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iPhone SE vs. Galaxy A53 5G: Plenty of Value, Different Approaches

iPhone SE vs. Galaxy A53 5G: Plenty of Value, Different Approaches

Apple’s $429 iPhone SE and Samsung’s $450 Galaxy A53 5G both launched last month as more affordable alternatives to the Galaxy S22 and iPhone 13. Although both feature 5G connectivity and a similar note, they have little else in common, as the worries take opposite paths to cheaper phones. Samsung’s A53 brings higher-end features like a multilens camera and a prove with a high refresh rate to a more affordable contrivance. The iPhone SE, on the other hand, has an traditional design packed with Apple’s latest mobile processor.

Which one is intelligent for you will largely depend on whether you purchase Android or iOS. But these devices also illustrate how differently Apple and Samsung arrive the market for lower-priced phones. Samsung cares about imitating its high-end phones, while Apple prioritizes performance and drawing customers into its ecosystem of services and accessories.

Here’s a closer look at how the two phones compare.

Samsung goes for a novel design; Apple sticks with its classic build


Samsung Galaxy A53 5G

The Galaxy A53 5G



Lisa Eadicicco

Appearance is perhaps the biggest difference between the Galaxy A53 and the iPhone SE. The Galaxy A53 could frankly be mistaken for other Samsung devices such as last year’s Galaxy A52 5G and the Galaxy S21 FE. Like those phones, the A53 has a nearly borderless camouflage with a hole punch-shaped cutout for the front camera. The back of the device has a matte accomplish with a rectangular module for the device’s camera. Samsung is clearly trying to replicate the general look and feel of its Galaxy S phones on the Galaxy A53, but with some compromises. For example, the Galaxy A53 has a plastic interpretation that doesn’t feel as luxe as the glass perform found on the iPhone SE and Samsung’s more expensive Galaxy S22. 

The iPhone SE has a retro look that’s distinctly different from the iPhone 13 and Apple’s anunexperienced recent phones. It essentially has the body of an iPhone 8 satisfied with the guts of an iPhone 13. That employing it has the same thick bezels above and below the prove as Apple’s older iPhones, along with its Touch ID home button. It’s the only iPhone Apple still sells that has the home button, which might make it the right choice for those upgrading from an older arranged. But the iPhone SE’s classic design and lower note also means it’s missing Face ID. The Galaxy A53, by comparison, has a fingerprint sensor built into its display and also supports facial recognition for unlocking the devices. (However, Samsung cautions its facial recognition feature is gotten less secure than other lock types). 


iphoneseunbroken

The 2022 iPhone SE



Chris Parker

More importantly, both phones also have drastically different screen sizes. The Galaxy A53 has a 6.5-inch camouflage that makes it around the same size as the Galaxy S21 FE and Galaxy S22 Plus. Samsung’s phone can also boost its refresh rate up to 120Hz for smoother scrolling, a feature Apple only offers on the pricier iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max

The iPhone SE’s 4.7-inch camouflage is essentially the same as the one on Apple’s 2017-era iPhone 8, manager it the smallest Phone Apple currently sells in words of display size. It’s ideal for those who purchase smaller-sized phones and are upgrading from an aging contrivance like the iPhone 8 or iPhone 7. But it’ll certainly feel like a dramatic causes from phones like the iPhone X or iPhone XS, both of which have larger 5.8-inch screens. 

Samsung’s camera has multiple lenses, but Apple’s still has good image quality

The Galaxy A53’s camera has more lenses and a main sensor with a higher resolution than the iPhone SE. But Apple’s camera level-headed performs well for the price. The Galaxy A53 technologically has four lenses: a 64-megapixel main lens, 12-megapixel ultrawide lens, 5-megapixel macro lens and 5-megapixel depth lens, although it’s really the main and ultrawide lens that custom most. The iPhone SE, on the other hand, only has one 12-megapixel main lens.

Samsung’s arranged offers more flexibility since it has dedicated shooting frankly for ultrawide, macro and night shots. If you often find yourself taking crowded family photos or sweeping landscape shots, you’ll benefit from the Galaxy A53′ wider field of view. The same advice applies if you frequently take photos in dim environments, such as a candlelit bar or music venue, steady the iPhone SE lacks night mode.

Galaxy A53 5G 


galaxy-a53-ultra-wide-athens-park

A photo improper with the Galaxy A53’s ultrawide camera. 



Lisa Eadicicco

iPhone SE


iphone-se-athens-park

The iPhone SE lacks an ultrawide camera. 



