Samsung Galaxy A53 vs A52: What are the major differences?

These mid-range Android phones are more similar than you think

The Samsung Galaxy S and Z Fold/Flip lineups might get all the media attention, but the Galaxy A series also consists of incredible devices at much more affordable prices. As a follow-up to last year's Galaxy A52, which we rank among the best budget Android phones in the market, the Korean smartphone maker has announced its sequel — the Galaxy A53. But how does it compare to its predecessor, and should you get it in its place or even upgrade?

Galaxy A53 5G Galaxy A52 5G Dimensions 159.6 x 74.8 x 8.1mm, 189g 159.9 x 75.1 x 8.4mm, 189g Display 6.5-inch Super AMOLED, 120Hz, Gorilla Glass 5 6.5-inch Super AMOLED, 120Hz, Gorilla Glass 5 Chipset Exynos 1280 (5nm) Snapdragon 750G (8nm) RAM 6/8GB 6/8GB Storage 128/256GB 128/256GB Camera 64MP f/1.8, OIS; 12MP f/2.2 123˚ ultra-wide; 5MP f/2.4 macro; 5MP f/2.4 depth; 32MP f/2.2 front camera 64MP f/1.8, OIS; 12MP f/2.2 123˚ ultra-wide; 5MP f/2.4 macro; 5MP f/2.4 depth; 32MP f/2.2 front camera Connectivity 5G, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, USB Type-C 5G, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, USB Type-C, 3.5mm jack Battery 5,000mAh, 25W fast charging 4,500mAh, 25W fast charging Software Android 12, One UI 4.1; Four OS updates promised Launched with Android 11 and One UI 3.1; Three OS updates promised

Galaxy A53 vs. Galaxy A52 5G: Design and build

At first glance, you'll be hard-pressed to find the differences between the Galaxy A53 and A52. Both phones look largely the same, with the latest A-series entrant merely featuring a slightly tweaked rear camera housing. The new phone also misses out on a headphone jack, but it is unlikely that many people will miss it. Other than that, they both sport Gorilla Glass at the front, a plastic back, an in-display optical fingerprint scanner, a punch-hole display, stereo speakers, and IP67 certification.

Galaxy A53 vs. Galaxy A52 5G: Display

The Galaxy A53 and A52 5G are virtually the same in the display department. They both feature a 6.5-inch AMOLED FHD+ 120Hz display with HDR10+ certification protected by Gorilla Glass 5. The 4G-only variant of the A52 also featured a similarly-sized display but with a lower 90Hz refresh rate. Samsung's phones are known for excellent displays, and its latest mid-range offering won't disappoint you in this aspect.

Galaxy A53 vs. Galaxy A52: Chipset

The Galaxy A53 comes with Samsung's mid-range octa-core Exynos 1280 chipset fabricated on the 5nm node, one of the first in the A series to opt for an Exynos processor over a Snapdragon chip. The Exynos 1280 features two performance-oriented Cortex-A78 cores clocked at 2.4GHz and power-efficient Cortex-A55 cores running at 2GHz. This is paired with ARM's Mali-G68 MP4 GPU clocked at 1000Mhz. It is not really an upgrade over the Snapdragon 750G ticking inside the Galaxy A52 5G and even a downgrade compared to the A52s 5G's Snapdragon 778G chip.

Nonetheless, since the Exynos chip is based on a newer process node, it should be more power-efficient than the Snapdragon 750G.

Galaxy A53 vs. Galaxy A52: Camera

The Galaxy A53 and the A52 are the same in the camera department. Both phones feature a quad-camera setup consisting of a 64MP f/1.8 shooter with OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide, and 5MP depth and macro cameras. Even the front 32MP f/2.2 selfie shooter remains unchanged. Samsung's mid-range phones offer pretty good imaging performance, so the A53 should be pretty good in this regard despite no hardware improvements. The image quality is not going to be as good as Google's Pixel 5a, so if camera performance is your top priority, you may want to consider the latter.

Galaxy A53 vs. Galaxy A52: Software support

Samsung offers among the best software support in the industry for its mid-range and premium devices. The Galaxy A52 launched with Android 11 and One UI 3.1 out of the box, and the Korean smartphone giant promises to provide it with three years of OS updates and four years of security patches. This means the phone is guaranteed to receive the Android 14 update that should release in 2023.

With the A53, Samsung promises even longer software support of up to four years and security patches for five years. Since it comes with Android 12 and One UI 4.1 out of the box, it will receive OS updates until Android 16. The Galaxy A53 sets the benchmark in terms of software support that other mid-range phones should follow, even topping Google's Pixel a series.

Galaxy A53 vs. Galaxy A52: Battery life and charging

The Galaxy A53 packs a bigger 5,000mAh battery than the 4,500mAh cell of the A52. Coupled with a more efficient 5nm chipset, the A53 should easily make it through a day of heavy use. Both phones support 25W fast charging, though Samsung is no longer bundling a power adapter with its 2022 mid-range Galaxy A phones. If you don't already have a USB-PD fast charger, you'll have to spend extra money to get one, but at least that means you get to select one of the best phone chargers out there.

Due to the bigger battery, the Galaxy A53 will take slightly longer to charge compared to its predecessor. Nonetheless, compared to offerings from OnePlus and Oppo, Samsung's phones take their sweet time for a full top-up.

Galaxy A53 vs. Galaxy A52: Price

Interestingly, the Samsung Galaxy A53 carries a lower price tag than the A52 5G in the US. The latter launched for $500, while the A53 5G retails for $450. This is despite the phone coming with a more efficient chipset and offering longer battery life. It's clear that Samsung is aggressively attacking the Pixel 5a with its latest mid-range phone, which is available for the same price.

In Asia and other key markets of the world, though, the latest A-series entrant is notably more expensive than last year's model.

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It's clear that the Galaxy A53 5G is not an upgrade over the A52. It is more of a side-grade, with a slightly bigger battery and some minor other tweaks. The lower price tag in the US could make it a compelling buy for many, but if you see the A52 on sale somewhere, there's next to no reason not to jump on it if you don't need the latest and greatest.

While the case is pretty clear in the US, the device will face stiff competition from the likes of Xiaomi, Honor, and Realme in other parts of the world.

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