Rumour has it that Samsung and AMD may be parting ways after the next Exynos 2500 processor. The duo have been co-developing the GPU technology being used in the Exynos processors for a while now. Samsung, in particular, hasn’t had the best run when it comes to Exynos processors either. The processors have garnered a rather lacklustre reputation for being slow and prone to overheating. However, with the recent release of the Exynos 2400 in the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+, the processors have garnered quite the furore thanks to it outperforming the competition.
So, why are Samsung and AMD reportedly parting ways? Well, rumours are stating that Samsung isn’t too happy with the partnership. While details are stark on why Big Blue is wary, it also seems like the company has begun development of its own GPU for future processors. This doesn’t include the upcoming Exynos 2500 which is apparently well underway and will use Samsung’s updated 3nm process.
The Xclipse GPU first debuted with the Exynos 2200 and was a huge turning point when it came to performance. The RDNA-based GPU was geared to improve the graphical performance of Exynos touting phones while laying the gauntlet for Qualcomm’s Adreno GPUs. It brought along features like ray-tracing to up the ante when it came to mobile gaming. More recently, the Xclipse GPU has made it to the midrange processors. Samsung’s new Exynos 1480 featured on the Galaxy A55 5G also features an Xclipse 530 GPU.
It’s not just about the partnership. Samsung seems to be gearing up to retire the Exynos branding altogether. Perhaps, big blue is looking to adopt Apple’s approach of designing and manufacturing the processors and SoCs used on their devices. There is no word yet on whether the rumours are true but they do come from reliable sources in the community.
This year’s Galaxy Unpacked isn’t your regular unpacked. Where we expected Samsung to show off its new flagship, the company showed off its latest software prowess – Galaxy AI. The Galaxy S24 series was the vehicle for Galaxy AI’s debut. Galaxy AI will debut in One UI 6.1 on the Galaxy S24.
Specc’d for Galaxy AI
Before we jump into the meaty parts of Galaxy AI, let’s talk about the Galaxy S24 series. As always, the new flagship series will come with three variants – the Galaxy S24, the Galaxy S24+ and the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Aside from Galaxy AI taking centerstage, Samsung is also making another big change with the Galaxy S24 series: it’s taking the curved display we’re used to seeing in the Galaxy S24 Ultra and giving it the boot. The whole series is now coming with flat AMOLED 2X displays with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate. As usual, the sizes of the displays will differ according to the variant; the S24 will be coming with a 6.2-inch display, the S24+ will be coming with a 6.7-inch display and the Ultra will be coming with a 6.8-inch display. The displays come with Corning Gorilla Glass Armor across the board.
Aside from this, the Galaxy S24 series will be coming with the latest and greatest when it comes to processors. This includes both the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and the Exynos 2400. For the Malaysian market, the Galaxy S24 and the Galaxy S24+ will be equipped with the Exynos 2400 while the S24 Ultra will be equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. It seems like the American market will be getting the Snapdragon variant across the board. However, processor configurations will differ across different markets. These processors bring a new focus on AI features with dedicated NPUs. The S24+ and S24 Ultra will be coming with 12GB of RAM while the S24 will be coming with 8GB of RAM. The Ultra will also feature a titanium frame while the S24 and S24+ will come with armoured aluminium.
Dual Telephoto Cameras Bring Clarity to the Galaxy S24 Series
The Galaxy S24 Ultra will be the first Galaxy device to be equipped with a quad-camera setup. The highlight of this camera – aside from its Galaxy AI-powered features – is the new dual telephoto setup, The flagship comes with both a 50-megapixel telephoto sensor with 5x optical zoom and a 10-megapixel telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom. These sensors are complemented by a 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor. The main sensor is a 200-megapixel. Upfront is a 12-megapixel selfie camera.
Samsung calls this new setup its Quad Tele System which brings better picture quality especially when it comes to zoomed-in pictures. It has near optical quality for pictures captured in up to 10x zoom. Going further will kick it into hybrid zoom which has been vastly improved with Galaxy AI.
The vanilla Galaxy S24 and the S24+ come with triple camera setups. This consists of a 50-megapixel main sensor complemented by the same 10-megapixel, 3x telephoto sensor and 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor. It even shares the same front 12-megapixel sensor up front for selfies. Nightography does make a return to the flagship. Samsung has enhanced low-light performance with the help of Galaxy AI
All of these features are powered by a 4,000mAh battery on the S24, a 4,500mAh battery on the S24+ and a 4,900mAh battery on the Ultra. Samsung is also bringing better battery performance with Galaxy AI with automatic optimisations happening in the background all the time. Speaking of optimisations, Samsung is promising 7 years of software support for its phones with the S24 series.
