Samsung Galaxy A53 5G Review: An Excellent Mid-Ranger
Samsung has been highly focused on the Galaxy A series and has been continuing with the tradition of improving the value proposition with every iteration.
New Delhi: The Galaxy A series has been the best-selling line for Samsung and rightfully so as the mid-rangers accounted for almost 60 per cent of the company's smartphone sales in the last quarter of 2021, according to Counterpoint Research. In fact, the Galaxy A series has been the silent workhorse for Samsung and has made it to the list of top-selling smartphones in the world couple of times.
Samsung has been highly focused on the Galaxy A series and has been continuing with the tradition of improving the value proposition with every iteration. The new Galaxy A53 5G also comes with a bigger battery than last year's Galaxy A52, but there is no charging brick in the box this time. At a first glance, you may get confused to see almost no difference between the Galaxy A52 and the Galaxy A53 5G, but dig in deeper and you'll see the difference. The mid-range Galaxy A53 has been launched in India in two storage configurations: a 6GB/128GB model and an 8GB/128GB model that is priced at Rs 34,499 and Rs 35,999, respectively. How good is this mid-ranger in terms of a year on year upgrade? Here's my review.
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G Design, Display, Looks And Build
A tap on the back and I realised that Samsung has used plastic for the Galaxy A53. However, a polycarbonate build does not always mean it's bad or cheap. The device's in-hand feel is great and I really liked the matte finish on the pastel colour Light Blue variant. I must say the pastel colour is a refreshing change from the shiny glass finish designs that a lot of smartphones come with these days. The rear side and the flat design may remind you of the top-tier Galaxy S22 series, albeit for the difference in the camera module design and the wider frame. The polycarbonate back and frame are not flimsy and coupled with the matte finish, they make the Galaxy A53 sturdy and resistant to smudges and scratches.
The volume rockers and the power buttons are housed on the right side while the left side is empty and so is the top side except for a tiny hole that is the secondary microphone. There's a USB Type-C charging port at the bottom sitting between a speaker grille and a dual SIM card slot. Despite housing a big battery, the phone is pretty pocketable and easy for prolong hours of usage at 189 grams and the weight is evenly distributed too. Unlike the Galaxy A52, there's no standard 3.5-mm headphone jack, but given the popularity of Bluetooth neckbands and TWS earbuds, you're unlikely to miss it much.
We all know how good Samsung's AMOLED screens are and this one was no exception. The front side of the device has a 6.5-inch full HD+ Super AMOLED screen and it was great for viewing content in most lighting conditions, thanks to the peak brightness of 830 nits. I faced a tad bit of difficulty only when I tried to read something only under harsh afternoon sun. The screen too is completely flat, but does not come with a pre-applied protector. You might want to invest in one or apply a glass screen protector if you don't want even a tiny bit of scratches on your phone.
There's a layer of Gorilla Glass 5 atop for scratch resistance. The only complaint I had with the display was with the bezels. The top and bottom bezels were noticeably thick even though I managed to overlook the bezels on either side of the display. The cherry on the cake is the IP67 water and dust resistance that will ensure your Galaxy A53 can withstand some water spills or splashes.
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G Camera
The Galaxy A53 has the same camera as the Galaxy A52s -- a triple camera set-up led by a 64MP primary sensor and a 12MP ultra-wide sensor and a 5MP macro camera. The quality of images captured in daylight was impressive with punchy colours, as expected from Samsung. The 5MP macro sensor did a good job of taking close-up shots with enough details and equally punchy colours. Talking about selfies, there is a 32MP front snapper that produced photos that were crisp and detailed. Edge detection in the portrait shots was on point too. In low light conditions, the Galaxy A53 5G's camera took decent shots, but, of course, there was some noise.
There is an auto Night Mode that also kicks in -- and I can easily say that it brings out good pictures if the subject is steady. However, photos taken in Night Mode decrease the sharpness to some extent. I also struggled to take selfies in low light, and the images lacked details.
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G Battery And Performance
The Galaxy A53 5G's battery is outstanding. Period. The 5,000mAh battery lasted almost two days during my usage, giving it an edge over other mid-rangers in this segment. However, there is no charging brick in the box -- Samsung is providing only a type-C to type-C cable with the Galaxy A53. It is pertinent to note that Samsung doesn't provide ultra-fast charging technology even with the flagship Galaxy S line and that's why its devices take their own sweet time to juice up.
The Galaxy A53 5G has support for 25W charging and I charged the phone from 0 to 100 per cent in a little less than 2 hours which is significantly lower than mid-rangers from the likes of iQoo and Realme provide charging speeds that can spoil you. While some people have their opinions about the use of Exynos processors in Samung phones, I found the Exynos 1280 chip powering the Galaxy A53 snappy and battery efficient. This is the same chip that powers the lower priced Galaxy A33 too. The phone fared fairly well when it comes to handling games, but do not have very high hopes with handling of games like Call Of Duty: Mobile, BGMI, etc.
The device runs Android 12 based One UI 3.1 out of the box and given how Samsung has refined its custom One UI over time, it is safe to say that it is the one of the best Android experiences you can get. However, some of the pre-loaded apps bring disappointment alongside too, but you can uninstall them. What makes it future-proof is the flagship-grade firmware support. Samsung says along with the flagship Galaxy S22 line, it will provide four major Android OS upgrades and five years of security patches for the Galaxy A series trio launched this year, including the Galaxy A53.
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G verdict
The Galaxy A53 5G is a great option to buy in the mid-range, thanks to the brilliant 120Hz AMOLED screen and the 5,000mAh battery that can last for almost two days. Its cameras are capable and produce good pictures and there's the dedicated night mode to rely on. FIve years of security patches and four years of Android OS upgrades make the Galaxy A53 a very promising mid-range smartphone in the market right now. However, those who want faster charging may consider options from other the likes of Motorola Edge 20 Pro and iQoo 9 SE aong others.
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