As a Pixel proprietor, this price range Samsung telephone is my finest life hack

As a smartphone energy person, I naturally are likely to gravitate in the direction of selecting a flagship as my every day driver. Excessive-end smartphones supply shows that compete with the perfect TVs, wonderful digicam methods, and sufficient processing energy to play console-quality video games — what’s to not like? However despite the fact that I’ve totally loved the corporate of my Pixel 8 Professional over the previous 12 months, I’ve come to understand that there are various situations the place proudly owning a flagship smartphone simply doesn’t make sense.

Carrying two telephones was as soon as the hallmark of enterprise executives juggling work and private lives — BlackBerry in a single pocket and a stylish private telephone within the different. Whereas that will now not be true today, I nonetheless suppose there’s a case to be made for proudly owning a telephone that’s cheap, dependable, and versatile sufficient to deal with conditions the place taking out a thousand-dollar flagship looks like overkill or downright dangerous.

That’s the place the Samsung Galaxy A15 enters the image for me — it’s an unassuming machine that will get the fundamentals proper and will function a helpful addition to simply about anybody’s life. Right here’s why.

Based mostly on the Galaxy A15’s spec sheet alone, you’d be hard-pressed to inform that you simply’re taking a look at a price range smartphone. It has a large battery, a 3.5mm headphone jack (keep in mind these?), and even a 90Hz show AMOLED that manages to one-up the iPhone 16. However the perfect half may simply be the value level — the Galaxy A15 is nearly laughably low cost in comparison with what you’d pay for a flagship smartphone.

The Galaxy A15’s price range worth level additionally means it doesn’t chase traits in the identical means as its premium and flagship counterparts. Take the three.5mm headphone jack, for example — a uncommon discover in 2024. Whereas I’m pressured to succeed in for a pair of Bluetooth buds on my Pixel 8 Professional, the Galaxy A15 lets me plug in wired audio gear like the great outdated days.

Shopping for a second telephone for listening to music or podcasts actually doesn’t save me a lot cash versus a pair of Bluetooth buds, however I vastly worth the consolation of wired earphones. Severely, dig up some earbuds and provides them a attempt — the distinction in consolation may shock you. I merely haven’t discovered a pair of true wi-fi earbuds that I can get pleasure from for lengthy intervals of time. Plus, it’s a good way to present myself a digital detox after I exit for a stroll since I can go away my flagship telephone and its notifications at house.

After all, I may’ve simply purchased an inexpensive dongle for my Pixel 8 Professional and referred to as it a day. However the Galaxy A15 gives a lot greater than only a headphone jack. Take battery life, for example — the large 5,000mAh cell paired with a modest chip signifies that the Galaxy A15 comfortably outlasts even a number of the finest Android telephones. So after I anticipate a busy day of being out and about, I usually relegate GPS duties and music streaming to it as a substitute of my most important telephone.

Residing in a hotter local weather, I’ve misplaced monitor of the variety of occasions my telephones have thrown up overheating warnings whereas navigating beneath direct daylight. Excessive display brightness and steady GPS utilization are additionally a recipe for speedy battery drain. And in case your first thought is to easily plug in a transportable energy supply, that’s an excellent worse concept. Charging with an intensive app working and the display brightness cranked amplifies the warmth drawback and actively accelerates battery degradation. I are likely to improve each few years, so I worth the long-term battery well being of my flagship smartphone

For these causes, I’d a lot reasonably use the Galaxy A15 for lengthy Google Maps classes — it weighs as a lot as an influence financial institution whereas delivering rather more utility. I don’t care if it will get sizzling to the purpose of damaging its internals, nor am I nervous about strapping it to a motorbike handlebar on lengthy freeway rides.

The identical utility holds for a lot of different use instances, too. My motion digicam, for instance, lacks a display however I can use any smartphone as a wi-fi show. And on that word, the Galaxy A15 additionally retains expandable storage assist through a microSD card slot, not like nearly any mainstream flagship smartphone. This implies I can wirelessly offload footage from my cameras and drones after which have the telephone add it to cloud storage. Shopping for a whole Galaxy A15 prices only a smidge greater than what Google and different manufacturers cost for a higher-storage capability flagship.

Even after I’m at house and don’t strictly want a second telephone, I’ve discovered methods to make the Galaxy A15 helpful whereas eliminating single-use home equipment or devices that take up helpful actual property. With a number of cheap magnetic wall mounts and adapters I picked up on-line (consider it as a poor man’s Qi2 or MagSafe), I’ve turned the telephone right into a mini sensible show that I can take round my house.

Within the kitchen, it’s excellent for pulling up recipes or streaming music whereas I cook dinner. In contrast to a sensible speaker or show, it gives full interactivity — as a result of, let’s face it, utilizing Google Assistant for something extra advanced than setting a timer is borderline painful in 2024. In the meantime, the Galaxy A15 helps Gemini like some other Android telephone, which makes the digital assistant expertise way more tolerable (however undoubtedly not excellent).

At my bedside, I exploit one other magnetic mount the place the telephone serves as my secondary alarm clock and sensible house dashboard just like the one pictured above that lives in my front room. I exploit an app referred to as Absolutely Kiosk, which boots robotically when the telephone is plugged in and linked to my house Wi-Fi. It brings up my Residence Assistant dashboard, giving me immediate entry to lights and local weather controls even when I’m doing one thing else on my most important telephone. The AMOLED show is straightforward on the eyes in the dead of night, and since it’s a secondary machine, I’m not too involved about burn-in.

Now, I’m not saying the Galaxy A15 doesn’t have compromises. Look a bit of nearer and also you’ll discover loads of them, like its lackluster chip and cameras. And whereas the Galaxy A15 makes for a fantastic companion telephone in my house metropolis, I can’t say the identical for after I’m touring overseas.

The shortage of eSIM assist is the primary main hurdle given the sheer comfort of shopping for a plan whereas taxiing to the runway. For that function, you’ll need to shell out a large premium to get the Galaxy A35 as a substitute. If you happen to can rating a bodily SIM at your locations or take care of roaming, although, the 5,000mAh battery will final you thru a day of hotspot use.

Nevertheless, most of my different complaints, like efficiency and picture high quality, don’t actually matter when you think about the Galaxy A15’s worth level. It’s unrealistic to anticipate flagship-level outcomes from a telephone that prices a fraction as a lot. Finally, then, the Galaxy A15 performs to its strengths and punches effectively above its weight for the various use instances you could not have even thought of.