Technologies
Samsung Galaxy A14 5G Review: $200 Phone Hits Every Essential
This phone’s best feature should be on every phone.

The $200 Samsung Galaxy A14 5G sets a new baseline for cheap phones. It’s one of the few affordable phones to include NFC for contactless payments and support 5G. Even more notable is that Samsung provides two years of software updates along with five years of security updates for the A14, when most similarly priced rivals stop at one software update and three years of security updates. This means that even though the phone’s a lower-cost option, it’s one you could safely use for several years if you chose to — and with perks usually found only in pricier phones, the Galaxy A14 5G is a great choice.
Over my month of testing the Galaxy A14 5G, these inclusions meant I could use the phone to buy a quick breakfast, browse the web while listening to music during my commute, reliably use the phone’s camera for day trips, and with its 5,000-mAh battery, still have enough of a charge left to use the phone the next day.
That’s not to say the phone is issue-free: The Galaxy A14 cuts corners with a fairly drab design and a slower processor that sometimes left me waiting for apps to load. But load they did, and if you’re just looking for a phone that can handle most daily tasks, the A14 could be a solid option as long as you aren’t craving speed.

Samsung Galaxy A14 5G design, specs and features
The Galaxy A14 5G comes in one color, black, and has a reflective plastic body. It feels a bit thick in-hand, with the back embracing a blocky look that lacks any rounded edges. Along the top-left corner are its three cameras: a 50-megapixel main camera, a 2-megapixel depth camera and a 2-megapixel macro camera.
Around the front is a teardrop notch for the 13-megapixel front-facing camera. In addition to its 1,080p resolution, the 6.6-inch display has a 90Hz refresh rate. While the $200 Moto G Stylus runs at a consistent 90Hz, the A14 has an «adaptive» mode that adjusts up to 90Hz when scrolling through text and animations while swiping between apps. I found the effect noticeably smooth, especially when I was reading articles or playing games.
The phone plays audio through its single speaker, which was fairly easy for me to accidentally block when I held the phone horizontally to watch videos. It’s notable since Motorola’s current budget phone lineup includes stereo speakers across its Moto G phones, (though the Galaxy A14 does include a headphone jack as an option for stereo audio). While the Samsung phone’s internal 64GB of storage should be enough to get you started, you do get the option of expanding storage to 1TB using the phone’s microSD card slot.

In benchmark testing, the Galaxy A14 5G’s Geekbench score came out ahead of the Moto G Stylus, but it certainly doesn’t feel like it in my real-world use. The phone’s Mediatek Dimensity 700 processor is sluggish, and I often noticed the A14 needing an extra beat to unlock itself when I had another app open, when I tapped a text box to launch the keyboard and when moving between apps. Software updates can refine this in time, and its current performance is totally fine for casual use. But this wouldn’t be a phone that could handle lots of productivity documents or more graphically demanding apps.
Geekbench 6 Benchmarks
- Single-core
- Multi-core
However the Galaxy A14’s inclusion of NFC is quite meaningful, providing full compatibility with Google Wallet for contactless payments. I rarely find NFC for contactless payments in phones under $300, even though it’s accepted everywhere from transit systems to convenience stores. I hope this creates a trend and we’ll finally start seeing NFC become a feature on every phone regardless of cost.

Samsung Galaxy A14 5G cameras and photography
The Galaxy A14’s cameras, despite the inclusion of a 50-megapixel main camera, are a mixed bag. I took the phone on several day trips, including a visit to a Brooklyn anime food festival and during a weekend stop-in to San Diego Comic-Con.
Outdoor photos came out decent as long as there was very little movement. During the anime food festival, my dessert photos of a cheesecake and rabbit milk pudding looked nice, but there was blurriness in most of my other photos whether due to the crowds or movement by the performers during a Taiko drum show.



A selfie I took while outside is decent, but similar to some of Samsung’s more expensive phones, I felt like colors were exaggerated.

This exaggeration also holds true for my test photo of the grass wall in CNET’s office. Photos taken with the Moto G Stylus and the $250 Moto G 5G captured more accurate shades of green than those taken with the Galaxy A14 5G.



And much like other phones in this price range, photo quality proves challenging when moving indoors. Even on the well-lit San Diego Comic-Con floor, my photo taken with Final Fantasy 16’s Ifrit looks fuzzy.

When I moved to Amazon’s Good Omens party, the dim lighting made it a challenge for the A14 to find focus.

