The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G is intended to be the trimmed-down version of the company's Galaxy S22 line. From the looks of it, its specs sheet offers the most value for money among this year's Galaxy A series. With design cues borrowed from the Samsung's flagship line, a new processor, and the familiar camera system, the Galaxy A53 5G makes an appealing device that most of us would consider in this buying season.
We have taken the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G out for a spin, and I have several thoughts about the handset. If you're toying about the idea of buying a new smartphone, you might as well join me in this review and see if the Galaxy A53 5G is worth every penny.
Design
- 8.1mm thickness, 189 grams
- Awesome Peach colorway
The Galaxy A53 5G could easily fit into the Galaxy S22 line with its design philosophy. If the S22 has a "Lite" version, I'd imagine this would be it. The similarities in the design aesthetics are prevalent - flat display panel, curved railings, ports and buttons placement, and even the feel of the phone. Although I would say that the A53 5G has a longer aspect ratio, the handling is quite similar to the S22 series.
Although unlike its most expensive brethren, the Galaxy A53 5G is sporting a plastic build. But this does not discount the handset to be flimsy; in fact, the usage of high grade plastic makes the handset appealing to most mid-range users. Its frame has a shiny finish in contrast to the rest of the backing.
Speaking of the back panel, I like how the bump in the camera module gradually elevates from the surface; its surface looks smooth while minimizing the visibility of the raised module. The cameras are also neither protruded nor sunken from the module. The backing has a silky matte texture which gives you a good grip when using the handset. On top of that, the ports and buttons are in their no-nonsense placements.
The right side is a home to the power button and volume rocker; the top part comes with a secondary mic; while the bottom houses the SIM tray, primary microphone, USB-C port, and speaker grille. Sadly, there's no 3.5-mm audio jack here.
Display
- FHD+ Super AMOLED, 120Hz
- 800 nits brightness
The display is one of the handset's strongest suits; it dons a 6.5-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel. I am quite surprised that it has a 120Hz refresh rate - a feature that is common only to flagship smartphones.
For its price, I might say that this is one of the best screens with 800 nits of max brightness. The display quality is on point. Knowing that this is a Samsung panel, it registers with excellent details, vibrant colors, and good contrast.
The bezels are quite thin for a mid-range phone standard. And with the use of a center hole-punch design, the display could be immersive - best for streaming content and mobile gaming. Likewise, the viewing angles are very generous. All in all, this is an ideal display for mid-range phones - small bezels, punchy panel, small hole cutout, and smooth 120Hz refresh rate.
Hardware and Performance
- Exynos 1280 SoC (5nm)
- 8GB RAM + 256GB ROM
- 5G support
The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G is powered by Samsung's proprietary Exynos 1280 chipset. Our review unit packs 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Additionally, the phone can harness more processing power and further boost multitasking capabilities by tapping up to 8GB of virtual memory from storage space. On paper, this hardware combination makes the Galaxy A53 5G smooth in most working scenarios. However, in our realtime usage, the phone's user interface is generally smooth but with the exception of considerable slow response especially when multiple apps are opened in the background.
Gaming with the phone is also a worthwhile experience. I've used this as my primary Mobile Legends device and I can get through high graphics and high refresh rate without experiencing frame drops. Genshin Impact is also very playable, though I'd settle with medium graphics quality to keep everything smooth.
In our AnTuTu Benchmark, the phone scored 384514, while it tallied a 742 single-core score and a 1899 multi-core score in our Geekbench test. These translate to good overall performance. The in-display fingerprint sensor is also quite zippy, as well as the face unlock. However, the phone's haptics leave a lot to be desired; I find these weak and loose. But don't get me wrong, the screen's sensitivity is just right since I have not experienced any delay while tapping my inputs.
The Galaxy A53 5G highlights its stereo speakers that's more improved when compared to previous iterations. It shoots crisp and clear audios with defined soundstage. Mids sounded clear as well as the treble; but cranking the volume up to 100%, the sound quality tends to get distorted. Overall, the spatial experience that this smartphone offers made me enjoy watching videos and streaming shows.
You can also benefit with the smartphone's 5G support for faster internet speeds, together with 2.4G/5GHz WiFi, Bluetooth v5.1, NFC, USB Type-C, and GPS.
Camera
- 64MP Quad Camera with OIS
- 32MP Selfie Camera
When it comes to the cameras, the Galaxy A53 5G has a complete suite of sensors. There's a 64MP, f/1.8 wide primary sensor alongside the 12MP, f/2.2, 123˚ultrawide camera, 5MP f/2.4 macro sensor, and another 5MP f/2.4 depth sensor. On the get go, the cameras do what you'd expect them to do. The main camera produces bright and vibrant photos with just the right detail for general-use photos.
