From its first ever Android-powered phone GT-I7500 in 2009, to the introduction of the mega-selling Galaxy S (S21 and S22) and Note series a year later, Samsung has come a long way to be where it is today.
A decade plus later, the degree of joy and freedom that comes with owning a Samsung device has been unequivocal as it is now, if not more. To understand this, look no further than the all powerful Galaxy A53 5G, which is as much a good example of how high-end specs have successfully trickled down to budget phones, as it’s as much a go-to phone for when trying to get by during the worst days of loadshedding.
Forget the funny Samsung memes
Unless you’ve been living under the rock, you sure have seen plenty of memes poking fun at some of Samsung’s mobile phones that have gone viral over the years. While there’s no denying that the Korean tech giant has occasionally been on the firing line for its pricey price tags, and at times for trying to mimic Apple’s iPhones, you’re being disingenuous with yourself if you still base your opinion on any of the latest Samsung phones based on 2010 memes. After all, why would anyone poke fun about the world’s most popular Android smartphone maker, under both its Galaxy S series and the A50s.
A53 hands-on review (6 months later): how it holds up during loadshedding
If you’re reading this article from abroad, you may not be familiar with the term “loadshedding” or the concept to begin with. To cut a long story short, it’s the process of planned power outages to stabilise the country’s power grid. These planned outages can last from anywhere between two to four hours a day. In the fast-paced world we live in today, which is dependent on the devices we own, two hours with a dead battery could feel like a life sentence, and this is where the Galaxy A53 5G comes in.
Say you usually get home at 4.20pm and the power is scheduled to go off at 5pm, with a 25w fast charger, your half-charged battery is likely to be full by the time the power goes out. But what if you’re stuck in traffic, and you get home 10 minutes before loadshedding with your battery at 40 percent.
Well after three months of extensive use, at NOWinSA, we can assure you that the Samsung A53 holds up solid. You can easily make it through 2 to 3 hours of moderate use to heavy use with less than 40 percent of battery life. By that I mean, youtube, Twitter Facebook. You can toggle between these apps moderately well sitting in the dark. Who doesn’t love catching up on the latest Twitter gossip, especially when there’s not much to do except to play with your smartphone?
The Feel
The Samsung A53 comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 5, meaning it’s drop resistant, not so say it can’t or won’t break but at least with this technology bleeding down into mid-range devices, you can have some peace of mind knowing that it can be able to handle drops onto hard surfaces, up to two meters to be precise.
I will repeat, if you’re still judging samsung on meme and not through experience, then you should be a meme for missing out on what premium feel at mid range price feel like. It feels weighty at 186 grams, however it’s slightly smaller than it’s predecessor, the Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A52s 5G, with a 159.5 x 74.7 x 8.1mm profile.
And finally the camera; what most people look for in any mid-range phone is a great camera performance, and in that case the A53 doesn’t disappoint. The phone boasts a 12MP fixed-focus ultra-wide camera with an f/2.2 lens that is able to capture crisp, rich in color images. With a built in mic that captures loud and clear audio, the A53 is your next best device in the mid range.
Conclusion
If you want to experience the A53 at its very best, stop buying into the internet meme culture, inasmuch as it can be funny, just don’t take it seriously.
Prized at R7, 995 via Samsung at the time of publishing this review, the A53 5G is a value for money mid-range phone with all the important 21st century specs.
Literally every important feature you need is in this device. Great camera. Great user interface. The best battery life perfect for frustrating loadshedded days when you need to cover a lot of ground with your device.
