Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G Review: The Best Pocketable Mid-Range Phone
November 7, 2021It’s far more powerful than a standard A52, but is that what we need?
Performance: Octa-Core 5G, 8GB RAM
Main Display: 6.5-inch FHD + Super AMOLED
Weight: 189g
Storage: 256GB
Battery: 4500 mAh
Features: 1080p FHD+ / UHD 4K video recording
Rear Camera: 64MP Main, 12MP Ultra Wide, 5MP Macro, 5MP Depth
Front Camera: 32 MP
Rating: 9/10
Price:RM1,899.00
Samsung’s A5X nomenclature is reserved for devices that are slightly more capable than that of lower rung hardware of the budget category. It signals a starting point for the company’s mid-range phones. This has been the case since the A50, which was launched two years ago. The trend continued with its successor the A51 and to the present day’s A52.
In my opinion, the A52 is Samsung’s best work yet in the mid-range segment. It has the hardware to handle most tasks, yet is small enough to be considered “manageable”. Then there’s the A52 5G, a spitting image of the regular A52 but with a more powerful chipset and support for 5G.
Launching such a phone can be considered a bewildering decision on Samsung’s part because this puts it in the firing line of the A72 5G, the A52’s bigger brother. Still not content with said confusion, Samsung has now launched the A52s 5G, a follow up model to a phone that made its debut a mere six months earlier. It has been a pattern since the introduction of the A50s.
Related Article: Samsung Galaxy A52 Long Term Review: It’s A Sensible Purchase
What’s It Like?
While it is a step up from the A52 5G, the A52s 5G is an entire flight of stairs above the standard A52. The phone receives a power bump due to its Qualcomm Snapdragon 778 5G chipset. It’s still considered mid-range but at the upper echelon of said category.
This is the same stuff that powers the Galaxy Tab S7 FE. It’s more than capable of handling demanding workloads. Working in tandem with the buttery smooth 120Hz display, it reacts instantly when asked to launch apps or play videos. Even when bombarded with a barrage of notifications and messages, performance doesn’t seem to suffer much.
Samsung’s SuperAMOLED displays are always on point. They provide vibrant and punchy colors that provide for a great viewing experience. It’s the same case for the A52s – no surprises here. It has a 6.5-inch, 1080×2400 resolution (FHD+) display that is on par with that of both the A52 with the only difference being the higher refresh rate.
Mind, that refresh rate gives the phone a significant advantage in the multi-tasking department. Dragging and dropping text or apps, shuffling between apps or using two of them simultaneously via the split screen feature, can be accomplished without delay. The obvious absence of this “hesitancy” allows one to confidently use the phone for both personal or work-related workloads, concurrently.
Had it been graced with the Samsung DeX interface, the A52s would be an almost perfect phone. In fact, one could say that, in the real world at least, this phone can stand shoulder to shoulder with the “value for money” phone of the year, the S20 FE. As nutty as that might sound, it’s true. Its blisteringly quick performance means there’s nothing else in the mid-range segment that can best it.
Regardless of how many apps you open in succession, the A52s seems to cope well, chugging along at your pace, seemingly adept at doing several tasks at once. This isn’t normal for a mid-range phone, because they tend to slow down, though ever slightly, as the tasks begin to stack up. This is true of the regular A52, which is considered a decent performer in its own right.
Where its shortcomings become apparent are in its response times in milliseconds when compared to that of the S20 FE’s Snapdragon 855 5G chipset. It’s a smidgen slower to do just about anything. It’s true when unlocking the phone, launching an app, switching apps or returning to the home screen. It needs a fraction of a second longer to get things done.
That why there’s a price disparity between the two. That extra money that you pay for the S20 FE is for that “extra swiftness”. While this might hold significant weightage for tech enthusiasts, for us commoners, the A52s is more than enough for our needs. It will get the job done, no matter what that might be.
This is especially true of its GPUs capabilities. Where the standard A52 struggled to get decent frame rates on lower settings with games like Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the A52s simply crunches through the frames to produce smooth and immersive gameplay. Frankly, I’m surprised by its ability to cope with such a title, considering that it makes use of only mid-range hardware.
All things considered, the A52s is an absolute powerhouse for the money. It is able to punch well above its weight class in app management and intensive gameplay. Spotting any form of lag or performance issues are extremely rare. This makes it a pocketable minicomputer.
The Looks
It has the same low profile plastic shell as the A52, complemented by a metal frame coated with a color matching tint. It’s a nice touch because it lends an aesthetically pleasing look to the entire phone. You can have the phone in Awesome Violet, Awesome Black, Awesome White or Awesome Mint.
The word awesome is usually used to describe something flashy or ostentatious. But the A52s has a very understated matte finish. It looks really cool in person because the lack of a glossy finish adds a sense of sophistication to the phone. Unlike the A51, fingerprints are less visible, regardless of which color you choose.
At the bottom are a 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB-C charging port. But in the box, you’re only provided with a USB-C charging cable. In the name of reducing e-waste, wired earphones continue to be omitted from the A Series’ packaging. It’s a trend that might eventually lead to the power brick “losing” its purpose as well.
