The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G vs the iPhone SE (2022): Which One Should You Buy?

Introduction

Okay, so, fast forward to March 8, 2022, Apple has taken to the stage to announce its supposedly mid-range phone for 2022, the $430 iPhone SE (2022), which is a 2 years refresh of the iPhone SE (2020), and then about a week later, Samsung took to the stage as well to announce its $450 Samsung Galaxy A53 5G to rival Apple’s $430 offering.

So, today, we’ll be putting these two phones up against each other to see which one gives you a better bang for your buck, what you stand to gain or lose if you went for one and left the other, and which is the right phone to buy in 2022.

So, you’re ready?

Sure, then, let’s, begin. #enjoy.

Read also: Our Samsung Galaxy A53 5G vs the A52 5G comprehensive comparison.

And to kick off this comparison session, let’s start by comparing the specs-on-paper of the two phones side by side.

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

Specifications	Samsung Galaxy A53 5G	Apple iPhone SE (2022)
Launch Date	March 17, 2022	March 08, 2022
DESIGN
Dimensions	159.6 x 74.8 x 8.1 mm (6.28 x 2.94 x 0.32 in)	138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm (5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 in)
Weight	189 g (6.67 oz)	144 g (5.08 oz)
Build	Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic frame, plastic back	Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame
Features	IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 mins)	IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 mins)
DISPLAY
Size	6.5 inches, 102.0 cm2 (~85.4% screen-to-body ratio)	4.7 inches, 60.9 cm2 (~65.4% screen-to-body ratio)
Panel	Super AMOLED	IPS LCD
Resolution	1080 x 2400 pixels, (~405 PPI density)	750 x 1334 pixels, (~326 ppi density)
Aspect Ratio	20:9	16:9
Features	120Hz refresh rate	60Hz refresh rate
	HDR10	N/A
	Always-on display	N/A
CAMERAS
Rear	64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.7X", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS.	12 MP, f/1.8 (wide), PDAF, OIS
	12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1.12µm	N/A
	5 MP, f/2.4, (macro)	N/A
	5 MP, f/2.4, (depth)	N/A
Features	LED flash	Quad-LED dual-tone flash
	auto-HDR	HDR
	Panorama	Panorama
Video Recording	4K@30fps	4K@24/30/60fps
	1080p@30/60fps; gyro-EIS	1080p@30/60/120/240fps; HDR, OIS, stereo sound rec.
Front	32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm.	7 MP, f/2.2
Features	HDR	HDR
Video Recording	4K@30fps	N/A
	1080p@30/60fps	1080p@30/120fps; gyro-EIS
HARDWARE
Processor	Exynos 1280 (5 nm)	Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm)
CPU	Octa-core (2.4 GHz & 2.0 GHz)	Hexa-core (2x3.22 GHz Avalanche + 4xX.X GHz Blizzard)
GPU	Mali-G68	Apple GPU (4-core graphics)
RAM & Storage	6GB + 128GB	4GB + 64/128/256GB
	8GB + 128/256GB	N/A
SOFTWARE
Android Version	Android 12	iOS 15.4
Custom UI	Samsung's One UI 4.1	N/A
BATTERY
Size	5000 mAh	2018 mAh
Charging	Fast charging up to 25W (Charger not included in the box)	Fast charging up to 18W (Charger not included in the box)
USB	USB Type-C 2.0, USB On-The-Go	Lightning, USB 2.0
MISCELLANEOUS
Bluetooth	5.1	5.0
Fingerprint Reader	Yes, under-display (Optical)	Yes, front-mounted (Touch ID)
Face Unlock	Yes, 2D	N/A
IP Rating	Yes, IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 mins)	Yes, IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 mins)
Speakers	Stereo speakers	Stereo speakers
3.5 mm Jack	No	No
Wireless Charging	No	Yes
Reverse Wireless Charging	No	No

So, having seen the side-by-side spec comparison between both phones, now let’s get into the details proper.

Design & build

In terms of looks, I’m tempted to say that the differences between the iPhone SE and the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G are like night and day.

While Apple has notoriously decided not to let go of its already 2-year old design that was used on the 2020 iPhone SE, which in return, was carried over from the almost 5-year old iPhone 8 that was announced all the way back in 2017, and again, that design was mostly inspired by the 8-year old iPhone 6 that was announced as far back as 2014, I think it’s safe to say that the iPhone SE 2022’s design is as old as time itself.

The phone, all the while being among the smallest phones you can find around today with a 4.7 inches LCD panel in a world where 6 inches+ displays reign supreme, the iPhone SE (2022) still has those huge black bezels on the front, and the trusty old front-facing Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint scanner.

