When it comes to mid-range smartphones, Samsung has always been a solid contender, offering quality devices that strike a balance between price, performance, and design. The Samsung Galaxy A53 is no exception, standing out for its stunning looks. However, for all the beauty it boasts, there’s a bit of a catch its performance doesn’t quite keep up with the flair.
Technical specifications
| Category | Specifications |
| Network | Technology: GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| Launch | Announced: March 17, 2022 Status: Available, Released March 24, 2022 |
| Body | Dimensions: 159.6 x 74.8 x 8.1 mm (6.28 x 2.94 x 0.32 in) Weight: 189 g (6.67 oz) |
| Build: Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic frame, plastic back SIM: Single or Hybrid Dual SIM | |
| Water/Dust Resistance: IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min) | |
| Display | Type: Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 800 nits (HBM) Size: 6.5 inches, ~85.4% screen-to-body ratio |
| Resolution: 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~405 ppi density) Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | |
| Platform | OS: Android 12, One UI 6, up to 4 major Android upgrades Chipset: Exynos 1280 (5 nm) |
| CPU: Octa-core (2×2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) GPU: Mali-G68 | |
| Memory | Card Slot: microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) Internal: 128GB 4GB/6GB/8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB/8GB RAM |
| Main Camera | Quad: 64 MP (wide), 12 MP (ultrawide), 5 MP (macro), 5 MP (depth) Features: LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Video: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS | |
| Selfie Camera | Single: 32 MP (wide) Features: HDR Video: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | Loudspeaker: Yes, with stereo speakers 3.5mm Jack: No |
| Communications | WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct Bluetooth: 5.1, A2DP, LE |
| Positioning: GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS NFC: Yes (market/region dependent) | |
| USB: USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | |
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass, barometer (market dependent) |
| Virtual proximity sensing | |
| Battery | Type: Li-Po 5000 mAh, non-removable Charging: 25W wired |
| Miscellaneous | Colors: Black, White, Blue, Peach Models: SM-A536B, SM-A536B/DS, SM-A536U, and more |
| SAR Values | Head: 0.75 W/kg (USA) / 0.89 W/kg (EU) Body: 1.58 W/kg (USA) / 1.60 W/kg (EU) |
| Price | $ 134.09 / € 295.37 / £ 179.00 |
The Design
First things first, the Samsung Galaxy A53 is a looker. It’s one of those phones that turns heads when you pull it out of your pocket. The sleek and slim design, with a smooth matte finish on the back, gives it a modern, premium feel. You’d almost mistake it for a flagship model at first glance. Available in a range of fun colors, like Awesome Blue and Awesome Peach, it’s a phone that targets a younger audience or at least, those who want their devices to have a little personality.
The display is another major highlight. It’s got a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED screen that’s bright, vivid, and easy on the eyes. Whether you’re watching videos, scrolling through social media, or simply texting, the colors pop in a way that makes everything feel a bit more immersive. The slim bezels help too, giving you a large screen-to-body ratio and making the phone feel sleek and sophisticated. It feels great in hand lightweight, slim, and just the right size for both comfort and usability. It’s everything you’d want from a phone that’s designed to impress visually.
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The Camera
The camera setup is another area where the A53 tries to punch above its weight. On paper, it’s quite capable. With a 64MP main sensor, you can capture detailed photos that are sharp and vibrant, especially in good lighting conditions. The wide-angle and macro lenses also provide extra versatility, so whether you’re snapping landscape shots or getting up close to something, the A53 delivers decent results. Selfie lovers will appreciate the 32MP front camera, which does a good job with skin tones and details.
The Performance: Where Things Slow Down
But here’s where things start to fall apart the performance. While the Galaxy A53 looks and feels like it should be zippy, the reality is quite different. Powered by Samsung’s own Exynos 1280 chipset, the phone tends to struggle with more demanding tasks. Sure, if you’re only browsing the web, sending texts, or watching the occasional video, it’ll be fine. But the moment you start multitasking or running more resource-intensive apps, you’ll start to notice the lag.
One of the biggest culprits behind the sluggishness is Samsung’s software. The A53 runs One UI 4.1 on top of Android 12, and while One UI has some nice features and looks polished, it’s also quite heavy. The result is that navigating the phone can feel slow at times, with noticeable stutters when switching between apps or scrolling through menus. The Exynos chip just doesn’t seem to be able to keep up with everything the software is asking it to do, especially compared to some of its Snapdragon-powered competitors.
Gaming is another weak spot. While casual games run just fine, titles that demand more power like “Call of Duty Mobile” or “Genshin Impact” struggle to maintain smooth performance. You’ll notice frame drops, longer load times, and a generally sluggish experience.
Battery Life
Fortunately, the Samsung Galaxy A53 does manage to redeem itself somewhat with solid battery life. The 5,000mAh battery is enough to keep the phone going for a full day with moderate use. Whether you’re streaming, scrolling, or even snapping pictures, you won’t find yourself reaching for the charger too often. And when you do need to charge, it supports 25W fast charging, though it’s worth noting that Samsung doesn’t include a charge in the box anymore a trend that’s becoming more common but still a bit frustrating for buyers.
Conclusion
In the end, the Samsung Galaxy A53 is a device that dazzles at first glance but struggles to keep up in day-to-day performance. If you’re looking for an affordable phone, that looks fantastic and can handle light use with ease, it’s a good option. However, if you prioritize speed, responsiveness, and gaming performance, you might find yourself getting frustrated with its sluggishness.
Still, for the price point, it’s hard to complain too much. The A53 excels where it matters most for casual user’s style, display, and battery life. Just be prepared to deal with some slowdowns along the way.