Samsung Galaxy A40 review: is it still worth buying in 2020?

5.9-inch display is easy to carry



The compact shape of the Samsung Galaxy A40 makes it particularly attractive in actual tests. But the torment of time is on the mid-range smartphone. We clarified whether buying the Galaxy A40 is still worth it in 2020 and what alternatives you have.

table of Contents

1. So you better not buy
   

2. Samsung Galaxy A40 in practice test: once again compact
   

3. Design and Craft
   

4. Equipment, performance and operation
   

   1. Super AMOLED display
      

   2. Performance
      

   3. Other devices: fingerprint sensor, device memory and Co.
      

   4. Android 9 with a UI
      

5. Voice quality and battery life
   

6. Galaxy A40 in test: dual camera and ultra wide-angle camera
   

7. Galaxy A40 in test: price and availability
   

8. in conclusion
   And alternatives

Those who are looking for a compact smartphone will be sad. Usually, the screen size of new phones will exceed 6 inches by 2020. The Samsung Galaxy A40 is an exception. The phone released in April 2019 is relatively compact. At the same time, the Galaxy A41 is the successor and the question inevitably arises: Is it still worth buying the Galaxy A40 in 2020?

So you better not buy

Of course, it depends on your expectations. Anyone who wants a compact smartphone to write some messages while traveling or surfing the Internet is still satisfied with the Galaxy A40 today. However, there are rumors that the successor to the Galaxy A41 can provide longer battery life and more computing power at a similar price. The phone should appear soon, so we will be waiting for the release of the Galaxy A41 at your location.

On the other hand, people with higher requirements for cameras and computing power can directly look for alternatives. Because of its compact size, whether you like the Galaxy A40 or not, you will definitely like the Google Pixel 3a. At present, this phone costs slightly more than 300 Euros and offers a camera that you can use to take useful photos during the day and night. In addition, Google assures you of Android and monthly security updates until May 2022. On the other hand, the Galaxy A40 only receives Android 10 updates and quarterly security updates.

However, in our comparative test of small smartphones, you can find other, much more expensive alternatives.

From June 2019, you will find detailed reviews of Samsung Galaxy A40 below.

Samsung Galaxy A40 in practice test: once again compact

Samsung stamped its Galaxy S mini series in 2014, and its successor, the Galaxy A3, appeared for the last time in 2017. Since then, compact equipment has been in short supply. But 2019 has clearly begun to rethink Samsung. In March 2019, the manufacturer introduced a mini flagship, the Galaxy S10e, and the Galaxy A40 is now an indirect successor to the Galaxy A3 (2017).

The Galaxy A40 has a screen size of 5.9 inches and was called an XXL smartphone a few years ago. In fact, a smartphone measuring 144.4 x 69.2 x 7.9 mm is roughly the same as the Galaxy S7 with a 5.1-inch screen.

Testing of the Galaxy A40: Design and Processing

Samsung has achieved this through various design techniques. Therefore, the fingerprint sensor moves from front to back. Here it is placed in the middle of the upper third of the phone. The border makes it feel easier. According to our preference, the sensor can be placed higher, but in general it is easily accessible and can reliably unlock the phone.

Samsung Galaxy A40 in the picture (2019)

In addition, Samsung also uses the modern Infinity U display for the reasonably priced Galaxy A40. The South Korean manufacturer has only a very narrow notch in the form of a tear mark, in which the South Korean manufacturer can accommodate a front camera and speakers for talking. This covers more than 85% of the front of the phone. This is a very good value for the price range, with other phones such as Moto G7 or Huawei P smart + 2019 reaching only around 80%.

Not only does the almost bezel-less screen make the Samsung Galaxy A40 stand out, but Samsung also uses an unusual approach when choosing colors. So you have four colors (blue, black, coral and white) to choose from. Under light, Samsung's technology, which it calls a "shimmer effect," ensures that these lights appear in different ways.

The entire case is made of plastic, and just like older Galaxy devices, it magically attracts dust, dirt, and fingerprints. The Galaxy A40 is not non-slip. The plastic case should be better able to cope with one or the other drop than a cell phone with a glass back cover.

Galaxy A40 in test: device, performance and operation

What is inside the plastic case? You can find the hibernation hardware in the Galaxy A40 in the following lines.

