This time around, we’ll be comparing the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G vs Apple iPhone SE (2022). These two phones are quite similar in terms of their price tags. They’re some of the more affordable options for iOS and Android users, and could be ideal if you’re looking to try out a different OS or something of the sort. Granted, these two phones are immensely different in pretty much every other way.
The Galaxy A53 5G is a lot later than the iPhone SE (2022), while it looks different in general. It looks far more modern, for one, as the iPhone SE (2022) is based on a rather old design. That’s something we’ll talk about soon. First, we’ll list their specifications, and then we’ll move to the design section, and take it from there. We’ll compare their displays, performance, battery, cameras, and audio performance. That being said, let’s kick off the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G vs Apple iPhone SE (2022) comparison.
Specs
| Samsung Galaxy A53 5G | Apple iPhone SE (2022) | |
| Screen size | 6.5-inch fullHD+ Super AMOLED display (120Hz) | 4.7-inch HD+ Retina IPS LCD display (60Hz) |
| Screen resolution | 2400 x 1080 | 1334 x 750 |
| SoC | Samsung Exynos 1280 | Apple A15 Bionic |
| RAM | 4GB/6GB/8GB (LPDDR4X) | 4GB |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB (UFS 2.2), expandable | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, non-expandable |
| Rear cameras | 64MP (f/1.8 aperture, 26mm lens, OIS, PDAF, 0.8um pixel size) 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 123-degree FoV, 1.12um pixel size) 5MP (f/2.4 aperture, macro) 5MP (f/2.4 aperture, depth) |
12MP (f/1.8 aperture, wide-angle, OIS, PDAF) |
| Front cameras | 32MP (f/2.2 aperture, 26mm lens, 0.8um pixel size) | 7MP (f/2.2 aperture) |
| Battery | 5,000mAh, non-removable, 25W wired charging | 1,821mAh (speculated), 18W wired charging, Qi wireless charging |
| Dimensions | 159.6 x 74.8 x 8.1mm | 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3mm |
| Weight | 189 grams | 144 grams |
| Connectivity | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, Lightning |
| Security | In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) | Touch ID |
| OS | Android 12 One UI 4.1 |
iOS 15.3 |
| Price | $449 (currently $349) | $429 |
| Buy | Amazon | Apple |
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G vs Apple iPhone SE (2022): Design
These two phones look completely different. The Galaxy A53 5G has really thin bezels, and a centered display camera hole. It also has four cameras on the back. The iPhone SE (2022) design is essentially the iPhone 8 design, with newer internals. It looks really dated at this point. There are thick bezels above and below the display, a home button, and a single camera on the back.
The iPhone SE (2022) is made out of more premium materials, though. It comes with an aluminum frame, and a glass back, while the Galaxy A53 5G has a plastic frame and back. That’s not something many people will complain about, though, as the phone does feel really nice in the hand, it doesn’t feel cheap. It is a lot later than the iPhone SE (2022), though, so keep that in mind.
The Galaxy A53 5G is larger by every measurement, which is not surprising considering that its display is 1.8 inches larger in diagonal. The phone is taller, wider, and thicker than the iPhone SE (2022), while it’s also 45 grams heavier. The iPhone SE (2022) is far easier to use with one hand, but you’re not getting that much of a screen to work with. Both phones do feel good in the hand, though.
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G vs Apple iPhone SE (2022): Display
The Galaxy A53 5G includes a 6.5-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) Super AMOLED display. That display is flat, and it offers a 120Hz refresh rate. It can get up to 800 nits of brightness, and it’s well-protected. The Gorilla Glass 5 is placed on top of this display, and even though it’s not the latest offering from Corning, the Gorilla Glass 5 is still one of the best offerings from the company. I’ve never had issues with it on phones, as it repels scratches really well, even microscratches.
The iPhone SE (2022), on the other hand, includes a 4.7-inch HD+ (1334 x 750) Retina IPS LCD display. This panel gets up to 625 nits of brightness, and it’s a flat display as well. This panel offers a 60Hz refresh rate, so it’s not a high refresh rate panel. That’s not surprising at all as it’s the same panel Apple used years ago, on the iPhone 8, so it’s quite dated at this point in time.