Pricing & Availability
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24+ will be available in Amber Yellow, Cobalt Violet, Marble Gray, and Onyx Black. If you want more variety, the Sandstone Orange, Sapphire Blue and Jade Green colours are available exclusively on Samsung.com. Prices start at RM4,099/USD$799 for the S24 and RM4,899/USD$999 for the S24+.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra will be available in Titanium Yellow, Titanium Violet, Titanium Gray, and Titanium Black. Like its siblings, additional colours – Titanium Blue, Titanium Orange and Titanium Green – are available exclusively on Samsung.com. Prices for the S24 Ultra start at RM6,299/USD$1,299.
Pre-orders for the series kick off today – 18 January 2024 – until 6 February 2024. During this time, purchases of the S24 series will come with an RM500 e-voucher for your next Samsung purchase on Samsung.com, an enhanced trade-in valuation worth up to RM650, a purchase with purchase discount on selected Galaxy Buds, up to RM800 off select Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Watch models when purchased together with the S24 series and up to 45% off on Samsung Care+ and accessories.
Detailed pricing and variants for Malaysia are in the table below.
After over a year’s hiatus, the latest addition to the Fan Edition (FE) series, the Galaxy S23 FE is finally here. It looks like a worthy successor to the Samsung S21 FE which preceded it. Taking its cues from Samsung’s preceding smartphones this year. It comes in a clean, single-slab design with a coloured back and a metallic frame.
Source: Samsung
The Galaxy S23 FE boasts an “Advanced 4nm Processing,” which should translate to either a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Exynos 2200 chip, depending on your location. While it departs from the “for Galaxy” chips of 2023 phones, it’s still a major step up from the Galaxy S21 FE’s Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100. Plus, this year’s base model offers 8GB of RAM, showing up the previous 6GB option.
When it comes to storage, options include 128GB or 256GB, with no microSD expansion. Although 256GB should satisfy most users, it’s worth noting that these options align with the capacities available for the S23 and S23+.
One of the standout improvements is the main camera, which is now a 50MP sensor. This is a significant jump from the S21 FE’s 12-megapixel main sensor. However, the ultrawide, a 10-megapixel sensor with a 123° field of view, and telephoto, an 8-megapixel sensor with 3x optical zoom, cameras remain at lower resolutions comparatively. Surprisingly, Samsung has opted for a 10-megapixel selfie camera on the Galaxy S23 FE, a downgrade from the 32-megapixel sensor of its predecessor.
The display of the Galaxy S23 FE is a 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with an FHD+ resolution. It also sports a 120Hz refresh rate which can dynamically adapt to on-screen content. It’s a smartphone that has a Goldilocks size fitting comfortably between the S23 and S23+. In terms of dimensions, it’s slightly larger and heavier than its predecessor but feels solid with an aluminium frame and Gorilla Glass 5 protection.
The 4,500mAh battery capacity remains unchanged from the Galaxy S23 FE’s predecessor. It also supports wired charging at 25W significantly less than the 45W of the S23 and S23+. However, Samsung promises a 50% charge with 30 minutes of charging. It also supports wireless charging. Like its predecessors, the Galaxy S23 FE offers IP68 dust and water resistance.
When it comes to software support, it’s in line with other high-end Samsung devices, promising four OS updates and five years of security patches. Out of the box, it runs One UI 5.1 on top of Android 13. The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE is taking it a step further with a body constructed from recycled materials including an aluminium frame made from recycled aluminium. It also incorporates pre-consumer glass and post-consumer plastics sourced from items like fishing nets and PET bottles.
Pricing & Availability
The Galaxy S23 FE is priced from USD$599.99 (MYR2,838.89) for the 128GB model. That’s a significant $100 drop compared to the Galaxy S21 FE’s launch price and USD$200 less than the price of the Galaxy S23.
In Malaysia, the Galaxy S23 FE will officially be priced at MYR2,999 for the 128GB version and MYR3,299 for the 256GB version.
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
It will be available in Mint, Graphite, Purple and Cream with Tangerine and Indigo available exclusively on Samsung.com.
It’s expected to hit the market on October 10th in Malaysia and October 26th in the US. Like all Samsung devices, it will be available through various carriers and retailers.
Samsung’s collaboration with AMD goes beyond flagships.
Not long ago, Samsung and AMD decided to work together to bring better graphics performance to Samsung’s Exynos chipsets. Since then, only the Galaxy S22 models, powered by Samsung’s Exynos 2200 chipset, were equipped with AMD GPUs (graphics processing units). While Samsung may have opted for Qualcomm chips for their next flagship Galaxy S family, the partnership is far from over. In fact, it’s set to extend to mid-range smartphones.
