Samsung A53 5G – 5G smartphone for $699 (smartphone review)

The Samsung A53 5G is a decent 5G smartphone for $699. It will appeal to those with the cash and who want a well-known brand with a long Android update policy.

We use the term ‘decent’ because while there is nothing wrong with the phone (put positively – everything is right), in some respects, the Samsung A53 5G is not quite as good as the 2021 A52 it replaces. And at the price, it is pretty well the only 2022 phone in the $600-699 bracket.

That begs the question of whether you may get better value in its $599 A33 5G or its $799 A73 5G. Looking at the specs alone, the A33 seems mighty tempting. The A73 has stronger competition with the OPPO Find X5 Lite with 256GB storage (OPPO Find X5 Lite – $799 uber-value (review). Or, for that matter, find the extra and go for the $999 Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, Fan Edition (review).

Brief Spec comparison – Samsung A33, A53, A73

Model	A33 5G	A53 5G	A73 5G
Price	$599	$699	$799
Colours	Awesome Blue Awesome Black Peach	Same Same N/A	Awesome Greys Awesome Mint Awesome White
Dimensions and weight	159.7 x 74 x 8.1 mm 186 grams	159.6 x 74.8 x 8.1 mm 189 grams	163.7 x 76.1 x 7.6 mm 181 grams
Display	6.4” 2400 x 1080 Super AMOLED 90Hz	6.5” 2400 x1080 Same 60/120Hz	6.7”2400 x 1080 Super AMOLED Plus Same
Processor	Samsung Exynos 1280, octa-core 2.4 GHz	Same Same	Qualcomm SD778G octa-core 2.4 GHz
Memory	6/128 GB microSD slot	Same	Same
Software	Android 12, One UI	Same	Same
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 5 AC Bluetooth 5.2	Same Same	Wi-Fi 6 AX Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
Sound	Stereo Dolby Atmos downmix	Same	Same
Camera Rear	48+8+5+2MP Bins to 12MP	64+12+5+5MP Bins to 16MP	108+12+5+5MP Bins to 12.5MP
Camera Front	Front: 13MP	Front: 32MP bins to 8MP	Same
Battery	5000mAh 25W capable no charger inbox)	Same	Same
Additional features	Dual SIM Single/MicroSD hybrid IP67	Same	Same

Better buy genuine, or 5G won’t work

We issue a strong warning that you must buy a genuine model with Australian firmware if you want to use 5G. Read Don’t buy a grey market phone to ensure you get the Australian model.

It is easy to identify the Australian version – usually, under Settings, About Phone, Legal Information, and Regulatory compliance, you will see the Australian RCM C-tick mark.

You can see the Samsung A53 5G models and those not to buy in the table at the end.

New Deep-Dive review format

It is now in two parts – a five-minute overview for most readers and a separate 300+ line database-driven spec including over 70 tests to back up the summary. It also helps us compare different phones and features.

Samsung A53 5G Model 6/128GB Model SM-A536E (Single Sim/microSD) and AM-A536E/DS (dual sim/microSD hybrid)

First impression

I don’t mind plastic backs (or glastic or polycarbonate – whatever you call it), but this matte Awesome Blue is more like a light sky-blue, and it looks inexpensive. It is not so much a fingerprint magnet as a greasy finger magnet.

The chrome-like plastic frame houses the power and volume rocker buttons on the right side. It makes it look thicker than belies the 8.1mm thickness.

6.5” Super AMOLED 60 or 120Hz

The Samsung A53 5G has a 6.5” bright sAMOLED display with accurate colour gamut coverage of the 8-bit, 16.7m colour spectrum. It is daylight readable and flat.

The screen is 60Hz or 120Hz – it is not adaptive. The 120Hz knocks about 30% from battery life in typical use and closer to 50% in streaming video. For 99% of the time, leave it at 60Hz.

Processor – Exynos 1280 is new

While Samsung claims (on paper) that it is 2.1x faster and has more AI than the Qualcomm it replaced in the A52 5G, we just don’t see it in the tests. If anything, it feels slower. We suspect this is more about Samsung trying to achieve better battery life.