The Galaxy A53 5G has a better display here, and it’s not even close. Not only is it sharper, but it’s also an AMOLED display. On top of that, it gets brighter, and it offers a lot higher refresh rate for added smoothness. The colors are more vivid on that panel, and the viewing angles are also better. The panel inside the iPhone SE (2022) is quite dated, though it’s good enough if you’re a demanding user. Also, its resolution is not particularly high, but do keep in mind this display is quite small, so that likely won’t be an issue if you’re good with the screen size.
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G vs Apple iPhone SE (2022): Performance
The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G is fueled by the Exynos 1280 SoC from Samsung. In addition to that Samsung also included 4GB, 6GB, or 8GB of RAM, depending on which you choose. The iPhone SE (2022), on the other hand, is fueled by Apple’s latest Apple 15 Bionic chip, which is the company’s flagship processor at the moment. The device also includes 4GB of RAM on the inside.
The iPhone SE (2022) may look like the iPhone 8, but its internals have been updated, well, some of them. That SoC improvement does major things for the performance of this device. The iPhone SE (2022) is really snappy, and chances are it will stay that way for a long time. In fact, it offers noticeably better performance than the Galaxy A53 5G, which goes for both on paper, and in real life.
During our testing, the Galaxy A53 5G actually did lag from time to time. The performance was decent, but it wasn’t great. The iPhone SE (2022) does a much better job in that regard. Both phones did a good job in the gaming department, though. The iPhone SE (2022) should technically be able to do better in terms of gaming, but we did not have any issues with the Galaxy A53 5G.
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G vs Apple iPhone SE (2022): Battery
Samsung’s offering does a much better job in the battery department. The Galaxy A53 5G packs in a 5,000mAh battery, while the iPhone SE (2022) includes a 2,018mAh unit. iOS does handle power consumption differently, and the iPhone SE (2022) does have a much smaller, less sharp display, with a lower refresh rate. Still, this is a major difference, and it shows during actual usage.
The Galaxy A53 5G did a stellar job here. It managed to push us over 8 hours of screen-on-time on more than one occasion, and that is quite impressive. The iPhone SE (2022) is a completely different story, and most of you will probably be able to get half that much during regular usage. Your usage will be different, though, so chances are you’ll get different results. Do note that gaming kills the battery noticeably faster.
What about charging? Well, the Galaxy A53 5G supports 25W wired charging, and no wireless charging. The iPhone SE (2022) supports 20W wired, and 7.5W wireless charging. Do note that neither of these two devices offers reverse (wireless) charging, nor do they ship with chargers. You’ll have to get a charger separately. The iPhone SE (2022) will charge up considerably faster, though, due to a considerably smaller battery.
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G vs Apple iPhone SE (2022): Cameras
When it comes to cameras, the setups here are much different. The Galaxy A53 5G has four cameras on the back. A 64-megapixel main camera is backed by a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera. A 5-megapixel macro camera is also included, as is a 5-megapixel depth camera. The iPhone SE (2022), on the flip side, includes a single camera on the back, a 12-megapixel unit. That camera sensor is also quite old, though it does get boosted by the Apple A15 Bionic, and software.
Having said that, in good lighting, both phones did a good job. The Galaxy A53 5G’s images were a bit more contrasty, and quite frankly, most of you will likely prefer them. They were also a bit sharper. In low light, well, the Galaxy A53 5G doesn’t capture a great amount of detail, but it still beats the iPhone SE (2022). Apple failed to provide a night mode for the iPhone SE (2022) camera, even though it technically could due to the Apple A15 Bionic. That’s a shame, as the phone would do a much better job in low light. It’s not bad, but it’s not great either.
You do get a lot more options with the Galaxy A53 5G camera setup as well. Not only do you have an ultrawide camera on the back, but a dedicated macro camera as well. Granted, that macro camera won’t be of much use, as it’s only a 5-megapixel unit, and the images don’t really turn out all that sharp.
Audio
What about the audio aspect? Well, both phones do include stereo speakers, while neither includes a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Galaxy A53 5G’s speakers do a noticeably better job. The sound is really balanced, while you’re also getting some bass as part of it. The iPhone SE (2022) is quite small, and its speakers are quite small, and dated. The sound is okay, but it cannot measure up to what the Galaxy A53 5G provides. The Galaxy A53 5G’s speakers also do get noticeably louder in comparison.
Now, in terms of headphones, if you’re not using Bluetooth headphones, you’ll need a dongle, or headphones with a specific port. The Galaxy A53 5G uses a Type-C port, while a lightning port is placed on the iPhone SE (2022).