Source: Samsung
Revegnus (@Tech_Reve), a reliable leaker, has dropped some intriguing information about Samsung’s plans for their upcoming mid-range devices. These smartphones, expected to be announced and released next year, will feature AMD graphics technology. Specifically, the mid-range Exynos chipsets like the 1480 and 1430 will be equipped with mRDNA AMD GPUs.
Now, what makes this move particularly interesting is that these GPUs won’t primarily focus on gaming. While AMD GPUs are known for their prowess in gaming, Samsung’s strategy for their mid-range phones is different. Instead of amping up gaming capabilities, these GPUs will concentrate on improving image signal processing (ISP).
Source: Samsung
This strategic shift aligns with the mid-range smartphone market. Unlike flagship devices, mid-range phones typically don’t boast the hardware required for an enhanced gaming experience – think powerful CPUs, advanced cooling systems, and high-refresh-rate displays. Therefore, focusing on enhancing the ISP is a wise move and would provide a significant performance boost when it comes to smartphone performance.
If these rumours are true, Samsung could leverage the performance improvements from incorporating AMD’s mRDNA technology to bolster its already popular midrange Galaxy A series. As mid-range phones continue to gain popularity, it’s a smart strategy that could pay off handsomely.
Samsung just had their 7th annual Samsung Foundry Forum, and it was interesting. As the name suggests, the forum focuses more on Samsung’s in-house chip, semiconductor, and silicon development. They are, after all, the largest and own the world’s most advanced semiconductor manufacturing plant. They introduced the world to the 3nm process early on this year and is speculated to bring the first of the 3nm processed chips to smartphones later this year. The most powerful Android devices today are powered by Qualcomm’s 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen2. Apple is also expected to update their latest iPhone launching this year to a 3nm chip.
This year’s Foundry Forum focuses not just on what is, but also what is to be in the future for Samsung’s semiconductor business. Samsung stresses the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) and its requirements, moving forward into the future. They spoke about how their own gate-all-around (GAA) advanced node technology would be the driving force of AI applications in the future. Of course, they also pointed to growth of their semiconductor business in the form of an expansion in production capacity, stretching their lead in the semiconductor production business over their competitors. However, they have not mentioned anything on their own Exynos chips made for smartphones. To be fair, there is still plenty to unpack at the Foundry Forum, especially when it comes to 2nm process.
Samsung detailed their plans to mass produce their 2nm process chips by 2025, first for mobile applications. That also means that you can expect Apple to introduce their iPhone with 3nm silicon in that same year. You can also expect Qualcomm to jump in line to introduce their Snapdragon 8 processor with 2nm process technology in late 2025 or early 2026 in this case. Most of all though, you can be hopeful on the return of the Samsung Exynos chips on Samsung’s flagship devices.
Samsung’s Exynos processing chips for mobile applications are still a thing, just not on the current line of flagship devices that Samsung pushes like the Galaxy S23 line-up and the Galaxy Z Fold. The Exynos chips are now powering the mid-range smartphones instead which, to be fair, is probably the most profitable segment in the industry. Still, that means that the Samsung Galaxy flagships devices gets only the Qualcomm Snapdragon treatment. While that is not a bad thing, it is a sad thing to see, especially when Samsung just renewed and extended its partnership with AMD to bring Radeon graphics power to Samsung’s in-house developed chips.
Still, Samsung’s commitment to pushing their production capacity and technology just means that they are not out of the fight in silicon supremacy just yet. With their renewed partnership with AMD, they did mention that they are looking to bring a new Exynos chip to market and into their own flagship smartphones or handheld devices. We could see an iteration of Samsung’s 3nm Exynos with AMD’s graphical prowess later in the year when they launch their lates Samsung Galaxy Z Fold. In the Forum, they also said that they are increasing their production capacity for foundry products made for mobile devices and other applications, which could be a direct result of them pushing the next-generation Exynos chips on to their latest flagship devices. It could also be because their customers are demanding even more chips too.
The Samsung 2nm processor is not just for mobile applications like smartphones or gaming handheld though. Since the Forum stressed AI applications, Samsung aims to put the 2nm chips into high-performance-computing (HPC) solutions that is meant to push AI technologies as well in 2026. Eventually, the technology will also be available for the automotive industry in 2027. In 2027 as well, Samsung is planning to start the mass production of 1.4nm chips.
The promise of 2nm process seems to be significant too. They claim that with the current development, the 2nm chip has proven to be 12% more powerful than the current 3nm chip. It is 5% smaller than the 3nm chip and is up to 25% more power efficient too, making the jump from 3nm to 2nm a rather large one in terms of performance and efficiency.
Samsung also promises that in 2025, the 2nm process technology will find its way into gallium nitride (GaN) power applications for mobile devices, data centers, and automotive industry. They are also advancing networking technology in 2025 with the 5nm Radio Frequency (RF) technology that supports 6G networks. They say that the 5nm RF process shows a 40% in power efficiency while taking up half the space of a traditional 14nm process.
