Samsung Galaxy A53 in the test: the classic smartphone just keeps getting better

With the Galaxy A53, Samsung wants to build on the old successes of the previous mid-range smartphones. The Galaxy A50, A51 and A52 have been great sellers and extremely popular. Samsung has improved a few points in the new generation, but there is still a lot of catching up to do in one area. I’ve been able to use the smartphone extensively over the past two weeks and I’ll tell you in the review what you can really expect from the Galaxy A53.

Optics only changed in detail

Samsung didn’t really let off steam when it came to customizing the Galaxy A53’s looks. Compared to its predecessor, only small “improvements” have been made. It is still a smartphone made of plastic. At the relatively high price one could have expected a little more. After all, the 4G version is dropped and you have to Buy the 5G model directly for 449 euros. It could also have been a metal frame.

Basically, I have to say that the revised frame, which now ends directly with the back, is a welcome improvement. This makes the Galaxy A53 even better to hold. In contrast to the predecessors, the back can no longer be dented as much, what gives a higher quality feeling. Of course, the color “Awesome Peach” made available to us really catches the eye. The color stands out particularly well in direct sunlight.

Although I used the smartphone without a protective cover during the two-week test period, the shiny frame basically showed no signs of wear or scratches. I couldn’t see any signs of wear on the display either. I would still advise you to get a case and a tempered glass to protect your smartphone properly. through the With IP67 certification, the Galaxy A53 is well protected against dust and water.

Display is visibly brighter

The 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display, which can achieve up to 800 nits of brightness, caught my eye very positively. You could also read the display of the predecessor outdoors, but with the higher brightness this is even easier with the Galaxy A53. Even if the sun shines directly on the display, you can still see everything:

This is a huge advantage compared to many other mid-range smartphones, because savings are often made on exactly this point.

By default, the Samsung Galaxy A53 now has one 120Hz refresh rate. This should ensure a smooth display. It does, but the software isn’t where it should be yet. More on that below.

The fingerprint sensor is built into the display. As usual with optical Fingerprint sensors in screens are much too deep. This makes handling unnecessarily difficult. The recognition of the finger is okay. A little tip: Always save the fingers twice, then it works even better. After applying a protective film, the fingerprints should be saved again.

Samsung leaves a lot out

As in the predecessor, Samsung installs two loudspeakers. The sound is absolutely fine. There is a lack of bass, but that is normal for a smartphone. The 3.5mm jack has been removed. Headphones can only be connected via USB-C or Bluetooth. Speaking of which: there is no power supply included, there is no protective film on the display and you have to decide whether to Insert two SIM cards or one SIM card and microSD card would like to.

If you buy the Samsung Galaxy A53, you still have to have some money available to stock up on a few accessories. However, it is gratifying that the internal memory can still be upgraded. This is no longer possible in the top class at Samsung.

Performance has to get better

I don’t know exactly what it is, but this Samsung Galaxy A53 does not run as smoothly as the operationsright Although you actually have a modern processor, lots of RAM and a 120 Hz display, small delays are the order of the day. Somehow this reminds me a lot of the test of the Galaxy S22 Ultra. While the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus ran smoothly, the Galaxy S22 Ultra was not. A software update helped. I assume that Samsung will also get the problem under control with the Galaxy A53. Of course it’s still not a good first impression.

Otherwise, you get the typical Samsung software with the Galaxy A53. It comes preinstalled with Android 12 and One UI 4.1 directly. This gives you many functions and customization options, allowing you to customize your phone to suit your needs. Unfortunately is again some bloatware pre-installed. I don’t count the Samsung apps among them, but you get a lot of additional apps that you probably don’t need at all. These include the applications from Microsoft, Otto or Wish. I would no longer describe TikTok and Netflix as bloatware, which is usually installed on the cell phone anyway.

Unbeatable update guarantee

If you buy a Samsung smartphone like the Galaxy A53, you don’t have to worry for five years. As long as Samsung will provide updates for it. There will also be four new Android versions. So you get Android 13, 14, 15 and 16. Getting something like that in the mid-range is quite a highlight. Smartphones are being used for longer and longer because they simply run clean for longer. Samsung helps to ensure that the cell phone can be used for as long as possible without having to take any security risks from outdated software.

State-of-the-art camera

Like the previous one the Samsung Galaxy A53 takes decent photos in good lighting conditions. There is a 64 MP main camera that is optically image stabilized. This makes for really nice photos. In difficult lighting conditions, you have to hold the smartphone steady for a long time for the photo to succeed. The zoom should not be overused, because it only works digitally. At four times the image quality is still acceptable. At 10x magnification, even in good light conditions, you get more of a mud than a sharp image. A real telephoto lens is missing.

In addition, there is a super wide angle with 12 MP. Overall the photos were pretty good too. Now and then the edges are very blurry. I couldn’t really figure out why this happens. You should always check the photos once they have been taken, otherwise you will be annoyed later if there are image errors. Samsung installs a depth and macro camera with a resolution of 5 MP each as the third and fourth sensor. They’re basically superfluous. It would have been better to have integrated a telephoto lens.

Below are some photos I took with the Samsung Galaxy A53 in different situations:

The video quality is also okay. You can record videos in 4K and at 30 frames per second. However, I would rather recommend Full HD and 60 FPS, as the content then looks much more realistic – especially when filming moving objects. The image stabilization works very well and you can zoom cleanly during recording.

Battery life is convincing, but could be better

Samsung installed a larger 5,000 mAh battery in the Galaxy A53, so I actually expected the battery life to increase noticeably compared to the predecessor. But I didn’t really notice that much. The battery life is good, but there could have been more. I used the smartphone a lot in the WLAN and depending on the SIM card in the 4G network of Telekom and Vodafone. I got almost two days of runtime with the 120Hz display enabled with normal use of the phone. With intensive use I easily got through the day. If you use your cell phone sparingly, you can reach more than two days. The display-on time was seven to eight hours. You could certainly achieve more with 60 Hz.

To be honest, I would have expected a little more. That The Galaxy A53 consumes a relatively large amount of energy when idle. If you don’t do anything with it, then you lose an unusual amount of battery. That’s not dramatic and you hardly notice it when you use the smartphone, but I also left it for two days and then suddenly 40 percent of the battery was gone. It is quite possible that the problem can be solved with a software update.

The smartphone can be charged with up to 25 watts. But you have to already have a power supply unit or buy one. The battery is completely full again in about 1.5 hours. That’s OK. The smartphone cannot be charged wirelessly.

ratings in detail