an efficient but particular mobile

Sleek and very slippery

Fashion trends can be seen in almost every aspect of the economy, and consumer electronics is no exception. Throughout 2020 we have seen how the vast majority of manufacturers are betting on displays with contained edges and with perforations for the front camera.

They were moving away, and not just in the high end, from the notches that until not so long ago were normal.

Samsung has done something strange with the Samsung Galaxy A42 by betting on a notch and not by a perforation in the panel as we have seen in the models of this same family. It seems like a concession to design to differentiate the more expensive terminals.

On the back we have a new quad camera module and a dual finish, although in the case of the white model they gave us, the lower visual finish doesn’t differ much.

It’s smooth to the touch on all sides, and the finish on the back and frames makes it comfortable to the touch but also super slippery. On several occasions, we feared that the mobile would slip out of our hands.

The back is plastic, and while that’s not a problem, we would have liked a less glossy finish and something more matte.

Regarding the frames, it should be noted that we do not have a dual SIM tray, although we do have a memory card tray. We also don’t have an infrared sensor or dual speaker, and the latter seems like something for improvement.

Good performance, although it lacks more RAM

After testing the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T, the switch to this Galaxy S42 was pleasant when it comes to performance. This mobile also relies on a processor with 5G, something on which Samsung has insisted a lot.

Specifically, we have a Snapdragon 750G, a processor that allowed us to play all the titles we wanted without the mobile choppy or having issues.

Of course, the company’s decision to put 4 GB of RAM on a mobile that costs 300 dollars seems wrong to us. The handling of this one is okay and it looks like it doesn’t shut down a lot of background apps, or at least not as many as we had feared. Despite this, in this price range, 6 GB should already be a reality. In fact, on some occasions the system took a long time to draw the icons on the desktop.

When it comes to storage memory, 128GB is the appropriate number as aspiring to 256GB in the mid-range is still far from viable, although there is a model for sale that has it.

The connectivity of the A42 is pretty decent, without any madness. The WiFi connection speed is high and stable, in mobility, we have 4G and also 5G (if it’s something you care about) and of course we can make payments with NFC.

But the surprise comes when we see that we have FM radio, something that surprises us every time more than it is incorporated.

The resolution is unexpected, for the worse

One section in which the Korean firm usually stands out, and a lot, is on screens. In this case, we have a 6.6 inch AMOLED panel with good image quality in terms of color representation and with good sensitivity.

The problem is that Samsung has decided that the HD + resolution this is enough for a mobile over 300 dollars. And it is not. No kidding.

Using this terminal to play and read I have to admit that I didn’t notice anything, but when I put the first video I realized that the picture quality left something to be desired. The dots per inch density of the panel, with a generous diagonal, is very low for a mid-range terminal.

It is true that the colors, the brightness, the absence of reflections, the blacks… everything indicated that the screen would be one of the best in its price range, but the lower resolution subtracted points.

Of course, this model’s fingerprint sensor, while on-screen, isn’t one of the most efficient we’ve been able to use. Sometimes it’s slow and while it would be less evil to have a face unlock, we do complain. The reason is that this face unlock is a bit slow as well.

Good photos, but the video needs to improve

Samsung can boast that it is one of the manufacturers that handles photos the best, especially for a few years. The way it does it is different from Google or Apple, but the results are still very good.

The Samsung Galaxy A42 5G is a mid-range device, so we’re not going to ask for the same results as a Galaxy S.

This is why, although sometimes we have very good and even constant photographic quality when we go from normal to wide angle, in others this is not the case. There are some pictures with too high contrast, upgradeable dynamic range, as you can see in the gallery.

Despite this, most of the time we have very good photographs, especially in portraits, both in good light and in low light.

At night we liked to see that there isn’t a lot of noise in the photos and how bright spots, like street lights, are well represented even at wide angle.

As for the macro and depth sensor, little to say, these aren’t widely used cameras, and we would have liked to see at least twice the zoom.

What did not convince us so much was the video. With the front camera we have an adequate video when the light accompanies but at night the quality is poor and the stability leaves a lot to be desired, especially if we record when we move.

With the rear cameras we have better stabilization, both day and night, but rudeness in low light is too high.

An exceptional battery

The positive part that this terminal has a low resolution screen is, without a doubt, the battery life.

In the first battery test we use the mobile mainly indoors. We played games, used social apps, and set up various apps. Outdoors, we used it a little, but took some photos and recorded some videos. We have reached 8 hours of screen time with 30 hours of battery life.

In the second battery test we made a similar use although we played a little less. The autonomy was just as surprising. We have far exceeded the 8 hours of screen time with 40 hours of battery life.

In the third battery test we took pictures, we spoke on the phone more than in previous tests, we played and used messaging apps. We have reached 8 hours of screen time with 32 hours of battery life.

We are still on Android 10

Samsung has started shipping high-end Android 11 models, but there is still plenty to update. This A42 is one of them.

Samsung’s interface continues to offer options, with a host of features that allow you to personalize the phone and use many standard features, such as radio or NFC for payments.

Additionally, the speed of animations, application response, and other aspects are among the best, possibly because the screen has a lower resolution and the graphics load on the system is lower.

We miss Google’s Discover, but we know it’s something that will be coming with One UI 3.1, the version we tested in the Galaxy S21.

A good option, perfect if you don’t care about screen resolution

The feeling I had with this terminal was not uniform. The first few days, I was in awe of the autonomy, but then the jug of cold water that the resolution of the screen poured over me warmed me a little.

Despite this, I have to admit that I enjoyed the week I had this terminal as my primary mobile, playing and using it in all tasks. Even in the photographic section (not video) it left a good taste in my mouth, although the differences here with the high end are noticeable.

Is this a mobile that we would recommend? The truth is, yes, especially if the bad screen resolution this is no problem for you and you appreciate the 5G and the autonomy.

Buy Samsung Galaxy A42 5G