The Samsung Galaxy A53 is the latest cheap phone, featuring a large 120Hz display, solid efficiency for the price, and cameras that closely match the competition. There’s a lot to like about this phone, which combines everything users loved about last year’s Galaxy A52 with some nice and welcome improvements.
You get a well-rounded phone for $449. Even while its cameras aren’t the finest among the best cheap phones, they’re adequate in most situations if you love Samsung’s typical fanciful and oversaturated photographs. Fans of expandable storage will be pleased to know that the Galaxy A53 supports up to 1TB microSD cards.
What will you see here?
Price and Availability
The Galaxy A53 is available for $449/£399 from Samsung. You get 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage for that price. The phone is available via Samsung and other electronics shops.
The Google Pixel 5a costs $449 and, like the Galaxy A53, has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Even with its outdated CPU, it’s presently one of the finest inexpensive phones you can purchase. The current Pixel, on the other hand, lacks expandable memory and is exclusively available in the United States and Japan.
If you’re not dead bent on owning an Android phone, there’s still the $429 iPhone SE (2022), which starts with 64GB of storage. However, with its class-leading A15 Bionic CPU, the newest iPhone offers the most bang for your dollars.
Design of Samsung Galaxy A53
The design of the Galaxy A53 is best as basic yet effective. The plastic body feels fine and isn’t cheap, even if it does readily pick up fingerprint smudges. Overall, the phone is well-made, similar to the Pixel 5a.
The camera module on the Galaxy A53 protrudes somewhat and resembles the Galaxy S20 series – the Contour Cut layout is evidently reserved for the most recent Galaxy S phones. The Galaxy A53 is understated and, to be honest, very uninteresting. It does have an IP67 designation for water and dust protection, which means it can withstand a 30-minute submersion in water up to 1 metre (3 feet).
The Galaxy A53, on the other hand, feels like a cheap phone when compared to the iPhone SE (2022). The SE has the same design as the iPhone 8, which was formerly a flagship model. This implies metal and glass, which creates a really premium feel. While the A53 does not feel cheap, it lacks the higher-class craftsmanship of the iPhone SE.
Display of Samsung Galaxy A53
The Galaxy A53 comes with a lovely 6.5-inch AMOLED display. You get FHD resolution and, best of all, a refresh rate of 120Hz. A $449 smartphone with a 120Hz screen is certainly out of the ordinary, and it’s the best display anyone has seen at this cost. However, you must pick between a 120Hz and a 60Hz refresh rate – unlike Samsung’s more costly smartphones, the Galaxy A53 does not automatically alter that refresh rate.
The Galaxy A53 outperforms the Pixel 5a and iPhone SE (2022) in sRGB and DCI-P3 gamut reproduction, even though its Delta-E score trails below the iPhone’s display’s colour accuracy. Nonetheless, the screen of the Galaxy A53 is rather appealing.
With its dazzling neons, harsh reddish tones, and crushing shadows, you will enjoy watching movies like Blade Runner 2049. Despite the fact that the Galaxy A53 is not the finest gaming phone available, you will have fun playing games like Genshin Impact and Dead Cells on it. Colours pop, even if the phone isn’t strong enough to run some games at 120 frames per second. There are no reservations in declaring that this is the greatest phone screen under $500.
Cameras
When it comes to photography, the Galaxy A53 stands out. The A53 has a quad-camera configuration that includes a 64MP primary sensor with OIS, a 12MP ultrawide sensor with a 123-degree field of view, a 5MP macro sensor, and portrait lenses make up the system and a 5MP depth sensor. A 32MP selfie camera is located on the front of the device with a fixed-focus lens.
The Galaxy A53 does approaches overexposure, resulting in a virtually washed-out image. It can also record 4K video at up to 30 frames per second. The primary camera takes some great images, with more clarity and low-light performance than previous year’s models. It should be enough for most people, but don’t anticipate the same degree of clarity and detail as the Galaxy S22 Ultra or Galaxy S22 Plus.
The ultra-wide lens is enjoyable to use, but it does not provide the same degree of image quality as the primary lens. The existence of a specific night mode, which the third-generation iPhone SE does not have, provides the Galaxy A53 with an advantage. The video recording is excellent, and the front-facing camera takes acceptable selfies.
Performance
The Galaxy A53 will not win any performance races for its Exynos 1280 system-on-chip. Having said that, the phone performs admirably in everyday use, while it isn’t the finest gaming device available for this budget. That honour belongs to the iPhone SE (2022), which features the same A15 Bionic technology as the iPhone 13.
The Galaxy A53 beats the Pixel 5a in every way, despite the latter’s almost two-year-old processor. The A53 does not win by a landslide, but it is more efficient than the Pixel 5a, which is powered by the Snapdragon 765G.
Battery life and Charging
The Galaxy A53 comes with a 5,000 mAh battery, which is rather substantial. Other flagships with 5,000 mAh batteries include the Galaxy S22 Ultra, OnePlus 10 Pro, and Pixel 6 Pro. So you’d think the Galaxy A53 would be a powerhouse when it comes to battery life, right?
Even with a 120Hz display, the Galaxy A53 easily beats both the Pixel 5a and the iPhone SE (2022), which have 60Hz screens. Motorola’s cheap G series phones, like the Moto G Power (2022), have a longer battery life, although Samsung manufactures a superior phone overall.
With the integrated 25W charger, the Galaxy A53 just edges out in battery recharge time, despite the fact that the affordable Pixel recharge at a slower 18W. The A53 does not support wireless charging.
Software and Features
Samsung did an excellent job with the OS of the Galaxy A53. It’s the same One UI 4.1 as the Galaxy S22, which implies the smartphone is running Android 12. This includes a plethora of personalization options, enhanced security and privacy, and Samsung’s dedication to updates.
Using the Material You design aesthetic, Android 12 introduces a new theming engine. It essentially takes the colours from your wallpaper and uses them as highlights across the system. This includes your Quick Settings, several widgets, the Settings menu, and other features. It’s not a complete theme that will drastically alter the appearance of the Galaxy A53.
In terms of widgets, Samsung has released new Smart Widgets for One UI 4.1. These work similarly to iOS’s Smart Stack widgets, allowing you to group numerous widgets together rather than wasting display real estate. You may browse through the side to side as long as they’re the same size. You may even change the appearance of One UI’s Smart Widgets by changing their background colour or transparency, as well as making them fit in dark mode.
Finally, the Galaxy A53 will get the most frequent updates of any Android phone. Samsung has promised four years of Android upgrades for its smartphones, including the Galaxy A53. This means that when it is released in 2025, Android 16 will be able to operate on it. Furthermore, the A53, like the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, will receive five years of security upgrades.
This means you may retain your Galaxy A53 for a longer period of time, which is beneficial not only to your pocketbook but also to the environment.
Conclusion
For $449, the Galaxy A53 is an excellent phone. It exceeds the Pixel 5a in rankings and even has respectable battery life. The 120Hz display is excellent, especially for the price. I’d like an adjustable refresh rate, becuase even the more costly Galaxy S21 FE lacks one.
But, for the time being, the Galaxy A53 is the greatest low-cost Android phone. Although the iPhone SE (2022) is more powerful, the A53 has a larger and better display. The ultrawide camera and specialised night mode help to strengthen the argument for the Galaxy A53.
