Samsung Galaxy A07 4G Review
The Galaxy A0-series is Samsung's most affordable entry point into the Galaxy ecosystem, and the newly launched Galaxy A07 4G is no exception. At roughly €70, it is positioned squarely in the ultra-budget segment, competing with the likes of Realme's C-series and Redmi's entry-level lineup.
Despite its modest price, Samsung has managed to pack in a few welcome upgrades compared to last year's A06 4G, most notably a smoother 90Hz refresh rate for its large 6.7-inch LCD. For this price bracket, that's a meaningful quality-of-life improvement, and one that helps the A07 stand out in its class.
The A07 4G also benefits from Samsung's new software support policy, promising up to six major Android upgrades - an unheard-of commitment at this price tier. This alone could be a major selling point for users looking for a phone that lasts beyond just a couple of years.
The 5000mAh battery with 25W fast charging support is another strength, ensuring solid endurance with relatively quick top-ups for the category.
Samsung Galaxy A07 4G specs at a glance:
- Body: 167.4x77.4x7.6mm, 184g; Glass front, plastic back, plastic frame; IP54 dust protected and water resistant (water splashes).
- Display: 6.70" PLS LCD, 90Hz, 720x1600px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 262ppi.
- Chipset: Mediatek Helio G99 (6 nm): Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G57 MC2.
- Memory: 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; UFS 2.2; microSDXC (dedicated slot).
- OS/Software: Android 15, up to 6 major Android upgrades, One UI 7.
- Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, 1/2.76", 0.64µm, PDAF; Depth: 2 MP, f/2.4.
- Front camera: 8 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm.
- Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30/60fps; Front camera: Yes.
- Battery: 5000mAh; 25W wired.
- Connectivity: LTE; Wi-Fi 5; BT 5.3; FM radio; 3.5mm jack.
- Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted).
Samsung hasn't skimped entirely on performance either. The MediaTek Helio G99, although a few years old, remains one of the more capable chips in the entry-level space, offering memory configurations up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, along with a dedicated microSD slot for further expansion.
The 50MP main camera, flanked by a simple depth sensor, should deliver respectable daylight shots, though expectations need to remain tempered in low-light scenarios. The 8MP selfie camera also covers the basics.
Of course, corners had to be cut to hit the sub-€100 price. The display still sticks to HD+ resolution, and the panel is of the basic PLS LCD variety and not particularly bright. There is no NFC for contactless payments. The design is very utilitarian, with a plastic build, though Samsung does add IP54 splash resistance - a small but welcome touch in this category. Multimedia fans will appreciate the presence of a 3.5mm headphone jack, FM radio, and a loudspeaker, but stereo speakers are missing.
Overall, the Galaxy A07 4G is an incremental but meaningful step forward for Samsung's entry-level lineup. It's not without limitations, but the higher refresh rate, long software support, and solid endurance make it one of the most balanced phones you can get for around €70. Let's see how well it delivers in practice.
Unboxing
The Galaxy A07 4G comes in a very simple two-piece cardboard box. It is not particularly thick, which gives us pause when it comes to protecting the phone during transit. Still, it did the job well for our unit.
On the plus side, there is no plastic anywhere in the packaging, which is good from an ecological standpoint.
Samsung didn't splurge in the accessory department. The Galaxy A07 4G only ships with a basic USB Type-C to Type-C passive cable and nothing else. No charger, no case, nothing.
Design, build quality, handling
The Galaxy A07 4G has what we would call a pretty contemporary Samsung design language. It has mostly flat sides and a flat front and back. The middle frame has a raised portion that houses the controls, which is a very recognizable Samsung touch.
The Galaxy A07 4G is quite thin. It measures just 7.6mm. It is also quite light, tipping the scale at 184 grams. That's with the fairly large 5,000 mAh battery. The relative lightness is partially thanks to the bill of materials. The Galaxy A07 4G is mostly made of plastic. We have nothing against the material as a whole. It is pretty durable, light and structurally sound. It doesn't dent or scratch quite like metal, and it doesn't shatter quite like glass.
The Galaxy A07 4G feels solid in the hand. There is no flex to the chassis and just a slight bit of hollowness to the back, but nothing major. The Galaxy A07 4G has an IP54 ingress protection rating, which, although not perfect, is still better than nothing.
