Samsung Galaxy A52 5G, analysis: a high-end experience for much less money

With this, what we mean is that the Samsung Galaxy A52 is not an aspirational mobile. Nor does it seek to be – after all, it is a smartphone for 429 euros. It is the device that the sellers of the electronics chains endorse parents looking for a mobile phone for their children, and with which the operators swell their client base based on permanence commitments. In short, we are talking about a striking, solid mobile that will satisfy the millions of users who will quite possibly choose it.

But none of that is bad, far from it. Rather the opposite: Samsung is aware of the importance that these types of devices have in its catalog, and how thanks to them, it continues to be the brand that sells the most mobile phones worldwide. For this reason, generation after generation continues to improve its Galaxy A series with more and more functions inherited from the most cutting-edge models in its catalog.

I have used the new Samsung Galaxy A52 5G since the day of its introduction. And now I have much clearer that this mobile has everything to take over from the Galaxy A51 and become Samsung’s new bestseller for 2021.

• Samsung Galaxy A52 5G datasheet
• The best of the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
• Design
• Screen
• Performance and autonomy
• The worst of the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
• One UI
• So are the cameras of the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
• Samsung Galaxy A52 5G, opinion and final thoughts from Andro4all
• Samsung Galaxy A52 5G price and where to buy

Samsung Galaxy A52 datasheet

The best of the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G

His design

Those who still think that a mobile made of plastic is synonymous with a poorly designed mobile have not paid much attention to what firms such as Google or Samsung have been doing in recent years.

The fact of not using the so-called ” premium ” materials does not imply that the Galaxy A52 5G is a poorly designed mobile. It is the most attractive model in the A50 series to date, thanks to more polished aesthetic lines that show off a back with a nice smooth matte finish and straight lines that look especially good on it.

With a body of fewer than 16 centimeters in height and a weight of fewer than 190 grams, the A52 feels light but robust, especially when compared to other models in the same range.

When it comes to colors, we have several to choose from. In this case, we have had the opportunity to test the purple finish, but it is also possible to buy the terminal in blue, white, and black. All of them maintain the same matte finish on the back and the plastic construction.

“The last time Samsung introduced water resistance in a Galaxy A was in 2018.

In addition, as a novelty for this year is the IP67 certification that guarantees resistance to water and dust, a feature that Samsung had not incorporated into its Galaxy A series since the iconic models of 2017 and 2018, such as the Galaxy A5 2017. This protection ensures that the terminal can survive dives in fresh water up to one meter deep for half an hour. In any case, water damage is not covered by the warranty.

Other interesting features of its design include the 3.5-millimeter headphone port or a double stereo speaker with Dolby Atmos audio. Regarding the latter, it must be said that the sound quality is good, even at high volume levels, although the audio is not as clear or “round,” nor does it sound as loud as those of the more expensive models of the own company.

Your screen

SuperAMOLED; Full HD + and 120 hertz . Those are the three pillars on which the excellent 6.5-inch screen of the Galaxy A52 5G is based, whose main virtue is undoubtedly the extra in terms of fluidity provided by the 120 hertz.

The difference concerning the 90 hertz of the A52 and A72 is not too noticeable, but the thing changes when we compare it with the 60-hertz screen of the previous Galaxy A51 or of any other mid-range of the firm launched in years before 2021. Everything moves with much more fluidity, and without a doubt, the experience is greatly benefited.

“Thanks to the 120 hertz, everything moves much more smoothly, and without a doubt, the experience benefits.

Beyond the value provided by the extra smoothness of 120 hertz, we are talking about a high-quality panel with a maximum brightness level of more than enough that allows you to view the screen outdoors without problems, good sharpness, and viewing angles correct. In none of these aspects does it reach the level of the best Samsung panels, but without a doubt, we are facing a very good screen, better than what we can find in the vast majority of competing models for a similar price.

The screen also integrates the optical fingerprint reader, whose operation is different from the previous generation in terms of speed and precision.

Surrounding the screen, we see margins with a size not much smaller than that of the previous generation and a hole in the upper central part, which houses the front camera of the phone.

Performance and autonomy

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G that this model mount is whole life insurance. It is one of the most powerful chips launched by Qualcomm in recent months, with technical specifications that have little to envy those of the Snapdragon 800 series models.

On a day-to-day basis, the performance of the device is good. I have not encountered lag problems or slowdowns, not even when running heavy applications or resource-consuming games. This is also helped by the 8 GB of RAM, the amount that, in recent years, has proven more than optimal to offer a pleasant user experience.

The entire repertoire of specifications is supported by One UI in its version 3.1, the same delivery of the brand’s software that debuted with the Samsung Galaxy S21, based on Android 11.

The level of optimization achieved by Samsung with its customization layer is within reach of very few, and despite its problems – which there are, and I will talk about them later – One UI continues to be one of the most stable layers, fast and with the most coherent design, in addition to having an endless number of functions and tools, many of them useful, and others that are not so useful, but at least they do not completely mess up the experience as they do in other cases.

This must be added guaranteed support of three years in terms of Android updates and four years in terms of security updates. Few competing manufacturers can commit to such extended support for their mid-range mobiles.

Backing up the device’s software and hardware is a 4,500 mAh capacity battery, 500 mAh than in the case of last year’s Galaxy A51.

This increase does not translate into a substantially higher autonomy, mainly due to a screen that consumes more battery and a more powerful processor. Even so, the autonomy of the Galaxy A52 5G is still good, providing a whole day of use without too many problems.

In addition, there is no lack of fast charging, which stays at 25W of maximum power. Unlike what happens with the S21 series models, the charger is included in the box, although it is a 15W charger that does not allow you to take full advantage of the fast charging technology of the smartphone.