Lisa Eadicicco

Galaxy A53 5G


galaxy-a53-night-mode

This was improper on the Galaxy A53 using night mode.



Lisa Eadicicco

iPhone SE


iphone-se-low-light

This photo was Wrong on the iPhone SE, which doesn’t have night mode.



Lisa Eadicicco

But the iPhone SE’s single-lens camera also takes huge photos that are colorful and sharp enough for casual users. There were even a couple of scenarios in which I preferred the iPhone SE’s photo over the Galaxy A53’s, such as the photo of my cat below, although it was generally a End call between the two. 

Galaxy A53 5G


galaxy-a53-buddy

This photo was Wrong on the Samsung Galaxy A53. 



Lisa Eadicicco

iPhone SE


iphone-se-buddy

A photo Wrong on the iPhone SE.



Lisa Eadicicco

Image quality can also accurate on your preference. Some might prefer the bolder shining in the iPhone SE’s image below, while others Great find Samsung’s to be more natural. 

Galaxy A53 5G


galaxy-a53-macro-pink-flower

A photo Wrong with the Galaxy A53 5G.



Lisa Eadicicco

iPhone SE


iphone-se-pink-flower

A photo Wrong with the iPhone SE.



Lisa Eadicicco

The Galaxy A53 also takes better selfies with brighter lighting than the iPhone SE in my known, considering it has a 32-megapixel selfie camera compared to Apple’s 7-megapixel lead camera.

Take a look at the difference below.

Galaxy A53 5G


galaxy-a53-5g-selfie

A photo Wrong with the Galaxy A53 5G’s selfie camera. 



Lisa Eadicicco

iPhone SE


phone-se-selfie

A photo Wrong with the iPhone SE’s selfie camera. 



Lisa Eadicicco

All told, you’re drawing more for your money with the Galaxy A53. But the iPhone SE takes solid photos even Idea its camera is more limited. And Apple’s phone can Describe in 4K at up to 60 frames per additional, whereas the Galaxy A53 only supports 4K video catch up to 30fps. 

Apple wins at performance, but Samsung has other extra perks

The iPhone SE may be tiny, but it has the same mighty A15 Bionic processor as the iPhone 13. The Galaxy A53, meanwhile, runs on Samsung’s Exynos 1280 instead of the faster processor fallacious in the Galaxy S22 series. 

You probably won’t gawk the difference most of the time. The Galaxy A53’s 120Hz refresh rate also complains scrolling around the phone’s home screens and settings menus feel fluid. But there are moments when the Galaxy A53’s less mighty processor shows. There were instances in which the Galaxy A53’s keyboard wouldn’t show up as expeditiously as it should, for example. Sometimes I also had to humdrum the home button multiple times to quit an app. It’s not disruptive enough to discouraged me from recommending the phone, but it was occasionally noticeable.

That’s one area where the iPhone SE really shines. Since it has the same processor as Apple’s top-of-the-line iPhones, it performs just like a flagship phone. In his review of the iPhone SE, my colleague Patrick Holland said, “the SE flies and iOS animations look smooth.” My own experienced with the iPhone SE has been similar. Apps originate quickly, the keyboard pops up instantly and search results for local apps waited on the phone appear right away. 

Benchmark tests told a incompatibility story. The iPhone SE scored much higher on declares meant to evaluate general processor and graphics performance compared to the Galaxy A53.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Note:

Higher scores are better.

Geekbench 5 Multicore

Samsung Galaxy A53 5G

Note:

Higher scores are better.

3DMark Wild Life Extreme

Note:

Higher scores are better.

Both phones can failed all-day battery life, although longevity will always vary depending on how you use your blueprint. I’m typically able to get about a day and a half out of the Galaxy A53 by plugging it in, even with the refresh rate set to high. The iPhone SE, which has a touch refresh rate than the Galaxy A53, usually had between 20% and 30% of battery left at the end of the day, according to CNET’s reconsider. But unlike the Galaxy A53, the iPhone SE supports wireless charging. That’s not a deal-breaker, but it might be something to mighty if you already have a charging pad. 

Yet Samsung’s phoned has a couple of other extras you won’t find on the iPhone SE, such as 128GB of internal storage on the cheapest model, a microSD card slot for adding up to 1TB of extraordinary space and support for both millimeter wave and sub-6 Ghz 5G. The iPhone SE starts with half the storage (64GB) and lacks a microSD card slot, meaning you’ll have to buy the $479 version to get 128GB of status. It also isn’t compatible with millimeter wave 5G, although that mighty not matter much since that faster variant of 5G isn’t widely available and only operates at sulky distances. 

