The Practical Choice: Samsung Galaxy A07 4G Review! [PART 1]

Ain’t this phone… like… a year old already? Why bother? Well, that’s why you read our review

While the Galaxy A07 5G was released about three months ago, the 4G variant, which is 7 months old by now, may still be compelling. The sharp difference in price (PHP 5,990 for the A07 4G vs PHP 8,290 for the 5G version, which, by the way, only has 64GB storage) may make consumers lean more on the 4G variant because it is a much safer option, partially also thanks to Samsung’s brand recognition. The brand also promised 6 years’ worth of security updates so we’ll also how well that holds up in today’s depressing economy.

SPECS:

• 6.7″ HD+ (1600x720px) PLS LCD, 90Hz refresh rate
• MediaTek Helio G99 (6nm)
• CAMERAS:
  • 50MP (Main), f/1.8, Galaxycore GC50
  • 2MP (Auxiliary), f/2.4
  • FRONT: 8MP, f/2.0
• OneUI 8.0 based on Android 16
• 5000mAh, 25W fast charging
• USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack, side-mounted fingerprint scanner, Single Speaker
• 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
• Awesome Lavender, Black
• PRICE:
  • 4/64: PHP 5,290
  • 4/128: PHP 5,990

UNBOXING: Very Slim, Very Light

The Galaxy A07 4G comes in a surprisingly slim box, the slimmest we had in all the time we’ve been reviewing smartphones. When measured, the box is only 1.5 inches (3.8cm) thick. This suggests that nothing a lot is going on inside this box and comes with the most basic contents.

Well, basic is right. Possibly even less. What we found inside is the phone itself wrapped in paper, a SIM Ejector Tool, pieces of paperwork, and a white twin USB-C cable. We’re aware that many brands omit the charging brick for “environmental reasons” but we’re at least expecting a silicone case included. For a phone made for budget-knit consumers looking for a practical handset, the exclusion of a silicone case is simply not to our liking.

While yes, you can see the charger in this image, you can tell it’s a free item as it is a literal black sheep in this entire unboxing. Although given as a freebie, we believe this should not be the case because that means they actually excluded an essential item that everyday consumers need and use.

In essence, consumers would now have to spend at least PHP 250 for a case, and maybe another PHP 500-2000 for a high-quality brick. Samsung turned the experience like video game DLCs which is extra expense the consumer has to go after.

DESIGN: 2020 Standard

Our unit comes in Lavender, and this is the colour we specifically chose when buying it because it stands out among the sea of smartphones that usually come in black, silver, or white. It is quite attractive to look at, and also reflective. Not only that, but users can easily tell it’s a Samsung device thanks to the brand’s signature simplistic design and flat back, without the flashy aesthetics other brands try to do. Though, our unit does have subtle vertical lines to it, which adds to its beauty. Sometimes, the simplest designs stand out the most.

The entire phone is made of plastic but is designed to mimic glass that is commonly seen on expensive flagship phones. In the industry, this is termed “glasstic”. Whether it is made with a combination of glass and plastic, or just a mimicry of it, it would still be referred to as such. One thing we noticed is that, at a certain angle, the phone changes to a different color depending on the lighting. If held within an angle at a darker lighting, it becomes bluish. On the other hand, it becomes whitish or silverish. Pretty neat effect.

The front has that unmistakably “budget phone” feel, including thick bezels and a design fit for 2020 standards. It comes with a U-notch (Samsung calls it “Infinity-V). This proves that Samsung is leaning towards practicality rather than flashy aesthetics.

Despite that, we believe consumers would just be happy they have a new phone, and this dated design statement won’t matter to them in real life usage.

On the left side of the phone is the dual SIM Slot and a dedicated MicroSD Card slot, holding up to 1TB of storage. Down below and you’ll find a 3.5mm jack (which is endangered, so this inclusion is always welcome), a microphone hole, the USB-C port, and the speaker. Moving to the right side and you’ll find the volume rockers and the power button which doubles as a fingerprint reader. The top side is empty apart from a microphone hole. The volume rockers and power button aren’t tactile, and you need to really press it to turn the volume up or down or turn it on.

DISPLAY: Perfect for the Introvert in You

The Galaxy A07 4G uses a 6.7″ PLS LCD screen with a 720p resolution and 90Hz refresh rate as per the brand’s website. The phone has about 260ppi density which is not much to celebrate about. The display maxes out at around 450nits of brightness, standard for an LCD screen. Samsung is actually quite known for their displays, so much so that even Apple relies on them for their iPhones. Of course, we’re not expecting AMOLED screens or even HDR10 enhancements on the Galaxy A07 4G as it is a phone intended for users who simply just needs an everyday device.

Even so, the display is not without its critiques. Firstly, the display is dim even on maximum brightness and you won’t see much under the scorching heat. This can become an issue especially if you’re an Angkas rider. Secondly, the colors are washed out and lacking, when other smartphones of the class have higher quality LCDs or even opt for a basic AMOLED screen (yes, we’re serious). Finally, for a display described to be “PLS LCD”, it feels closer at home to a TFT display, with poor viewing angles.

However, while these issues are definitely legit, we’re going to be much more forgiving considering its price, plus the inclusion of a high 90Hz refresh rate is always welcome. We also discovered that the Galaxy A07 4G is L1 Widevine certified which we honestly didn’t expect. This means you can stream up to 4K resolution (depending on what the highest resolution the video or movie can offer) on platforms like Netflix, another rare foresight in this range. Overall, it is best used if you’re making TikTok dances at home, doomscrolling on socmed, and/or funnily enough, binge-watching movies (Battery life? We’ll get to that later). Truly, the most introvert phone we’ve seen.

SOFTWARE: OneUI for Beginners

On the software side of things, the Samsung Galaxy A07 4G launches with a baby version of OneUI 8.0, OneUI Core, to prevent the phone from lagging and bottlenecking. Hence why, despite it having only 4GB RAM, you can use the phone casually without having the anxiety of it stuttering suddenly.

Although it is diet OneUI, it still has several customizable features that makes the A07 4G feel personal. You can change the phone’s colour palette based on the wallpaper you currently have, enable dark mode (an essential feature to save battery life), and even drastically change how the phone looks through the Galaxy Theme store, including the icons. OneUI feels consistent as it started, but better as it updates.

The phone does come with pre-installed apps, such as Netflix. It also comes with a few Microsoft-related apps like Copilot, Outlook, OneDrive, and… LinkedIn? As expected, the usual Samsung apps are also pre-installed including the Samsung Shop, Samsung Browser, and Samsung Health. Thankfully many of these can be easily uninstalled and even then, they don’t clog too much of the remaining storage space. We can even argue that the base Android it runs on (Android 16) is heavier than the entirety of OneUI 8.0 Core.

Alright. That should cover almost everything. If you like to see our thoughts on the camera (we are actually stunned by it, so you’ll be in for a treat), then press the button below.