Samsung yesterday launched three new phones in its mid-range A-series, the Galaxy A52, Galaxy A52 5G, and Galaxy A72. We got hands-on time with arguably the most interesting one, the Galaxy A52 5G — and there’s a lot to like.
Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A52 5G: Specifications
| Specification | Samsung Galaxy A52 4G | Samsung Galaxy A52 5G |
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| Build |
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| Dimensions & Weight |
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| Display |
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| SoC |
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| RAM & Storage |
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| Battery & Charging |
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| Security | In-display fingerprint scanner | In-display fingerprint scanner |
| Rear Camera(s) |
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| Front Camera(s) | 32MP f/2.2, FF | 32MP f/2.2, FF |
| Port(s) |
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| Audio | Stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos | Stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos |
| Connectivity |
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| Software | One UI 3.1 based on Android 11 | One UI 3.1 based on Android 11 |
| Other Features |
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Samsung Galaxy A52 5G XDA Forums
Design and Hardware
The first thing I noticed when I picked up the Galaxy A52 5G was that it felt like picking a Galaxy Note phone — it’s blockier and rectangular than most Android phones, including Samsung’s Galaxy S series. The Galaxy A52 5G is actually more comfortable to hold than the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra in my opinion. The Galaxy A52 5G is a bit smaller and lighter, its back has a grippy coating, and the corners aren’t as sharp. In fact, the phone feels similar to the iPhone 12 series in blockiness, but without the hard edges.
That grippy back mentioned earlier is plastic, but it doesn’t feel cheap — I like the coating Samsung has applied. The camera module is a bit odd-looking, in that the plastic backplate covers the module, including the slight protrusion too — very similar to the OPPO Find X3 Pro design I tested last week.
That camera module houses a quad-camera system headlined by a 64MP f/1.8 wide camera, a 12MP ultra-wide lens with 123-degree FoV, and a pair of 5MP sensors for depth and macro. There’s a 32MP selfie camera around the front in a tiny hole-punch.
Around the front is a 6.5-inch, 10880 x 2400 AMOLED panel that refreshes at 120Hz. It’s a great Samsung panel under most circumstances, but when used outdoors under direct sunlight, it’s noticeably not as bright as Samsung flagship phones I’ve been used to. Bezels around the display aren’t thin if compared to flagships either — but more than acceptable on a mid-tier device.
Inside the phone is a Snapdragon 750G with 8BG of RAM, and a 4,500 mAh battery. While the phone doesn’t have wireless charging, it does have loud stereo speakers, a headphone jack, MicroSD card support, and IP67 water and dust resistance.
Overall, the hardware feels polished — the buttons are clicky, animations look fluid at 120Hz, and even though the screen is flat, the area in which the display meets the chassis (also plastic) doesn’t feel sharp and rough like on the Galaxy S20 FE. It feels like Samsung has gotten better at making mid-range phones, a space previously perfected by the likes of Chinese sub-brands.
Galaxy A52 5G: Camera samples
Because the Galaxy A52 5G doesn’t have any zoom lens, zoom shots beyond 2x look mediocre. But shoot at standard 1x and photos turned out sharp during the day. I haven’t tested the phone after sunset yet, but I’m confident photos should be above-average — Samsung’s image processing software has improved by leaps and bounds over the past couple of years.
As mentioned, the main camera does an excellent job of finding proper balance even when I’m shooting against a harsh backlight. The ultra-wide doesn’t fare as well, blowing out the bright outdoor patio in the shot. But it’s still a very clean and well-detailed ultra-wide shot.
2x and 5x zoom shots are still usable, but 10x starts to exhibit a lot of artifacts and noise, which is not surprising.
The macro and depth sensors are good for a mid-tier phone — much better than the usual 2MP nonsense other phones shove in their camera setups. But still, enough phones have proven that we do not need a dedicated lens just for macro or portrait shots, so these are still ultimately gimmicky lenses. Selfies tend to smoothen my face, as usual with Samsung phones.
Galaxy A52 5G: A very promising mid-range phone from Samsung
Prices for major markets like the US and India have not been announced yet, but the Galaxy A52 5G is selling for around the equivalent of $510 in Europe, the UK, and Hong Kong. At this price, the phone should be a top contender for one of the best mid-tier phones — in North America and South Korea. Samsung has one of the widest retail networks for an Android smartphone brand, and in a fair few places, the Galaxy A52 might be the only viable option that consumers will be able to buy. In markets like Asia, the Galaxy A52 5G will have a lot of competition, though Samsung’s combination of proven quality, brand reputation, and marketing prowess should make this another top seller.
- The Galaxy A52 5G is the latest mid-ranger from Samsung, bringing along features like a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, the Snapdragon 750G SoC, a 64MP quad camera setup, IP67 water and dust resistance, and more, in an easy-to-handle polycarbonate body.
The post The Samsung Galaxy A52 5G is a polished mid-ranger that should prove popular appeared first on xda-developers.
source https://www.xda-developers.com/samsung-galaxy-a52-5g-hands-on/