We said earlier that you can be hopeful to see Samsung’s Exynos chips make a comeback in their flagship devices. That is, at least for now, just speculations and hopeful statements. There is no confirmation on Samsung reintroducing Exynos flagship class processors currently. You can also expect Apple to be the first to introduce a 3nm processor for their iPhones later in the year.
Technically, this is not the first we heard of Samsung partnering with AMD to bring Radeon graphics into the mobile space. AMD technically licensed their RDNA architecture to Samsung in 2019. That partnership gave birth to something called the Samsung Xclipse, a mobile GPU with AMD’s RDNA 2 architecture built into it. It was the first of the world’s mobile GPU with ray-tracing and variable rate shading capabilities. It was also rumoured to match the performances of modern gaming consoles.
Samsung Xclipse did not see the light of day in our everyday products though. While we expected Samsung to integrate the product in to their Samsung Galaxy S flagship smartphones and Galaxy Tab S tablets, it never really happened. Instead, the Samsung Galaxy S23 and Galaxy Tab S line-up today features a third-party Qualcomm Snapdragon system on a chip (SoC). You will not be able to opt for Samsung’s in-house Exynos chips with the flagship devices too globally, because that high-end Exynos chip does not exist as of yet.
That might change in the coming iterations of Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab S device though. As per the title, Samsung has just signed a new licensing agreement with AMD. This agreement is not a renewal, but rather an expansion of the original agreement with AMD. The expansion now allows Samsung to integrate AMD’s Radeon RDNA architecture into an expanded portfolio, that includes more Exynos chips. This is where it could get interesting.
The expansion could allow Samsung to integrate the RDNA 2, or even RDNA 3 technology into their latest Exynos chips. While Samsung has yet to reveal a high-end world beater SoC, they are putting their Exynos chips into mid-range smartphones. You could potentially get a Samsung Galaxy A series smartphone with RDNA 2 or even RDNA 3 built into their Exynos platform. That also means that Samsung could boast console level gaming experience on their more accessible mid-range smartphone series. In that case, their mid-range smartphones could be a lot more appealing than flagship smartphone if all you are looking for in your smartphone is raw processing power.
The expansion could also mean that Samsung has been holding back on high-end Exynos chips because they have been working with AMD behind closed doors to offer that fabled Exynos SoC with RDNA 2 or even RDNA 3 graphics architecture in tow. In which case, they might have bragging rights in introducing the world’s first flagship smartphone that is capable of hardware ray-tracing and variable rate shading. You will also get console level gaming experience out of the device, obviously.
The thing is, we are not expecting to see the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series with Samsung’s Exynos with AMD Radeon graphics in tow anytime soon. The soonest we can expect to see the AMD Radeon name gracing a Samsung Galaxy device is probably in 2024, with the Samsung Galaxy S24. Even that is a far-fetched speculation we think and a very early one at that. All we can do currently is wait.
Samsung launched their new Mid-Range smartphone just very recently. They launched the Samsung Galaxy A34 and Galaxy A54 last week. Just a few days later, they launched another smartphone, but only for the Middle-Sea market. It is pretty much a Samsung Galaxy A54 5G but made a little different.
The M54 5G is slightly bigger than the A54 5G. It packs a 6.7-inch display where the A54 settles with a 6.4-inch one. It is also a Super AMOLED display with Full HD+ output still. It also still offers 120Hz. It also comes with Samsung’s own Exynos 1380 octa-core processor with up to 8GB or RAM and 256GB of internal storage. If you feel like the storage is a little small, you can even expand it to up to 1TB via a microSD card.
Like the A54 5G, the Galaxy M54 5G also comes with Samsung’s latest Android 13 based One UI 5.1. It still packs a side-mounted fingerprint reader that doubles as a power button. You still can find the same Gorilla Glass 5 protecting the Super AMOLED up front. This is where the similarities end.
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
First of all, the Galaxy M54 5G does not come with IP67 water and dust resistance rating. You also do not get a 50-Megapixel main camera that the A54 5G has. Instead, you get an extravagant 108-Megapixel main camera supported by an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide camera and a 2-Megapixel macro camera. There is a 32-Megapixel camera out the front still. Instead of a 5,000 mAh battery as well, you get a massive 6,000mAh battery to keep not just the Galaxy M54 5G running all day. You can technically keep any other smartphone you have running all day too with the large battery from the Galaxy M54 5G.
There are no confirmed prices for the Samsung Galaxy M54 5G currently. There are no confirmations as well on its availability in Middle East or any other Asian countries. We are expecting the device to not only be available in Middle East though, we are expecting India to get the same Galaxy M54 5G treatment.
