Samsung Galaxy A02s vs Samsung Galaxy A12 By Izzi Boye

The Samsung Galaxy A12 and A02s are two of Samsung's budget and entry-level smartphones of the year 2021, both reasonable upgrades from their predecessors the A11 and A01 respectively. Clearly the A12 is the higher device with slightly more advanced specifications, but the upgrades on the A02s somewhat closes the performance gap much so to the level of the 2020 Samsung Galaxy A11 and it is also the more affordable device. Between the Samsung Galaxy A02s and A12 which should you buy? What is up guys, Izzi here and welcome to the channel. So... Straight to the point we are comparing the Samsung Galaxy A12 and A02s. While both devices are priced different, they actually have a lot in common, and we're going to explore the similarities and differences to help you decide if the A12 is the one to go for, or the more affordable A02s is just enough.

You can check out my individual reviews of both the A12 and A02s. I have the links in the description and also my affiliate links with the most updated prices. One more thing... A sub to the channel would be greatly appreciated. So where were we? Right... A12 versus A02s.

Let's start with the pricing; The Samsung Galaxy A12 is the more expensive device, starting at around $170 or ₦67,000 for the base model with 4GB of ram and 64GB of storage. It can go up to 128GB which costs slightly more. The more affordable A02s starts at about $130 or ₦52,000 naira for the base 3GB version with 32 gigs of storage. There is also an option of 4 gigs of RAM and 64 gigs of storage. The first thing to note here when considering buying either of these devices is the lack of a fingerprint scanner on the A02s.

You have to rely on face unlock and pattern or pin for security. Not so cool. Both devices are built of plastic on the rear and glass on the display with both featuring an infinity-v display design. More on the display later. The design on the Samsung Galaxy A02s is more stylish in my opinion, having an S20FE vibe with a little inspiration from the higher A-series from 2020.

It is a somewhat matte finish with nicely curved edges. The A12 on the other hand has a more contrasting design to what you can attribute to previous A-series devices. Its cameras are arranged in a square bump, the rear design is two parts with the top part having a slant striped pattern which makes for really easy grip. The bottom part is more of a matte finish and feels like metal but it is still plastic. The edges are not as curved as the A02s and it has a more boxy design.

On similarities, both devices are of the same height, spotting similar 6.5 inches infinity-v display with a resolution of 720x1600. They're are both TFT displays, very identical and you can barely tell the difference in quality. Both are good for media consumption. Coming from the A11 though you might have preferred a left hole punch display rather than the infinity-v. Still on the similarities, both phones have the same buttons and ports placement except for the lack of a fingerprint scanner on the A02s which we have on the power button of the Samsung Galaxy A12.

Both have usb-c and support 15 watts fast charging. On specifications, the Samsung Galaxy A02s has 3 or 4GB RAM options with up to 64 gigs in storage while the Samsung Galaxy A12 has 4 or 6 gig ram with up to 128 gigs in storage option. The A12 uses the Mediatek helio P35 processor while the A02s uses a Snapdragon 450 chipset, same chipset we had on the A11 of last year. Both have the same 5000mAH battery capacity, they also run on the same software that is One UI 2.5 currently on Android 10 and both should get Android 11 soon. So software experience is basically the same.

Both devices launch and run apps just fine, both snappy and can handle multitasking well enough. The more the RAM and memory option you choose though the more fluid you experience. Having used both of these devices individually, I can say for certain I could not tell any noticeable differences when it comes to the software performance. Sometimes the A02s actually feels snappier than the A12 and other times it was the other way around, but you would naturally expect better processing and performance from the A12 as it is a higher device. Please note the configurations I have here is the 4 gig ram and 64 gigs of storage for the Samsung Galaxy A12 and the 3gb ram and 32gigs of storage for the A02s.

This is the base model of each device. The A12 as expected has higher benchmark scores than the Samsung Galaxy A02s. In a speed test also, most of the time the Samsung Galaxy A12 came out the fastest device with the A02s just slightly behind. This is not an issue if you are getting the A02s though as you really wouldn't notice unless you are comparing this to higher devices. Against other devices at this price point the Samsung Galaxy A02s should excel.

On gaming is where it gets a little tricky. The Samsung Galaxy A12 and A02s are entry-level devices and by no means gaming devices but they do handle titles like PUBG and Call of Duty Mobile quite well, only at the lowest settings. The tricky part is that the more affordable A02s offers more graphic options than the A12. Regardless though performance is mostly the same. One area with major differences between these devices is their camera configuration.

The A12 has a more advanced camera setup featuring an 8 megapixel selfie camera a 48 megapixel main rear, a 5 megapixel ultra-wide 2 megapixel macro and depth sensors. The Samsung Galaxy A02s features a smaller 5 megapixel selfie camera, a 13 megapixel main rear camera, 2 megapixel macro and also depth sensor. It is obvious from the specifications, the A12 is with the better cameras. But does it make the cameras on the A02s bad? Not at all. Overall the A12 will take better photos from both selfie and rear cameras and that is expected.

Its 48 megapixel mode allows for high resolution photos and it also has an ultra-wide camera for wider shots. The macro shots are similar as they are both 2 megapixels. Let me know in the comments how you think the A02s holds up against the A12 in picture quality. You can check the individual reviews if you want more on their camera performance. Both the A02s and A12 can shoot 1080p full hd videos from front and rear cameras up to 30 frames per second.

Testing testing it is a selfie camera test of the Samsung Galaxy A02s and the Samsung Galaxy A12. The A12 has an 8 megapixel selfie camera, the A02s has just a 5 megapixel selfie camera. It can shoot 1080p full hd videos at 30 frames per second. Whichever you choose to buy of the Samsung Galaxy A02s and A12 would do just fine performance wise. However, bear in mind the A12 has a slightly better processor and provides more memory options, also the better camera configuration.

Of course it also costs more. The A02s lacks a fingerprint scanner, if you can ignore that it is a great device and also reasonably priced giving you value for money. Its camera performance is good for its price and you get the same display, same battery capacity and fast charging as the A12. If we have to go by design alone I'll choose the Samsung Galaxy A02s. Which do you think has the better or more stylish design? Leave a comment below.

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Source : Izzi Boye