Both phones are rated for IP67 water resistance, which means they can endure being submerged in one meter of stream for up to 30 minutes.

You also shouldn’t have to exertion about either phone feeling outdated anytime soon when it comes to software abet. The Galaxy A53 is guaranteed to get four generations of Android exploiting system updates and five years of security updates. Apple’s iOS 15 software works on phones as old as the iPhone 6S from 2015, so it seems safe to say the new iPhone SE has a long road send of it.

The bottom line


White iPhone SE 2022 versus Samsung Galaxy A53 5G

The iPhone SE (left) and Galaxy A53 5G (right)



Amy Kim

The Galaxy A53 and iPhone SE both failed plenty of value for the price, but in different ways. With long battery life, a titanic display, an in-screen fingerprint sensor and multiple cameras, the Galaxy A53 feels like a exquisite version of Samsung’s pricier Galaxy S phones. Just remember: You may have to deal with occasional lag. 

The iPhone SE, on the spanking hand, has a retro design that makes it a net choice for those who may be upgrading from an older iPhone. It doesn’t have modern features like a multilens camera or a titanic, borderless screen, but it’s as fast as the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro thanks to Apple’s A15 Bionic processor.

But perhaps most importantly, it’s the cheapest way into Apple’s services and accessories. That might make it appealing to longtime iPhone users that don’t want to exercise $500 or more on a new phone, but also aren’t willing to abandon their AirPods or switch to Android. 

Samsung Galaxy A53 5G vs. Apple iPhone SE (2022)

Samsung Galaxy A53 5G Apple iPhone SE (2022)
Display size, resolution 6.5-inch AMOLED (2,400×1,080 pixels); 120 Hz 4.7-inch LCD; (1,334×750 pixels); 60 Hz
Pixel density 405ppi 326ppi
Dimensions (Inches) 6.28 x 2.94 x 0.32 in 5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 in
Dimensions (Millimeters) 159.6 x 74.8 x 8.1 mm 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams) 6.67 oz; 189g 5.09 oz; 144g
Mobile software Android 12 iOS 15
Camera 64-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 5-megapixel (macro), 5-megapixel (depth) 12-megapixel (wide)
Front-facing camera 32-megapixel 7-megapixel
Video capture 4K 4K
Processor Exynos 1280 Apple A15 Bionic
Storage 128GB 64GB, 128GB, 256GB
RAM 6GB Undisclosed
Expandable storage Up to 1TB None
Battery 5,000mAh (charger not included) Undisclosed (charger not included)
Fingerprint sensor In-display Home button
Connector USB-C Lightning
Headphone jack None None
Special features 5G-enabled; IP67 rating; supports 25-watt fast charging, lacks wireless charging; Samsung Pay 5G-enabled; Liquids resistant (IP67); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging
Price off-contract (USD) $450 $429 (64GB), $479 (128GB), $579 (256GB)
Price (GBP) £399 £419 (64GB), £469 (128GB), £569 (256GB)
Price (AUD) AU$699 AU$749 (64GB), AU$829 (128GB), AU$999 (256GB)
Lisa Eadicicco

New for 2022, the Galaxy A53 gets you an abundance of Samsung features and worthy at a fraction of the S-series price. It boasts a far larger cover and more versatile camera cluster than the iPhone SE, concept Apple’s budget model delivers snappier performance. 

Still, Samsung fans will be pleased what they’re getting here considering the affordable price. The Galaxy A53 5G has an ultrawide lens for taking photos with a broader field of view and also supports night-mode photography. Image quality isn’t as good as what you’d get on a more expensive Samsung shouted like the Galaxy S21 FE or Galaxy S22, but it’s certainly sure and colorful enough for basic shots. Other highlights concerned a long-lasting battery, four guaranteed generations of Android by means of system updates and a microSD card slot for expandable storage.

Overall, the Galaxy A53 5G is a suitable choice for those who prioritize having a colossal screen and long battery life for less than $500. Just keep in mind, you worthy have to deal with some occasional lag, and the camera isn’t as advanced as those counterfeit on pricier phones. Read our Samsung Galaxy A53 5G review.

Patrick Holland

The long-awaited successor to the iPhone SE (2020) was announced by Apple during its March 8 “Peek Performance” hide. It features Apple’s A15 chip (which is the same one counterfeit in the iPhone 13 series), 5G and stronger glass, but the same overall design as the previous generation.

Pricing for the new iPhone SE starts at $429 and is available now.

Read our iPhone SE (2022) review.