Samsung’s $200 Galaxy A17 Brings Google’s Circle to Search to Its Lower-Priced Phone

Samsung’s $200 Galaxy A17 5G, announced Tuesday, appears to be a smaller hardware update for the company’s cheaper phone – bearing many similarities to the Galaxy A16 which he will replace. However, Samsung notes that the A17 will have access to several AI features, including The Google search circle and assistant Gemini.

Even though these two AI features become common on all phones running Android 16 (Motorola phones under $200 also include them), the Galaxy A17 could become one of the broadest ways for Circle to Search and Gemini to reach new audiences. Indeed, Samsung’s $200 phone is typically one of the few non-Apple devices to consistently top sales in the United States. For example, the $200 Galaxy A16 currently ranks fifth on Counterpoint Research’s list, behind Apple’s iPhone 16 And iPhone17.

Similar to the Galaxy A16, the A17 will have a 6.7-inch display with a 90Hz refresh rate, an IP54 water and dust resistance rating (can resist splashes while avoiding submerging the phone), and is powered by Samsung’s Exynos 1330 processor. The cameras are also the same, including a 50-megapixel wide camera, a 5-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and a 2-megapixel macro camera. On the front is a 13-megapixel selfie camera.

The Galaxy A17 will also feature a 5,000mAh battery, 25-watt wired charging, 4GB of RAM with 128GB of onboard storage, the ability to expand with a microSD card, and will receive six years of software as well as security updates. This support period is pretty notable for phones selling in the $200 range, as most phones that cost $200 get two to three years of updates.

The Galaxy A17 goes on sale in the United States starting January 7 and will be available in blue, black, and gray models.