Samsung Galaxy A14 vs A14 5G: Which is the better buy?

Samsung’s Galaxy A series has long been known for delivering impressive phones at a very reasonable price.

The Galaxy A14 and A14 5G are no exceptions, offering the familiar Samsung experience for far less than the company’s flagships.

As their names suggest, only one has 5G support. But that’s by no means the only difference between them. In this detailed comparison, we’ll run through everything you need to know.

Differences between Samsung Galaxy A14 and A14 5G

Both the Galaxy A14 and A14 5G share a similar design, available in Silver, Black, or Green. They are nearly identical in size and weight, with the A14 5G being slightly heavier at 205g compared to the A14’s 201g.

In terms of display, they both feature a 6.6-inch, Full HD+ (1080×2408) LCD display, but the A14 5G edges ahead with a smoother 90Hz refresh rate compared to the A14’s regular 60Hz. If a more fluid and responsive display is important to you, the A14 5G is the better choice.

However, both provide a decent viewing experience, with impressive detail and solid colour accuracy. They get relatively bright, too.

At the time of writing, both the Galaxy A14 and A14 5G both run Samsung’s One UI 5.1 over Android 13 out of the box, with no confirmation on when One UI 6 (based on Android 14) will be available.

Unlike Samsung flagships, the A14 and the A14 5G receive only two years of OS updates and four years of security patches. This suggests that Android 15 will be their final major version, with security patches set to end in 2026.

Under the hood, the A14 is powered by the MediaTek Helio G80 or the Exynos 850 chipset (depending on the country), while the A14 5G boasts the MediaTek Dimensity 700 or the Exynos 1330. Both devices also come with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

In our Geekbench 5 Multi-core test, the Galaxy A14 (with MediaTek Helio G80) achieved a score of 1321, whereas the A14 5G (with MediaTek Dimensity 700) outperformed it with a score of 1855.

The performance difference is not substantial; the regular A14 is still powerful enough for basic everyday tasks. However, if you want a phone for a seamless multitasking or gaming, you’ll need to spend more.

The camera setups on both phones is quite similar, and headlined by a 50Mp main rear camera.

However, the A14 has a 5Mp ultrawide lens and a 2Mp macro lens, whereas the A14 5G opts for a 2Mp macro camera and a 2Mp depth sensor. The A14 5G sacrifices the ultrawide angle for additional depth-sensing capabilities. In terms of front cameras, both phones have a 13Mp selfie shooter.

In bright daylight, the main camera of on both phones performs well with in good lighting, with decent detail. However, oversaturated colours can create a filtered look.

Close-up shots are best at 2x zoom to avoid blur. The wide-angle lens provides a pale tone but maintains decent detail. In low light, without a dedicated night mode, the camera struggles with colour distortion or poor detail capture and the macro mode is challenging.

The ultrawide lens is nothing special on the regular A14, but it’s a nice option to have. It’s omission on the A14 5G is disappointing, especially with its replacement depth sensor not improving portrait shots much. Both phones miss out on a telephoto camera, with anything beyond 2x pretty much unusable.

On the video side, the A14 and A14 5G can shoot at up to Full HD 1080p. But without any OIS (optical image stabilisation), footage soon becomes blurry with any significant movement.

Both phones feature a 5000mAh battery that’s in line with many budget phones. Battery life is sufficient for both to easily endure a full day, and on lighter usage days, it’s possible to stretch to two full days.

This is evident in our PCMark battery tests, which simulate real-world usage at 200 nits of brightness. The Galaxy A14 performed admirably with 13 hours and 28 seconds, while the A14 5G surpassed it, clocking in at an impressive 14 hours and 11 minutes.

The downside is the notably slow 15W charging via USB-C on both phones, with neither including a charging brick in the box – just the cable. Wireless charging is also not present, though this is expected at this price point.

Using our own charging bricks (both at a higher wattage), the Galaxy A14 reached 21% in half an hour, while the A14 5G hit 30% after the same amount of time. But a full charge will still take a couple of hours on both.