The worst of the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G

If not even the mobiles of more than 1,000 euros are perfect, even less would a model of fewer than 450 euros be? Despite its many strengths, the Galaxy A52 5G still has room for improvement in one area in particular.

One UI

Earlier I said that One UI is one of the most stable, consistent, and fastest Android customization layers. And I keep it. However, this section that I praised before is the same one that I must now criticize due to the questionable decisions that, even today, Samsung continues to take.

This is the case with advertising. That a mobile for which you have already paid shows ads in some of its pre-installed applications still seems incomprehensible to me, either in mobile of 1,000 euros, or one of 400 as is the case of the Galaxy A52 5G.

“That a mobile for which you have already paid shows ads in some of its pre-installed applications still seems incomprehensible to me.

And although it is indeed possible to disable – in part – the ads, we must not forget that we are talking about a phone aimed at the less expert market segment, in which ease of use and the lack of friction points should be two of the top priorities.

It’s a real shame that Samsung is still bent on dirtying the experience with software that, in other circumstances, would have immense superiority over the vast majority of customization layers available on the market.

So are the cameras of the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G

The photographic system of the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G is made up of five different sensors: four on the back and one on the front. Each of the cameras fulfills a different task:

• 64 MP main camera and f / 1.8 aperture with optical stabilizer
• 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens camera
• 5-megapixel macro camera
• 5-megapixel depth camera
• 32-megapixel front camera
• 4K video at 30 FPS

The great novelty present in the camera system is the inclusion of an optical image stabilizer that accompanies the main sensor and helps it capture sharper, movement-free images, even in low-light scenes. The video section also benefits from this addition, being able to reduce movements and, therefore, generate more stable clips. Also, it is possible to capture a 4K video.

Using the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G cameras means a good experience, especially when using the main camera and, in certain circumstances, the camera with an ultra-wide-angle lens.

With the main sensor, it is possible to obtain very good quality captures and portraits with a high level of detail. However, we see some other problems in that the scene to be captured has some movement – for example, when taking photos of our pets or capture images of children.

The ultra-wide-angle camera offers a good result, as long as the light is on our side and we do not face the sensor in complex scenes. As the light falls, so does the level of detail captured, and while the software can keep noise at bay, the loss of sharpness is noticeable. Therefore, my recommendation would be to use this camera only when there is sufficient light.

Both the main and secondary cameras tend to process colors to appear less “vivid” than they are, something curious given that Samsung has always opted to do just the opposite. In any case, any mobile photo editor will allow us to recover natural colors without too much difficulty.

When the light disappears from the scene, we can resort to the night mode included by Samsung in its camera app. However, it must be said that in most cases, the automatic mode is capable of capturing enough light thanks to the AI algorithms integrated into the software, and the truth is that the differences between taking a photo with and without night mode are not as obvious as they could be in previous models.

“The macro sensor, without an autofocus system, does not offer a satisfactory experience as it is difficult to obtain detailed shots without movement.

The other two sensors, unfortunately, do not add much value to the experience since the existence of the depth sensor does not translate into portraits superior to those of other mobiles that lack this camera. The macro sensor, without an automatic focus system, does not offer a satisfactory experience as it is difficult to obtain detailed and movement-free captures.

Without a doubt, I would have preferred to have a telephoto sensor like the one present in the Galaxy A72, instead of the two complementary cameras with which Samsung equips both this model and the “normal” Galaxy A52.

The camera for selfies, 32 megapixels, provides bright images in great detail, and color representation is natural despite Samsung’s tendency to overexpose scenes and soften facial features.

As for the video, we are happy to know that Samsung has brought some of the improvements of the Galaxy S and Note to its A-series. This is the case of the possibility of recording video at 4K resolution and using the video “Pro mode” that gives users the option of controlling video capture in a more precise way by modifying the recording parameters.

In general, we are talking about a very good photographic system that stands out for the good performance of its main sensor – the one that most users will use for most of the time – in terms of capturing detail, even in complex scenes. . The front camera is also up to expectations. It allows both capturing selfies full of detail and holding video calls with a good quality image.

Samsung Galaxy A52 5G, opinion and final thoughts from Andro4all

The line between the mid-range and the high-end is becoming increasingly blurred. The Samsung Galaxy A52 5G is a smartphone that inherits many of the functions that, until just one or two years ago, were exclusive to the company’s top-of-the-range, such as the 120-hertz screen, the built-in 5G processor, the resistance water or camera with optical stabilizer.

All these functions are in addition to the essential characteristics that we have seen in the Galaxy A in recent years, and that has led some of the models of this family to be among the best-selling mobiles in the world.

Thus, Samsung has managed to create one of the most complete and balanced phones in the mid-range so far in 2021, at a more than understandable price, taking into account all the novelties that it puts on the table.

Samsung Galaxy A52 5G price and where to buy

The Samsung Galaxy A52 is already on sale in Spain, at an official price of 429 euros. It is a somewhat higher price than usual, which leads it to compete directly with models that could be considered high-end such as the Xiaomi POCO F3, one of its more direct rivals.

However, the Samsung model plays the trump card of having support in terms of software infinitely superior to Xiaomi and with the added value that One UI provides compared to MIUI. We also talk that the Galaxy has a better main camera.

Among the available versions, we have RAM and storage configurations of 6 and 128 GB, or 8 and 256 GB. The first model is the cheapest, 429 euros, while the second increases the figure to 489 euros.

It is possible to buy the Galaxy A52 5G in stores such as Amazon. However, it is also available in the official Samsung online store. The company gives the possibility of delivering an old mobile to obtain a discount of up to 134 euros, depending on the brand. , model and device status.