Although being one of the oldest living designs on smartphones today, I still think people who are long-time users of iPhones will find reasons not to see anything wrong with the design of this phone.

And lest I forget, it comes with a glass build, and an aluminum frame, giving it that Apple’s touch of exquisity and premiumness, if at all there are words like that.

And coming to Samsung’s camp, with the Galaxy A53 5G, you get a more refined look and modern design with minimal bezels on the front with the fingerprint reader tucked and hidden neatly under the display.

It’s safe to say that the design was carried over from the 2021’s Samsung Galaxy A52 series, and unlike the iPhone, this phone here is made out of plastic, but for what it lacks in terms of build material quality, it makes up for it in the overall look and design.

Both phones are IP67 rated for ingress protection against water and dust and can be dunked into 1m volume of water for up to 30 mins.

So, in terms of design and looks, I’ll say the only thing the iPhone SE has going on for it is the build quality as it uses a more scratch-resistant glass with an aluminum frame. But the Galaxy A53 5G has its looks going on for it, and even the plastic build might be termed more durable when it comes to drop tests, because, you know, glass is glass, and glass breaks, but the same can’t be said for plastic, as it can absorb more shock from drops without shattering.

So, I’ll give this round to the Samsung.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy A53 5G.

Display

Now coming to the display section, and with the iPhone SE being an overly milked out end product of a once-loved form factor, it uses the same old 4.7 inches 720p IPS LCD panel from the iPhone 8, which Apple termed the “Retina display“, and guess what?

It refreshes at a 60Hz traditional screen refresh rate. LOL.

But on the Samsung, you get what many people have come to accept as the best display on any mid-range phone to date.

It’s a 6.5 inches Super AMOLED panel, with a 1080p resolution, and the screen refresh rate kicking at 120Hz.

So, the display on the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G is not only of a higher quality as compared to the iPhone SE (2022), but it’s also sharper with a higher overall pixel density (405 vs 326 PPI), and it feeds dust to the iPhone for as long as screen refresh rates are concerned.

Read also: The best Samsung phones to buy today with 90 & 120Hz high refresh rate displays.

So, once again, for display, it’s apparent that the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G is the clear winner here, and the iPhone SE 2022’s display doesn’t hold a candle close to it.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy A53 5G.

Processor & performance

In terms of performance, the iPhone SE (2022) has no competition here as there’s literally no other mid-range phone within the $400 – 500 price range that comes close to it.

In Apple’s tradition, it uses the A15 Bionic (5nm) chipset, the same processor that is inside the >$1000+ iPhone 13 models, so, you’re getting flagship performance here for less than $450.

While coming to the Samsung’s, you get a mid-range Exynos 1280 (5nm) chipset on the Galaxy A53 5G, though it doesn’t come anywhere close to the A15 Bionic on the SE, I mean, it wasn’t even trying to compete in the first place, still, it’s a pretty decent processor when put against similar processors within the same performance category like the Snapdragon 750G chipset that was used in the Galaxy A52 5G from last year, the MediaTek Dimensity 900, and even comes very close the almost flagship-like Snapdragon 778G.

But the thing is, no matter which device you choose to go for, none of them will make you feel like you’re using a substandard device, as they both fly through day-to-day tasks with ease, and without breaking a sweat, but the iPhone surely will feel a bit snappier when opening and running tasks.

So, for this category, the iPhone SE (2022) wins it by a long shot, and the Galaxy A53 5G can’t relate.

Winner: iPhone SE (2022).

Software

In terms of software, I think this will be more of a case of if you’re a fan of iOS, or you’re a fan of Android, as they’re both running on two different operating systems.

So, on the iPhone, you get Apple’s latest iOS 15.4 software version, and with the Galaxy, you get the latest Android 12 with Samsung’s One UI 4.1 software version on it.

Gone are the days when iPhones usually have the upper hand in terms of long term software support, as Samsung has finally woken up from their slumber, and upped their game in their aspect, and with the Galaxy A53 5G, you now get up to 4 years of major Android version update, and a total of 5 years of security updates.

Though Apple might still have the longer software support timeline, sometimes, up to 6 years, still, 5 years on the A53 5G is still a pretty big deal.

So, is there a winner here?

Well, to be honest, I’ll say there is no clear one, as the software experience you get depends on the operating system you choose, and Samsung is already starting to match the software support culture that iPhones have been known for, for years.

Winner: Tie.

Cameras

Now, coming to the cameras, once again, there is a glaring difference between the two phones as the iPhone uses a single 12MP camera on the back, while the Galaxy phone employs the services of a total of four individual cameras.