Storage is slower at 468/88Mbps – the A52 scored 513/267, but it is fast enough to record 4K@30fps. As usual for Samsung, you can use OTG to access an external SSD, but it won’t run the speed test.

Throttling – reasonably good

With the caveat that we are not gamers – it is only capable of 1080p games at medium or less frame rates.

It drops 16% over 15 minutes – reasonable thermal management.

Comms – No Wi-Fi 6

This has Wi-Fi 5 AC HE80, which means it maxes out at 433Mbps. Signal strength on the 5GHz band was good to 10m.

It has USB-C 2.0 and a maximum data transfer rate of 480Mbps which means <30MBps speeds.

GPS is accurate to about 3m, which is fine for in-car navigation.

Phone – city/suburbs only

It supports all Australian 4G and 5G sub-6Ghz and low bands. The antenna signal strength is good, but it only finds one tower, which seems standard for Exynos modems. The antenna is at the bottom of the device, and your hand can interfere with the signal.

It is only for city and suburbs where you have good tower coverage.

Battery – OK for a day

Overall, we expect it will require daily charging (at 60Hz screen refresh).

First, 120Hz shortens the battery life by 20-50%, depending on the app and use. Leave it on 60Hz. The most typical indicative test is PC Mar 3 Battery, and it gives 13 hours and 52 minutes of screen on time.

Second, it does not come with a charger inbox. If you buy a Samsung 25W charger (read Do you want a charger with that? The demise of inbox accessories (opinion) it will take about 1.5 hours to charge. The trick here is that it charges at 9V/2.77A/24.93W, which the genuine charger supports  – many third-party ones do not. A standard 5V/3A charger takes nearly 4 hours as it only charges at 10W.

If you buy any other charger, ensure that it supports PD 3.0 and that you buy a 3W (preferably 5W) cable.

Sound – OK but a little thin

It has no low/mid-bass and a gradual building of high bass. It has strong mid and treble but weak high-treble. That means it misses the most critical bass where you get all the musically important bass and a sense of sound direction – a reality as though the music were there. The soundstage is narrow and not helped by a perceptible imbalance to the bottom speaker.

Bluetooth supports SBC, AAC, LDAC and Samsung scalable (for Samsung buds) codecs but not Qualcomm aptX. It gives good volume and left/right separation.

Some readers have suggested we are too picky, but we know good sound How to tell if you have good music (sound signature is the key – guide.

Inbox

Nothing! There is even a video about it.

Missing

• 3.5mm 4-pole port, but most use USB-C earphones or a USB-C-3.5mm DAC
• Charger

Operating system – up to four years of upgrades and five years of security patches

Samsung’s policy makes owning one better and more secure for longer. That means Android 12 may reach Android 15!

One UI 4l1 is a light touch over Android and allows for its Samsung customisations. But we are growing more concerned at the need to sign up for a Samsung Account to access anything in its Theme or Galaxy App store – it is bad enough that Google knows all about us.

Our advice is not to use Samsung apps where they substitute for Google ones, especially if you brand swap and want seamless changeovers.

Samsung A53 5G Camera

It is the same camera setup as the 2021 A52 – 64+12+5+5 and a 32MP selfie. Due to the COVID related parts shortage, the sensors can come from Samsung or Sony (our unit).

We can see an improvement over the A52 mainly due to the increased Exynos A1 post-processing power.

Daylight: It would be hard to take a better picture – good detail and slightly saturated colour

Zoom: Excellent results with 1, 2, 5 and 10x zoom with good HDR

Ultrawide: I dislike seeing different colours from the primary lens, but overall, it is not a bad image

Office light: Excellent detail and colour

Bokeh: Try as we may, both the foreground and background were blurred (bokeh), and the mid area was in focus. This is an issue with firmware and the AI looking for a face.

Low-light – <40 lumens: The image was detailed and the colours quite good, but it obviously struggled, causing a lot of noise. The Night mode improved detail and reduced noise at the expense of colours.

Selfie: Excellent

Video: With OIS and EIS, 4k@30fps is stable and sharp. The colours are good. Sound recording was adequate to about 5 metres.

