Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G Review: Cheaper than the A53

The Samsung A52s is the follow-up phone to the mid-range A52, which used to be launched again in spring 2021. Whilst it’s just about just like its sister handset in its external look, it has an upgraded chipset which Samsung claims improves the functionality and battery existence.

But how does this translate to day-to-day use? I’ve spent a while with the mid-range Samsung Galaxy A52s, seeing the way it gala’s and compares to opponents of a identical worth, together with this phone’s successor, the A53 5G

Design and construct

• Design does not fit the excessive requirements of opponents
• IP57 ranking
• Four colors on be offering

To stay prices down, mid-rangers all the time have sacrifices when in comparison to flagship fashions. For the A52s, that is in the construct high quality. It is rather bland and feels reasonable to your hand, like the same old A52. The bezel round the display screen may be rather thick, so it does not really feel as slender or swish as different telephones. The upside is that at a weight of 189g, this phone is light-weight and simple to port round.

I examined the black style, however you’ll be able to additionally get it in pink, white and mint. The rear s plastic fairly than glass and alternatives up fingerprints rather simply.

To persistent off the phone, you will have to press the devoted Bixby button and the quantity button at the identical time. I would favor that that there used to be a devoted persistent button as an alternative, as I slightly use Bixby Voice Assistant – which doesn’t have the identical emblem popularity as Google Assistant or Siri.

The A52s has a USB-C port for charging and a three.5mm headphone jack, in addition to house in the SIM tray for a microSD card slot, will have to the inside garage now not be sufficient for what you want. If you do not upload garage, you’ll be able to as an alternative pop in a 2nd SIM, however can not have each twin SIM and further garage.

It’s nice to look an IP57 ranking. Many telephones of this worth level forgo any more or less water-resistance. The stereo audio system produce loud audio, however the loss of any further audio processing makes it sound tinny.

Display

• 6.5in FHD+ demonstrate
• 120Hz refresh fee
• Fingerprint sensor and face popularity tool is dicey

Whilst the design is not anything to head loopy over, the demonstrate on the Samsung A52s is spectacular. It has a 6.5in Super AMOLED Full HD display screen, with a 120Hz refresh fee and 800 nits max brightness. It’s additionally secure through Gorilla Glass 5.

In simple English, that suggests a brilliant, vibrant and responsive demonstrate, even if used underneath brilliant daylight. Plus, the addition of the small ‘waterdrop’ in the best of the display screen for the front-facing digital camera rarely interrupts the image in any respect.

There isn’t any variable refresh fee on the phone, however it’s imaginable to change it to 60Hz as an alternative of the 120Hz default. Regardless, the battery nonetheless manages to ultimate a whole day, although you allow it set to 120Hz.

The demonstrate is flat fairly than curved and Samsung claims an 84.9% screen-to-body ratio. That’s now not dangerous for a mid-range phone, and whilst this isn’t the greatest demonstrate on a phone, it’s nonetheless nice for looking at movies.

I wasn’t in particular inspired through the in-display fingerprint sensor, or the face popularity the use of the entrance digital camera. Both labored erratically, and I stopped up resorting to the use of a password development extra than I’d have favored.

Specs and function

• Snapdragon 778G processor
• 6GB RAM and 128GB garage
• Great for same old day by day use and light-weight gaming

One of the greatest variations between this style and the A52 is the upgraded chipset. The A52s opts for a Snapdragon 778G processor, which has 5G fortify. This is paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB garage. Whilst those aren’t the absolute best numbers, you’ll be able to upload in a microSD card to extend garage through as much as 1TB. 

In comparability, the A52 runs an older Snapdragon 750G chip, and you’ll be able to see from our benchmarking exams how the A52s now not handiest outperforms the older style hugely however helps to keep up with mid-range heavyweights like the OnePlus Nord 2 in some spaces.

In real-world use, functionality is really superb. You can multi-task comfortably, looking at movies whilst surfing the web and not using a stutter or lagging. 

