(Pocket-lint) – With every new year comes a new generation of Samsung smartphones – and that isn’t just true of the most expensive range.
While it’s the flagship Galaxy S Series phones that always garner the most attention, the mid-range A Series is typically just as impressive in its own right.
In fact, if were you to compare the two ranges in terms of sales numbers, it’s highly likely the cheaper models would prove more popular.
For 2022, Samsung has sent out the Galaxy A53 5G to do battle in the highly competitive mid-range smartphone market.
And following on from last year’s excellent Galaxy A52 5G, the successor comes in with big expectations.
So, how does it follow on – and, perhaps more importantly, how does it compare to the rest of the field?
We’ve been testing it out over the last few weeks to see how its design and performance hold up, and, generally, whether this provides a compelling option for those foregoing the flagship phone options.
The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G does a sterling job of following on from the Galaxy A52 – a phone that was a great seller for Samsung, and one we also rated highly.
In truth, there’s no significant improvement here, much like we found with the latest Galaxy S range. However, the A53 is a strong mid-range phone regardless.
The display on the front is vibrant and bright with (mostly) smooth animation, and the battery life is very good, as is the overall speed and performance.
At its price point, however, it’s got a lot of competition. You’ll find similar performing phones from the likes of Redmi, Realme and OnePlus that cost less, as well as similarly priced phones that perform better in some areas.
That means there are a couple of ways to look at this, for those debating picking an A53 up for themselves.
If you want a modern Samsung experience without the price tag required to get an S22 Series phone, the A53 is a no-brainer. It’ll get you exactly that, and it does well in all the key areas.
Samsung’s approach to software and security updates is also admirable, with its devices often getting updates and security patches even quicker than Google does.
Design and build
- 159.9 x 74.7 x 8.1mm
- 189g
- Gorilla Glass 5 and hole-punch camera
- IP67 protection
At first glance, there isn’t a great deal of difference between the Samsung Galaxy A53 and the Galaxy A52 (or A52s) from 2021.
That’s not necessarily a mark against it, however – this is a good looking phone. Especially in the pure matte white version of our test unit, it looks great from the back.
While it doesn’t offer premium materials you’ll find on Samsung’s higher-placed devices – it’s plastic, as many Samsung phones now are – there’s a great feel to the matte rear. We like that moulding around the cameras, particularly, which is something that’s also present on the slightly lower-placed Galaxy A33 5G that launched alongside.
When you hear a phone is built from plastic, there’s perhaps a niggling fear that it might feel cheap and shoddy, but the A53 definitely does not. There’s no real give in the rear surface, and the phone’s frame feels quite sturdy. Generally speaking, there’s a reassuring heft to the phone.
This feeling is backed up by some strong durability specifications, too. Namely, the phone features IP67 water and dust resistance, which is only a small step below the top IP68 rating you’ll find in the premium models.
The only thing that goes against it is the shape. Like the new S22 models, the front and back of the phone are completely flat. That means there are no curves to help it sit a bit more comfortably in the hand.