CyberShack’s view – The Samsung A53 5G is a decent smartphone with no downsides

The A-series is Samsung’s bread, and butter as only a small percentage of the world can afford its S-series. The 2021 A52 came of age, and it is a shame that the Samsung A53 5G is, in several ways, not quite as good. But hey, it is a crazy COVID influenced world and the move to Samsung Exynos over Qualcomm was probably more about assuring supply.

So, it is a safe, solid, slightly bland option if you have $699, but its real competition is from its 2021 A52, A33 and A73 because there is not enough user experience difference to count.

Rating

Given it is virtually alone in the $600-699 segment, it is the class leader there. It also meets or exceeds every test (except GFX Bench Manhattan, which usually happens with Exynos chips). And Samsung’s OS upgrade and security update policy and its 24-month warranty – it rates well.

The only slight blemish – the Exynos chip is not a great performer, Wi-Fi 5 (not 6), its phone signal strength is for city/suburbs where you have good tower coverage and np charger.

CyberShack Smartphone comparison v 1.1 (E&OE)

Samsung A53 5G

Brand	Samsung
Model	A53 5G
Model Number	SM-A536E
Price Base	6, 128
Price base	$699
Warranty months	12
Tier	24
Website	Product Page
Manual	PDF
From	Samsung Online and approved retailers
Country of Origin	Vietnam
Company	Samsung
Test date	18-23 April 2022
Ambient temp	20°
Release	March 2022
Other models not for Australia (Don’t buy)	Any with the letters after A536, including J, D, U, U1, N, O, OO B, B/DS. We are not sure if the E/DS is certified for Australia.

Screen

Size	6.5″
Type	sAMOLED
Flat, Curve, 2D, 3D	Flat, centre O-hole
Resolution	2400 x 1080
PPI	406
Ratio	20:9
Screen to Body %	0.854
Colours bits	8-bit 16.7M colours
Refresh Hz, adaptive	60 or 120Hz Fixed
Nits typical test	400 (Tested 398)
Nits max, test	800 HBM (tested to 730)
Contrast	Infinite
sRGB	Natural Mode 100%+
DCI-P3	Vivid Mode 87*
Rec.2020 or other	No
Delta E (<4 is excellent)	3
HDR Level	HDR10
SDR Upscale	No
Blue light control	Yes
PWM if known	Yes
Daylight readable	Yes
Always on Display	Yes
Edge display	Yes
Accessibility	Yes
DRM	Widevine L1 FOR 1080P SDR
Gaming	The screen may be up for it, but the processor is not
Screen protection	GG5
Comment	Lovely bright Super AMOLED screen

Processor

Brand, Model	Exynos 1280 https://semiconductor.samsung.com/processor/mobile-processor/exynos-1280/
nm	5
Cores	2×2.4GHz + 6×2.0GHz
Modem	Samsung Exynos integrated
AI TOPS	4.3
Geekbench 5 Single-core	747
Geekbench 5 multi-core	1897
Like	Qualcomm SD695 5G
GPU	Mail G68 MP2
GPU Test
Open CL	2551
Like	Similar to older SD845
Vulcan	2578
RAM, type	6 LPRDDR4X
Storage, free, type	128 (97GB free)
micro-SD	Yes, to 1TB (hybrid slot in dual sim version)
CPDT internal seq. Read MBps	468
CPDT internal seq. write MBps	88
CPDT microSD read, write MBps	79/26
CPDT external (mountable?) MBps	Recognised but won’t test
Comment	The write speed is considerably lower than excepted – it should be closer to 250MBps. We can not test the external storage speed, although the file manager identifies it.
Throttle test
Max GIPS	197461
Average GIPS	182848
Minimum GIPS	156784
% Throttle	16
CPU Temp	50
Comment	Reasonable thermal management.

Comms

Wi-FI Type	Wi-Fi 5 AC VHT80 MIM0 2×2
Test 2m -dBm, Mbps	-25/433
Test 5m	-49/433
Test 10m	-56/433
BT Type	5.2
GPS single, dual	Single accuracy <3m
USB type	USB-C 2.0
Alt DP, DeX, Ready For	No but can Miracast and Chromecast over Wi-Fi
NFC	Yes
Ultra-wideband	No
Sensors
Accelerometer	Yes
Gyro	Combo Accelerometer
e-Compass	Yes
Barometer	No
Gravity	No
Pedometer	No
Ambient light	TCS3701
Hall sensor	Yes
Proximity	Yes
Other
Comment	Basic sensor setup, although we suspect the ambient light sensor also measures RGB.

