UPDATE: 2022/03/01 08:00 EST BY TAYLOR KERNS
Better than you'd expect
In the time since I finished this review, I’ve had the opportunity to use the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE for a few weeks. Coming back to the A13, I’ve been floored at just how close the experience of using this $250 Samsung phone is to the experience of using one that costs nearly three times as much.
The FE is, of course, materially better in literally every way, but the differences aren’t as stark as you’d expect. The A13 very nearly keeps up with the Snapdragon 888-equipped S21 FE in performing basic tasks like opening apps; side by side, you can see the more expensive phone is usually a beat quicker, but we’re not talking huge differences. Some of my apps, like Spotify, actually open a touch faster on the A13. Direct comparison isn’t as kind to the A13 when it comes to things like display quality, multitasking, and camera performance, but my point stands: this is a very capable phone for how little it costs.
It’s also heartening to see that Samsung’s been making good on its update commitment so far: the A13 is still on Android 11, but it’s received its February security patch as expected. We’ve still got a few years to go in the A13’s promised lifespan, but given Samsung’s recent update track record, I don’t see much cause for concern here.
Samsung’s cheap phones are getting so good that, unless you’rereally into having the best of the best tech, I think it’s reasonable to consider picking one up even if your budget has room for something pricier. The A13 is a great fit for anyone who just needs a decent phone at a low price — it’s better than justgood enough in my book. At $250, that’s a real accomplishment.