The Galaxy A5x series is that sweet middle ground that Samsung offers in its wide range of phones. Last year, the Galaxy A52, for example, was so well rounded that it was somewhat hard to recommend the pricier Galaxy A72, which launched alongside it.
If you want to get the gist of it, however, here’s everything you need to know in a nutshell.
The Galaxy A53 will be priced at $449 in the U.S. and will be available beginning April 1. Like the A33 5G, the Galaxy A53 5G comes in only two versions and that is with 128GB of internal storage and 6GB RAM and a 256/8GB combo. Don’t worry though, as the storage is expandable.
There is also a new, significantly faster chipset inside, which is the driving force behind most of the improvements coming with the A53 5G.
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Galaxy A53 5G Design and Display
Galaxy A53 5G Design
The Galaxy A53 and A33 look quite alike. Just like its more affordable sibling, the A53 5G has a plastic back with a matte finish that is resistant to fingerprints. It comes in the same colors, including the two new blue and peach colors besides the white and black ones.
In terms of size, it is slightly bigger, measuring 6.2 x 2.9 x 0.3 inches (159.7 x 74 x 8.1mm). The volume rocker and power button are situated on the right side of the A53’s frame.
On the bottom side, you will find the SIM card/microSD slot, a microphone, USB-C port, and speaker grill. The left side is left without any buttons, while the top has one more microphone added.
In terms of protection, the Galaxy A53 comes with an IP67 rating for dust and waterproofing, as well as Gorilla Glass 5 to protect its display.
Galaxy A53 5G Display
The Galaxy A53 5G comes with an Infinity-O FHD+ Super AMOLED display, with a 120Hz refresh rate and 800 nits of maximum brightness. It is the same size as the A52, namely 6.5 inches. For what it is, the screen looked very nice, including its color reproduction, viewing angles, and sharpness.Below the A53 5G’s screen lies the optical fingerprint scanner, which can be used to unlock your phone. If you are not that into fingerprint biometrics, then maybe the Exynos 1280 empowered and improved face-unlock will tickle your fancy instead.
Some out there might feel a slight disappointment that Samsung’s famous ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is not included. However, keep in mind it is one of the more expensive parts found inside the Galaxy S series, so it wasn’t expected to make an appearance in the mid-range sector.
Galaxy A53 5G Performance and Software
Arguably the most significant improvement in the Galaxy A53 5G over its predecessor is the Exynos 1280 chipset. It features a total of eight cores with 2 x Cortex-A78 2.4GHz performance cores and 6 x Cortex-A55 2.0GHz efficiency cores. As for the GPU and APU, Samsung claims both have 2.1 increased performance compared to the A52 from 2021.
In terms of storage capacity, the A53 5G comes in two options: with 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM or 256Gb of storage and 8GB of RAM. That said, it does also have a microSD card slot, which you can use to expand the storage with up to a 1TB microSD card.
Regarding the software, the Galaxy A53 will launch with One UI 4.1, meaning you will have the latest Samsung and Android features if you decide to buy this mid-ranger.
Galaxy A53 5G Camera
The camera system on the Galaxy A53 5G is one of the few aspects that truly differentiate it from its more affordable sibling, the Galaxy A33 5G.The A53 features a 64 MP F1.8 main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS). Besides the main, there is also a 12MP F2.2 ultra-wide, 5 MP F2.4 depth, and 5 MP F2.4 macro snappers.
Now, admittedly, these are the same specs on paper as the ones for the Galaxy A52 camera system. Don’t be quick to judge, however, as there are a few differences that make said cameras on the A53 5G more capable than its predecessor’s.
First and foremost, possibly the biggest contributor to the improvements found in the A53 cameras, and that’s the Exynos 1280. Its increased AI performance allows for portrait mode on both the front and back cameras, including the ability to adjust the blur during that mode.
Another feature that is possible thanks to the new chipset is the addition of portrait lighting while in portrait mode.
While there is no telephoto camera on the Galaxy A53 5G, the Exynos 1280 enables a feature that Samsung is calling AI zoom. We got to test out this AI zoom/improved digital zoom on the A53 5G, and we indeed noticed improvement, mostly in the amount of detail in the shot.
Galaxy A53 5G Audio Quality
The Galaxy A53 5G does not come with a 3.5mm audio jack, unlike last year’s model. Samsung might have opted to go this route in order to make way inside the phone for new components. That being said, it is a slight disappointment that it is not there.
On the other hand, the stereo speakers on the A53 5G are louder than before. Whether the quality of the audio has improved, however, is yet to be determined. Stay tuned to read our full review once it gets out and find out whether it is just the volume of the better speakers.
Galaxy A53 5G Battery Life and Charging
The battery on the Galaxy A53 5G is 5000mAh in capacity and can handle up to 25W of fast charging. Unfortunately, just like the A33 5G, the A53 5G does not come with a charger in the box.If you are looking to find a decent fast charger for this or any other phone, you can check out our pick for the best ones out there.
Summary and Final Verdict
At the end of the day, the Galaxy A53 5G is seemingly an incremental improvement over the A52 5G. Despite that, it does manage to bring something new to the table like a significantly better processor, better stereo speakers, and a slightly larger battery.
Make sure you come back, to check out our full detailed review of the Galaxy A53 5G, where we will give you a more in-depth look inside what’s new and better, compared to the previous models and competitors.
