Tracfone’s Galaxy A13 5G, one of the cheapest 5G-capable devices, features a 6.5-inch display and is one of the cheapest 5G-capable devices available “screen, a triple-lens rear camera, 4 GB RAM, and 64 GB of storage. To take advantage of Tracfone’s 5G network access, consumers will need phones compatible with the updated frequencies and speeds. And Samsung has released several compatible devices, including the Galaxy A32 5G last year and the A53 5G most recently. The A13 is the successor to last year’s A12, a budget device with solid performance. The A13’s 5G capability is, however, the most noteworthy development. The majority of 5G-capable Tracfone phones (or even unlocked ones) have been out of reach for the majority of users until now.
The best way to describe the 6.5 is adequate “LCD display on the A13. It is not a Super AMOLED display (like the one on the A53 5G), but it has a resolution of 720×1600 and a refresh rate of 90Hz. The display has 270 ppi and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The A13 5G has only 64GB of internal storage. That is typical for budget laptops and is sufficient if you’re careful with your cloud storage options and downloads, but it’s not much. You may need to budget an additional $10 to $20 for a microSD card.
There’s a fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button on the side of the phone, and it’s extremely quick — so quick, in fact, that I had to double-check that the phone was actually locking (it was). It’s not as sleek as the in-display readers on high-end smartphones, but it feels more trustworthy and user-friendly. I declare long live the side-mounted fingerprint reader. The camera configuration of the A13 5G is simple: a 50-megapixel primary camera with an f/1.8 lens is joined by 2-megapixel macro and depth sensors. These 2-megapixel cameras are largely ineffective, leaving you with only the standard wide-angle rear camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The A32 5G in Samsung’s lineup is required for ultrawide, and the camera app lacks a night mode.
Android 11 is pre-installed on the A13 5G, which includes features such as enhanced permission controls and built-in screen recording. The 13 is anticipated to receive Android 12 very soon, and Samsung has promised future security and operating system updates. It is unclear how this will work with a Tracfone-branded device. Battery life is an additional strength of the A13. The phone’s 5,000mAh battery lasted me two days of moderate Wi-Fi use; a heavy user would likely get through an entire day.