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 | |
| 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
Samsunf A53 5G
$699
Pros
- Decent all-day battery life and faster-charging capability
- OS updates for four years, security updates for five years
- Quality, bright sAMOLED screen
- Camera is good
- IP67 and microSD
Cons
- The 2021 A52 5G is faster and better spec’d
- No charger inbox
- No Wi-Fi 6 (Exynos limitation)
- Phone signal strengths are good but limited to one tower
- Samsung is becoming more of its own ecosystem with a little too much Samsung bloatware – Apple-like
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