Samsung Galaxy A52 5G vs S23 Ultra: A Deep Dive into Samsung's Lineup
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing value, the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G remains a capable device, especially at its current discounted price. However, the S23 Ultra is the clear winner for those demanding top-tier performance, a superior camera system, and a brighter, more advanced display. The S23 Ultra’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset delivers a significantly smoother and more responsive experience.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy A52 5G | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 26, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 66 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| - | 1, 7, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, March 17 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, March 19 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic back | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 159.9 x 75.1 x 8.4 mm (6.30 x 2.96 x 0.33 in) | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 189 g (6.67 oz) | 234 g (8.25 oz) |
| IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) Stylus (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~407 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.5 inches, 101.0 cm2 (~84.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 800 nits (HBM) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| Always-on display | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Kryo 570 & 6x1.8 GHz Kryo 570) | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM7225 Snapdragon 750G 5G (8 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 619 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 11, upgradable to Android 14, One UI 6.1 | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| - | UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, panorama, HDR | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Quad | 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.7X", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1.12µm 5 MP (macro) Auxiliary lens | 200 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.3", 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 10 MP, f/4.9, 230mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
| Single | - | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps; gyro-EIS | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes (market/region dependent) | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | FM radio (market/region dependent) | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Virtual proximity sensing | Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired, 50% in 30 min | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Awesome Black, Awesome White, Awesome Violet, Awesome Blue | Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition |
| Models | SM-A526B, SM-A526B/DS, SM-A5260, SM-A526W, SM-A526U, SM-A526U1 | SM-S918B, SM-S918B/DS, SM-S918U, SM-S918U1, SM-S918W, SM-S918N, SM-S9180, SM-S918E, SM-S918E/DS |
| Price | $ 137.39 / £ 280.00 / € 115.49 | € 549.90 / $ 454.99 / £ 433.00 |
| SAR | 0.74 W/kg (head) 0.53 W/kg (body) | 1.12 W/kg (head) 0.92 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 1.05 W/kg (head) 1.42 W/kg (body) | 0.96 W/kg (head) 1.40 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 111h | Endurance rating 126h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -27.5 LUFS (Good) | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 334981 (v8), 386474 (v9) GeekBench: 1820 (v5.1) GFXBench: 16fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 1241531 (v9) GeekBench: 4927 (v5.1) GFXBench: 67fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
- Significantly more affordable
- Excellent battery endurance for the price
- Still a capable 5G device for everyday use
- Outdated processor and RAM
- Inferior display quality compared to flagship models
- Camera system lacks advanced features
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Top-tier performance with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
- Exceptional camera system with advanced features
- Bright, vibrant, and adaptive display
- Very expensive
- Larger and heavier than the A52 5G
- May be overkill for basic smartphone users
Display Comparison
The S23 Ultra’s display is a substantial upgrade. Reaching a measured peak brightness of 1274 nits, it significantly outshines the A52 5G’s 787 nits, offering superior visibility in direct sunlight. While both feature an 'Infinite' contrast ratio (typical for Samsung AMOLED panels), the S23 Ultra likely benefits from more advanced panel technology and calibration for improved color accuracy. The S23 Ultra also benefits from adaptive refresh rate technology (LTPO) not present in the A52 5G, further enhancing smoothness and power efficiency.
Camera Comparison
While both phones offer photo and video capabilities, the S23 Ultra’s camera system is in a different league. Although specific sensor details aren’t provided, the S23 Ultra’s flagship status implies a much larger main sensor, advanced image stabilization (OIS), and superior image processing algorithms. The A52 5G likely relies on more basic computational photography techniques. The S23 Ultra’s camera system is designed for professional-level photography and videography, while the A52 5G is geared towards casual snapshots.
Performance
The performance gap is considerable. The A52 5G’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G (8nm) is a capable mid-range chip, but it’s dwarfed by the S23 Ultra’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm). The 4nm process node of the 8 Gen 2 offers significantly improved thermal efficiency, meaning less throttling during sustained workloads like gaming. The S23 Ultra’s CPU, with its Cortex-X3 prime core, delivers a substantial performance boost over the A52 5G’s Kryo 570 cores. The S23 Ultra also utilizes faster LPDDR5x RAM, contributing to snappier multitasking and app loading times.
Battery Life
Both phones achieve respectable endurance ratings – 111 hours for the A52 5G and 126 hours for the S23 Ultra. However, the S23 Ultra’s active use score of 13:24h suggests a more efficient power management system despite a potentially larger display. The S23 Ultra also boasts faster charging at 45W (65% in 30 minutes) compared to the A52 5G’s 25W (50% in 30 minutes), and adds wireless charging capabilities (15W Qi and 4.5W reverse wireless) absent on the A52 5G.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G if you need a reliable 5G smartphone for everyday tasks, prioritize battery endurance over raw power, and are on a strict budget. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra if you demand the best possible Android experience, require a professional-grade camera system, and value features like fast charging, a vibrant display, and long-term software support.