Samsung’s new range of Galaxy A-models offer a variety of different specs and prices, and the Galaxy A53, in particular, provides a great balance of price-to-spec ratio. If you’re curious about the phone or are thinking of picking one up when it launches, here are a few reasons why we think that it’s a great and practical smartphone for people who are looking for a great mid-range Android device.
The Samsung Galaxy A53 comes in an all-plastic design, but Samsung manages to make the phone look premium in all its polycarbonate glory. The matte back panel is reminiscent of the design on the high-end Samsung flagships, more particularly with the camera panel.
The Galaxy A53 also comes with IP67 dust and water resistance which is a terrific addition, considering that this is a feature we don’t usually find on mid-range smartphones from competing brands. There’s also a microSD card slot built-in, as well as dual speakers on the top and bottom of the phone which are great features to have at this price.
Samsung has always been known for the great display quality on their midrange and flagship smartphones, and the Galaxy A53 keeps in line with that tradition. On the front of the phone, you’ll find a 6.5-inch AMOLED display protected with Gorilla Glass 5, and a resolution of 1080 x 2400 Pixels. It also comes with a 120hz refresh rate, which is a terrific feature for a mid-range device.
The display also features a hole-punch for the camera, which gives the device a very modern look. By comparison, the very similar-looking Galaxy A33 comes with a teardrop notch for the camera placement, but the hole punch is simply a cleaner look overall.
In terms of battery capacity, you’ll find a massive 5,000 mAh battery inside the Galaxy A53, which should be more than enough to get you through your day. We still have to see how the processor on this phone performs when it finally launches, but I think it’s safe to say that a battery of this size should be enough for most users. Compared to other affordable handsets like the iPhone SE and Google Pixel 5a, the Galaxy A53’s battery outclasses both of these for a minor price difference.
While Samsung has been criticized in the past for not providing long-term support for their phones, the company has made efforts to turn that around recently, pledging up to four years of OS upgrades for the Galaxy A53, and up to five years of security updates.
This adds a lot of value to the device, especially considering that we used to only have this kind of long-term support for the more expensive Samsung flagships. This also makes the A53 a nice choice when compared to phones like the Google Pixel 6, which are slated to receive a similar amount of software support but are priced more expensively by comparison.
The Samsung Galaxy A53 will come priced around $450 in the US when it launches on April 1, and I think that this is a perfectly good price given the specs sheet. While we still have to see how the chipset and cameras perform overall, but other features like a 120hz Super AMOLED display, IP67 waterproofing, and a 5000 mAh battery certainly add a lot of value to a phone in this price range.
On the other hand, there are a myriad of Chinese phone brands out there that offer similar if not better specs for less cash. But given that the A53 will be readily available to ship when it launches, with full compatibility for US carriers, this makes it a somewhat safe choice for those looking to try out a mid-range device from a well-known brand.