Galaxy A40 in test: Super AMOLED display

Although most manufacturers in this price range rely on LCD screens, Samsung has also installed Super AMOLED displays on the reasonably priced Galaxy A40. This is resolved in Full HD +. Accordingly, the display is clear and colorful. The screen is easy to read outdoors even in direct sunlight. No matter what angle we look at the A40 screen, no color distortion appears in the test. So there is nothing to complain about here!

Galaxy A40 in test: performance

The performance of the Galaxy A40 is unsatisfactory. Samsung installed an octa-core chip from its own product, which is backed by 4 GB of RAM. Except for Huawei and Honor devices equipped with Kirin 710 processors in the benchmark test, Exynos can almost rival its competitors.

Explanation: AnTuTu and Geekbench are probably the most popular tools for measuring the performance of your smartphone. These two applications check not only the performance of the processor (CPU) but also other components, such as the graphics unit or main memory. The higher the score, the better the result. You can download AnTuTu and Geekbench for free from our download archive.

However, in daily life, the Galaxy A40 usually runs slowly, and will only respond to input after a few seconds of memory. For example, switching between two dual camera lenses on the back takes some time. With PUBG Mobile and similar titles, you have to accept compromises in graphic details for smooth display.

Galaxy A40 under test-additional devices: fingerprint sensor, device memory and Co.

Other features of Samsung phones are at a competitive level. The Galaxy A40 provides 64 GB of device memory, which can be expanded with a microSD card as needed. The fingerprint sensor supports swipe gestures. Onboard USB C and headphone jack, as well as NFC, Bluetooth 5 and WLAN AC. This is not always the case with Samsung's budget model, and you can read it in our review of the Galaxy A6 (2018).

Testing Galaxy A40- Software: Android 9 with a UI

The Galaxy A40 can run with the current 9.0 Pie ex Android version, but it remains to be seen whether the device will receive updates to the next version of Android Q, which is expected to be released in August. Usually, Samsung also donates at least one major operating system update to cheap models-but this may not be released until the Galaxy A40's first birthday. Security patches are released quarterly.

Samsung has covered Android OS through its own user interface, One UI. It includes other features, such as:

• Digital health: Samsung ’s Google app, Digital Health.
• Night mode: Full system dark mode introduced by Google on Android Q only.
• Dual Messenger: With this feature, you can use two WhatsApp accounts on one device.

Galaxy A40 in test: voice quality and battery life

The voice quality of the Galaxy A40 is only moderate. The mobile phone glowed with a good background noise filtering effect in the test, but the voice quality was affected as a result. Your own voice and the voices of others sound dull, so it's almost like you're using Walke Talkie. In addition, the front speakers are very small, so you must pay attention to how to put your phone near your ears so that you fully understand who you are talking to. When using the speaker to make a call, the sound is much better.

Unlike many dual SIM phones, the Galaxy A40 can operate with two SIM cards at the same time, without the need to choose not to insert a memory card to complete the operation.

The Galaxy A40 draws energy from a 3,100 mAh battery. In the PCMark battery test, Samsung phones run for 10 hours and 50 minutes. You should usually spend the day, but use it for a day and a half. Then, you must definitely plug in the Galaxy A40 again. However, the phone doesn't have to stay here too long; in testing, the Galaxy A40's battery was fully charged again after 75 minutes.

Galaxy A40 in test: dual camera and ultra wide-angle camera

The Galaxy A40 offers a 25-megapixel front camera and dual cameras on the back. It consists of a 16-megapixel main camera and another 5-megapixel camera. As is usually the case in the price range, it is not a secondary camera for portrait photos, but rather an ultra-wide-angle camera used in the Galaxy S10 series. In the price range, the camera's image quality is okay, but it will decrease in low light conditions-this is also common for 250 Euro phones. In the gallery below you can learn about the camera of the Galaxy A40.

Samsung Galaxy A40: Camera samples

You can take pictures in 16: 9 and 4: 3, 1: 1, 18: 9. For videos, you can choose between 16: 9, 1: 1, and 18: 9 formats. You can only record videos in Full HD + at most. Video can be recorded using the main camera and ultra-wide-angle camera. You cannot switch between cameras while shooting.

