Samsung offers some of the best flagships with the Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Fold lineup. Still, the South Korean giant hasn’t forgotten about the budget-friendly Galaxy A series. The Samsung Galaxy A0Xs remains the most affordable among all Galaxy A series devices. Samsung released the Galaxy A03s in late 2021. It had decent specs with an entry-level MediaTek processor, a large battery pack, and respectable RAM and storage for the asking price.
While the Galaxy A03s no longer features on our top budget Android phones list, it is a good option for anyone looking to get into the Samsung ecosystem on a budget. Also, the Galaxy A03s is no longer available at the official Samsung store. However, you can find it at a cheap price on third-party marketplaces. Continue reading to learn everything about Samsung’s most affordable Galaxy device.
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Samsung Galaxy A03s: Design, specs, and cameras
Let’s start with the device aesthetics. Being a low-cost offering from Samsung, the Galaxy A03s doesn’t win awards in the design department. It features a bland-looking rear with a large camera module in the upper-left corner. Although Samsung is known for offering class-leading AMOLED panels, this one has a 720p 60Hz LCD panel on the front. It’s barely an improvement over its predecessor, and we would have preferred a 90Hz boost.
As for the rest of the design, it still carries a large bezel at the bottom and a U-shaped notch at the top. The entire body is made of plastic, which isn’t surprising given the segment in which the Galaxy A03s competes. One interesting design element is a textured back for a better grip. In our review, we found the plastic back to be sturdy and reliable for long-term usage.
While the Galaxy A03s doesn’t have a wow factor, it has two useful add-ons that have become history on flagship devices. First, there is a 3.5mm headphone jack for your existing wired earphones. Support for a microSD slot is another welcome add-on, considering the device comes with only 32GB storage. It supports up to 1TB of memory card. We recommend getting a capable microSD card for your local media files.
As for the rest of the specs, the Galaxy A03s has a low-end MediaTek Helio P35 processor, 3GB/4GB of RAM, up to 64GB of storage, a 5000mAh battery, and LTE-only support. Unlike the European version, the US variant only gets 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.
Now, let’s have a word about the camera setup on Galaxy A03s. The triple camera setup consists of a 13MP primary shooter, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. The latter two aren’t worth talking about. As for the main lens, it can produce decent results under good lighting conditions. In our testing, we found it to be unreliable in certain conditions. For example, if you have shaky hands, you may have difficulty snapping an Instagram-worthy shot.
Samsung improved the default Camera app on Galaxy A03s. Still, it leaves much to desire. We recommend looking for alternatives if camera performance tops your wishlist.
Samsung Galaxy A03s
- SoC
- MediaTek Helio P35
- Display type
- 6.5″ 720 LCD, 60Hz
- RAM
- 3GB or 4GB
- Storage
- 32GB or 64GB (expandable via microSD)
- Battery
- 5,000 mAh
- Charge speed
- Up to 15W wired
- Ports
- USB-C, Headphone jack
- Operating System
- Android 11 with One UI 3.1 (Upgradable to Android 13)
- Front camera
- 5MP (f/2.2)
- Rear camera
- 13MP f/2.2 primary; 2MP f/2.4 macro, 2MP f/2.4 depth
- Connectivity
- LTE only, no 5G
- Dimensions
- 164.2 x 75.9 x 9.1mm
- Weight
- 196g
- IP Rating
- n/a
- Colors
- Black
- Price
- MSRP $160
Samsung Galaxy A03s: Software, OS updates, and battery life
Samsung upped its software game in recent years. While the company offers four years of OS and five years of security updates on the latest Galaxy A devices, the 2021 Galaxy A03s will only receive two major Android updates and four years of security patches. The Galaxy A03s was launched with Android 11 running One UI 3.1 on the top. It has already received a couple of Android updates.
The Galaxy A03s received Android 12 in September 2022, while the Android 13 update arrived around March 2023. It won’t receive the latest One UI 6 based on Android 14. The good news is, unlike some of the Galaxy F series and M series devices (sold in the Asian region), the Galaxy A03s has the full One UI Android skin. In contrast, many entry-level Galaxy devices in developing countries come with One UI Lite (a stripped-down version of One UI).
Battery life is one area where the Galaxy A03s excels. That’s mainly due to a couple of factors: a large battery and a low-end CPU. It’s a win-win combination for battery endurance. Since the MediaTek Helio P35 can’t perform battery-draining tasks like playing intensive games or 4K recording, you are most likely swiping through social media posts and managing calls and messages.
The Galaxy A03s only supports 15W of wired charging. While it takes a few hours to juice up the 5000mAh cell, slow charging speeds shouldn’t be an issue for those plugging in their devices at night.
Galaxy A03s: Availability and price
Samsung no longer offers the Galaxy A03s on its web portal. However, you can grab a unit from Amazon or Best Buy for under $100. It can be an ideal pick for anyone looking for a barebones Galaxy phone for an affordable price.
Even since the Galaxy A03s’ introduction, Samsung has released a couple of successors: the Galaxy A04s and Galaxy A05s. Samsung didn’t release either model in the US market. The company launched them in several Asian and European regions. The Galaxy A15 5G is the most affordable Samsung device for sale in the US.
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A low barrier to Samsung’s ecosystem
The Samsung Galaxy A03s is suited for basic tasks and users who don’t need a high-performance device. The Galaxy A03s has a long battery life, a headphone jack, and expandable storage. Samsung is expected to release The Galaxy A06s later this year. If you haven’t used a Galaxy device before, you may not be familiar with One UI Android skin. Check out our separate guide to learn everything about One UI.
Samsung Galaxy A03s
Samsung’s gotten its budget phones down to a science; as such, the Galaxy A03s isn’t a whole lot different from the Galaxy A02s that came before it. It’s still got a 720p LCD display at 60Hz, it’s still got the same set of not-very-good cameras, and it’s still running Android 11. But there are a few notable differences. Chiefly, while the Galaxy A02s had no fingerprint sensor, the A03s has one built into its power button — which means getting into the phone is less of a hassle. It’s also got three gigabytes of RAM. That’s still not much, but it’s a big bump from the two gigs in the A02s. Samsung also made the switch from a low-end Snapdragon chipset to a low-end MediaTek one. That probably won’t matter much for performance, though, and Samsung’s still promising four years of quarterly security updates from the phone’s US launch — which means it should stay secure into 2026. If you already have an A02s, the A03s probably isn’t worth upgrading to. It goes for $160, which is $30 more than the A02s cost — and the most significant difference is the addition of a fingerprint sensor. But if you’re on an older phone, that one difference will likely be worth buying the A03s over its predecessor.