In terms of connectivity, both phones offer a range of options, including Dual-SIM with a separate Micro-SD slot, side-mounted fingerprint sensors, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth, USB-C, a 3.5mm audio jack, NFC, and GPS.

The notable difference is the A14 5G’s inclusion of 5G capability, which could be a deciding factor if you are looking for future-proofing your device and the option of faster network speeds.

Price & availability

At full price, the Samsung Galaxy A14 costs £179/$150. In the US, the 4G version can only be purchased as an unlocked device through Amazon. In the UK, it’s available from Samsung, Amazon, and Currys.

If you’re interested in the 5G version, it cost £219.99/$199.99 at launch. In the US, this model is more widely accessible, with options to purchase it from Samsung, Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy. In the UK, it can be also purchased directly from Samsung, as well as from other stores like Amazon and Currys.

At this price, it makes most sense to buy the phones outright and pair with a SIM-only deal. But there are contract options available for both phones in the UK, as you can see below.

Check out our chart of the best budget phones for the top alternatives.

Verdict

When deciding between the 4G and 5G models of the Galaxy A14, there are a few key things to be aware.

The main reason for choosing the A14 5G over the 4G model is the 5G capability. But considering the current patchy 5G coverage in many countries (including the UK and US), you’ll want to make sure you’ll actually benefit from 5G where you live or regularly visit.

But that’s not the only difference. The A14 5G also replaces the 5Mp wide-angle lens with a 2Mp depth sensor, which will be considered a downgrade by many. However, it is powered by a more capable chipset, regardless of whether you’re in a region that uses MediaTek or Exynos.

There’s also a 90Hz screen refresh rate on the 5G model, which helps deliver a smoother visual experience.

But aside from that, they’re identical phones. While the A14 5G provides slightly better day-to-day performance, it’s also noticeably more expensive. For most people, the regular Galaxy A14 offers everything you need in a budget phone.

Specs

Samsung Galaxy A14:

• Android 13 with One UI 5.1 
• 6.6-inch, 1920 x 1080 LCD display, 60Hz 
• MediaTek Helio G80 chipset 
• 4GB RAM 
• 64GB of storage (expandable via microSDXC) 
• Cameras:
  • 50Mp f/1.8 main rear camera
  • 5Mp f/2.2 ultrawide
  • 2Mp f/2.4 macro
  • 13Mp f/2.0 selfie camera 
• Dual-SIM (separate microSDXC slot) 
• Up to 1080p video at 30fps (front and back) 
• One downward firing speaker 
• 5000mAh battery 
• 15W wired charging 
• Side-mounted fingerprint sensor 
• Wi-Fi 5 
• Bluetooth 5.3 
• USB-C
• 3.5mm audio jack 
• NFC 
• 4G
• GPS 
• Colours: Silver, Black or Green 
• 167.7 x 78.0 x 9.1mm 
• 201g 

Samsung Galaxy A14 5G:

• Android 13 with One UI 5.1 
• 6.6-inch, 1080×2408 LCD display, 90Hz 
• MediaTek Dimensity 700 
• 4GB RAM 
• 64GB storage (expandable via microSD)
• Cameras: 
  • 50Mp, f/1.8 main rear camera 
  • 2Mp, f/2.4 macro camera 
  • 2Mp, f/2.4 depth sensor 
  • 13Mp, f/2.0 selfie camera
• Dual-SIM (separate microSDXC slot) 
• Up to 1080p video at 30fps (front and back) 
• One downward firing speaker 
• 5000mAh battery 
• 15W wired charging 
• Side-mounted fingerprint scanner 
• Wi-Fi 5 
• Bluetooth 5.2 
• USB-C 
• 3.5mm audio jack 
• NFC 
• 5G 
• GPS
• Colours: Silver, Black or Green 
• 167 x 78 x 9.1mm
• 205g