Returning to New York, there’s plenty of image noise in this selfie, which I took in the underground La Caverna restaurant, but my photo of the restaurant itself looks better since there weren’t many other people moving around.


Overall the Samsung Galaxy A14’s photography is definitely not punching above its price range. If finding a $200 phone with decent cameras is important to you, Motorola’s latest G-series phones could be a better option. While the Moto G phones have similar issues in darker environments, from my testing I feel like the photos taken by those cameras are slightly better.

Samsung Galaxy A14 5G Bottom line
The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G is one of the most functional phones I’ve tested for under $200. Even though the phone has noticeable issues — including the slower processor and mixed photography performance — the device is capable of performing most essential tasks. The inclusion of NFC is a clear highlight, and hopefully it means that contactless payment features will now make their way into phones at all prices. The longer security update timeline also means the phone will be safe to use for several years, which could be especially helpful for someone just looking for an affordable device to stay in contact with friends and family.
This makes the Galaxy A14 5G particularly easy to recommend for most people shopping for a phone on a budget, or if the phone is offered for free. But keep in mind that the phone won’t be getting any faster, and should deals or incentives drop the price of a better-equipped phone that normally costs $300, don’t pass that up.
Samsung Galaxy A14 5G vs. Moto G Stylus (2023) vs. Moto G 5G (2023)
Samsung Galaxy A14 5G | Moto G Stylus (2023) | Moto G 5G (2023) | |
---|---|---|---|
Display size, resolution | 6.6-inch FHD+ LCD display, (1,400×1,080 pixels), 90Hz | 6.5-inch IPS LCD; 1,600×720; 90Hz refresh rate | 6.5-inch HD Plus LCD display (720p resolution); 120Hz refresh rate |
Pixel density | 268 ppi | 269 ppi | 269 ppi |
Dimensions (inches) | 6.6×3.07×0.36 in | 6.41×2.91×0.36 in | 6.45×2.95×0.33 in. |
Dimensions (millimeters) | 167.6×77.9×9.1 mm | 162.9×74.1×9.2 mm | 163.94×74.98×8.39mm |
Weight (ounces, grams) | 203 g (7.19 oz) | 195 g | 189g (6.66 oz.) |
Mobile software | Android 13 | Android 13 | Android 13 |
Camera | 50-megapixel (main), 2-megapixel (macro), 2-megapixel (depth) | 50-megapixel (main), 2-megapixel (macro) | 48-megapixel main, 2-megapixel macro |
Front-facing camera | 13-megapixel | 8-megapixel | 8-megapixel |
Video capture | 1080p at 30 fps | 1080p at 30 fps | 720p at 30fps |
Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 700 | MediaTek Helio G85 | Snapdragon 480 Plus |
RAM/Storage | 4GB + 64GB | 4GB + 64GB; 4GB + 128GB | 4GB + 128GB |
Expandable storage | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Battery/Charger | 5,000 mAh (15W charging) | 5,000 mAh (15W charging) | 5,000 mAh (15W charging) |
Fingerprint sensor | Side | Side | Side |
Connector | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C |
Headphone jack | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Special features | 5G-enabled, NFC, 15W charging | Stylus, Moto Gestures | 5G enabled, dual stereo speakers, Moto Gestures |
Price off-contract (USD) | $200 | $200 | $250 |
Price (GBP) | £179 | Converts to £160 | N/A, Converts to £195 |
Price (AUD) | AU$379 | Converts to AU$295 | N/A, Converts to £380 |
How we test phones
Every phone tested by CNET’s reviews team was actually used in the real world. We test a phone’s features, play games and take photos. We examine the display to see if it’s bright, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and build to see how it is to hold and whether it has an IP-rating for water resistance. We push the processor’s performance to the extremes using both standardized benchmark tools like GeekBench and 3DMark, along with our own anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution videos and playing graphically intense games at high refresh rates.
All the cameras are tested in a variety of conditions from bright sunlight to dark indoor scenes. We try out special features like night mode and portrait mode and compare our findings against similarly priced competing phones. We also check out the battery life by using it daily as well as running a series of battery drain tests.
We take into account additional features like support for 5G, satellite connectivity, fingerprint and face sensors, stylus support, fast charging speeds, foldable displays among others that can be useful. And we balance all of this against the price to give you the verdict on whether that phone, whatever price it is, actually represents good value.
Technologies
Apple CarPlay Ultra vs. Google Built-In: How the Next-Gen Auto Software Rivals Compare
Apple and Google are supercharging their car software experiences. Here’s how they differ.

