Most people should not be spending $800 on a smartphone. There… I said it! Unless you’re an “ahead of the curve tech head”, like myself, I just don’t think you need to spend that money on the newest top of the line phone every 2 years. The so-called budget options no longer feel like budget options. I took the newest Samsung Galaxy A52 5G for a test.
Big screen – solid phone
The screen on the A52 is big, bright, colorful and smooth. It’s a 6.5″ AMOLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate. What does that all mean? It means the screen looks awesome and it feels super smooth when navigating the on-screen interface. There is a slight black bezel around the edge of the screen and also a hole punched out of the screen for the 32MP selfie camera.
Cameras for days
For a budget phone, the A52 has an impressive selection of cameras on the back. 4 cameras in all, including a 5MP macro camera, a 12MP ultra wide camera, a 64MP main camera and a 5MP depth camera. Altogether, this creates some awesome photos and video. I’d put the pics from this phone up against almost any smartphone on the market. Clearly Samsung knows that even budget phone customers don’t want to cut corners when it comes to their photos or video. Well done!
The only camera feature we’re missing is an optical zoom. This is something we’ve started to see in higher-end smartphones. Is it missed? I don’t think so. I have a telephoto camera on my Galaxy S20 and I can’t even remember a situation when I actually used it. If that’s a deal breaker for you, you may want to look elsewhere.
Powerful enough
The A52 doesn’t have the same high-end processing power of the newest Galaxy S21. Will you notice? I doubt it. In my testing the phone is super responsive, quick and ran most apps without a hitch. Even the so-called “mid-range” processors these days are so much more powerful than the high-end chips from just a few years ago. Unless you’re a total power user the Snapdragon used in the A52 will be plenty of power for daily use.
Is this what I think it is?
A headphone jack!!!! Cue the angelic music. Samsung has brought back the headphone jack for the A52. I love it! While most high-end phones are ditching that 3.5mm hole Samsung decided the A52 needed one. I think it was a smart choice.
What am I missing out on?
When you pay nearly half the price for a comparable phone, you’re going to lose some features. What’s missing in the A52? The processor is not as powerful as higher-end phones, there is no wireless charging, you get 4 cameras but no optical zoom and… honestly… that’s about it. None of these are game changers in my opinion. In fact I think most of these are features many people don’t use or need anyhow..
Best budget option… period
This is it. If you’re looking for an Android smartphone under $400 you can’t go wrong with the A52 5G. It feels high-end, has an awesome screen, great cameras and great battery life. This is the Android phone for the rest of us. This is the phone for people who don’t thrive on the latest specifications but just want a solid phone that works great.
The Samsung Galaxy A52 5G is available directly from Samsung for $375 (with a trade-in) or at most big box stores and cell phone carriers.