Truth be told, I have never bothered to use any wired pair of earphones that is supplied with a phone because they aren’t very good. And I’m sure it’s the same for most smartphone users out there or at least those of us who enjoy listening to music. We’ve always had our favorite pair of wired earphones with us. For me it was the Sennheiser CX300II.
It’s a great choice for anyone wanting good quality audio without breaking the bank. But what infuriated me the most was having to untangle the wires each time I wanted to plug it into my smartphone. Eventually, I got tired of the entire rigmarole that I went out and purchased a pair of wireless earphones.
When this tech first burst onto the scene, it was still in its infancy and the acoustic properties weren’t up to the mark. However, that is no longer the case. Samsung makes some pretty compelling products such as the Galaxy Buds Live, Galaxy Buds Pro and the recently launched Galaxy Buds2.
They work really well with the A52s but you’ll need to use the Wearables app to fully utilize the various functions including EQ adjustments and active noise cancelling technology. Out of the box, the earphones and phone communicate seamlessly. There isn’t much of a delay when pairing them. Transmission disruptions are a thing of the past.
Take a look at our review of the latest wireless earphones:
Galaxy Buds2 Review
Galaxy Buds Pro Review
Galaxy Buds Live Review
Since the phone is equipped with stereo, Dolby Atmos speakers, one at the top and bottom, sound quality is decent without the use of earphones. Content audio comes across clearly and devoid of distortion. It’s no match for a pair of wired headphones, but the delivery is decent in its own right.
The Cameras
The A52s has a 64MP (F1.8) main camera that is equipped with optical image stabilization, 12MP (F2.2) ultra-wide camera, 5MP (F2.4) Macro sensor and a 5MP (F2.4) depth sensor. Working together, they produce some impressive results. But the star of the lot has to be the 64MP main sensor.
It can capture decent shots in both bright and low light settings. The post processing adds further contrast to provide for vivid shots. You can capture detailed and vibrant shots without even having to put in much effort. The experience is exemplified further through the use of the Single Take functionality.
Once considered a flagship only feature, Single Take allows you to take multiple pictures and videos from varying perspectives with a single click of the capture button. The sensor works well to keep the subject in focus while adjusting exposure levels. It’s ability to compensate for varying brightness levels is quite good considering that the A52s is just a mid-range phone.
The optical image stabilization is good but not on par to that of flagship devices like the S21+ or S21 Ultra. It helps capture stabilized pictures with relative ease but the same can’t be said of videos. It lacks the smoothening capabilities of the S21 Series, which provide for more stable and enjoyable content. Quality is decent but there is room for improvement.
The Ultrawide lens has a 123-degree field of view, which lets you capture a wide angle shot while maintaining decent detail levels. It’s not as good as the 64MP main sensor, but is still able to capture shots with a good amount of contrast, depth and brightness. The phone’s Macro lens helps with close up shots. It allows the phone to zero in on a subject with decent accuracy but with less accurate color reproduction.
There is a slight delay while switching between lenses. It isn’t noticeable to regular people but to those who are accustomed to the immediacy provided by the S21 Series hardware, it might be considered a bugbear. But then again, the A52s costs a fraction of that of flagship phones, so this shortcoming is expected.
Selfies are great too. The front camera can accurately capture subjects with a good detail level. While you can choose to soften skin surfaces, without the various filters, the single front lens does well at capturing static or moving subjects. The same can be said of portrait mode, which keeps the subject in focus while blurring the background. You have the ability to adjust this setting.
As I mentioned earlier, videos captured with the A52s are decent but not great. While the sensors can still capture a good amount of detail in good lighting conditions, the same can’t be said of results taken in suboptimal lighting. Shots look a little grainy and overexposed. The problem is exacerbated when zooming in.
Useability
In terms of weight and dimensions, the A52s is identical to the standard A52. This means cases and screen protectors made for the standard phone will fit perfectly on the A52s. The phone also comes with the same 15W charging brick despite being able to support a maximum of 25W fast charging. You’ll need to go out and buy a new charger to get the quickest charging times.
It doesn’t support wireless charging, which is a shame but that might change with its successor. The benefits of wireless charging far outweigh its drawbacks. I have lost count of the number of times that I’ve accidentally snagged my foot on a charging cable while walking by my desk, which in turn caused my phone to hit the floor violently, screen first.
Though the phone comes with a 4,500mAh battery, the effects of the 120Hz refresh rate on battery life is significant. Where the A52 could muster one and half days’ worth of service life on a single charge, the A52s can only deliver slightly over a day’s worth. That means the phone will need to be charged at least once a day with moderate to heavy usage.
Should You Buy This Phone?
The A52s is perfect for people who want a powerful phone, with a great display and pocketable dimensions. Think of it as a S20 FE Lite. Though both phones have the same screen size, the A52s is less powerful but not where it matters. For the average Joe, there isn’t a discernible a difference between them.
However, if you value above average picture and video quality as well as a larger screen size, then look elsewhere because this isn’t the phone for you. The A72 or S20 FE are better suited to your needs. That said, the A52s is the best choice for people who want a value-for-money phone that offers flagship-like performance but without the exorbitant asking price of said phones.