The Galaxy A07 4G comes in Gray, Light Violet and Dark Green. Our review unit is the latter. The color is generally subdued and quite stylish. There is a slight vertical gradient effect to the back. The middle frame is color-matched to the rest of the body, which is a nice touch. The finish on the frame is matte and actually pulls off a metallic look very well.
The finish on the back side attracts plenty of fingerprints and grease. It is a real chore to keep clean.
Samsung Galaxy A07 4G
The Galaxy A07 4G has a very standard control layout. The left-hand side only houses the SIM tray. It has a total of three slots on the tray for two Nano-SIM cards and a MicroSD card. The latter has a dedicated slot, not a shared one.
On the right, there is a power button with a fingerprint reader embedded in it. The fingerprint reader is both accurate and snappy. It can be set to be always on or to require a press of the button to activate.
Above that is a volume rocker. The top side is mostly empty except for a secondary microphone. The bottom side houses the sole speaker on the phone, a 3.5mm audio jack, a Type-C port and the main microphone.
The Galaxy A07 4G has pretty wide display bezels, especially the chin underneath the display. Above the display, the teardrop notch looks a bit outdated, no two ways around it. On a positive note, there is plenty of room above the display to fit the proximity and light sensors.
Display
The Galaxy A07 4G has a pretty large 6.7-inch display. Samsung typically has a great reputation in the display department, but the Galaxy A07 4G is far from the best example of that. Unfortunately, its display is a basic PLS LCD with a rather low resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels. That works out to around 262 ppi of pixel density, which is visibly low even to the naked eye.
We have to be honest here, the display really doesn't look great in person. The colors are washed out, and the viewing angles are poor.
The panel isn't particularly bright either. We measured around 451 nits on our standardized testing by maxing out the slider. There is automatic brightness adjustment, which works well enough, but it doesn't significantly increase brightness in bright environments. We measured around 468 nits as the absolute maximum. That's not enough to be comfortable or even frankly usable outdoors. Then again, the Galaxy A07 4G is an extremely affordable device.
One area where the Galaxy A07 4G is upgraded compared to last year's model is the display refresh rate. The new model gets a 90Hz refresh rate with Samsung's Adaptive refresh rate tech. You can either keep the phone in 60Hz or enable said Adaptive mode, which automatically decides when to use 90Hz and when to drop down to 60Hz to save power.
Generally, the Galaxy A07 4G does a surprisingly good job of automatic refresh rate management, dropping down to 60Hz when there is no motion on screen and also when you play back a video in post apps.
We naturally tried high refresh rate gaming and had mixed results. Some of our test games ran at 60Hz, others at 90Hz. Not that the Helio G99 has a lot of graphical power to push high frame rates in any demanding titles to begin with, but perhaps you can find yourself some casual games that will take advantage of the 90Hz refresh rate.
Battery life
The Galaxy A07 4G has a 5,000 mAh battery on board, which is pretty standard for a modern Samsung device. It managed a decent Active Use Score of almost 13 hours, which is slightly worse than last year's Galaxy A06 achieved, presumably due to the chipset change and higher display refresh rate. Still, you get better battery life here compared to either the Galaxy A17 or the A26.
Charging speed
The Galaxy A07 4G uses Samsung's tried and true 25W PD-based charging. Since you don't get a charger in the box, we grabbed a 25W Samsung Fast Charger and a Samsung cable for our testing.
Unsurprisingly, the Galaxy A07 4G is not the fastest-charging device out there, far from it. A bit surprisingly, the charges are marginally slower than the likes of the Galaxy A17 5G and A26. Perhaps that can be explained by the fact that both of those devices use Exynos chips.
In any case, the difference is hardly huge. Plus, for the sake of thoroughness, we also conducted a charging test on the Galaxy A07 4G with a 45W Samsung charger and obtained almost the same results.
Speaker - loudness and quality
The Galaxy A07 4G has a single bottom-firing speaker at its disposal. No stereo speakers, not even a hybrid setup, though that is expected in this price range.
The speaker on the Galaxy A07 4G isn't particularly impressive. It produces a decent volume, though it is only enough for a good score in our ranking. Mids come out sounding well enough with clear dialogue, which is great. Highs can easily get distorted, especially at higher volume levels, and there is practically no bass. It is essentially identical to the one in last year's Galaxy A06 4G.
