Hello and welcome to another article. In this one, we’re going to be dipping our toes into the budget segment. This is the Redmi 13C vs Samsung Galaxy A05. Both phones are currently competing in the same segment for the attention of prospective buyers and a lot of people are torn between them. If you are interested in either of these phones, you’re in the right place.
On one side, the Redmi 13C is a budget phone from the Redmi line up of devices. It is essentially a reworked Redmi 12C. The key differences are the use of a type C USB port and faster charging.
The Samsung Galaxy A05 on the other hand is a fresh approach from Samsung on the A0x series. The A01, A02, A03 and A04 series of devices all had really weak SoCs and weren’t popular. So the A05 is (probably) means to fix that bad reputation.
Redmi 13C Vs Samsung Galaxy A05: Key specifications
| Specs | Redmi 13C | Samsung Galaxy A05 |
|---|---|---|
| Body | 192g, plastic frame | 195g, plastic frame |
| SoC | MediaTek Helio G85 | MediaTek Helio G85 |
| RAM | 4GB, 6GB, 8GB (LPPDR4X) | 4GB, 6GB (LPPDR4X) |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB (eMMC 5.1) | 64GB, 128GB (eMMC 5.1) |
| Software | Android 13, MIUI 14 | Android 13 |
| Display | 6.74″ 720p IPS-LCD, 90Hz, Gorilla glass | 6.7″ 720p PLS LCD |
| Camera (rear) |
|
|
| Selfie | 8MP selfie | 8MP Selfie |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Battery | 5000mAh, 18W fast charge | 5000mAh, 25W fast charge |
| Audio | Loudspeaker, 3.5mm jack | Loudspeaker, 3.5mm jack |
| Comms | 2G, 3G, 4G LTE, VoLTE, Bluetooth 5.3, WiFi 5, USB-C, OTG | 2G, 3G, 4G LTE, VoLTE, Bluetooth 5.3, WiFi 5, USB-C, OTG |
| Sensors | Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, Acc., light and proximity sensors | Acc., light and proximity sensors |
| AnTuTu | 222,000 | 225,000 |
Without further ado, let’s get going.
Body
The Samsung Galaxy A05 is the slightly bigger phone here and also weighs slightly more. It’s about 195g to the Redmi 13C’s 192g. Both phones have plastic frames and plastic backs and lack any sort of water or dust protection. So users and prospective owners should take note.
Display
There was once a serious debate about which display panel was the better option between IPS-LCD or PLS LCD. It doesn’t really matter what side you’re on, LCD is LCD to me. Both phones have 720p LCDs and have roughly the same brightness level.
The one difference here however is that the Redmi 13C’s display has a refresh rate of 90Hz while the Galaxy A05 peaks at 60Hz. This could be a deal breaker for some and thus we could award the point to the Redmi 13C.
On a personal note, I feel that high refresh rates on low-end phones is just a gimmick.
Performance
This for me is the most important part of any smartphone. Performance is solidly tied to the SoC and this could make or break any device. Both phones are firmly tied here as they both use the now aging MediaTek Helio G85. For multitasking, they also both use the same LPDDR4X RAM with eMMC 5.1.
On paper, when it comes to app, games and other tasks, both SoCs should perform similarly. Although you should take this with a pinch of salt as these companies are notorious (esp. Sammy) for slowing phones down with future updates.
Camera
This is also another area where these two devices are tied. Again. It seems as though Samsung copied Xiaomi’s playbook. Both phones use the same 50MP Samsung JN1 main camera. The Redmi 13C has a 2MP macro camera and a 0.08MP depth sensor, while the Galaxy A05 has a 2MP depth sensor.
At this level, all of these secondary cameras are either gimmicks or are just there for the aesthetics. They offer no real photographic value. It’s the main cameras that are important here and given the fact that both phones use the same main camera with the same ISP, the output is very much likely going to be the same.
The key difference here is going to be the respective software that will be used on the available hardware. We know Samsung likes to go hard on saturation and highlights. Redmi on the hand takes a more relaxed approach but dials up sharpness.
These phones also both share a 8MP selfie cameras and can record videos of 1080p@30fps.
Network and connectivity
Both phones having the same SoC should indicate that they’ll use the same modem and have the very same network speeds (LTE Cat.7). They also both have the same Bluetooth 5.3 and WiFi 5.
Both phones also support VoLTE, USB C (2.0), accelerometers, proximity and light sensors.
The key difference here is the Redmi 13C has a fingerprint scanner (side mounted) which the Galaxy A05 lacks. This is a deal breaker for many people and could make or break the sales of this phone in the coming months.
Battery and Charging
Let’s finally round up with battery and charging. Both phones use the same 5000mAh battery but in a very uncharacteristic Samsung fashion, the A05 has the faster 25W charge. The Redmi 13C only has 18W.
Both phones should have roughly the same battery life but the Samsung Galaxy A05 will definitely recharge faster.
Prices
The Redmi 13C retails for 132,500 Naira for the 4/128GB variant while the Samsung Galaxy A05 retails for 149,000 Naira for the 4/128GB variant. Thus one could conclude that the Redmi 13C is the more affordable device here. However, our currency is very volatile right now and is subjective to wild changes.
Conclusion
So to finish up, the Redmi 13C has the slightly better display, a fingerprint sensor (side mounted) and is more affordable while the Samsung Galaxy A05 on the other hand has the faster charging. All other specs are the same. Whichever one you pick is up to you. That’s all.
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Big boss, you didn’t include price for reference.
I didn’t add because prices are very volatile right now but I’ve added it in now.