Samsung Galaxy A52 was a hit last year. Costing just NPR 41,999, the device packed IP-67 Certifications, 64MP OIS camera, 90Hz Super AMOLED panel, and so on. Now, the company has launched its successor: Galaxy A53 5G in the Nepali market. I am testing this device just after its launch in Nepal and now I am here with my review of the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G.
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G is available in Nepal in only one memory configuration of 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage which is priced at NPR 57,499. The handset will be competing against the Vivo V23 5G, OnePlus Nord 2, and Realme GT Neo 2. Now, let’s dig into our review of the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G.Â
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G Specifications:
| Body | 159.6 x 74.8 x 8.1 mm, 189g, Plastic Body |
| Display | 6.5-inch Super AMOLED, 800 nits (HBM) |
| Resolution | Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio, ~405 PPI density |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz |
| Touch Sampling Rate | 240Hz |
| Glass Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Processor | Exynos 1280 (5 nm) |
| CPU | Octa-core (2×2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| GPU | Mali-G68 |
| RAM | 8GB (RAM Plus Features Available) |
| Storage | 128GB (expandable) |
| OS & UI | Android 12, One UI 4.1 |
| Rear Camera | Quad-Camera Primary: 64MP with f/1.8, OIS Ultrawide: 12MP with f/2.2, 123-degree Depth: 5MP with f/2.4 Macro: 5MP with f/2.4 |
| Front Camera | 32MP with f/2.2 |
| Video | Rear: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps Front: 4k@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps |
| Audio | Stereo Speaker |
| Security | Fingerprint (Optical Under Display) & Face Unlock (Software-Based) |
| Connectivity | 5G, 4G LTE, (2.4/5Ghz) Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS (A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS), USB Type-C 2.0 port, dual-SIM (nano) |
| Battery | 5000mAh |
| Charging | Wired: 25W (Ships without Charging Adapter Inside the box) |
| IP Certification | IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 minutes) |
| Colors | Black, White, Blue, Peach |
| Price in Nepal | NPR 57,499 (8/128GB) |
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G Review
Design and Build Quality
- 159.9 x 75.1 x 8.4 mm, 189g
- Plastic Back, Plastic Frame
- IP67 Certification
Samsung didn’t experiment with a new design with the Galaxy A53 5G. The company has gone with the same back design as its predecessor. It has a rectangular camera bump that is melted to the back panel with a typical “Samsung” branding at the bottom.
The back panel is made up of plastic and the frames are of plastic as well. Its back panel has a matte finish but it was catching my fingerprint so easily. Although the frame is of plastic, it has a good in-hand feel. Overall, the device felt sturdy and there is no hollowness in the back panel as well.
Despite having a big 5000mAh battery, the handset is just 8.1mm thick and weighs 189g. It also has good weight distribution. Likewise, the body is IP67 water and dust resistant which is very rare in other phones from different brands in the same price category.
Display
- 6.5-inch Super AMOLED, 120Hz
- Full HD+, Gorilla Glass 5
Samsung has equipped the Galaxy A53 5G with a 6.5-inch FullHD+ Super AMOLED panel. It has excellent color reproduction which you expect from an sAMOLED panel. One thing that bothered me was its bezels. It has slightly thick bezels around the display compared to the Galaxy A73. However, its punch-hole cutout is smaller than its expensive siblings.
The display has support for up to a 120Hz refresh rate. There is no option to switch to 90Hz so you have to directly go back to 60Hz if you have to save battery. I loved its 120Hz refresh rate and used it at its peak refresh rate all the time.
According to the company, it has 800 nits of maximum brightness. During my testing period, I had no issues with its brightness. It is bright enough in direct sunlight as well. Likewise, the display has Gorilla Glass 5 protection that handles normal scratches.
Camera
- Rear: 64MP (OIS) + 12MP + 5MP + 5MP
- Front: 32MP
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G flaunts a quad-camera setup at the back. The setup has a 64MP main camera with OIS, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and a couple of 5MP macro and depth cameras.
The 64MP primary camera produces bright images. Also, the images have a good dynamic range and decent sharpness. While capturing human subjects, the device smoothens the subject which leads to a loss of sharpness, and the images look unnatural. Furthermore, I also find unbalanced saturation problems in challenging conditions.
Moving to the portrait shots, its edge detection is up to marks. Its background blur looks natural and you can also adjust the blur level. There are also various effects to choose from. Unlike its normal primary shots, it doesn’t smoothen the face as well.
