Samsung Galaxy A12: Initial Impressions of the Newest A-series Offering

The Samsung Galaxy A12 is the latest offering in the infamous "A" line-up of phones. Samsung has always tried to make their phones accessible to people of all walks of life and the "A" series that started off as a high mid-range segment has made its way to the mid-range and budget segment quite gracefully.

Highlights

• MediaTek Helio P35 Processor
• 48-megapixel Quad Camera Set-up
• Android 10
• 4 GB+64 GB/128 GB
• INR 12,999 onwards

#1 In The Box

The box contents are pretty basic and regular. It consists of a SIM ejector tool, a few documents, that people have just stopped reading, the phone, a 15W charger and a USB-A to USB-C cable. There are no earphones in the box and this has become the new normal. Talking about things missing the box, it might be better to discard the documents and use the saved cost in including a pair of earphones in the box because let's be real who doesn't know how to use a phone in this day and age.

#2 The Phone

It comes with a polycarbonate finish on the back. Samsung is still choosing aesthetics over durability by choosing plastic over metal even today. On the right side, the phone has the power on/off button with an in-built fingerprint scanner. Volume rockers are also present on the same side of the phone. On top, there is a secondary noise cancellation microphone. The left side is left clean and untouched but does have the SIM tray. It is a triple slot SIM tray where you can add 2 SIM cards and use a dedicated SD card so, you don't have to worry about compromises. The bottom of the phone has the primary microphone, a speaker grill and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The back of the phone has a split design where the top of the panel has a pattern and the bottom part is plain and smooth.

#3 Display

The Samsung Galaxy A12 comes with a 6.7-inch infinity "U" style display with a 720p+ resolution. The screen has the ability to offer a good experience while consuming media and scrolling through photos.

#4 Internal Hardware and Software

It runs on Android 10 out of the box and on top of that, you can find Samsung's very own One UI version 2.5. The storage options on the phone are 4 GB RAM with 64 or 128 GB of storage. The MediaTek Helio P35 processor can perform well in day to day tasks but if you want to run apps like Garena Free Fire or Call of Duty Mobile for extensive hours, then you should look for other options. The 5,000 mAh battery can complement the processor well and last through an entire working day on light to moderate use.

#5 Optics

The phone houses a 48-megapixel quad rear camera set-up where the primary lens is a 48-megapixel shooter. Along with that, you also have a 5-megapixel wide-angle lens, a macro lens and a depth sensor both of which are 2-megapixel shooters. The whole camera module is accompanied by an LED flash. The camera performance, keeping the price point in mind, is decent. You can get good shots in ideal lighting conditions. You can expect a flagship-level camera performance from it but the onus of being disappointed would be on you.

#6 Security

For keeping your data secured and away from being breached, the phone has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner that is fast and responsive and mostly accurate. You can also unlock your phone with your face. That functionality might seem a little laggy at first but does work and gets the job done of recognizing your face even amidst all the chaos.

#7 Price

There are 2 variants of the phone. The 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage variant starts at INR 12,999 and the 4 GB RAM and 128 GB storage variant is priced at INR 13,999. It is geared towards the offline market currently and can be bought by walking to your nearest store.