Mario Bautista
We knew it was coming, but now it’s official! Samsung finally took the wraps off its new F-branded budget phone in India, the Galaxy F05. It will be available for purchase later this week, and it might become a huge hit among budget phone enthusiasts who like leather-backed phones.
Spec-wise, the Galaxy F05 sports the MediaTek Helio G85 chip, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. The amount of RAM can be increased virtually by up to an extra 4GB through Samsung RAM Plus.
Other specs include a 6.7-inch HD+ display, a MediaTek Helio G85 SoC, and a 5,000mAh battery with 25W charging. The camera system consists of a 50MP primary camera, a 2MP rear-facing depth shooter, and an 8MP selfie camera. A microSD card slot and a 3.5mm audio port are also included.
In essence, the Galaxy F05 sounds a lot like a rebranded Galaxy M05, which, in turn, is a rebranded Galaxy A05. It’s all the same phone, but the Galaxy F05 looks different thanks to its leather pattern finish. More on that later.
Not real leather but leather-like
If the Galaxy F05 sounds a lot like the other Galaxy x05 phones, that’s because it is. However, all those familiar components are wrapped in a body that does stand apart a bit more. The Galaxy F05 has a slightly rounded frame and a leather-like back panel.
Sadly, Samsung doesn’t go much into detail as to whether the Galaxy F05 sports genuine leather (no chance), vegan leather (unlikely), or a plastic back panel with a leather-like pattern (the most likely scenario).
In its official announcement, Samsung refers to it as a “stylish leather pattern design” or “leather pattern finish” but never as “leather” or even “vegan/faux leather.”
In theory, this could mean vegan leather or plastic are both a possibility, but given Samsung’s careful wording and the F05’s price point, we’re almost sure the phone has a plastic back panel. This is a cheap phone, folks.
More about pricing after the video
That’s all about the hardware and design, but what about software? Well, the Galaxy F05 runs Android 14 and One UI 6. Samsung will support it with two generations of Android OS upgrades and four years of security patches.
The Galaxy F05 will be available from September 20 at Flipkart, Samsung’s online stores, and select retailers. It will launch in a single color option called Twilight Blue for just INR 7,999 ($95).