LTE and 5G

SIM	The review Model was E/DS dual/hybrid E model has a single Sim and microSD
Active	One at a time
Ring tone single, dual	Single
VoLTE	Carrier Dependent
Wi-Fi calling	Carrier Dependent
4G Bands	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66
Comment	All Australian bands and most world bands
5G sub-6Ghz	N1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 78
Comment	All Australian sub-6GHz and low bands
mmWave	No
Test Boost Mobile, Telstra
UL, DL, ms	20/15/43ms
Tower 1 -dBm, fW or pW	-83 to -104 38.9fW to 5pW – very variable depending on where you hold it
Tower 2	No
Tower 3	No
Tower 4	No
Comment	It uses a single bottom antenna. While it finds the first tower at quite high strength, it varies, especially if you hold it by the base. City/suburbs phone only where there is good tower coverage.

Battery

mAh	5000 – Claim 18 hours
Charger, type, supplied	No
PD, QC level	25W capable PS 2.0 5V/3A/15, 9V/2.77A/24.93W or 3.3-5.9V/3A and 3.3-11V/2.25A
Qi, wattage	No
Reverse Qi or cable	No
Test (60Hz)
Charge % 30mins	40%
Charge 0-100%	1 hour 37 minutes
Charge Qi, W	N/A
Charge 5V, 2A	4 hours 12 minutes
Video loop 50%, aeroplane	19 hours Youtube with Wi-Fi and 120Hz 8 hours
PC Mark 3 battery Accubattery	13 hours 53-minute 14hr and 34 minutes
GFX Bench Manhattan battery	Would not run
GFX Bench T-Rex	373.4min (6.22hrs) 3982 frames
Drain 100-0% full load screen on	5 hours 33 minutes
Watt full load	2A
Watt idle Screen on	300mA
Estimate loss at 120Hz	30% to 50% depending on the app and screen resolution
Estimate typical use	While the 18-hour typical use claim is probably accurate, this phone will need charging every day.
Comment	Tests were at 60Hz screen refresh, and the full load drain at 120Hz gave just under 4 hours.

Sound

Speakers	Stereo – top earpiece and bottom down-firing.
Tuning	No
AMP	2 x TFA9879 MPX Class-D stereo amp and DPS 1.6/2.65W@8/4OHM .2% THD
Dolby Atmos decode	Yes, downmix to two speakers
Hi-Res
3.5mm	No
BT Codecs	SBC, AAC, LDAC and Samsung Scalable. No Qualcomm aptX codecs.
Multipoint	Should be
Dolby Atmos (DA)	Auto, Movie, Music, Voice
EQ	Normal, Pop, Classic, Jazz, Rock, Custom
Mics	Dual
Test dB – all on EQ flat DA off
Volume max	80dB
Media (music)	75
Ring	75
Alarm	75
Notifications	75
Earpiece	53
Hands-free	Volume is a little low. Dual mics provide some noise cancellation but keep the bottom mic pointed towards your mouth.
BT headphones	Good sound and volume, although could only get SBC Codec on LDAC capable headphones.

Sound quality

Deep Bass 20-40Hz	No
Middle Bass 40-100Hz	No
High Bass 100-200Hz	Gradual build
Low Mid 200-400Hz	Gradual build
Mid 4000-1000Hz	Flattening
High-Mid 1-2kHz	Flattening
Low Treble 2-4kHz	Flat
Mid Treble 4-6kHz	Flat
High Treble 6-10kHz	Slow decline
Dog Whistle 10-20kHz	Slow decline
Sound Signature type	Bright Vocal (bass recessed, mid/treble boosted) – for vocal tracks and string instruments, but can make them harsh
Soundstage	imbalance to the bottom speaker makes the soundstage skewed.
Comment	The sound is OK but lacks punch, definition and depth – listenable for high-mid and low mid-treble vocals.