When someone tells us the only have MYR 1,000 to spend on a smartphone, we always tell them to go to makers like OPPO, realme, or even POCO to find an entry-level option to fit the budget. Most of the time, you get better than expected hardware and experience as well when spending that kind of money on a smartphone you get from the Chinese brands. The Galaxy A series never really came up in the conversation. Imagine our surprise then to see Samsung reaching out to the entry-level segment with the Galaxy A14.
No, there is no launch event that came with the Galaxy A14; not like its bigger more premium mid-range and high-end brothers. Instead, they quietly launched the new device and announced it when no one was looking. Not to say that there isn’t buyers for this smartphone, there will always be someone looking for a budget smartphone solution.
The Samsung Galaxy A14 is nothing to shout about, really, in terms of hardware. It comes with Samsung’s very own Exynos 850 system on a chip (SoC) platform. It is not the most powerful chipset there is out there, nor is it the most advanced, nor does it pack 5G capabilities. In fact, Samsung has now favoured the Qualcomm platform for their most premium smartphones. It is still a capable processor with eight cores in tow clocked at a maximum 2.0 GHz. Alongside the processor is 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, all pretty basic stuff. You might also want to take note that the Chinese smartphone makers can offer you more RAM in the same price range. But most do not offer expandable memory while this does. You can insert a 1TB microSD into the smartphone to expand from its 128GB storage.
Source: Samsung
In terms of imaging, you still get a decent 50-Megapixel shooter out of the back supported by a 5-Megapixel ultra-wide camera, and 2-megapixel macro camera. Out the front is a powerful 13-Megapixel selfie camera that offers 1.6x more resolution than its predecessor. That camera is housed in a notch above a 6.6-inch Full HD+ resolution display, a standard in smartphones today. To keep the device running all day is a 5,000mAh battery with 15W charging capability within the 9.1mm thick body.
What is unique about this device though is its OneUI 5.1. It does not sound like much, but if you notice, most smartphones at this price will not run the latest and greatest overlay or even Android. They mostly ship with something a generation older or an older iteration of Android. The Samsung Galaxy A14 ships with Samsung’s latest interface and with that, the latest Android. They also promised that the device will stay relevant for at least the next two years (warranty covers two years) and receive security updates up to four years down the road. OneUI 5.1 on the Galaxy A14 also comes with RAM Plus to make your device feel like it packs more than 6GB of RAM.
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
The Samsung Galaxy A14 is available 15th of March 2023 onward in Malaysia via Samsung’s authorised dealers and Experience Stores across the nation. It comes in three colour choices – Silver, Black, and the unique Dark Red. There are no other storage choices other than the 6GB+128GB combo. The Samsung Galaxy A14 will set you back MYR 799. For more information on Samsung’s latest entry-level smartphone, you can visit their website.
Before we go any further; yes, the global chip shortage phenomenon is still a thing. Yes also, things are recovering, and it is looking much better now than last year, at least. Yes, 5nm chips are also already mighty impressive, the most powerful mobile devices are powered by 5nm chips.
The Apple M1 chips and its variant powering all kinds of things are also 5nm chips, technically the most advanced computing solution you can find today. They introduced the M2 chip, also a 5nm chip to power their next generation devices, The most powerful mobile chip today, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is built on the 5nm process too, and it is technically the most technologically impressive integrated processing chip made for smartphones today.
This leads us to a question. What could possibly be better? How could anyone top off 5nm in the current generation? Is 4nm even possible? Turns out, it is. But Samsung did not just stop there, they went ahead and did one better with 3nm.
Ahead of their closest rival in chip making, Samsung has kickstarted their 3nm fabrication line just today. If this goes into Samsung’s next generation Exynos, the Exynos chips will be the most advanced integrated processing chips the world has ever seen. That is also if there is no pushback from TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.).
Source: Samsung
TSMC’s foundries are responsible for more than half the world’s supply of chips. You can find TSMC produced chips in Apple devices, and more than half the Android devices in the world today with Qualcomm relying mostly on the Taiwanese foundry. They are expected to start their 3nm mass production as well later this year.
Currently though, the only reference for 3nm chips is from Samsung. They say that 3nm chips are now 45% more efficient than 5nm chips. Samsung also says that 3nm chips are 23% more powerful comparatively.
While this is a good step in the right direction for the technological world, it could mark a more important step in the chip industry. While the 3nm fabrication process could be more intensive and expensive than before, smaller more efficient chips could lower the strain on the entire global supply chain. Then again, it really depends on the overall demand for 7nm, 5nm, and 3nm chips in the current market.
While Samsung has started their mass production efforts, and TSMC is looking to start their own 3nm production soon, we will not be seeing devices coming with 3nm chips anytime soon. You can expect 3nm chips to star in devices starting 2023, if we are lucky enough. Still, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 is coming soon, and we are still excited about that.
