Samsung announced the Galaxy A53 5G alongside the Galaxy A33 5G during an event on 17 March. The Galaxy A series typically takes some features from the flagship Galaxy S range but make a couple of compromises in order to hit a cheaper price point.

We're comparing how the Galaxy A53 5G stacks up against the Galaxy S21 FE and the Galaxy S22 models to help you make the right decision for you and help you understand how the devices differ from each other.

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

  • A53 5G: 159.6 x 74.8 x 8.1mm, 189g
  • S22: 146 x 70.6 x 7.6mm, 168g
  • S22+: 157.4 x 75.8 x 7.6mm, 196g
  • S21 FE: 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9mm, 177g

The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G comes with a similar design to the Galaxy S21 FE and Galaxy S22, though where the other devices offer camera housings that wrap into their frames, the Galaxy A53 5G has a camera housing as an island in the top left of the rear instead.

On the front, the Galaxy A53 5G has a centralised punch hole camera at the top of its display, which the S21 FE, S22 and S22+ all offer too, with each device offering minimal bezels around the screen.

They all have flat displays and they all feature USB Type-C charging. The Galaxy A53 5G has a quad camera within its housing on the rear though, while the Galaxy S21 FE, Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ all have a triple rear camera.

Colours vary across the models too. The Galaxy A53 5G and Galaxy S21 FE opt for 'glasstic' rears, while the S22 models have glass on the back. There is also a difference in the IP ratings, with the Galaxy S22 models and the Galaxy S21 FE offering an IP68 rating, compared to the Galaxy A53 5G's IP67 rating.

In terms of size, the Galaxy A53 5G is the largest of the models being compared, though the Galaxy S22+ is the heaviest.

Display

  • A53 5G: 6.5-inch, Full HD+, 120Hz
  • S22: 6.1-inch, Full HD+, 10-120Hz
  • S22+: 6.6-inch, Full HD+, 10-120Hz
  • S21 FE: 6.4-inch, Full HD+, 120Hz

The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G features a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a Full HD+ resolution. That puts it in between the Galaxy S22+ and the Galaxy S21 FE in terms of size. Both these models offer a Super AMOLED panel too and they both have a Full HD+ resolution as well.

The Galaxy S21 FE has a 6.4-inch display, while the Galaxy S22+ has a 6.6-inch screen. The Galaxy S22 is a little smaller at 6.1-inches.

The biggest difference between these models in terms of display is the refresh rate. While the Galaxy A53 5G and the Galaxy S21 FE both have a 120Hz refresh rate, it isn't variable. The Galaxy S22 models meanwhile, have a variable refresh rate between 10Hz and 120Hz.

All models being compared here have under-display fingerprint readers.

Samsung Galaxy S22

Hardware and specs

  • A53 5G: Exynos 1280, 6GB RAM, 128GB, microSD, 5000mAh
  • S22: Qualcomm SD 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8GB RAM, 128/256GB, 3700mAh
  • S22+: Qualcomm SD 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8GB RAM, 128/256GB, 4500mAh
  • S21 FE: Qualcomm SD888/Exynos 2100, 6GB/8GB RAM, 128/256GB, 4370mAh

The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G runs on the Exynos 1280 chipset, though this could differ depending on the region. It offers 6GB of RAM support and 128GB of storage, though there is microSD support to expand storage up to 1TB. It's also possible to adapt the storage into virtual RAM, up to 6GB.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ all run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, or the Exynos 2200, depending on the region. Generally, this means they are the more powerful devices, as you would expect.

The S22 devices run on 8GB of RAM with 128GB or 256GB of storage, while the Galaxy S21 FE has 6GB and 8GB variants, with either 128GB or 256GB of storage. It's worth noting that none of the S22 models, or the S21 FE has microSD for storage expansion.

The Galaxy A53 5G also has the largest battery capacity with a 5000mAh cell under its hood, supporting 25W fast charging. The Galaxy S22+ has a 4500mAh battery, while the S21 FE has a 4370mAh cell and the S22 has a 3700mAh battery. The S22 models and S21 FE all support fast charging and they all offer wireless charging too - something the A53 5G doesn't have.

Cameras

  • A53 5G: Quad rear (64MP + 12MP + 5MP + 5MP), 32MP front camera
  • S22/S22+: Triple rear (50MP + 12MP + 12MP), 10MP front camera
  • S21 FE: Triple rear (12MP + 12MP + 8MP), 32MP front camera

The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G comes with a quad rear camera, which consists of a 64-megapixel f/1.8 main camera, 12-megapixel f/2.2 ultra wide camera, 5-megapixel f/2.4 depth camera and a 5-megapixel f/2.4 macro camera. There's also a 32-megapixel front camera on board.

The Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+ feature a triple rear camera consisting of a 50-megapixel main sensor, plus two 12-megapixel sensors for ultrawide and telephoto, with the telephoto camera capable of 3x optical zoom. There's a 10-megapixel front camera on both models.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE meanwhile, also has a triple rear camera, but the make-up is different to the S22 models. The S21 FE has a 12-megapixel main camera with f/1.8 aperture and OIS, 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera with f/2.2 and an 8-megapixel telephoto sensor with f/2.4 on board. Like the A53 5G, it has a 32-megapixel front camera.

The A53 5G has optical image stabilisation on its main camera, though it doesn't offer optical zoom as it doesn't have a telephoto lens, while the S22 models and the S21 FE all have optical zoom. It's important to remember that more megapixels - or more lenses - don't always mean better shots and when it comes to camera results, while the A53 5G is likely to be good, the S22 models will no doubt be better.

Price

  • A53 5G: From £399
  • S22: From £769
  • S22+: From £949
  • S21 FE: From £699/$799

The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G will start at £399 in the UK, which is almost half the price of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE and Galaxy S22, and definitely half the price of the S22+.

Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G offers a slightly different design to the Galaxy S22 models and the Galaxy S21 FE, though its still a great design with a large screen, slim build, decent camera system and a big battery.

You make a few compromises compared to the S21 FE and S22 models for the cut in price, mainly in terms of power, and camera capabilities, especially in the case of the S22 models, but the A53 5G is still a very strong contender for those that want to spend half the money but not lose half the features of the flagship models.