Galaxy A40 in test: price and availability

Since May 2019, the Galaxy A40 has been available in Germany. The suggested retail price of Samsung phones is 249 Euros at the time of listing. At the same time, the price of the device is close to 200 Euros.

Compact smartphone with Super AMOLED display

The Galaxy A40 is a sturdy smartphone, and Samsung's announced price seems reasonable. In addition to the compact format, the phone's advantages obviously include the bright Super AMOLED screen. To do this, you must accept the compromise between performance and language quality. We believe that these can be overcome.

we like

• Compact
• Super AMOLED screen
• Separate slot for second SIM card and SD card

We don't like

• Medium voice quality
• Medium performance

Design and Craft

8.0 / 10

Design and Craft At this point, the design language, color choices, selected materials, feel, and the so-called appearance of the device will be evaluated.

Equipment and operation

7.0 / 10

Equipment and operation At this point, the monitor, processor, device memory, operating system, and user interface will be evaluated.

Voice quality

5.0 / 10

Voice quality What does an interlocutor sound like? Is there any interruption in the connection? This was evaluated at this point.

Battery Life

6.0 / 10

Battery Life Assess battery run and charge time and structure (fixed or variable) at this point

Camera and multimedia

8.0 / 10

Camera and multimedia Cameras, speakers, and other multimedia features such as infrared transmitters have been evaluated at this point.

Information about test products

The test equipment has been loaned to Samsung for six weeks.
You can find more information on how we use test products, how we conduct testing, and general guidelines for editors in our transparency guide.

• Wireless charging

  
  
  No la

• Reverse charge

  
  
  No la

• Expandable memory

  microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC

• Main camera image sensor

  15.93 miles

• Main camera resolution

  4608 x 3456 pixels

• Video

  1920 x 1080 pixels

• display resolution

  1080 x 2340 pixels

• Show diagonal

  5.9 inches

• Display pixel density

  437 ppi

• wireless network

  802.11a (IEEE 802.11a-1999), 802.11b (IEEE 802.11b-1999), 802.11g (IEEE 802.11g-2003), 802.11n (IEEE 802.11n-2009), 802.11n 5GHz, 802.11ac (IEEE 802.11ac )), Dual Band, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct

• LTE

  800, 850, 900, 1800, 2100, 2600, 2300 (B40), 2600 (B38) MHz

• GSM

  850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz

• Headphone jack

  
  
  Yes

• Accelerometer

  
  
  Yes

• Ambient light sensor

  
  
  Yes

• SAR value subject

  1.34 W / kg


Show all values

Samsung Galaxy A40's current mobile tariff

Current price

All prices include VAT and may include shipping costs. You can find detailed information about the offers on their respective websites / stores.

Samsung Galaxy A40

The Galaxy A40's Super AMOLED display is particularly impressive, which can also be found in the higher-priced Galaxy S10. Samsung is not rash here, but it saves voice quality and performance. Media Markt launched the affordable Galaxy phone as part of a "smartphone fever" campaign for 149 euros. Very good price! Other retailers still charge at least 180 euros for the phone. It was issued at 249 Euros in April 2019.

Samsung Galaxy A40

The Galaxy A40's Super AMOLED display is particularly impressive, which can also be found in the higher-priced Galaxy S10. Samsung is not rash here, but it saves voice quality and performance. Media Markt launched a reasonably priced Galaxy phone as part of a "smartphone fever" campaign for 169 euros. Very good price! Other retailers still charge at least 199 euros for this phone. It was issued at 249 Euros in April 2019.

Samsung Galaxy A40

The Galaxy A40's Super AMOLED display is particularly impressive, which can also be found in the higher-priced Galaxy S10. Samsung is not rash here, but it saves voice quality and performance. Media Markt launched a reasonably priced Galaxy phone as part of a "smartphone fever" campaign for 169 euros. Very good price! Other retailers still charge at least 199 euros for this phone. It was issued at 249 Euros in April 2019.

Alternative to Samsung Galaxy A40

Samsung Galaxy A40 comparison

Are you sure you want to buy Samsung Galaxy A40 or prefer a competing product? The following comparative tests will help you make a purchasing decision.
We compare the Samsung Galaxy A40 with the most fierce competitors.

Leaderboard

The Samsung Galaxy A40 is ranked in the following smartphone rankings.