The year has given Samsung a cushy throne. Be it flagship, mid-segment or budget, the devices tick most boxes. The new Galaxy A17 5G is no exception, offering exciting AI features.

It’s a fairly large phone with a 6.7-inch screen and 90Hz refresh rate. We had no trouble using it on sunny days. Given the hardware specs, it’s made for those who don’t expect fancy features, like wireless charging. At the same time, one must realise that many flagship features have trickled down to lower-end phones.

Hardware frills

One big change this time is the design. The phone has a matte finish instead of glossy, ensuring it’s not a fingerprint magnet. The frame is plastic, though, but overall, Samsung has managed to present a slim phone.
Another change is the main camera. It now has optical stabilisation, once reserved for flagship devices. Maybe next time, there will be 4K video recording.


A17 comes with IP54 rating for protection against dust and splashes. There’s also a new addition to the 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display — Corning Gorilla Glass Victus for protection against drops. With 90Hz refresh rate, the display is smooth while contrast is among the best in the price segment.

The refresh rate is not adaptive, so it won’t drop automatically to save energy.
There is a single bottom-firing speaker like before. It’s loud and clear. The fingerprint scanner, built into the power button, works every time.

Software thrills

Like the rest of the Galaxy A series, A17 comes with OneUI 7 based on Android 15 out of the box. Samsung promises good support despite this being a budget phone — six Android upgrades and six years of security updates.


Coming to AI, you get the Circle to Search feature, now very popular with users. It lets you draw a circle with your finger on anything shown on the screen to get results from Google.
The phone also introduces users to a new AI experience with Gemini Live, bringing real-time visual conversations with AI.

Through AI-powered help, Galaxy A17 5G users can naturally engage in interactions that make tasks easier. Galaxy A17 5G is also the first Galaxy phone with on-device Voice Mail, letting callers leave a message when you don’t answer.


The chipset here is the Exynos 1330, which performs as expected from a good budget device. We didn’t face lags or stutters during our time with the phone while doing daily tasks. A suggestion: Get the 8GB RAM variant if you intend to use this phone heavily.


Like last year, there is a 5,000 mAh battery that Samsung claims can handle 18 hours of video playback. In real use, you’ll get around 6.3–7 hours of screen-on time. There is 25W wired charging, which fills the battery in one hour and 20 minutes.

Snap happy

In the camera department, Samsung offers three snappers — 50MP main with OIS, 5MP ultra-wide and 2MP macro. The main camera does a good job, in fact, among the best for budget phones. This sensor will be used most for photos. Colours are lively and punchy with a good deal of sharpness. Even portrait shots look Instagram-worthy. Zoom digitally at 2x and you’ll still get detail with correct colour tones, but don’t go beyond 4x.


In low light, the main holds ground, offering a decent level of detail. Contrast may drop a bit, but colours remain punchy.

There is a night mode that fixes most of the issues. It clears noise well.
When using the ultra-wide, it’s a helpful companion in the day, and at night, stick to the night mode. In its favour, the colour output is good and so is the contrast.

Selfies from the 13MP front snapper are solid. There is plenty of detail and a fairly wide dynamic range.
Video resolution caps at 1080p with the main camera producing good output — punchy colours, solid detail and excellent stabilisation for a budget phone. What we liked most about the camera is night-time videos — details are captured and the dynamic range is decent. The ultra-wide is acceptable but slightly fuzzy on the edges at night.

Make the call

For the money, you’ll be satisfied with the main camera’s images. Plus, optical image stabilisation is a real bonus. Perhaps the change one would like to see in budget Samsung phones is moving away from the waterdrop-style notch. Otherwise, it’s a solid experience for the money, and the lower price only makes it better value, especially with smoother performance.

Mathures Paul