Samsung’s affordable midrange 5G phone, the Galaxy A51, is finally available at Verizon. Compared to other phones released within the past year, the $550 Galaxy A51 5G UW is one of the more affordable 5G phones right now: $900 cheaper than the (discontinued) Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip originally cost, $250 less than the OnePlus 8 5G UW, and $100 cheaper than the Galaxy A71 5G UW.
The new Galaxy A51 5G UW comes in just one color, “Prism Bricks Blue,” which is basically a slightly pearlescent blue. Compared to the Galaxy A71 5G UW, the A51 5G UW has the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor and 128GB of storage. Both phones also have the same 12-megapixel wide-angle camera, a 5-megapixel macro camera, and a 5-megapixel depth camera. But the A51 5G UW has a 6.5-inch OLED screen, making it slightly smaller than the A71 5G UW’s 6.7-inch OLED screen, plus a 48-megapixel main camera, whereas the A71 5G UW has a 64-megapixel main camera.
Originally announced back in April, the Galaxy A51 5G UW includes Verizon’s ultra-wideband 5G network and will add its low-band network when it arrives later this year. As my colleague Chris Welch pointed out in this 5G explainer video, while Verizon’s high-band is “blazing fast,” the coverage areas are spotty outdoors and have almost no coverage while indoors. Verizon is expected to launch its low-band 5G network this fall.
The Samsung Galaxy A51 5G UW retails for $550 on Verizon’s website, but the company is offering a temporary promotion to buy the phone for just $360 if you sign up for a new Unlimited plan.