I’d spent an hour driving a $250,000-plus Aston Martin up the Los Angeles coast when my hunger pangs became impossible to ignore, and as I’ve done many times before, I asked Siri (through Apple CarPlay) to find me a taco place. But then I did something no other car on the planet allows: I asked Siri to blast the AC and make the air colder. That’s because the 2025 Aston Martin DBX I drove was the first vehicle to come with Apple CarPlay Ultra, the upgraded version of the company’s car software.
Apple debuted CarPlay Ultra at WWDC 2025 last month, and this year’s version of the Aston Martin DBX is the first vehicle to launch with it (pairing with an iPhone running iOS 18.5 or later). As I drove the luxury crossover around, I fiddled with other features that aren’t available in regular CarPlay, from climate control to radio to checking the pressure on the car’s tires. Ultimately, Ultra gives deeper access to more car systems, which is a good thing.
That reminded me a lot of a new feature announced at Google I/O back in May: Google Built-In, which similarly lets users control more of a car’s systems straight from the software interface (in that case, Android Auto). When I got a demonstration of Google Built-In, sitting in a new Volvo EX90 electric SUV, I saw what this new integration of Google software offered: climate controls, Gemini AI assistance and even warnings about car maintenance issues.
But the name is telling: Google Built-In requires automakers to incorporate Android deeper into their cars’ inner workings. Comparatively, Apple CarPlay Ultra support seems like it won’t require car manufacturers to do nearly as much work to prepare their vehicles, just adding a reasonably advanced multicore processor onboard that can handle an increased task load. (Aston Martin will be able to add CarPlay Ultra support to its 2023 and 2024 lineups through firmware updates because they already contain sufficiently advanced CPUs.)
Both solutions reflect Apple’s and Google’s different approaches to their next versions of car software. Apple’s is lighter weight, seemingly requiring less commitment from the automaker to integrate CarPlay Ultra into their vehicles (so long as it has adequate processing power onboard), which will run through a paired iPhone. Google Built-In does require much more integration, but it’s so self-sufficient that you can leave your Android phone at home and still get much of its functionality (aside from getting and sending messages and calls).
Driving with Apple CarPlay Ultra: Controlling climate, radio and more
As I drove around Los Angeles in the Aston Martin with Apple CarPlay Ultra, I could tell what new features I would be missing once I stepped back into my far more humble daily driver.
At long last, I could summon Siri and ask it to play a specific song (or just a band) and have it pulled up on Spotify. Since Apple’s assistant now has access to climate controls, I asked to turn up the AC, and it went full blast. I asked to find tacos and it suggested several fast food restaurants — well, it’s not perfect, but at least it’s listening.
To my relief, Aston Martin retained the physical knobs by the gearshift to control fan speed, temperature, stereo volume and the car’s myriad roadway options (like driving assistance) in case the driver likes traditional controls, but almost all of them could also be altered in the interface. Now, things like radio controls (AM/FM and satellite) and car settings are nestled in their own recognizable apps in CarPlay’s interface.
Ultimately, that’ll be one of CarPlay Ultra’s greatest advantages: If you enter an unfamiliar vehicle (like a rental), you still know exactly where everything is. No wrestling with a carmaker’s proprietary software or trying to figure out where some setting or other is located. It’s not a complete replacement — in the Aston Martin’s case, there were still a handful of settings (like for ambient light projected when the doors open) that the luxury automaker controlled, but they were weaved into CarPlay so you could pop open those windows and go back to Apple’s interface without visibly changing apps.
The dependable ubiquity of Apple’s CarPlay software will likely become even more essential as cars swap out their analog instrument clusters for screens, as Aston Martin did. There’s still a touch of the high-end automaker’s signature style as the default screen behind the wheel shows two traditional dials (one for the speedometer, one for RPMs) with Aston Martin’s livery. But that can be swapped out for other styles, from other dials with customizable colors to a full-screen Maps option.
Each of the half-dozen or so dashboard options was swapped out via square touchpads smaller than a dime on the wheel next to the other touch controls. On the dual-dial display types, I swiped vertically to rotate between a central square (with Maps directions, current music or other app information) or swiped horizontally to switch to another dashboard option. No matter which one you choose, the bottom bar contains all the warning lights drivers will recognize from analog cars — even with digital displays, you’re not safe from the check engine light (which is a good thing).
