Samsung Galaxy A53 vs Pixel 5a: Which mid-range phone is best for you?

The mid-range phone race has really heated up in recent years, with the best budget devices like the Samsung Galaxy A53 and Google Pixel 5a offering great experiences at a fraction of the price of flagship phones. Both of those phones are good on their own, but not for the same reasons – and probably not for the same people.

Right now, we recommend waiting to buy one of these phones until more is known about Google’s upcoming Pixel 6a, which should offer several improvements over the 5a and will go official soon. It can be disclosed. But if you’re in the market for a new mid-range phone right now Because you either can’t or don’t want to wait, both the A53 and Pixel 5a should be high on your list of options. Here’s how the two stack up.

ANDROIDpolice video of the day

Galaxy A53 vs Pixel 5a: Update

Being a Pixel phone made by Google, you can expect the Pixel 5a to deliver on the promise of lengthy software support. Not so: While the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro will enjoy an Android update until October 2024 and a security update until the same time in 2026, the Pixel 5a is only guaranteed until August 2024 — only for a three-year update lifetime.

The Galaxy A53, on the other hand, outshines a lot of them. Samsung not only guaranteed four years of OS updates for its recent mid-ranger — which should carry it to Android 16 — but five years of security patches, too, expire in 2027. It’s phenomenal for a mid-range Android phone, and it’s one of the best things about the A53. Hopefully Google can get its update act together for the upcoming Pixel 6a.

Galaxy A53 vs Pixel 5a: Display

The Galaxy A53 and Pixel 5a each have 1080p OLED displays, and each looks quite good. Being OLED panels, they both have perfect blacks and good viewing angles, and each have the always-on display functionality cheaper LCD screens lack. The Galaxy A53’s screen refresh rate is higher, however, on the Pixel’s 120Hz at 60. This means the A53’s screen refreshes almost twice per second than the Pixel 5a’s, making for smoother animations.

If you’re used to high-refresh rate displays elsewhere in your life, whether it’s on your current phone or a high-end tablet, monitor, or TV, the Pixel 5a’s screen won’t suit you well – with fewer frames per second Plus, it’s easy to see individual frames, which creates a less convincing illusion of motion.

Long story short, it’s nice to use a screen with a high-refresh rate. The A53 has one and the Pixel 5a doesn’t – Samsung wins here.

Galaxy A53 vs Pixel 5a: Performance and Connectivity

The A53 is rocking the Samsung-made Exynos 1280 chipset while the 5a has Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G. Each of them has six gigs of RAM. Both are mid-range phones, and they both perform like good mid-range phones – that is, they’re fast enough on most tasks that your average user will never feel like doing. slow, They can both handle web browsing, messaging and some gaming just fine.

While the A53 is perfectly capable in most situations, its performance often stumbles around the camera: apps can take too long to load, and it actually snaps a picture between when you press the shutter button and when. , then the phone sometimes waits for a beat.

While both phones have 5G, only the Galaxy A53 supports super-fast (and super-limited) mmWave connectivity. Unless you know you already know how you’ll use mmWave, however, the Pixel 5a that doesn’t support it shouldn’t affect your buying decision one way or another. With extremely limited availability and a distinctly weak signal that can be blocked by practically anything (walls, trees, windows, you name it), mmWave 5G still sucks for most people. Even if you have a phone that supports it, you’ll probably never get a chance to use it.

Galaxy A53 vs Pixel 5a: Camera

The Pixel 5a has the same camera setup as the Pixel 5. The hardware is dated so far – Google has used a 12-megapixel primary sensor in each of its phones since the Pixel 3, only breaking the pattern from last year’s Pixel 6 series. But Google’s reliance on (and proficiency) computational photography means it can compose some really great photos from the working sensors in the 5a.

Samsung’s Galaxy A53, on the other hand, has a 64-megapixel primary camera, along with a wide-angle and two additional cameras for macro photography and depth data gathering (it’s actually the same setup as the A52 5G). However, despite having a huge number of more cameras, the A53 can’t compete with the Pixel 5a when it comes to photography.

While either phone works well in ideal lighting, the Pixel’s photos are often sharp and show little noise, especially in challenging lighting conditions. The A53’s camera app is also often slow, which can lead to missed shots. Google wins here, hands down.

Galaxy A53 vs Pixel 5a: Battery life and charging speed

The Galaxy A53 packs a 5,000 milliamp-hour battery; The Pixel 5a packs a slightly smaller 4,680 milliamp-hour battery. In our testing of each phone, they both lasted several days on a single charge with little difficulty (though this was under relatively light use—heavy workloads would obviously result in shorter battery life). While the A53 has a bigger battery on paper, it also has a slightly larger, higher-refresh rate display that draws more power. However, most people will be satisfied with the battery life of any phone.

The Galaxy A53 edges out the Pixel 5a when it comes to charging speed, but not completely: the A53 supports wired charging up to 25W while the 5a can take up to 18W. Neither phone supports wireless charging.

Galaxy A53 vs Pixel 5a: Pricing and Availability

In the United States, the Galaxy A53 and Pixel 5a each retail for $450. Which one is the better deal depends on what you prioritize: If you’re after a great screen and the longest possible update support you can get out of a mid-range Android phone, a 53 is going to be a better buy for you. If you’re more concerned about photo quality but can live without a higher-refresh rate screen (and don’t mind upgrading again before August 2024 when its updates end), the Pixel 5a’s be taken.

Assuming you are able to go for Pixel 5a, ie; The phone is only officially sold in the US and Japan. The Galaxy A53, on the other hand, is sold pretty much everywhere Samsung’s phones are sold, including large markets that aren’t served by the 5A. If you live in one of those markets, your decision remains largely the same: unless you’re willing and able to import, go for the A53 (which, as a bonus, is internationally priced). But available in several fun colors – in the US, the only option is black). Here’s hoping Google settles its distribution woes for the Pixel 6a in time for the Pixel 6a later this year.

If you’re hoping to upgrade to one of these phones through your carrier, the Galaxy A53 is probably your only choice. It’s available unlocked directly through Samsung as well as Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, US Cellular, and more. The Pixel 5a, on the other hand, can only be purchased directly from Google, either on the Google Store or via Google Fi (also available on the A53 Fi).

Samsung Galaxy A53

Buy on Samsung Buy on Amazon

google pixel 5a

buy on google

Hacking group Lapsus$ gained access to T-Mobile’s internal tools and source code

Read next

About the Author

Taylor Kerns (1162 articles published)

Taylor was a phone nerd long before he joined Android Police in 2018. He currently owns a Pixel 6 Pro, which he mostly uses to take pictures of his dogs.

Taylor Kerns. more from

Source