AT&T Axia Review: Affordable smartphone for beginners

Read this in-depth AT&T Axia review to find out why this is one of the most affordable smartphones perfect for beginners users.

AT&T Axia smartphone released in 2019 as an entry-level phone. This affordable Android-based smartphone is marketed to casual users.

Every year new phones always get released at a rapid pace. It is sometimes too overwhelming for people who do not check their phones often. Elderly people also find it hard to operate phones with too many features. That is why simple yet functional smartphones are needed.

Aside from calls and messages, people who fall in this category usually do not care about other things. They sometimes take quick pictures or listen to music which do not require too much power and a monstrous processor.

If you want to learn more about this affordable phone, read our comprehensive AT&T Axia review.

Key Specs

AT&T Axia specifications:

• Weight: 178g
• Dimensions: 154.94 x 75 x 8.9 mm
• OS: Android 8.1 Oreo (Go Edition)
• Screen size: 5.5-inch
• Resolution: 854 x 480
• CPU: 1.1GHz Quad-core, Qualcomm Snapdragon 210
• RAM: 1GB
• Storage: 16GB
• Battery: 3,000mAh, Non-removable
• Rear camera: 5MP
• Front camera: 2MP

Design

In terms of design, the AT&T Axia did not give us a strong impression. The phone looks outdated and, of course, cheap. The body is made from plastic and the back cover has a textured pattern. Luckily, it is comfortable to hold and will not slip easily.

This phone is for people with sweaty palms because the grip is really firm. The textured pattern is not prone to smudges although dirt can get stuck there easily.

A camera, a back-firing single speaker, a small microphone and an LED flash can be found at the back of the phone. The positioning makes the back cover look spacious. The build quality is solid.

Sadly, we were not too happy about its big bezels. We are aware that it is a matter of preference. However, the phone could weigh a few grams lighter if the manufacturer integrated the navigation bar into the display. On the other hand, the separate navigation bar helps people with large fingers to avoid accidental taps.

The large top bezel houses a front-facing camera and an earpiece speaker. Meanwhile, there are capacitive navigation keys on the bottom bezel. The right side of the phone houses the power button and volume rockers. You can also find a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top area.

Display

AT&T Axia has a 5.5-inch display with 854 x 480 resolution. We do not expect the phone to have top-notch display quality but honestly, it is a bit disappointing. The colors look dull similar to phones released in the early Android years.

It is not sharp and the brightness tends to be dim even when you set it to the maximum. People with vision problems may find it hard to read the screen under direct sunlight.

On a positive note, the screen size is perfect for elderly people. It is not too large so they can navigate it easily. Fonts and icons look big so they do not have to squint their eyes to look at the screen clearly. Texts are still readable despite the low resolution.

You can adjust the font size and turn on adaptive brightness. Adaptive brightness allows your phone to automatically adjust the brightness level to the surroundings. It is very helpful for people who prefer practicality.

This budget phone is not meant for entertainment purposes. Despite that, we were curious as to how this phone competes with other affordable smartphones in terms of media viewing. The phone can play videos on YouTube and other streaming services properly although the resolution options are very limited.

Read also:

• AT&T Axia (QS5509A) User Manual
• LG Phoenix 5 Review: High Megapixel Camera and Large Battery

Camera

AT&T Axia has only one rear-facing camera with 5MP resolution. The phone is also equipped with a 2MP front-facing camera. There is an LED flash on the back right below the camera module. Mobile photography is not this phone’s strongest suit. This AT&T Axia review will judge its cameras’ quality fairly considering its price tag.

This phone has a simple camera viewfinder. It is not cluttered and can be easily navigated by beginners. A big capture button is located in the center bottom area. There are a few quick settings provided so you do not have to go through the settings menu manually.

The main camera only allows you to capture photos in two resolutions, 5MP and 3MP. You can choose one of three picture quality options, low, standard and high. What surprised us is this phone has face detection and HDR mode.

Face detection will detect human faces and set the focus on them. Meanwhile, the HDR mode enables the camera to capture more details. These features are pretty neat for an entry-level phone.

