Samsung Galaxy A52 review – combining colour with simplicity

• Samsung launched the Galaxy A52 in India starting at ₹26,499.
  
• The main highlight of the phone is the AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate – a feature that has become increasingly common in this segment.
  
• Beyond that, the Galaxy A52 also promises to deliver fast and smooth performance without breaking a sweat.
  
• So how does the phone fare in real life? Let’s find out in our review.
  

After delivering some good value-for-money smartphones with the Galaxy M and F series, Samsung is back with a slightly premium and smarter looking phone – the Galaxy A52.

The primary highlight of the new Galaxy A52 is the AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate. Even though this feature is becoming increasingly common in this price segment, the Galaxy A52 promises to deliver in other aspects as well to make for a well-rounded package that feels durable as well as premium.

So, how does the Galaxy A52 fare in real life? We’ve been using the phone for a while now and here’s our detailed review.

Samsung Galaxy A52 price and availability

The phone is available at a price of ₹26,499 for the 6GB variant and ₹27,999 for the 8GB variant. It comes in black, white, blue and violet colours, and can be purchased from Amazon, Flipkart, Samsung online store and other retail outlets across the country.

At this price point, the Galaxy A52 competes with these phones:


Design and build quality

Unlike a few recent Samsung phones like the Galaxy F62 or the Galaxy M51, the Galaxy A52 comes with a different and smarter design language. It has a polycarbonate back with matte finish that does not attract fingerprints or get scratched easily.


While glass backs are fairly common even in this price segment, it’s refreshing to see Samsung adopt a different design that is durable and yet, clean. The best part is, the Galaxy A52 can be used without a case and you can actually show off the phone if you want to.

The polycarbonate back also allows Samsung to bring back premium looking colours – there are four options available, but we liked the blue variant the most.

Overall, while some may equate glass with premium design, the polycarbonate approach feels a lot better, especially for a mid-range phone.

Display


The Galaxy A52 comes with a 6.5-inch AMOLED display, with Full HD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. The effect this has on the user experience is immediately noticeable. Scrolling and the overall usability feels a lot smoother when compared to a regular 60Hz panel.

Using a 90Hz display also allows the Galaxy A52 to compete properly with the likes of OnePlus Nord and the Realme X7 Pro 5G.

In my usage, the phone was readable even under direct sunlight. It has a hole punch notch on the top that houses the selfie camera.

Software

Samsung packs in plenty of features with its custom skin One UI. The Galaxy A52 comes with Android 11 and One UI 3.1 out of the box – both being the latest versions currently available.

You can start using the Galaxy A52 out of the box without any customisation and you will still appreciate the balance Samsung has struck in terms of ease of use and power features like the Edge panel that houses shortcuts.

If that is not enough, you can customise the phone to your heart’s content by going into the Settings and playing with the options available.

Overall, Samsung’s One UI skin offers a great balance between simplicity, performance and customisation.

Performance and battery life

The Galaxy A52 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G chipset that promises to deliver smooth and reliable performance while offering decent battery life. It is paired with up to 8GB of memory and 128GB of storage.


In my tests, I found that the Galaxy A52 delivers smooth performance in regular usage. There were no noticeable lags or stutters in apps, browsing the internet or using the camera. Even while playing games, the performance was smooth for the most part. Even after extended sessions of gaming, the phone barely felt warm.

In terms of battery life, the Galaxy A52 usually lasted an entire day without needing another charge. It is powered by a 4,500mAh battery and supports 25W fast charging.

Surprisingly, the box includes a 15W fast charger instead of a 25W one. If you want to make full use of the 25W fast charging support, you will have to buy a 25W adapter separately.

Camera


The Galaxy A52 has four cameras on the back and one selfie snapper on the front. The rear cameras are a combination of a 64MP primary camera, a 12MP ultra wide angle camera and two 5MP shooters. The front has a 32MP selfie camera.


In our experience, we found that the phone focuses quickly in daylight as well as indoor lighting conditions, thanks to the optical image stabilisation feature. The colour reproduction is accurate and the photos have a good amount of detail. The built-in Scene Optimiser feature identifies the objects and optimises the settings accordingly.

Overall, it delivers decent results even in challenging conditions with multiple light points, as seen in the image above.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy A52 is a very good phone in the mid-range segment that delivers in terms of features and performance, and its understated yet colourful design is refreshing.

If you are looking for a smart yet solid mid-range phone for your next purchase, the Galaxy A52 could be a good addition in your list.

SEE ALSO:

Moto G30 review – a decent budget phone with a bloat-free user experience

Realme X7 Pro 5G mobile review – democratising 5G

Samsung Galaxy M51 review – insane battery life, but that makes the phone slightly heavy