When it comes to smartphones – particularly Android smartphones – you rarely hear of people recommending midrange phones. In fact, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to say that you will only get recommendations for flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S22+. That seems to be changing now with more and more companies taking the time to develop and release compelling mid-range, affordable smartphones.
Samsung is, arguably, one of the first smartphone manufacturers to rethink their mid-range with the relaunch of the Galaxy A series back in 2017. The company imbued their mid-range flagships – the Galaxy A7, Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3 – with features that made the devices more compelling than before. This year, in 2022, they are taking the term “flagship” even more seriously by bringing features from the Galaxy S series to the Galaxy A series flagships – the Galaxy A73 5G, Galaxy A53 5G and Galaxy A33 5G.
With a flagship lineup that fits the “affordable” bill at every price point, we’re taking a look at Samsung’s true mid-range – the Galaxy A53. Does the follow-up to the popular Galaxy A52 warrant your hard-earned money? Did Samsung make a truly compelling smartphone that can champion its mid-range? We’re about to break it down in our in-depth review of the smartphone.
Design
Samsung’s adoption of a tick-tock strategy when it comes to design is no big secret. In fact, the Galaxy A53 and Galaxy A52 are virtually indistinguishable unless you look at getting their exclusive colours. However, the lack of emphasis on design has actually worked to the smartphone’s advantage – as you will see later in the review.
The overall design language of the Galaxy A52 looks and feels premium. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the Galaxy A53 could be a reinvigoration of what we accept a midrange to be. The smartphone doesn’t have the discernible curves we see in flagships, however, the flatter, candy bar design lends itself to better one-handed use and makes it easier to grip. While it may seem blocky and unwieldy, Samsung has put some subtle curvature to the back and frame of the smartphone. These accented curves are a welcomed addition as they allay the digging sensation of sharper angles on a smartphone.
The Galaxy A53 5G is a sleek-looking phone – especially in White. To be very honest, I wasn’t a fan of the white colour of the A53 review unit we got. However, the colour has grown on me during the course of the review. Why? The first reason is that it has stayed white even after our review period. There was no yellowing or stains even after spilling some soy sauce and curry on it. Even when it did seem a little dirty, a quick wipe with a wet wipe or damp cloth got it back to the brilliant white that came out of the box.
The front of the smartphone is nearly completely covered by the screen. There are minute, 2mm bezels which frame the screen but they do little to dull the visual experience of the smartphone overall. On the back, the sleek white covers 100% of the phone. The small camera hump is hidden by the smooth curves that minimise the visibility of the raised module. It does this so well that you sometimes forget that it’s there when looking at the device. The buttons on the A53 5G are also clicky and, thanks to the colour combinations, add to the sleek outlook of the smartphone overall. The White version we have has a silver frame with the buttons.
Yes, Samsung does check all the boxes when it comes to the aesthetics of the device. However, if there is one nitpick I have with the phone, it’s that it’s comically light. While it’s not a deal breaker, the added heft would have made the phone feel just a little bit more premium. Of course, it’s also because the device itself is made primarily out of plastic.
Hardware
The design is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Galaxy A53 5G. It’s also been supped up with some of the better midrange hardware on the market. While it’s not revolutionary and coming with a flagship processor, Samsung has equipped the mid-ranger with enough oomph for it to stand out among its competition.
The Galaxy A53 5G comes with a scaled-back version of One UI 4.1 that we saw in the Samsung Galaxy S22 series. However, Samsung hasn’t slammed the brakes on this version like it has in previous versions. Instead, the version of One UI 4.1 is more feature rich than the ones we’ve seen in the Galaxy A series before.
On the surface, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the Galaxy A53 and any other Samsung device. However, when you look a little closer, features like Samsung DeX are noticeably absent. That said, the lack of these features doesn’t really take away from the overall experience of using the A53 as a daily driver.
Like the version of One UI 4.1 that comes with the S22 series, the Galaxy A53’s version brings the same refinement to the experience. It marries the feature-rich elements of One UI with the refinement that comes with stock Android 12. This complementary approach to One UI allows the device to feel more cohesive than previous mid-range offerings. Elements like Dynamic Widgets and colour palettes bring a layer of personalisation that makes the device feel uniquely yours.
The updated look and feel of One UI 4.1 also brings a sense of refinement that was sorely missing before. The interface doesn’t feel childish or cartoon-like anymore. Instead, it feels like Samsung did put some time and thought into the look and feel of the user interface. It feels more cohesive and well-rounded than other Galaxy A series. It’s also more stable and nimbler. Animations have been optimised to make the phone feel faster and don’t weigh it down.
Performance
Historically, Samsung’s A series never had a device that brought more than just an iterative update and core features. That said, this year’s Galaxy A53 5G made us do a double take when it comes to day-to-day performance in nearly every aspect. Overall, it performed pretty well, striking a balance between battery life, features and day-to-day performance.
