line: While durable, its profoundly unreliable screen and buggy software make it a frustrating phone that is hard to recommend over more stable competitors.