There is a few gaming possible, however  high-performance titles like Genshin Impact paintings perfect on the decrease settings and drain the battery fairly temporarily. You will want both a devoted gaming phone or a flagship for heavy-duty video games with excessive graphics output. 

Camera

• Rear digital camera could be very spectacular
• Front digital camera plays perfect in outside sunlight
• Macro digital camera is a waste of time

The Samsung Galaxy A52s includes a quad-camera set-up, which compromises of a 64Mp major lens, a 12Mp ultrawide lens, a 5Mp macro lens and a 5Mp intensity lens. The latter two really feel like they are there simply to make up the numbers, regardless that.

The footage taken on the major digital camera are spectacular. Colours are brilliant and contrasting, however nonetheless true to existence, not like some opponents which steadily overblow sunglasses. The inclusion of OIS (optical symbol stabilisation) signifies that footage are much less prone to be blurry, particularly in dim prerequisites or at night time.

The intensity sensor does have a receive advantages: you’ll be able to keep an eye on the power of the bokeh impact (the ones blurry backgrounds that make it appear to be you took the photograph the use of a DSLR) each earlier than taking pictures, and after. If you aren’t pleased with the quantity of blur, you’ll be able to edit this through urgent ‘trade background impact’.

Shots on the 12Mp ultrawide lens shouldn’t have such a lot superb element, nor do colors glance as wealthy and cheery.

The 5Mp macro lens is only a gimmick in reality. I discovered it awfully onerous to get an in-focus close-up shot of a desk bound matter.

On the entrance, there is a 32Mp selfie digital camera. Shots in this are in reality spectacular in brilliant sunlight. Again, you’ll be able to edit the bokeh impact on portrait mode each pre and post-shooting, taking into consideration flexibility. And that is in spite of the absence of a front-facing intensity sensor. There’s additionally a wide-angle mode, helpful for workforce pictures.

That mentioned, the high quality of the footage declines when you are taking snaps indoors. You can see in the take a look at pictures how the color of my hair appears to be like noticeably duller, and textures don’t pop in the identical means that they do in the outside pictures. This might be noticeable in case you are taking a look to take selfies in darker environments, akin to a bar at night time.

The Samsung Galaxy A52s can shoot video in 4K as much as 30fps. I shot a video in a darker atmosphere, and element have been unusually transparent. However, the integrated microphones are not the perfect. 

Battery existence

• Up to a day-and-a-half battery existence relying on use
• Upgraded processor does not toughen battery existence from A52
• Slow charger integrated in the field

The Samsung Galaxy A52s has a 4500mAh battery. While the upgraded processor used to be supposed to toughen the battery lifetime of the phone, the numbers did not display this. The A52s controlled 9 hours and six mins, while the A52 lasted 11 hours and three mins.

Despite being outperformed through the A52 in our PCMark battery take a look at, it nonetheless controlled to carry up smartly day by day. I used this phone for audiobooks, Twitch streams, Twitter and taking footage – and it lasted over an afternoon and a 1/2.

Charging is rather sluggish, regardless that. In half-hour, from empty, it controlled a measly 34% with the integrated 15W charger. The phone does fortify charging as much as 25W, however you’ll have to acquire a higher-power charger one by one. 

Granted, mid-range telephones do not all have fast-charging tech – however Samsung is hugely outpaced on this house through manufacturers akin to Realme and OnePlus. At least there is a charger in the field – the flagship S sequence does not come with one any further. 

The A52s does not have wi-fi charging. That’s now not a commonplace characteristic on mid-rangers – however that is one house the place the new iPhone SE beats the A52s.

Software

• Android 12 and One UI 4.1 upgrades are to be had
• Users reported insects with One UI 4.0
• One UI gives excellent photograph enhancing tool

When I gained the software, it got here with Android 11 with Samsung’s One UI 3.1 layered on the best. However, my evaluate unit were given the Android 12 with One UI 4.0 and four.1 upgrades right through trying out, so while it would possibly not include 12 immediately out of the field, be expecting an replace earlier than too lengthy.