Unfortunately, both cameras do not produce satisfying photos. They lack details even when HDR mode is enabled. They also do not perform well in a dimly-lit environment. Again, both cameras do not produce pleasant videos. The quality is subpar but it is understandable considering its price.

Storage

This phone only has one variant of storage, which is 16GB of internal memory. It is really small for phones nowadays. But we understand that this phone is not marketed towards power users who store large files on a phone.

With 16GB, you can install several essential applications, light games and hundreds of songs with medium to high sound quality. Luckily, the phone allows you to insert a microSD. You can find the slot by removing the back cover.

If you find it bothersome to expand the storage, you can always upload your files to the cloud or to PC via USB.

Performance

AT&T Axia sports Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 with 1.1GHz Quad-core. The processor was released in 2015 for entry-level phones. Because of its outdated chipset, we will focus on reviewing its performance for daily use more. In short, this phone is not suitable for demanding activities such as multitasking and playing games.

The Snapdragon 210 can execute a variety of basic tasks really well. However, it is inconsistent when opening some demanding applications. The phone sometimes takes a long time when opening the camera menu. You will also notice choppy screen transitions when accessing the camera features.

The scrolling experience is fine although it struggles when displaying a website with heavy elements. When we tried to open a few apps at the same time, we found noticeable lags. We also had to reload apps that ran in the background when we revisited them.

Texting and calling, either via native apps or third-party apps, run smoothly. The stock keyboard is quite responsive although you may encounter small hiccups when the RAM is overloaded.

If you are not a fan of the native keyboard, you can find other keyboard apps on Play Store. You can also adjust the size and font according to your preferences. Turning on auto-correct helps a lot when you want to respond to a message quickly.

This phone comes with Android 8.1 Oreo (Go Edition). Android Go is a customized Android version which runs on ultra-budget smartphones such as this AT&T Axia. This operating system runs lighter and faster than the regular one on devices with 1GB of RAM or less.

In order to make phones with Android Go run properly, Google only provides the stripped-down version of their apps. You may find several missing features but it will not affect your activities too much. The apps that are available on Play Store are the lite versions.

Moving on to the security aspect, there is no fingerprint scanner on this phone. You are only provided with pattern, PIN and password locks. The lack of a fingerprint reader is probably what makes this phone cheap. Fingerprint unlock is faster and more convenient, especially for beginners. It is a bit disappointing but understandable.

The phone also does not have advanced sensors such as gyroscope and NFC. There is not any IP rating so the phone is not water and dust resistant. Therefore, you have to be careful when carrying the phone to extreme environments.

Connectivity

This phone supports 4G connectivity, which is provided by AT&T. You can connect to the internet and browse social media posts in an instant. The speed, of course, depends on your location. You may find the internet a bit slower in remote areas.

If you are short on data plans, you can connect to nearby WiFi hotspots easily. Another plus point is that you can turn this phone into a mobile hotspot. 

File transfer is made easy thanks to its Bluetooth 4.2. You can also pair the phone with wireless devices such as external speakers and smartwatch easily.

Battery

AT&T Axia is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery, which is commonly found in budget phones. Considering its operating system and chipset, the battery should last a day with moderate usage. This phone does not support fast charging or even wireless charging. 

The battery can be recharged using a micro-USB power adapter, which is available in the box. Micro-USB is slower than USB Type-C so it may take a while to charge your unit to 100%. In order to save the juice, you can prevent applications from running in the background automatically. Also, turn down the brightness when inside a room.

Is AT&T Axia a good phone?

You can get your AT&T Axia for $29.99. It is really super cheap considering its features. Is the phone worth the price? This AT&T Axia review believes that it is worth it as the price makes sense.

Despite its weak cameras, subpar display and outdated processor, the phone works properly. It is basically the perfect phone for beginners or people who do not rely too much on a smartphone. As a daily driver, this phone can execute essential tasks really well. It is a phone that is suitable for general users of every age group.