Samsung announced the Galaxy A53 5G at an event on 17 March 2022, alongside the Galaxy A33 5G. The A53 5G succeeds the excellent A52 5G, offering a boost in performance, along with a slight price increase. 

We've compared the Galaxy A33 5G and the A53 5G in a separate feature, but here is how the Galaxy A53 5G compares to its predecessor, the Galaxy A52 5G. We've also referenced the A52s 5G and A52 for comparison.

Samsung Galaxy A53 5G A Series Smartphone, Factory Unlocked Android Cell Phone, 128GB, 6.5” FHD Super AMOLED Screen, Long Battery Life, US Version, Black

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Design

  • Galaxy A53 5G: 159.9 x 74.7 x 8.1mm, 189g
  • Galaxy A52 devices: 159.9 x 75.1 x 8.4mm, 189g

The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G looks almost identical to its predecessor, making a couple of small tweaks, mainly to the camera housing on the rear. The Galaxy A53 5G has a more streamlined camera unit than the Galaxy A52 devices, with the edges blending into the back.

The colours are different too, with the purple of the Galaxy A52 5G switched out for an orange in the A53 5G. Black, white and a blue colour are offered across both models. 

On the front, there are very slim bezels around the display on the Galaxy A52 models and the Galaxy A53 and all devices have a centralised punch hole camera at the top of the display.

The A52 devices and A53 5G are also IP67 water and dust resistant and they are almost identical in terms of size and weight.

Display

  • Galaxy A53 5G: 6.5-inch, Super AMOLED, Full HD+, 120Hz
  • Galaxy A52 5G/A52s 5G: 6.5-inch, Super AMOLED, Full HD+, 120Hz
  • Galaxy A52: 6.5-inch, Super AMOLED, Full HD+, 90Hz

The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G comes with a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED Full HD+ display, which is the same as what you'll find on the Galaxy A52 5G and Galaxy A52s 5G so there's no difference in this department.

The devices also all offer a 120Hz refresh rate, though it's worth noting that this refresh rate isn't variable like you'll find on the Galaxy S22 range. For reference, the Galaxy A52 model without 5G has a 6.5-inch Full HD+ display too, but a 90Hz refresh rate. 

As we mentioned previously, both the Galaxy A53 5G and A52 devices have a punch hole camera at the top of their displays.

Hardware and specs

  • Galaxy A53 5G: Exynos 12980, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, 5000mAh
  • Galaxy A52 5G: Qualcomm SD750G, 5G, 6/8GB RAM, 128/256GB storage, 4500mAh
  • Galaxy A52s 5G: Qualcomm SD778G, 5G, 6/8GB RAM, 128/256GB storage, 4500mAh
  • Galaxy A52: Qualcomm SD720G, LTE, 4/6/8GB RAM, 128/256GB storage, 4500mAh

The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G runs on the Exynos 1280 chipset, supported by 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There is microSD support for storage expansion up to 1TB. It's also possible to allocate up to 6GB of storage as virtual RAM.

As you would expect based on its name, the A53 5G has 5G capabilities, like the A52 5G and A52s 5G, though not the standard A52. 

The A52 5G and A52s 5G run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G and 750G respectively, and they both come with 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage. The standard Galaxy A52 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G with a choice of 4GB, 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB storage.

In terms of battery capacities, the Galaxy A53 5G has a 5000mAh cell under its hood, which supports 25W fast charging. The A52 5G and A52s 5G both have a 4500mAh battery. 

None of the models offer wireless charging, though they all have stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos

Cameras

  • Galaxy A53 5G: Quad rear (64MP main + 12MP ultra wide + 5MP depth + 5MP macro), 32MP front
  • Galaxy A52 5G: Quad rear (64MP main + 12MP ultra wide + 5MP depth + 5MP macro), 32MP front

The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G comes with a quad rear camera that is comprised of a 64-megapixel main camera with f/1.8 aperture and optical image stabilisation, 12-megapixel ultra wide camera with f/2.2 aperture, 5-megapixel depth camera with f/2.4 aperture and 5-megapixel marco camera with f/2.4 aperture.

The Samsung Galaxy A52, A52 5G and A52s 5G all come with the same camera setup as each other, as well as the same as the A53 5G. The A52 5G offers a solid camera performance for its price from the main and ultra wide cameras so the same is expected from the A53 5G.

The Galaxy A53 5G and Galaxy A52 devices all feature a 32-megapixel front camera with f/2.2 aperture so there's no change on the front either.

Samsung Galaxy A52 5G

Conclusion

There isn't a huge amount of change between the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G and its predecessors, both the Galaxy A52 5G and the A52s 5G. The design has been refined slightly and it's had a processor and battery boost, but that's pretty much it.

The camera system remains the same in the Galaxy A53 5G - not a bad thing - and the display is the same too - also not a bad thing. The price has also seen a little hike, which might mean that the Galaxy A33 is a more appealing option.

Overall, if you're considering an upgrade from the A52 5G or A52s 5G then you may not need to this time around, but if you're deciding between the 2021 and 2022 devices then the A53 5G is the solid choice unless you can get the A52 5G or A52s 5G at a good price.