Samsung Galaxy A12 Nacho vs. A14 5G: A Detailed Comparison

The Samsung Galaxy A series consistently delivers excellent value in the budget smartphone market. Today, we're pitting two popular contenders against each other: the reliable A12 Nacho and the newer A14 5G. Which phone offers the best bang for your buck?

Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G is the clear winner. While the A12 Nacho remains a decent budget option, the A14 5G boasts a significantly faster processor, improved display, and 5G connectivity, making it a worthwhile upgrade for most users.

PHONES
Phone Names	Samsung Galaxy A12 Nacho	Samsung Galaxy A14 5G

Network
2G bands	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bands	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands	1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66 - International
5G bands	-	2, 5, 66, 77 Sub6/mmWave - USA
Speed	HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat4 150/50 Mbps	HSPA, LTE, 5G
Technology	GSM / HSPA / LTE	GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G
	-	1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 40, 41, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - India

Launch
Announced	2021, August 09	2023, January 04
Status	Available. Released 2021, August 09	Available. Released 2023, January 12

Body
Build	Glass front, plastic back, plastic frame	Glass front, plastic back, plastic frame
Dimensions	164 x 75.8 x 8.9 mm (6.46 x 2.98 x 0.35 in)	167.7 x 78 x 9.1 mm (6.60 x 3.07 x 0.36 in)
SIM	· Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM	· Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM
Weight	205 g (7.23 oz)	202 g (7.13 oz)

Display
Resolution	720 x 1600 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~270 ppi density)	1080 x 2408 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~400 ppi density)
Size	6.5 inches, 102.0 cm2 (~82.1% screen-to-body ratio)	6.6 inches, 104.9 cm2 (~80.2% screen-to-body ratio)
Type	PLS LCD	PLS LCD, 90Hz

Platform
CPU	Octa-core (4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55)	Octa-core (2x2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) - SM-A146BOcta-core (2x2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) - SM-A146P
Chipset	Exynos 850 (8 nm)	Exynos 1330 (5 nm) - SM-A146BMediatek Dimensity 700 (7 nm) - SM-A146P
GPU	Mali-G52	Mali-G68 MP2 - SM-A146BMali-G57 MC2 - SM-A146P
OS	Android 11, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5.1	Android 13, upgradable to Android 15, One UI Core 7

Memory
Card slot	microSDXC (dedicated slot)	microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - USA onlymicroSDXC (dedicated slot) - International
Internal	32GB 3GB RAM, 32GB 4GB RAM, 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 3GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM	64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM
	eMMC 5.1	-

Main Camera
Features	LED flash, panorama, HDR	LED flash, panorama, HDR
Quad	48 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), AF 5 MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultrawide) 2 MP (macro) Auxiliary lens	-
Single	8 MP, f/2.2	13 MP, f/2.0, (wide)
Triple	-	50 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.76", 0.64µm, PDAF 2 MP (macro) Auxiliary lens
Video	1080p@30fps	1080p@30fps

Selfie camera
Single	8 MP, f/2.2	13 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1.12µm
Video	1080p@30fps	1080p@30fps

Sound
3.5mm jack	Yes	Yes
35mm jack	Yes	Yes
Loudspeaker	Yes	Yes

Comms
Bluetooth	5.0, A2DP, LE	5.2, A2DP, LE
NFC	Yes (market/region dependent)	Yes
Positioning	GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS	GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO
Radio	FM radio, RDS, recording	FM radio (Exynos 1330 chipset only), recording
USB	USB Type-C 2.0	USB Type-C 2.0
WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct

Features
Sensors	Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer	Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer (USA only)
	Virtual proximity sensing	-

Battery
Charging	15W wired	15W wired
Type	Li-Po 5000 mAh	Li-Po 5000 mAh

Misc
Colors	Black, Blue, Red	Black, Light Green, Dark Red, Silver
Models	SM-A127F/DSN, SM-A127F/DS, SM-A127F, SM-A127M, SM-A127U	SM-A146B, SM-A146B/DS, SM-A146P, SM-A146P/DS, SM-A146U, SM-A146U1, SM-A146U1/DS, SM-A146W, SM-A146P/N, SM-A146P/DSN, SM-S146VL, SM-A146M
Price	About 130 EUR	$ 77.63 / C$ 151.00 / £ 97.00 / € 159.79 / ₹ 14,990
SAR	-	1.00 W/kg (head) 1.00 W/kg (body)
SAR EU	0.67 W/kg (head) 1.38 W/kg (body)	0.56 W/kg (head) 1.28 W/kg (body)

Tests
Battery life	-	Endurance rating 130h
Camera	-	Photo / Video
Display	-	Contrast ratio: 1334:1 (nominal)
Loudspeaker	-	-26.8 LUFS (Good)
Performance	-	AnTuTu: 307886 (v9) GeekBench: 1727 (v5.1) GFXBench: 12fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Samsung Galaxy A12 Nacho

Affordable
Familiar Samsung UI
Decent battery life

Outdated chipset
Lower display brightness
No 5G

Samsung Galaxy A14 5G

Faster processor
Brighter and better display
5G connectivity
Excellent battery life

15W charging (slow)
Plastic build

Display Comparison

The A14 5G features a brighter display (519 nits vs. A12's likely lower brightness) and a slightly improved contrast ratio, resulting in a more vibrant and enjoyable viewing experience. Both offer a similar resolution, but the A14's panel is noticeably better.

Camera Comparison

While both phones offer decent camera capabilities for their price range, the A14 5G likely has improvements in image processing and low-light performance due to its newer chipset. Specific camera specs are not detailed, but the A14 generally receives positive reviews for its camera.

Performance

The A14 5G's Exynos 1330 (or Dimensity 700 variant) is a substantial upgrade over the A12 Nacho's Exynos 850. Expect smoother multitasking, faster app loading times, and better gaming performance on the A14 5G. The A14's CPU architecture is also more efficient.

Battery Life

Both phones share the same 15W charging speed. However, the A14 5G boasts an impressive endurance rating of 130 hours, suggesting superior battery optimization and potentially a slightly larger battery capacity.

Buying Guide

Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy A12 Nacho? Those on a very tight budget who prioritize a familiar Samsung experience and don't need 5G. Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G? Anyone looking for a modern, faster, and future-proof budget phone with 5G capabilities and a better display.