Samsung has still thrown in some more advanced audio features, like Dolby Atmos and Bluetooth's nifty separate app sound feature.
Use the Playback controls to listen to the phone sample recordings (best use headphones). We measure the average loudness of the speakers in LUFS. A lower absolute value means a louder sound. A look at the frequency response chart will tell you how far off the ideal "0db" flat line is the reproduction of the bass, treble, and mid frequencies. You can add more phones to compare how they differ. The scores and ratings are not comparable with our older loudspeaker test. Learn more about how we test here.
Connectivity
Not a lot has changed in the connectivity department from last year's Galaxy A06 4G to this year's Galaxy A07 4G model. Our Galaxy A07 4G review unit is a dual-SIM model with two Nano-SIM slots, and as far as we know, this year, there will be no single-SIM variant. However, there is always time for Samsung to change its mind on that end. You only get LTE connectivity with the Galaxy A07 4G, with no 5G support. There is no eSIM support either.
The Galaxy A07 4G supports GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO and BDS for location. Local connectivity is covered by dual-band Wi-Fi 5/ac and Bluetooth 5.3 with LE support. There is no NFC, which is kind of unfortunate. No IR blaster either. The Galaxy A07 4G has a 3.5mm audio jack, which is great. It also has an FM radio receiver.
The Galaxy A07 4G has a Type-C port backed up by a basic USB 2.0 data connection. That means a maximum theoretical transfer speed of 480 Mbps. There is no video output support or anything fancy, but you do get OTG/USB Host support.
The Galaxy A07 4G has a pretty sparse set of sensors, but the basics are still covered. There is a MES mc34x9 accelerometer and a SENSORTEK stk6a7x light and proximity combo. The proximity sensor appears to be a physical device, not a virtual one, which is great to see on such a budget device. Unfortunately, there is no magnetometer (compass), no gyroscope and no barometer among the on-board sensors.
One UI 7 with a solid software support promise
The Galaxy A07 4G ships with a current Android 15 build with Samsung's custom One UI version 7 on top.
This year, Samsung has promised a whopping six major OS upgrades for the modest Galaxy A07 4G, which has to be a market-leading commitment for this class of device. However, getting the updates is one thing, and having them run well is another; the latter does not leave us very hopeful, as the base version of the A07 4G comes with a measly 4GB RAM, and its performance is not particularly great as is.
If you've used One UI in the past, you will feel right at home. Although there are quite a few design changes, make sure to check out the new aesthetics in the video below. It's in mobile view format, so it's best viewed on your phone's screen.
Keep in mind that not all features in the video are available on the budget Galaxy A07 4G. Most of the advanced features and AI-related functionalities are limited on this device due to the lack of processing power.
One UI 7
Still, Circle to Search is available, but don't expect the same level of performance as on the S series, though.
One UI 7
While the One UI itself is one of the best among the custom Android overlays, the Galaxy A07 4G struggles to keep up with the demanding software. The phone is frustratingly slow, laggy and with choppy animations most of the time. It could be due to the limited 4GB RAM, and the 6GB could perform better, but we can't confirm.
Benchmarks and performance
Unsurprisingly, the Galaxy A07 4G has modest hardware at its disposal. That said, the MediaTek Helio G99 is still a notable upgrade over the Helio G85 in last year's Galaxy A06 model. The Helio G99 isn't too far behind the Exynos 1330 inside the Galaxy A17, which is a bit of good news.
In the CPU department, the Galaxy A07 4G has two Cortex-A76 cores, working at up to 2.2 GHz and six Cortex-A55 cores, clocked at up to 2.0 GHz. The onboard GPU is a Mali-G57 MC2. Samsung pairs the Helio G99 with 4GB, 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 64GB, 128GB or 256GB of expandable storage. The Galaxy A07 4G brings a welcome upgrade to UFS 2.2 storage, compared to the eMMC 5.1 on its predecessor.
Looking at some benchmark results, it is clear that the Helio G99 is not the most powerful chip out there, even in the budget segment, but it does alright in most scenarios. In CPU testing, the G99 scores about on par with the Helio G100 and the Exynos 1330. It does, however, get outpaced by the Dimensity 7025 Ultra and the Exynos 1380.
