The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G is great value for money. It's a cheap but good-looking phone with a 6.5-inch FHD+ display and a 5,000mAh battery, but the best part is the camera system which can take some brilliant shots. Its performance may not be quite up to scratch but you can't have it all.

6.5-inch Super AMOLED display, 120Hz, Fantastic three-lens rear camera, Astonishingly good battery life

Lacking in performance, No wireless charging, Can’t shoot 4K video at 60fps

Great features held hostage by lag

Stellar screen, Capable cameras

So sluggish, Cheaper rivals are smoother

Used to success. The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G builds on a best-selling series with a whole new SoC and a more powerful battery. However, nothing has changed in other areas, such as the camera. Our review will reveal whether the Galaxy A53 can still get a recommendation from us.

bright, color-accurate display, good stereo speakers, no throttling under load, decent camera setup, accurate positioning, promise of long-term updates, IP certification

slow Wi-Fi, hardly any performance headroom, slow storage, moderate reception strength

If you’re on a tight budget, I think the Galaxy S53 is an incredible phone. For $450 , there’s really no other device that will deliver everything this phone does, especially in the US, right now.

Display, Cameras, Performance, Battery

Software, Design

An attractive phone with a good-looking screen and impressive cameras for the price, the Samsung Galaxy A53 offers good value for money overall; but with its slow charging and stuttery performance, it’s not for everyone.

Good cameras for price, Attractive design, Good-looking screen

Slow to charge, Slow to navigate, Battery life could be better

The Galaxy A53 is a brilliant mid-range phone, with an excellent display, top camera, and software support bested only by Apple. But it suffers from one massive flaw: poor performance. At this price a phone shouldn’t be so slow, and it makes the A53 difficult to wholeheartedly recommend.

Stylish design, Great display, Impressive cameras, Excellent software support

Extremely sluggish performance, Slow charging, No charger included

Samsung Galaxy A53 5G: Can’t afford the S22? The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G is the next best thing

Great price, Astonishing battery life, Top-notch cameras, for less

Realme 9 Pro Plus is (slightly) better value, Display isn’t HDR compliant

Samsung's Galaxy "A" series phones promise to deliver a powerful mid-range experience. Let's see if the Galaxy A53 5G delivers on it.

Gorgeous display, Really powerful and full-sounding speakers, Samsung One UI 4.1 out of the box, Solid build quality, Battery life is pretty great

Performance is really slow at times

Long battery life, long software update life, it's like carrying a little Samsung TV in your pocket

Cameras are fine but not the best in low-light, onboard storage is limited unless you get an SD card, it's quite clear at times you're using a mid-range device and not a flagship one