Switching to ultrawide lenses, there is no drastic color shift. Also, it has a good dynamic range and well field of view as it captures 123-degree images. The macro camera was also doing its tasks decently.
How can we forget the night mode? The night mode automatically activates whenever there is a lack of light. There is also an option to turn it off as well. Its night mode was quite impressive as it brighten the image and doesn’t lose many details as well.
Talking about the video quality, it can record up to 4k videos up to 30fps. You can record 1080p videos either at 60fps or 30fps. Like its expensive sibling, it also has a super steady mode that captures 1080p videos at 30fps. Compared to normal 1080p@30fps videos, it has less sharpness.
Upfront, there is a 32MP selfie snapper. Unlike its main camera, the front camera produces close to natural shots. It doesn’t over smooth the face and tries to look it like a natural one. But, it also has some saturation problems like the rear camera.
Talking about the portrait shot, it has fine edge detection with good background blur. If you are into vlogging, then Samsung Galaxy A53 5G can be a good option as well as it can shoot up to 4k@30fps but the footages are shakey. But, the 1080p resolution is more stabilized.
Performance and Software
- Exynos 1280 (5nm)
- 8GB RAM, 128GB Storage
- Android 12, OneUI 4.1
Powering the Galaxy A53 5G is the Exynos 1280 chipset. It is manufactured under 5nm architecture making it more efficient. It is available with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage in Nepal.
The chipset was handling the normal day-to-day task without any major issues. However, the phone was sometimes laggy while switching between two heavy apps. Also, its 120Hz refresh rate was not as smooth as that of the Galaxy A73 due to its slower chipset.
While moving to the game, Samsung Galaxy A53 5G disappointed me a lot. The phone only supports pubg mobile up to 30fps and also feels laggy just after around 20 minutes of gaming. Likewise, it plays COD of duty better than the PUBG Mobile. It supports COD up to 60fps but I recommend you to use play at 30fps for a smooth experience.
We also did some benchmark tests of the Galaxy A53 5G. It scored 350348 on Antutu Benchmark (9.3.8). Likewise, it achieved 487 single-core and 1815 multi-core scores on the Geekbench.
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G runs on the latest Android 12 with Samsung’s OneUI 4.1 on top. Its UI is one of the best Android Skin on the market. It is very easy to use and brings many customizations. I am a fan of its Always-on display as it has varieties of clock styles to choose from. There are three modes of Always-on display: Tap To Show, Show Always, Show as Scheduled and Show for new notifications. It is used in Show Always Mode as it doesn’t drain the battery too much due to its AMOLED panel. However, you can also choose the show as a scheduled mode which allows you to customize the timing of the Clock.
Another feature I enjoyed a lot is the Link to Windows feature. Using it I was able to access my phone from the laptop. We can use every application of the phone and copy different files to our computer. Likewise, it features a built-in screen recorder and quick share to quickly transfer data between two Samsung devices.
I didn’t face any bugs during my usage and it doesn’t show you unnecessary ads as well. However, it comes with a few uninstallable bloatware like Facebook and Microsoft Apps. The RAM management was good enough for day-to-day apps like social media apps, phone apps, messages, and so on. But, it kills the heavy apps running in the background within a couple of minutes. Moreover, Samsung has promised to offer 4 major OS updates and 5 years of security updates here.
Battery and Audio
- 5000mAh, 25W
- Stereo Speakers
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G packs a 5000mAh battery and comes with 25W fast charging. On a full charge, it easily lasted for a day with 30-40% left at 120Hz during my office days. I also used it heavily where I had to charge the phone two times a day. Likewise, the device ships without a charging break inside the box. I charged it using my old 15W adapter which took around 2 hours to fully charge the device.
The device includes stereo speakers set up with Dolby Atmos. It is not loud as I was expecting it to be. However, it is enough loud to watch movies and also performs well in noisy areas.
Final Thoughts: Samsung Galaxy A53 5G Review
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G is a good deal at around NPR 50,000 in Nepal. Its 120Hz AMOLED display paired with stereo speakers makes the multimedia consumption experience so good. It stands out among its competitors with IP67 certification, an OIS camera, and an easy-to-use UI. But this phone is not made for gamers as it has an inferior Exynos 1280 chipset.
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G Pros
- 120Hz FHD+ AMOLED Display
- Stereo Speakers
- IP67 Dust/Water-Resistant
- Android 12, OneUI 4.1
- 4 OS Update, 5 Years of Security Updates
- 64MP Camera with OIS
- 5000mAh battery, 25W Charging
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G Cons
- Inferior Chipset
- No Charger Inside the Box