AnTuTu and its more comprehensive set of tests are not particularly kind to the Galaxy A07 4G, and neither is 3DMark.
In more practical terms, we can't say that we are overly impressed by the performance and fluidity of the UX either. Our Galaxy A07 4G unit frequently stutters and slows down, even when browsing the UI, let alone using apps and games. Perhaps, having more RAM than the base 4GB we are stuck with would help the situation, but we honestly can't imagine how well this particular config will fare at the tail end of Samsung's promised six-year support window.
Thermal-throttling
The MediaTek Helio G99 might not be the most potent chipset out there, but at least it doesn't put out too much heat and is fairly easy to tame.
Thermal-throttling
The Galaxy A07 4G retains most of its performance even after torture testing. Its surface also remains merely lukewarm and perfectly comfortable to hold in the process.
Thermals
A modest camera setup
The Galaxy A07 4G hasn't made any major changes in the camera department. The Galaxy A07 4G still has a pair of rear-facing snappers, out of which only one is effectively usable - the 50MP camera. The 2MP macro is complementary, so to speak.
- Wide (main): 50 MP Samsung ISOCELL (S5K)JN1, f/1.8, 1/2.76", 0.64µm, PDAF; 1080p@30fps
- Depth: 2 MP, f/2.4.
- Front camera: 8 MP GalaxyCore gc08a8, f/2.0, 1/4", 1.12µm, fixed focus; 1080p@30fps
The Galaxy A07 4G has a pretty modest camera setup. The main snapper is a 50MP in-house unit - the ISOCELL (S5K)JN1, more commonly known as the JN1. It is not a particularly large sensor, at least not as large as, say, the Samsung ISOCESS S5KGN8, used in some of the company's higher-end phones. It has phase detection autofocus, but that's about the only extra on board. There is no OIS, and video capture is limited to 1080p. However, that seems to be a chipset limitation rather than a sensor one.
The 8MP GalaxyCore gc08a8 selfie camera is not particularly impressive either. It has a fixed focus and is also limited to 1080p video capture.
The camera app is the same as you'd find on every Samsung phone these days. You only get Pro mode on the main camera, while night mode can be used across the main and selfie cams.
Daylight photo quality
Main camera
The main camera on the Galaxy A07 4G captures binned photos in around 12.5MP by default. Quality-wise, these can best be described as passable but largely unimpressive. The detail is decent, although it's mostly aided by a heavy-handed artificial sharpening.
The colors are a bit off; possibly due to incorrect white balance as some photos we took had a color tinge on everything. And the dynamic range is far from ideal.
Samsung Galaxy A07 4G: 12.5MP main camera samples
The Galaxy A07 4G does portraits with its main camera. These can vary significantly in quality, ranging from decent to aggressively overexposed, particularly in the background layer. If you are careful with the shooting conditions, you can get some pretty decent shots with plenty of skin detail, nice facial features, good subject detection and separation and believable, even if not amazing background blur.
Samsung Galaxy A07 4G: 12.5MP main camera portrait samples
At 2x digital zoom, shots from the main camera look just a bit softer and noisier, as expected. Nothing too drastic, though.
Samsung Galaxy A07 4G: 12.5MP main camera 2x zoom samples
The Galaxy A07 4G can't focus particularly closely with its main camera, but we did manage to get some mostly decent close-up shots. If you are careful enough to get the subject in focus, it is a valid use case.
Samsung Galaxy A07 4G: 12.5MP main camera close-up samples
Last, but not least, you can force the main camera to capture in its full 50MP resolution. The resulting shots are naturally larger in resolution and file size. As for quality, it's a bit of a mixed bag. The 50MP shots are less processed, more natural and with less artificial sharpening. It is debatable whether you actually get more fine detail on things like foliage, though. Still, if you prefer the more natural rendition and don't mind large file sizes and pretty slow capture times, the 50MP mode is there for you. Just don't expect miracles.
Samsung Galaxy A07 4G: 50MP main camera samples
Selfie camera
Selfies from the 8MP front-facing camera are quite decent, considering the hardware we are working with. The focal plane is wide and pretty forgiving. Faces come out looking pretty natural with good skin tones.