So, you get a 64MP main camera with OIS, which is accompanied by a 12MP ultrawide camera, a 5MP macro sensor, and a second 5MP depth camera.

And as I mentioned earlier, the iPhone uses a single 12MP camera, still with OIS, and this is the exact same camera sensor on the 5-year old Apple iPhone 8.

And coming to the front, while the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G uses a higher-resolution 32MP front-facing camera, the iPhone, once again, uses the 5-year old 7MP front-facing camera that debuted with the iPhone 8.

Yes, we know that megapixel counts do not tell the whole story of a camera, but the Samsung is more versatile in the kind of pictures that can be taken with it, especially with the ultrawide camera, since the macro and depth cameras are mostly considered as gimmicks.

Both phones will give you unmatched picture qualities for as long as taking pictures is concerned, in fact, the Samsung has been proven in more cases than none to take some of the best pictures among other mid-range phones in this price range.

And coming to video recording, iPhones have been known to record some of the best videos on smartphones in general, and I think the iPhone SE (2022) is carrying that legacy too.

But just for comparison purposes, the iPhone SE can record videos at up to 4K resolution, and at framerates of 24, 30, and 60fps on the rear camera, but it’s limited to just 1080p resolution at 30 and 120fps on the front-facing camera.

While coming to the Samsung, you get 4K recording on both the rear and front-facing cameras, but this is limited to just 30fps, but you can still do 1080p resolution recording at 30 and 60fps if you choose on the rear and front-facing cameras as well.

So, for this section, I’ll say the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G wins it by a small chance because of its ultrawide camera and versatility in taking pictures, but pictures qualities should be on par on both phones, and maybe video recording too.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy A53 5G.

Battery & charging

Now, coming to the battery section, iPhones have always been known to carry smaller battery capacities as compared to their Android counterparts, and as such, you get a 2018 mAh power cell on the iPhone SE (2022) which is a tangible increase in capacity coming from the 1821 mAh capacity of the SE 2020 that was heavily criticized for having poor battery life, and I doubt that the 2022 model will be any different, and even if it is, it wouldn’t be by much.

And coming to the Galaxy A53 5G, you get a heavy-duty 5000 mAh capacity cell which Samsung claims can run up to 2 full days on a single charge, but I doubt that’s even possible in a world today where people almost never leave their phones, as they’re always on it, doing one stuff or the other, and even results have shown that it is basically no different from the battery life we got on the 2021’s Galaxy A52 5G with a 4500 mAh cell, but even at that, the iPhone SE still doesn’t come close.

And coming to the charging speeds, you get 18W maximum speed on the iPhone SE, where you get up to 25W on the Galaxy.

And just so you know, none of these phones give you a charger in the box, so you’ll have to come with your own charging brick if you really want to maximize those charging speeds on any of the phones.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy A53 5G

Pricing & verdict

The iPhone SE (2022) at $430, might seem a bit cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G at $450, but the A53 5G actually gives you more value for your money at that price.

Aside from the fast Apple A15 Bionic chipset that the iPhone SE has going for it, the Galaxy A53 5G gives you a more modern design and look with neat minimal bezels on the front, a better overall display with a 120Hz refresh rate, quad-camera setup that rivals most mid-range phones in the same price range, a bigger battery capacity, and faster charging.

And what both phones have in common is the IP67 dust and water resistance rating, stereo speaker setups, no 3.5 mm headphones jack, and no charger in the box of any.

Conclusion: Which should you go for?

So, which should you go for? I mean, which of these two phones deserves your 400+ bucks?

Well, at this point, you’ll all agree with me that the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G is a better overall smartphone than the iPhone SE (2022), but, deciding on what phone one should go for depends on where you’ve been heavily invested in before now, or just the brand that you’re a fan of.

Most Android or Samsung lovers will quickly choose the Galaxy A53 5G without blinking twice, while most iPhone users who have been using Apple products and past iPhones before now will go for the iPhone SE by default.

So, even if one has more advantages than the other, it still boils down to personal interest or choice.

And that concludes it for today on this detailed comparison between the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G, and the Apple iPhone SE (2022).

If you have any questions, kindly leave them in the comments section below, and if you enjoyed reading this post, then kindly give it a thumbs up by sharing it, and as always, I’ll see y’all tomorrow, #peace out.

Read also

• Our Samsung Galaxy A53 5G hands-on and first impressions review.
• UK used iPhone 12 Pro Max overview, specifications, and its current price in Nigeria.
• UK used iPhone 7 Plus overview, specifications, and its current price in Nigeria.