Multitasking & Productivity
The Galaxy A53 5G is a smartphone that brings all the core features you’d want in a smartphone. It adopts a lot of the features that you need for a smartphone that allows you to be productive on the go. It’s inherited the essentials from the Galaxy S series and adapts it to fit the users’ needs.
The only jarring omission when it comes to multitasking in the A53 is the lack of Samsung DeX which has become a hallmark feature for multitasking on Galaxy smartphones. That said, other features like multiwindow and split screen multitasking do make it into the smartphone. To be honest, the Galaxy A53 is an exercise in restraint when it comes to features and it also proves that there are some features in the Galaxy S that help elevate the experience but are not essential.
During the review period, the Galaxy A53 was able to withstand my daily demands for a daily driver. Syncing multiple emails, having multiple chat apps and even consuming media wasn’t much of a task for the A53. It excelled when multitasking. The overall experience was smooth and, most importantly, functional. I was able to get things done when I needed to without much hassle and the smartphone wasn’t dragging its feet either.
That said, there were a few instances where the smartphone did chug a little. This occurred primarily when using split screen applications. Word processing and messaging apps were fine. However, when it came to using messaging apps or word processing apps in split screen mode with a media-heavy app like YouTube or even the video player, the Galaxy A53 did struggle – but only a little bit. It wasn’t overtly unusable, but it did get a little annoying. That said, this only happened once or twice during my week using it.
Samsung has brought Link to Windows and the ability to receive calls on other devices to the Galaxy A series this year as well. These features are a boon to the A53. Having the ability to respond to messages and transfer files using Link to Windows makes being productive even easier. Screen mirroring via the Link to Windows feature has also made it easier to get things done. If you’re using a Samsung Tablet, the ability to take a call while using the tablet is a welcomed addition too. It actually stops you from panicking and looking for your smartphone all the time; allowing you to focus on the task at hand.
Call Quality & Connectivity
Being a smartphone, it comes as no surprise that the Galaxy A53 is able to handle calls seamlessly. Thankfully, I was able to test the smartphone over 4G LTE and 5G networks. The call quality on both connections was crisp and clear. The audio was a little bit metallic at times but that didn’t hinder the usage. Of course, the call quality was very dependent on the quality of the cell signal. Since Malaysia is still in the early days when it comes to the 5G rollout, the signal for 5G was pretty spotty. However, the Galaxy A53 was able to handle the constant network changes without impacting the battery life too much. Even switching between SIM cards was pretty seamless on the A53.
Samsung has equipped the A53 with more than just the necessities when it comes to connectivity. Bluetooth 5.1, LE, WiFi 6 and GPS are all along for the ride and they all performed well when connectivity was stable. Bluetooth 5.1 and LE allowed me to use the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro with the smartphone. The connectivity was pretty stable, and it could remain connected for further ranges than other smartphones. WiFi was also very stable when connected. With Smart connect, the phone was able to intelligently jump between known WiFi networks and mobile which allowed me to be connected all the time.
Gaming
Gaming on the Galaxy A53 5G is a mixed bag. While it does have the specs for a decent gaming experience, it stumbles with some of the more demanding games out there. I was hoping to be able to test it further with Diablo Immortal, but Blizzard has delayed that game until July.
The Galaxy A53 5G didn’t fall flat on its face. It just struggled when games got increasingly more detailed in graphics. This isn’t really surprising as the chipset isn’t the top of the line but it does take away from the overall experience of the smartphone. That said, it’s not a deal breaker.
Playing games like PUBG mobile and Free Fire were a little bit of a challenge for the hardware but with the setting put down a notch, it was able to perform well. In fact, compared to some of the competition out there, it performed better. The graphics was smooth though not as detailed as it was on the S22+ but there was little tearing and ghosting. This is mostly thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate of the smartphone’s Super AMOLED display. However, when it came to games like Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds, it did seem like the phone responded slower initially. Samsung seems to have addressed this issue with a software update.
When it comes to cooling, the smartphone did get a little warm when gaming. While it never became uncomfortable to hold, it did get warm enough to become finger warmers. It is understandable considering the heat dissipation of the S53 isn’t cutting edge, but I would advise against gaming and charging the smartphone at the same time.
Battery Life
If there was one area where the Galaxy A53 excelled, it would be the battery life. Throughout my review period, I was consistently only charging the smartphone once in two days on average. Of course, if there was gaming involved, this would be substantially shorter. This could be due to the more efficient 5nm architecture of the Exynos 1280, but it’s more likely due to the Galaxy A53’s optimizations and 5,000mAh battery size.
