Samsung Galaxy A53 5G review

introduction

Samsung has long maintained a series of particularly powerful Galaxy A devices. It has repeated and improved its value proposition on these phones, and the new 2022 update is no different. You can read all about the new Galaxy A73 5G, A53 5G and A33 5G here to see exactly what we mean.

The new Galaxy A53 5G is now here for review. Since the 5X series was arguably one of the best-equipped devices in the series, it’s also the hardest to upgrade. In comparison, this year’s Galaxy A33 5G is a much lower fruit as its predecessor was equipped with an LCD.

The changes ranging from the A52s 5G to the A53 5G are much more subtle. Simply put, not much has changed, certainly not enough to entice current owners of a recent Galaxy A5X series phone, but there are still some noteworthy changes here and there.

The specifications of the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G at a glance:

• Body: 159.6×74.8×8.1 mm, 189 g; plastic body, glass front; IP67 dust / water resistant (up to 1m for 30 minutes).
• Screen: 6.50 inch Super AMOLED, 120 Hz, 800 nits (HBM), 1080x2400px resolution, 20: 9 aspect ratio, 405ppi.
• Chipset: Exynos 1280 (5 nm): Octa-core (2×2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 and 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G68.
• Memory: 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; microSDXC (uses the shared SIM slot).
• Operating system / software: Android 12, a 4.1 user interface.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 64 MP, f / 1.8, 26mm, 1 / 1.7X “, 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, f / 2.2, 123 degrees, 1.12 µm; Macro: 5 MP, f / 2.4; Depth: 5 MP, f / 2.4.
• Front Camera: 32 MP, f / 2.2, 26 mm (wide angle), 1 / 2.8 “, 0.8µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K at 30 fps, 1080p at 30/60 fps; gyroscope-EIS; Front camera: 4K at 30fps, 1080p at 30fps.
• Drums: 5000 mAh; Quick charge 25W.
• Various: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); Virtual proximity detection.

First, the direct positive change: the A53 5G has a larger 5,000mAh battery than its predecessor. There is also a brand new chipset made by Samsung: the Exynos 1280. A modern 5nm part, still not officially featured or detailed on Samsung’s semiconductor website, but a lot already around and that looks intriguing with a Cortex- 2×2.4 GHz A78 & 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55 CPU configuration, a Mali-G68 GPU and a 5G configuration arguably even more versatile than the Snapdragon 778G 5G inside the A52s 5G.

On the other hand, there are also some notable downgrades in the A53 5G. For one, it lacks the 3.5mm audio jack from its predecessor. It also lacks Wi-Fi 6 support. However, it offers slightly newer Bluetooth 5.1.

Aside from that, the A53 5G is virtually identical in terms of both specs and design to its predecessor. Although, technically, it has shrunk a bit in terms of physical size, while keeping the display diagonal and weight unchanged. So, you’re essentially getting smaller display bezels and a bigger battery “for free”. Not to mention the 3.5mm jack, that is.

To sum it up, the new Galaxy A53 5G appears to be a slightly “tweaked” variant of what Samsung already knows works and sells well. The slightly larger battery is always nice to look at, but what will do or destroy the A53 5G is definitely the new Exynos 1280 chipset. To be fair, it just needs to be good and not even better than the Snapdragon 778G 5G it is replacing. That would mean another wave of happy customers as every other feature of the A53 5G has been carried over from the previous model and is still a fantastic package.

Unpacking

Let’s kick things off with quick unboxing. Unboxing itself can’t take long as the accessory pack in many phones has become lighter and lighter.

The A53 5G has a white USB Type-C to Type-C cable in its box, a SIM eject tool, and some flyers. That’s all. There is no screen protector, pre-applied or otherwise, no case and no power supply. The A52 5G and A52s 5G had at least a 15W Samsung Adaptive Fast Charge unit in their boxes, and the latter even shipped with a 25W charger in some markets.

While a little arrogant in appearance, the assumption that most users will already have a charger is also fair enough. Also, assuming users have a decent Power Delivery charger is a bit much. Also, Samsung is technically using a bit of wacky PPS in its chargers at the moment, so in the end, that and the included Type-C to Type-C cable are a not-so-subtle “push” to go out and buy the Samsung Charger. 25W TA-800 PD, which is a good $ 25 extra (MSRP).