Apple CarPlay Ultra doesn’t yet do everything I want. I wish I could also ask Siri to roll down the windows (as Google Built-In can — more on that later) and lock or unlock specific doors. If Apple is connected to the car enough to be able to read the pressure in each tire, I wish it could link up with the engine readout and be able to tell me in plain language what kind of maintenance issue has sprung up. Heck, I wish it could connect to the car remotely and blast the AC before I get in (or fire up the seat warmer), as some proprietary car apps can do. And while Apple Maps and Waze will be included at launch, Google Maps support is not, but it’s coming later.
These aren’t huge deficiencies, and they do show where CarPlay Ultra could better meet driver needs in future updates, notwithstanding the potentially dicey security concerns for using CarPlay Ultra for remote climate or unlocking capabilities. But it shows where the limits are today compared to Google’s more in-depth approach.
Google Built-In: Deeper car integrations — and, of course, Gemini AI
The day after Google I/O’s keynote was quieter back in May, as attendees flitted between focused sessions and demos of upcoming software. It was the ideal time to check out Google Built-In, which was appropriately shown off in a higher-end Volvo EX90 electric SUV (though not nearly as pricey as an Aston Martin).
As mentioned above, Google Built-In has deeper integrations with vehicles than what I saw in Apple CarPlay Ultra, allowing users to change the climate through its interface or access other systems, including through voice requests. For instance, it can go beyond AC control to switch on the defroster, and even raise and lower specific windows relative to the speaker’s position: cameras within the car (in the rearview mirror, if I remember right) meant that when my demonstrator asked to «roll down this window» pointing over his left shoulder, the correct window rolled down.
Google Built-In is also connected to Gemini, Google’s AI assistant, for what the company is calling «Google Live,» a separate and more capable version of the Android Auto assistant experience in cars right now. With a Live session, I could request music or directions much like I could with Siri — but my demo went further, as the demonstrator tasked Gemini with requests better suited for generative AI, such as asking, «Give me suggestions for a family outing» and telling it to send a specific text to a contact.
The demonstrator then asked Gemini for recipe advice — «I have chicken, rice and broccoli in the fridge, what can I make?» — as an example of a query someone might ask on the drive home.
Since you’re signed into your Google account, Gemini can consult anything connected to it, like emails and messages. It’s also trained on the user manuals from each car-maker, so if a warning light comes on, the driver can ask the voice assistant what it means — no more flipping through a dense manual trying to figure out what each alert means.
There are other benefits to Google Built-In, like not needing your phone for some features. But there are also drawbacks, like the need to keep car software updated, requiring more work on Google’s end to make sure cars are protected from issues or exploits. They can’t just fix it in the most current version of Android — they’ll need to backport that fix to older versions that vehicles might still be on.
This deeper integration with Google Built-In has a lot of the benefits of Apple CarPlay Ultra (a familiar interface, easier to access features), just cranked up to a greater degree. It surely benefits fans of hands-off controls, and interweaving Gemini naturally dovetails with Google’s investments, so it’s easy to see that functionality improving. But a greater reliance on Android within the car’s systems could be concerning as the vehicle ages: Will the software stop being supported? Will it slow down or be exposed to security exploits? A lot of questions remain regarding making cars open to phone software interfaces.
Technologies
A Samsung Tri-Fold Phone Could Be in Your Future, if This Leak Is to Be Believed
UI animations might have revealed the imminent release of a so-called «Galaxy G Fold» device with three screens.

Samsung has been showing off mobile display concepts with three screens at trade events such as CES for several years, but it might finally bring one to market soon if a leaked UI animation is any indicator.
As reported by Android Authority, an animated image from a software build of One UI 8 appears to show what some are dubbing a «Galaxy G Fold» device with three display panels. The screens would be capable of displaying different information or working in unison as one large display. The new phone model could debut as early as next week at Samsung’s Unpacked event on July 9 in Brooklyn.
Huawei released a tri-folding phone in February, the Mate XT Ultimate Design.
Some websites have gone into overdrive trying to uncover details on what Samsung’s new device might include and how much it may cost, with Phone Arena reporting that according to a Korean media report, it could be priced at about $3,000.
Samsung didn’t immediately respond to request for comment.
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