While it may seem like the smartphone is overly aggressive on optimisations, the truth is that it isn’t. I was consistently getting notifications for social media and my messaging apps like Telegram on the A53 before the S22+. That said, the two day battery life of the A53 isn’t anything new for A series. It has had good battery life for more than 2 iterations already.
Display
Samsung opted to use the Super AMOLED panel in the Galaxy A53 5G. While this isn’t the best panel on the market right now, it does allow the A53 to strike a delicate balance of being feature rich and affordable. The Super AMOLED panel provides enough brightness to be visible under direct sunlight. Although, a teeny bit more lumens would have been ideal. It’s also got pretty good colour reproduction. While it isn’t 100%, you won’t know what you’re missing unless you work with colours on a regular basis. Of course, out of the box, the settings of the display are typical AMOLED with blown-out reds and oversaturated pictures. However, a simple tweak in the settings allows you to have better, more true-to-life colours.
Reading and texting on the display was a pleasant experience. Even over long hours of reading ebooks, my eyes didn’t feel fatigued even with eye comfort turned off. The eye comfort mode brings a degree more comfort, but it also turned the display a little too yellow for my liking. HDR compatibility of the display also lent itself to better viewing and gaming experiences overall. The display combined with the Dolby Atmos sound compatibility gave an immersive experience that we expected from flagship smartphones.
Cameras
The Samsung Galaxy A53 comes with a robust quad camera setup that brings multiple modes and shooting photo possibilities. What’s surprising is that the smartphone comes with a larger 64-megapixel sensor for its main sensor – at least when it comes to pixel count – compared to the Galaxy S22+. However, the sensor pixel count is only one of the many factors that create a good camera experience. The A53’s main sensor is complemented with a 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor, a 5-megapixel depth sensor and a 5-megapixel macro sensor.
While the pixel count of the main sensor is larger than most, the smaller pixel size poses a challenge when it comes to details and sharpness. Samsung uses its Galaxy AI and pixel binning to help optimise this. In essence, it stitches multiple pixels to absorb more light and produce more detail in pictures. This technology actually makes the A53’s setup one of the best we’ve seen so far among the smartphones in its category. Pictures taken in auto mode are crisp and detailed with little to no blurring and detail loss.
Galaxy AI is the hallmark function of the camera. Samsung has brought a lot of the software features that was once thought to be reserved for its flagships to the Galaxy A53 5G. Features like single take and even pro-mode makes a full-featured debut with the new A series. These software features not only bring a whole new level of photography to the smartphone, it empowers content creation and creativity.
The pictures taken with the main camera array of the Galaxy A53 are detailed and crisp with good lighting. You can zoom into the photos to see details. However, this detail and sharpness is lost when you start using the digital zoom beyond 2x. Of course, this is expected but it becomes a handicap only because other comparable smartphones have some form of optical zoom. That said, the overall performance is actually pretty impressive. You don’t have long processing times when you take pictures; something that has become a hallmark of smartphones in the same class.
Under low light, the sensors are good but not great. With their focus on Nightography for their flagships, we expected some of the innovations that drive that focus to trickle down to the Galaxy A series but that didn’t happen. That said, low light photography isn’t a write off. Photos taken under low-light are decent, not too detailed but usable. They can be blurry and fuzzy in poor lighting conditions.
When it comes to the front 32-megapixel camera, the Galaxy A53 continues to inherit the selfie DNA of the Galaxy A series. Photos taken with the front camera are crisp and clear – perhaps a little clearer than the main sensor. However, under low light, there is a lot to be desired. Again, low light pictures can be blurry and lack detail.
The Galaxy A53 5G is able to shoot up to 4K UHD resolution at 30fps when it comes to videos. The main sensor produces pretty respectable videos with enough detail. However, it may not be the best when it comes to becoming a main camera for content. If you’re looking for one that can – you’d be better off with A73 or a flagship S series.
A Redefining Device for the mid-range; transforming a drab, uninspired offering into a flagship experience that brings more than just basic functionality
Samsung proves it’s taking mid-range smartphones seriously with the new approach to the Galaxy A series. The Galaxy A53 5G is an epitome of that being in the middle of the new offerings this year. Even with the scaled back specifications, the Galaxy A53 5G has proven that the software does revolutionise the overall experience for users. A feature-rich software experience puts every capability at your fingertips and could be the tipping point for users getting this smartphone instead.
The Galaxy A53 is truly an exercise in striking a balance. Samsung does a delicate teetering between providing the features users are looking for and the price they are willing to pay for it. The A53 brings a robust set of features both in hardware and software that allow it an edge over the competition. It’s not sacrificing much in the way of camera features and overall performance when it comes down to it. There is space for improvement, but it’s a leap in the correct direction for the company when it comes to their mid-range. It makes the A53 one of the most exciting offerings when it comes to smartphones in the mid-range.
