Samsung Galaxy A53 5G vs Galaxy S20 FE 5G: The Ultimate Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Galaxy S20 FE 5G generally wins thanks to its Snapdragon 865 chipset, offering significantly better performance. However, the A53 5G provides exceptional battery life and a more modern design, making it a strong contender for budget-conscious users.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy A53 5G | Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G |
| 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, 12, 14, 20, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66 - SM-A536U | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66, 71 - USA |
| 5G bands | 2, 5, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-A536U | 2, 5, 41, 66, 71 Sub6 - USA |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1800/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 2, 5, 48, 66, 77, 78, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-A536V | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 40, 41, 78 Sub6 - International | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, March 17 | 2020, September 23 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, March 24 | Available. Released 2020, October 02 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic frame, plastic back | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), plastic back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 159.6 x 74.8 x 8.1 mm (6.28 x 2.94 x 0.32 in) | 159.8 x 74.5 x 8.4 mm (6.29 x 2.93 x 0.33 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 189 g (6.67 oz) | 190 g (6.70 oz) |
| IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~405 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~407 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.5 inches, 102.0 cm2 (~85.4% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.5 inches, 101.0 cm2 (~84.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 800 nits (HBM) | Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Exynos 1280 (5 nm) | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) |
| GPU | Mali-G68 | Adreno 650 |
| OS | Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| - | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, panorama, HDR | 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 | - |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm | 2 MP |
| Triple | - | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/2.4, 76mm (telephoto), 1/4.5", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.0", 1.12µm |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps; gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes (market/region dependent) | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | 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/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Browser | - | HTTP / WAP 2.0 |
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass, barometer (market/region dependent) | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass |
| Virtual proximity sensing | Virtual proximity sensing Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Stand-by | - | Up to 300 h |
| Talk time | - | Up to 5 h |
| Type | Li-Po 5000 mAh | Li-Ion 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, White, Blue, Peach | Cloud Lavender, Cloud Mint, Cloud Navy, Cloud White, Cloud Red, Cloud Orange |
| Models | SM-A536B, SM-A536B/DS, SM-A536U, SM-A536U1, SM-A5360, SM-A536E, SM-A536E/DS, SM-A536V, SM-A536W, SM-A536N, SM-S536DL | SM-G781B, SM-G781B/DS, SM-G781U, SM-G781U1, SM-G781W, SM-G7810, SM-G781N, SM-G781V |
| Price | $ 151.42 / £ 185.00 / € 169.14 | $ 137.00 / C$ 531.23 / £ 169.00 / € 199.00 |
| SAR | 0.75 W/kg (head) 1.58 W/kg (body) | 0.70 W/kg (head) 0.82 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.89 W/kg (head) 1.60 W/kg (body) | 0.50 W/kg (head) 1.35 W/kg (body) |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 361.99 |
| 128GB 8GB RAM | - | $ 589.97 |
| 256GB 8GB RAM | - | $ 769.99 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 113h | Endurance rating 110h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -26.5 LUFS (Good) | -26.3 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 329802 (v8), 379313 (v9) GeekBench: 1891 (v5.1) GFXBench: 19fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 543986 (v8) GeekBench: 3296 (v5.1) GFXBench: 45fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
- Excellent battery life
- Vibrant display
- Sleek design
- Good value for money
- Slower performance compared to S20 FE 5G
- No wireless charging
- Plastic build
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
- Powerful Snapdragon 865 chipset
- Fast charging (wired, wireless, reverse)
- Good camera performance
- More premium feel
- Higher price
- Battery life slightly less than A53 5G
- Can oversaturate colors in photos
Display Comparison
Both phones feature excellent displays with a nominal infinite contrast ratio. The A53 5G boasts a slightly higher peak brightness of 830 nits compared to the S20 FE 5G's 822 nits, though the difference is minimal in real-world use. The A53 5G has a 120Hz refresh rate, offering smoother scrolling and animations. The S20 FE 5G also has a 120Hz refresh rate, but it can be dynamically adjusted to save battery.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer versatile camera systems. The A53 5G generally produces more natural-looking photos, while the S20 FE 5G can sometimes oversaturate colors. Low-light performance is comparable. Video recording capabilities are similar on both devices, offering 4K recording at 60fps.
Performance
This is where the S20 FE 5G truly shines. Its Snapdragon 865 chipset is significantly faster than the A53 5G's Exynos 1280. Expect smoother multitasking, faster app loading times, and better gaming performance on the S20 FE 5G. The A53 5G is still capable for everyday tasks, but it will struggle with demanding games and applications.
Battery Life
The A53 5G takes a slight lead in battery endurance, with an endurance rating of 113 hours compared to the S20 FE 5G's 110 hours. However, the S20 FE 5G supports 25W wired charging, PD3.0, 15W wireless charging (Qi), and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, offering significantly faster charging speeds than the A53 5G's 25W wired charging.
Buying Guide
The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G is ideal for users prioritizing battery life, a vibrant display, and a sleek design without breaking the bank. The Galaxy S20 FE 5G is best suited for gamers, power users, and those who value performance and faster charging speeds, even if it comes at a higher price.