When you get the replace to Android 12, the phone would possibly trade to One UI 4.0 fairly than 4.1. I like to recommend manually updating the phone to 4.1 through in search of ‘Software Update’ – Android Police reported that customers suffered functionality problems, overheating and digital camera high quality declines on model 4.0.

Version 4.1 features a patch replace to get to the bottom of those problems, and I will be able to attest that I had no issues on my phone. 

Samsung does come with some pre-installed app bloat, like reserving.com and Samsung Global Goals – regardless that you’ll be able to uninstall those if you wish to declutter your homepage. There’s additionally a push in opposition to Samsung variations of Google tool, together with the browser, calendar and notes. 

That apart, Google customers will discover a identical enjoy to inventory Android. One primary plus for Samsung is the enhancing options on the gallery, which different telephones in the house do not fit as much as. On the drop-down menu, there also are shortcuts for SmartThings, Samsung’s sensible house app, and Music Share for fast Bluetooth connection when taking part in tunes. 

Price & availability

The Samsung Galaxy A52s introduced at £409/$450. You can recently purchase it from Samsung, Amazon and John Lewis in the UK. The A52s isn’t to be had from carriers in the US, however you’ll be able to purchase a region-unlocked model from Amazon or Aliexpress.

As is commonplace with Samsung telephones, many shops be offering reductions off the RRP, and at the time of evaluate, we noticed the phone for as low as £319. As an advantage, Samsung may be throwing in a unfastened pair of Galaxy Buds Live with the handset if you are going to buy earlier than 22 April 2022. 

If you are attempting to make a decision between this phone and the A52, then you definitely get extra bang in your greenback with the A52s and its upgraded processer – a characteristic that can subject in the longer term.

But what about the emblem new A53 5G which has simply long gone on sale? To be fair, there is in reality now not numerous distinction between it and the A52s. Upgrades come with a 5000mAh battery, new Samsung Exynos 1280 chip and, as the title suggests, 5G fortify.

But at £399/$450, it isn’t rather as tempting, in spite of the new colors on be offering.

There are after all numerous different choices from different manufacturers that have in a similar fashion spectacular cameras akin to the OnePlus Nord 2.

You can see how extra opponents evaluate in our checklist of the perfect mid-range telephones. We even have a roundup of the perfect Samsung telephones if you are a faithful fan.

Verdict

There isn’t any query that the Samsung A52s is best worth than the older A52. It nonetheless keeps the identical dazzling display screen, respectable rear digital camera and user-friendly UI – nevertheless it bumps up the functionality to actually compete with different mid-range fashions.

The construct high quality isn’t the flashiest in the market, and the 15W charger integrated in the field manner it can not fit some opponents which price a lot faster. Plus, there is no noticeable growth in the battery existence from the A52.

However, that is nonetheless a good mid-range providing from Samsung – particularly if you’ll be able to get it for a miles less expensive worth now that the new A53 has hit cabinets.

Specs

Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G: Specs

• Android 11 w/ One UI 3.1 (improve to Android 12 to be had)
• 6.5in, FHD+, Super AMOLED, 120Hz, flat demonstrate
• In-display fingerprint sensor
• Gorilla Glass 5 (entrance)
• Plastic body
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G
• 6GB RAM
• 128 garage, microSD slot
• 64Mp, f/1.8, major digital camera with OIS
• 12Mp, f/2.2 ultrawide digital camera
• 5Mp, f/2.4 macro digital camera
• 5Mp, f/2.4 intensity digital camera
• Up to 4K @ 30fps rear video
• 32Mp, f/2.2 front-facing digital camera
• Up to 4K @ 30fps entrance video
• Stereo audio system
• Dual-SIM
• 5G
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
• Bluetooth 5.0
• 4500mAh battery
• 25W charging
• 159.9 x 75.1 x 8.4mm
• 189g
• Launch colors: Awesome Black, Awesome White, Awesome Violet, Awesome Blue