Build

Size (H X W x D)	159.6 x 74.8 x 8.1 mm
Weight grams	189
Front glass	GG5
Rear material	Plastic chrome finish
Frame	matte plastic flow over camera hump – attracts grease but not fingerprints
IP rating	67 1m for 30min
Colours	Awesome Blue Awesome Black
Pen, Stylus support	No
In the box
Charger	No
USB cable	Yes, 2W (you need a 3 or 5W for a fast charge
Buds	No
Bumper cover	No
Comment	More Samsung penny-pinching

OS

Android	12
Security patch date	1/03/2022
UI	One U1 4.1
OS upgrade policy	original plus 3 upgrades
Security patch policy	4 years
Bloatware	Yes. It is mainly Samsung substitutes for Google apps, but increasingly it is driving you to the Samsung Galaxy App and Theme store for even rudimentary fonts and themes. Do you want Samsung to know what you do?
Other
Comment
Security
Fingerprint sensor location, type	Optical under glass
Face ID	Yes

Camera

Rear Primary	Wide
MP	64MP bins to 16MP
Sensor	Sony IMX682
Focus	PDAF
f-stop	1.8
um	.8 bins to 1.6
FOV° (stated, actual)	83 (71)
Stabilisation	OIS
Zoom	8X digital
Rear 2	Ultra-wide
MP	12
Sensor	Sony IMX258
Focus	Fixed
f-stop	2.2
um	1.12
FOV (stated, actual)	123 (104)
Stabilisation	No
Zoom	No
Rear 3	Macro
MP	5
Sensor	Likely Samsung SK5E9
Focus	Fixed
f-stop	2.4
um	1.12
FOV (stated, actual)	N/A
Stabilisation	No
Zoom	No
Rear 4	Depth
MP	5
Sensor	Likely Samsung SK5F1
Focus	Fixed
f-stop	2.4
um	1.12
FOV (stated, actual)	N/A
Stabilisation	No
Zoom	No
Special
Video max	4K@30fps OIS/EIS
Flash	Single LED
Auto-HDR	Yes
QR code reader	Yes
Night mode	Yes
Front
MP	32MP bins to 8MP
Sensor	Sony IMX616
Focus	Fixed
f-stop	2.2
um	0.8 bins to 1.6
FOV (stated, actual)	83 (71)
Stabilisation	No
Flash	Screen fill
Zoom	4x digital
Video max	4K@30fps
Comment	Daylight: It would be hard to take a better picture – good detail and slightly saturated colour Zoom: Excellent results with 1, 2, 5 and 10x zoom with good HDR Ultrawide: I dislike seeing different colours from the primary lens, but overall, it is not a bad image Office light: Excellent detail and colour Bokeh: Try as we may, both the foreground and background were blurred (bokeh), and the mid area was in focus. This is an issue with firmware and the AI looking for a face. Low-light – <40 lumens: The image was detailed and the colours quite good, but it obviously struggled, causing a lot of noise. The Night mode improved detail and reduced noise at the expense of colours. Selfie: Excellent image Video: With OIS and EIS, 4k@30fps is stable and sharp. The colours are good. Sound recording was adequate to about 5 metres.

Ratings

Features	9
	It has everything you need
Value	8.5
	COVID supply issues and global uncertainty see this a tad higher than expected.
Performance	8
	The Exynos is an average performance chip. Phone signal strengths make this a city/suburb phone.
Ease of Use	9.5
	Excellent OS upgrade/update policy and 2-years warranty.
Design	8.5
	Nice but a little bland
Rating out of 10	8.7
Pro
1	Decent all-day battery life and faster-charging capability
2	OS updates for four years, security updates for five years
3	Quality, bright sAMOLED screen
4	Camera is good
5	IP67 and microSD
Con
1	The 2021 A52 5G is faster and better spec’d
2	No charger inbox
3	No Wi-Fi 6 (Exynos limitation)
4	Phone signal strengths are good but limited to one tower
5	Samsung is becoming more of its own ecosystem with a little too much Samsung bloatware – Apple-like
Final comment	It is a good successor to the A52 5G and a safe buy for the price. AMOLED, great warranty and updates – no downside.

Samsung A53 5G