Forget Iphone11: Samsung Galaxy A51 5G has faster speed and bigger screen for faster200

Forget Iphone11: Samsung Galaxy A51 5G has faster speed and bigger screen for faster200

Samsung is revamping its Galaxy A series lineup for 2020. The company announced today (April 8) that no fewer than six A Series models will be available in the coming weeks, ranging from bargains like the $109 Galaxy A01 to the $499 Galaxy A51 5G and $599 Galaxy A71 5G.

If you don't need 5G (and given the speeds we're seeing so far, you probably don't), there are plenty of affordable options at the lower end, like the $179 Galaxy A11 and $249 Galaxy A21. Read on for a closer look at Samsung's upcoming mid-range products. [The Galaxy A51 5G is $499 and the Galaxy A71 5G is $599. Both models have huge AMOLED Infinity-O displays, but the A71 is slightly larger at 6.7 inches versus 6.4 inches. Whichever model you choose, you'll still get a massive 4,500mAh battery, 128GB of storage, and 6GB of RAM.

The A71 has a few small perks that come with the $100 premium: a 64-megapixel quad-lens rear camera system, which appears to be a slight upgrade over the A51 5G's 48-megapixel stack. The A71 also charges a bit faster thanks to its unique 25-watt fast charging feature.

Details on the processors in these phones are still unknown, but it is likely that Samsung's own chipset Exynos 980 or Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765 platform will be used. Both chips have fully integrated 5G modems, so it depends on which silicon is better suited to the emerging 5G infrastructure in the regions where the phones will be sold.

There is also no confirmation yet as to which carriers will offer each model or when they will be available for purchase. Nevertheless, the Galaxy A51 5G in particular appears to be a strong alternative to the TCL 10 5G, which is expected to debut at a similar sub-$500 price point once it begins shipping within the next few months.

And there are mid-range non-5G Galaxy A alternatives this year: the $249 Galaxy A21 and the $399 Galaxy A51 (non-5G) The 4G LTE version of the A51 has 4GB of RAM instead of 6GB, and a 4000mAh battery. The 4G LTE version of the A51 is almost identical to the aforementioned 5G version, except that it has 4GB of RAM instead of 6GB and a slightly smaller 4000mAh battery. As a result, it is priced $100 less than the 5G model and will be available on Verizon starting April 9 and on Sprint starting April 10; the A51 will also appear on AT&T in May.

The Galaxy A21 will hit the sweet spot for most budget smartphone buyers when it launches later this summer. At only $249, it is a welcome opponent to the just-launched Moto G Power and will likely be a solid alternative to Nokia's solid choices in this price range. The Galaxy A21 also has a quad-lens rear camera like its more expensive brethren, but the main lens maxes out at 16MP.

Inside the A21 is a 4,000mAh battery with 15W charging support, 3GB of RAM, and just 32GB of onboard memory. Also, the A21's 6.5-inch display is an LCD type, not AMOLED. The A21's 6.5-inch display is also an LCD type, not AMOLED. This model has a more prominent bottom bezel compared to more expensive models, but this is to be expected at this price point.

Rounding out the family are the budget Galaxy phones: the $109 Galaxy A01, coming April 9, and the $179 Galaxy A11, coming this summer. These handsets are quite different overall: the A11 is larger than the A01, going from 5.7 inches to 6.4 inches. The A11 also has a triple-lens camera, including an ultra-wide shooter, while the A01 has only a depth sensor for bokeh shots.

Internally, both models have 2GB of RAM, but the Galaxy A11 has more storage: 32GB instead of 16GB of storage (again, with a microSD card, capacity is not a concern) The A01 also has the smallest battery of the bunch, at 3,000 mAh . As with other models, Samsung is tight-lipped about the processors in these phones--although we do know that they will eventually be offered on AT&T's prepaid channel and Cricket Wireless, in addition to other carriers.

Last year's Galaxy A50 and Galaxy A20 were very important for Samsung. For years, the handset maker innovated in the flagship space while producing forgettable, outdated mid-range and budget handsets that had little appeal for their value. That will change in 2019, and with the soon-to-be-announced Galaxy A series update, the tech giant appears to be doubling down on its efforts.

We look forward to getting our hands on each of these phones to see how the company fares against bargain mainstays like Motorola and Nokia, as well as relatively new players in this segment like Google and TCL. Furthermore, the availability of 5G phones at prices as low as $500 has significant implications for the accessibility of the next generation network standard.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for full impressions of Samsung's 2020 Galaxy A series handsets.

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