Samsung on Tuesday announced the Galaxy A12 and A02S, two new entry-level phones set to launch next year in Europe. Both offer a lower barrier to entry for anyone looking for a modern Android smartphone.
The A12 is designed to be a successor to the A11, sporting a 6.8-inch HD+ display with a notch for the 8-megapixel front-facing camera, an octa-core processor, a fingerprint sensor on the side, and a 5,000mAh battery. Photos are covered by a quad-array of cameras on the back, including a 48-megapixel main sensor, a 5-megapixel ultrawide, and a pair of 2-megapixel sensors to help out with macro and depth shots.
The A02S is slightly less impressive: it has the same display and battery but with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage (though you can expand storage with its microSD slot). The phone is also saddled with different cameras: a 13-megapixel main sensor and the same pair of 2-megapixel sensors as the A12. Costs are also cut with ports, the A02S features an older Micro USB port as opposed to the USB-C port you may have wanted. The A02S is also missing a fingerprint sensor.
Samsung recently rolled out 5G versions of its Galaxy A line of phones; we covered the Galaxy A51 more fully in our review. We thought that model favored screen quality over cameras and speed — expect potentially greater trade-offs with the A12 and A02S’s even lower prices. Regardless, Samsung’s budget options are its bestselling phones, so even minor improvements to specs seem like a good move for anyone in Europe looking for their first smartphone.
The A12 is currently set to start at €179 ($212) for 32GB of storage and 3GB of RAM, with 128GB and 6GB of RAM on the high end for €199 ($236). The A02S starts at €150 ($178). The A12 will be available in January 2021 and the A02S in February 2021. There are currently no announced plans for a North American release.