We expect Samsung phones to be extra when it comes to color saturation, and the Galaxy A53 5G's sample photos are no exception. Shots from the main camera also come with great dynamic range with just the right amount of sharpness. Night shots are surprisingly good as the phone retains considerable amount of detail and preserves the vibrancy of colors.
With regards to the depth and macro sensor, I commend Samsung in giving more capable 5MP sensors for the Galaxy A53 5G. In contrast to majority of its peers in this segment that have only 2MP, Samsung is putting more effort in improving both the macro and depth sensing capabilities of its mid-range phones. The macro camera takes crisp photos with good detail; however, you have to hit the right distance from the subject since this is a fixed focus lens. The bokeh sensor also produces good separation of subject and background with natural blur.
On the front, there's a 32MP f/2.2 selfie camera which gives decent selfies with the right amount of details, contrast, and saturation. You can also use face beautification and add filters to enhance your selfies on your social media post. In terms of videos, you can shoot up to 4K videos which are limited to 30fps. Both the rear and, surprisingly, the front camera are capable of this. Also, you can activate 'super steady' with your rear camera video recordings, as this comes with optical image stabilization feature.
Check out our sample photos below:
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| Main Camera: F/1.8, 1/120 s, 5.23mm, ISO 50 |
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| Main Camera: F/1.8, 1/334 s, 5.23mm, ISO 50 |
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| Main Camera: F/1.8, 1/639 s, 5.23mm, ISO 50 |
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| Main Camera: F/1.8, 1/60 s, 5.23mm | F/1.8, 1/60 s, 5.23mm |
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| Main Camera: F/1.8, 1/60 s, 5.23mm | F/1.8, 1/60 s, 5.23mm |
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| Main Camera: F/1.8, 1/60 s, 5.23mm | Ultra-wide: F/2.2, 1/24 s, 1.74mm |
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| Ultrawide: F/2.2, 1/271 s, 1.74mm, ISO 50 |
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| Ultrawide: F/2.2, 1/40 s, 1.74mm, ISO 50 |
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| Main Camera: F/1.8, 1/40 s, 5.23mm | F/1.8, 1/30 s, 5.23mm |
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| Sample Macro Shot |
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| Selfie Camera + Portrait |
Software and Battery
- One UI 4, based on Android 12
- 5000mAh battery w/ 25W Fast Charging
Samsung has one of the best Android skins in the industry, and it's still the same skin that's powering the Galaxy A53 5G. The One UI runs on top of Android 12 and it gives almost all the advantages that you can get from the stock version of Google's mobile operating system.
One UI adds a simple approach to icons and buttons. The skin also overlays Samsung proprietary apps; some of these I like to use like the Notes and Browser apps. You can also find Microsoft apps on the fly which signals a close relationship of both companies. I'd say I like using the mobile version of Office applications - Word, Excel, PowerPoint - since the added screen real estate gives these productivity apps more space to work on. Of course, there are still apps that you'll delete but you'll find these apps less annoying.
The smartphone packs a 5000 mAh battery. I think this battery capacity is quite common to mid-range phones nowadays. With fair to moderate use, I could work without having to mind my battery status. However, this significantly drops if I use the phone for longer gaming sessions.
In our PCMark battery life test, the handset scored 13 hours and 47 minutes with 60Hz fixed refresh rate and 11 hours and 38 minutes with 120Hz fixed refresh rate. It's worth noting that the phone does not come with a dynamic feature which auto adjusts refresh rate based on current activity in order to conserve power.
The phone supports 25-watt fast charging, but the unit's package does not come with a power supply unit, only the C to C charging cable is present. In my charging test, it took me 1 hour and 23 minutes to fully charge the handset. See below for more details.
- 0 - 50% in 32 minutes
- 0 - 75% in 51 minutes
- 0 - 100% in 1 hour and 23 minutes
Verdict: Should You Buy The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G?
In a heartbeat, I could say that the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G is a solid all-rounder device. In fact, it's one of the phones that you should consider when looking for a best-value smartphone in the market this season.
Last year's A52 was a good device, but the Galaxy A53 5G ticks many upgrades this year. The stunning display, improved stereo speakers, longer battery life make the smartphone a great multimedia device. Also, the new chipset is working well on improved camera capabilities. And with the phone's competitive pricing, I think the Galaxy A53 5G would be another hit this season.
You can get the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G 8/256GB at ₱22,990 in the Samsung online store. You can also find a good deal via Lazada and Shopee, as well as in authorized brick-and-mortar stores nationwide.
