Samsung Galaxy A42 review: specs, battery & used prices

Summary

The Galaxy A42 5G was Samsung's push to make 5G ordinary: a 6.6-inch OLED, Snapdragon 750G with a genuine 5G modem, and a 5,000 mAh battery at a $365 launch price. Our everyday score of 34/100 and battery score of 40/100 describe a practical mid-ranger whose main historical role was normalizing 5G for the mass market.

Display and design

The 6.6-inch OLED at 60 Hz and 500 nits follows the A-series formula — contrast above the LCD competition, brightness adequate, refresh basic. Screen score: 35/100. At 193 g with no IP rating, it is a large, conventional slab; the 84/100 compactness score notes it is manageable for its class.

Performance

The Snapdragon 750G was the 5G-for-the-people chip: everyday 34/100, gaming 5/100. Ordinary apps run with mid-range patience, and the modem outlived the phone's software window — which closed years ago, the honest cost of 2020 mid-range Android.

Camera

A 48 MP main, 8 MP ultrawide, 5 MP macro and 2 MP depth with 4K30 video: a 29/100 score. The main sensor's daylight output is the tier's standard honest work; the auxiliary sensors are decorative.

Battery and charging

The 5,000 mAh cell scores 40/100 — a full day plus for any use profile the chip can sustain, and the phone's second selling point after the modem. Charging at 15 W is the segment's standard slow.

Verdict

Used pricing sits at the floor of usable OLED phones: 4/128 units around $99 (two listings). The value logic is simple — under $100 for a 5G-capable OLED Samsung — against the closed software window as the standing caveat. The A31 is the similar OLED idea a step down in silicon; the A23 is the newer, supported iteration of the same formula.