Samsung’s new Galaxy A53 5G has a lot of high end features for its price. This is my quick-lightning review of the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G after more than one month of using it.
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G Key Specifications:
- Body: 159.6×74.8×8.1mm, 189g; plastic body, glass front; IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 mins).
- Display: 6.50″ Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 800 nits (HBM), 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 405ppi.
- Chipset: Exynos 1280 (5 nm): Octa-core (2×2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G68.
- Network & Connectivity: 2G/4G/5G (compatible with Malaysia 5G), WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS (A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS), NFC, USB Type C
- Memory: 256GB 8GB RAM; microSDXC (shared SIM slot).
- Operating System: Android 12, One UI 4.1.
- Rear camera: Wide (main): 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, 1/1.7X”, 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.2, 123-degree, 1.12µm; Macro: 5 MP, f/2.4; Depth: 5 MP, f/2.4.
- Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8″, 0.8µm.
- Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps; gyro-EIS; Front camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps.
- Battery: 5000mAh; Fast charging 25W.
- Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); Virtual proximity sensing
The Price: Priced at RM1849, the Galaxy A53 5G is one of the best mid-ranger phone from Samsung with 5G support and decent features.
The Build: Looking identical to last year’s Galaxy A52 5G, the new Galaxy A53 5G has a more appealing design. The back panel has a matte finish that feels comfortable to the touch, not being slippery or overly plasticky. Its a good looking phone.
The Display: The 6.5 inch screen is bigger than the Galaxy S22 screen. Its probably one of the best screen you’ll find at this price point. It has a 120Hz maximum refresh rate and the 1080p resolution is sharp enough. There’s no HDR content support though.
The Camera: Generally the pictures are really good under good lighting conditions, especially with the 64-megapixel main camera sensor with OIS. There’s 4K video support and the selfie camera is also quite good.
The Audio: There are two stereo speakers- top front-firing, bottom side-firing. Audio playback was solid. It delivers consistent midrange and satisfying bass.
Performance: The phone can be sluggish at times, especially when switching between apps or when the keyboard takes a while to pop up. Overall, it still performs reasonably well. You won’t get excellent gaming experience but it will run smoothly.
Battery: The phone battery could last a day and sometimes even more, depending on usage. There’s about 5-6 hours of screen time before you need to charge that 5,000 mAH battery. The phone supports 25W fast-charging but you need to get your own charger.
What’s Missing with the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G: There are a couple of things. There’s no Wifi 6 support, no HDR, no 3.5mm headphone jack and no charger provided in the box.
My Recommendations: Overall, the Galaxy A53 5G is not perfect but has a lot to offer. It is among the first Samsung midrange smartphone to be eligible for 4 major OS (up to Android 16 in 2026) and 5 years of security updates (until 2027) – which means software on this phone is supported until 2027, making it future proof! If you are looking for a decent midrange smartphone, this is probably one of the best.