Samsung Galaxy A03s

The Samsung Galaxy A03s is an affordable smartphone, but one with a large battery and three cameras on the back. That is something you wouldn't expect by looking at its price. Read more about what you get for that and (how could it be otherwise) what concessions Samsung made.

Quite a lot for little

We remember that large screens with thin edges and a notch for the selfie camera were only meant for the most expensive Galaxy phones. This A03s is anything but expensive. It is even one of the most affordable Galaxy's that Samsung sells. For little money, you get a 6.5 inch HD screen on which you can view all your content. It is an Infinity-V Display with a V-shaped notch at the top for the selfie camera. The camera has 5 megapixels, which makes it very basic. Still, you can shoot beautiful portrait photos with a blurred background with this front camera. This Galaxy A03s does that purely with the help of software, as it lacks a double sensor.

Triple camera seems more than it is

On the back of the A03s, we find a triple camera system. The main camera has the most megapixels: 13. It is accompanied by a 2MP depth camera and a 2MP macro camera. This allows you to take portrait photos with a blurred background and extreme close-ups. In our opinion, it is the most unfortunate combination of camera sensors. In practice, a macro-camera is not used as often as, for example, an ultra wide-angle with which you photograph wide landscapes. And there is no need to start talking about zoom. The A03s can only do that digitally and that is something we cannot recommend, due to the quality deteriorating.

Most important Samsung Galaxy A03s specifications

• 6,5-inch TFT display with HD+ resolution and selfie notch
• 13+2+2MP camera system with depth and macro lens + FHD video
• Basic 5MP selfie camera with portrait mode (bokeh)
• Available with 3/32GB of memory (expandable up to 1TB)
• Dual SIM capabilities (2x nano-sim + micro-SD)
• Octa-core processor at up to 2,3 GHz
• 4G mobile internet for fast surfing on the go
• Large 5000 mAh battery, charging via convenient USB-C cable
• Android 11 with One UI Core edition
• Plastic body with fingerprint scanner on the back

One UI Core

Inside the A03s, Samsung has found room for a large 5000 mAh battery. That's a lot and therefore very neat to mention. Expect to use it for several days without having to recharge it. Fast charging is not possible, so plan your resting moments with care. The RAM memory is 3GB and that is not much. You would normally expect that Android Go Edition would be used, which handles limited hardware better. Instead, Samsung uses One UI Core. This is a stripped down version of One UI that other Galaxy phones also use. Stripped down but not with less usability.

Pro and cons Samsung Galaxy A03s

• Affordable
• Modern looking screen
• Triple camera
• Long battery life

• Not very powerful, so not suitable for gaming