Samsung Galaxy A07 4G: 8MP selfie camera samples
Skin texture isn't particularly detailed, but some detail is still coming through. The dynamic range could definitely be better.
Low-light camera quality
The main camera captures surprisingly clean low-light photos, all things considered. Noise is kept to a minimum. Even so, the photos are a bit soft and light on detail. Still, on the plus side, the dynamic range is fairly decent and light sources are handled very well.
Samsung Galaxy A07 4G: 12.5MP main camera low-light samples
At 2x digital zoom, photos are once again a bit softer and noisier, but still usable.
Samsung Galaxy A07 4G: 12.5MP main camera low-light 2x zoom samples
The Galaxy A07 4G has an automatic night mode that triggers quite reliably and does automatic HDR stacking. You can trigger night mode manually through the camera mode selector, but the results are mostly identical.
Samsung Galaxy A07 4G: 12.5MP main camera night mode samples
Overall, despite using the same hardware as the Galaxy A06, the Galaxy A07 4G seems to offer slightly better low-light quality quite consistently. The low-light selfie quality is a good example. These selfies are nowhere near as noisy and actually offer quite decent detail with pleasant skin tones.
Samsung Galaxy A07 4G: 8MP selfie camera low-light samples
Samsung Galaxy A07 4G: 8MP selfie camera night mode samples
Video capture quality
The Galaxy A07 4G captures video at up to 1080p resolution on both its main and selfie cameras. The limitation seems to be mostly artificial, though, since using the Open Camera, you can get 1440p video out of the rear camera.
You can check out the playlist below, which includes multiple video samples.
Video gets captured in a standard AVC/h.264 video stream of around 20 Mbps at FullHD quality, plus a stereo AAC audio stream, packaged inside an MP4 container. Alternatively, you can choose to capture in HEVC/h.265 and save some storage at the same quality level.
Unfortunately, the main camera lacks OIS or EIS, resulting in very shaky handheld video. Quality is decent, but largely unimpressive. There is not a lot of fine detail, colors are yellowish, contrast and dynamic range are far from perfect. At 2x, videos are softer still, but not much.
Low-light video is far from great, but honestly, it's better than what we expected. This seems to be a common trait with the low-light photos. The detail isn't half-bad. Light sources are handled well. Even darker areas are developed quite competently.
Our verdict
The Galaxy A07 4G is not a phone that wins spec sheets - it wins value battles. With a sub-€100 price, it undercuts the entire mainstream market while still improving on last year's model: a smoother 90Hz display, a slightly faster Helio G99, more dependable cameras (especially in low light), and the same big 5,000 mAh battery with 25W PD support. The headline, though, is Samsung's promise of six major Android upgrades - unheard of at this price and easily the A07's single biggest value play.
That value does come with caveats. The HD+ LCD is dim and washed-out outdoors, the single speaker is basic, and performance on the 4GB/64GB base trim is frankly sluggish in day-to-day use. There's no NFC and no eSIM either, and video is shaky due to the lack of stabilization. Yet taken as a whole, the A07 nails the essentials: good endurance, fast-enough charging, a reliable fingerprint reader, a real proximity sensor, a usable main camera, and truly rare long-term software support.
If your budget is limited or you need a reliable primary or backup phone, the A07 4G is easy to recommend. If you can stretch your budget by €50 more, you'll find brighter OLEDs, 5G, and much faster chipsets in the next tier. But at this ultra-budget price, Samsung's blend of longevity and basics done right is tough to beat - just avoid the 4GB base model if possible and spring for more RAM/storage.
Pros
- Class-leading software promise: 6 major Android upgrades.
- 90Hz refresh rate with sensible adaptive behavior.
- Solid battery life and convenient 25W PD charging support.
- Thin and light for the class; IP54 splash protection.
- Dedicated microSD slot, 3.5mm jack and FM radio still on board.
- Side fingerprint reader is fast and reliable; real proximity sensor.
- The main camera is dependable in daylight and improved in low light for the price.
Cons
- Dim HD+ LCD with washed colors and poor outdoor legibility.
- Noticeable lag on the 4GB/64GB base model.
- No eSIM support.
- No NFC for contactless payments.
- Single bottom speaker; average quality and no stereo.
- No OIS/EIS; shaky video and 1080p cap with the stock camera app.
