Samsung’s A-series has lengthy been a favorite amongst budget-conscious Indian patrons on the lookout for a smartphone that may comfortably final for years. This yr, the corporate has raised the bar by promising prolonged software program assist not only for its flagships, but additionally for its finances fashions. So when Samsung despatched me the Galaxy A17, I used to be curious to see how One UI holds up on an entry-level gadget. After utilizing the most recent addition to the Galaxy A lineup for a few weeks, right here’s the whole lot it is best to know earlier than deciding whether or not it’s the precise telephone for you.
Samsung telephones are identified for his or her minimalistic design and strong construct high quality, and the Galaxy A17 isn’t any exception. Whereas it has the identical dimensions as its predecessor, the newer mannequin is a bit slimmer and lighter, which makes it simpler to carry for prolonged intervals of time.
And whereas it sports activities the identical 6.7-inch sAMOLED display screen with a 90 Hz refresh fee and 800 nits of most brightness, Samsung has opted for the extra sturdy Gorilla Glass Victus, which is uncommon on this phase.
For anybody accustomed to 120Hz shows, the Galaxy A17’s display screen could really feel a bit uneven at occasions. But when your utilization is usually streaming movies, looking the online, studying, or listening to music, the show will get the job carried out. That mentioned, I nonetheless want Samsung had supplied at the very least a 120Hz refresh fee.
I obtained the blue-coloured variant of the Galaxy A17, which appears actually clear. I’m all for minimalism, however I personally suppose Samsung’s design language is bland at finest since there’s nothing however the redesigned digital camera island on the again (extra on that later).
The Galaxy A17 will get 6 years of OS updates.
Like most Samsung telephones, the Galaxy A17 doesn’t embrace a case within the field. Nonetheless, its plastic again feels surprisingly premium, and even with my clumsy dealing with, I by no means felt prefer it was going to slide out of my hand.
With an IP54 ranking, the Galaxy A17 can simply deal with water splashes and survive for those who occur to get caught within the rain. All in all, Samsung hasn’t modified something in regards to the design, and I feel it’s a very good choice. Nonetheless, there have been two issues that bothered me essentially the most. The telephone comes with an U-shaped notch, which appears fairly dated.
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The opposite factor I hate is that the Galaxy A17 has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner embedded within the energy button, which feels historic by 2025 requirements. I exploit a flip telephone as my each day driver, so this didn’t hassle me a lot, however I feel it’s excessive time Samsung switches to an under-display fingerprint sensor on its finances lineup.
The gadget comes with One UI 8 primarily based on Android 16 out of the field.
Efficiency is a blended bag
In the previous couple of years, telephone makers have been launching actually good finances telephones, however Samsung’s finances sequence units are identified for his or her barely sluggish efficiency. I do know, numbers aren’t the whole lot, however the Galaxy A17’s Exynos 1330 chipset does really feel sluggish at occasions.
The animations are pretty easy for essentially the most half, due to One UI, however if you’re a multitasker like me who generally juggles between a bunch of apps, the lag is pretty noticeable and may get annoying at occasions. App loading occasions aren’t the perfect within the phase both. In case you open a resource-heavy app like Google Maps or launch an app after a very long time, it’s going to take a while to open.
The Galaxy A17 comes with One UI 8 primarily based on Android 16 out of the field, with the corporate promising 6 years of OS updates. Surely, that is longer than every other telephone maker affords, however I’m wondering if the Exynos 1330 would have the ability to run future variations of Android with out lag and stutters.
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In case you are planning to purchase this telephone, I might suggest skipping the bottom variant, which comes with simply 6GB of RAM, and spending a bit extra to get the 8GB RAM model. As for gaming, you’ll be able to simply run video games like Conflict of Clans, BGMI, and different light-weight titles, however taking part in video games like Genshin and Wuthering Waves on respectable graphic settings gained’t be a pleasent expertise.
Additionally, since it is a finances gadget, you gained’t discover AI options just like the flagship S sequence telephones. Nonetheless, the gadget does assist Circle to Search, which is a plus. In case you are on the lookout for uncooked efficiency or a telephone that may simply run the newest video games, I counsel trying elsewhere.
You get the identical triple digital camera as final yr, however this yr, the primary 50MP sensor has OIS.
Good cameras with restricted video capabilities
This yr, Samsung has redesigned the digital camera island. The Galaxy A17 nonetheless options the identical triple-camera setup as final yr, however the lenses at the moment are grouped inside a pill-shaped module, providing higher safety towards unintentional scratches in comparison with the earlier minimalist, island-less design. The setup features a 50MP major digital camera, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 2MP macro sensor—which stays largely impractical.
As for the primary 50MP sensor, photos do come out rather well throughout daytime. The color copy, sharpness and particulars are actually good in comparison with the competitors. Samsung has additionally added OIS to the primary sensor, which helps seize secure, good-quality movies, however the high quality is capped at 1080p 30 fps.
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In the case of nighttime or photos captured in low gentle, the Galaxy A17 captures detailed photos, holding the noise ranges to a minimal. In comparison with its predecessor, movies at night time are higher, due to OIS, however as is the case with most finances telephones, the standard is common at finest.
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Battery
Most smartphone makers have now switched to silicon carbon batteries, which permit them to bump up the capability with out rising the thickness of the gadget. However since Samsung is but to make the transition, the Galaxy A17 will get a regular 5,000mAh battery.
In case you are somebody like me who makes use of the telephone for navigation, messaging, listening to music, scrolling social media or looking the web, the Galaxy A17 can simply final you a day. I could also be incorrect, however in comparison with power-hungry chips used on mid-range and flagship units, I really feel finances chips just like the Exynos 1330 devour a lot much less energy.
This, together with under-the-hood One UI optimisations, gave me someplace round 7 hours of screen-on time, with the always-on show disabled.
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The lengthy software program assist could also be held again by the weak chipset.
Samsung Galaxy A17: Do you have to purchase it?
The Galaxy A17 is a strong finances smartphone for its asking worth. Its battery life, show high quality and long-term software program assist make it an excellent worth choice if you would like a tool that may comfortably final you just about half a decade. Nonetheless, the Exynos 1330’s middling efficiency, occasional lags and stutters, and the one speaker setup maintain it again.
In case you want a dependable secondary telephone or just need a gadget with years of updates and a succesful digital camera, the Galaxy A17 suits the invoice. But when efficiency and a better refresh fee are priorities, you’re higher off contemplating alternate options just like the Realme P4, CMF Telephone 2, Infinix GT 30 or Motorola Edge 50 Neo.