Galaxy A52 vs Galaxy A50 / A50s: Just upgrade already!

Samsung has launched the new Galaxy A52 earlier today, and it's shaping up to be an incredible value proposition. The Galaxy A5x has been one of Samsung's most successful lineups in recent years, but the new Galaxy A52 has reached the pinnacle.

A lot has changed over the past couple of years since the Galaxy A series got renamed and the Galaxy A50 was shown to the world. The 2019 model is simply no match for the Galaxy A52, and the same can also easily be said about the Galaxy A50s despite it having a better camera setup than its non-S sibling released six months prior.

Galaxy A52 vs Galaxy A50 / A50s: The perfect upgrade

There really is no competition between the Galaxy A50 / A50s and the new Galaxy A52. Virtually everything was improved by the new model, and you'd be hard-pressed to find any advantages offered by the Galaxy A50 / A50s over the 2021 sequel.

The Galaxy A52 sports a more powerful chipset regardless of whether it's the 4G (Snapdragon 720G) or the 5G (Snapdragon 750G) variant. Memory options got better as well and the Galaxy A52 ships with a minimum of 128GB and 4GB / 6GB / 8GB of RAM. The Galaxy A52 5G is launching with 6GB / 8GB of RAM.

The 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display has a similar FHD+ resolution, but it now boasts a 90Hz (4G) / 120Hz (5G) refresh rate and Gorilla Glass 5 protection.

The camera system now includes a 32MP selfie sensor and four rear-facing shooters including a 64MP main sensor with autofocus and OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide unit, and two 5MP depth and macro sensors.

The battery is now larger at 4,500mAh and it supports 25W charging, up from 15W — though it's worth pointing out that the Galaxy A52 still ships with a 15W charger in the box.

All of these new hardware components are protected from dust and water thanks to the Galaxy A52's improved build quality. It's the first Galaxy A phone in years to feature an IP(67) rating, providing water resistance at depths of up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes.

Likewise, the new hardware is backed by improved software. The Galaxy A52 ships with Android 11 and One UI 3.1, along with a few new additions to the software experience, such as Pro Video mode — a fantastic feature for content creators — and the new Fun Mode, which is a collection of 16 AR-based Snapchat camera effects.

And speaking of software / firmware, the Galaxy A50 and A50s are not eligible for three Android OS updates, whereas the Galaxy A52 is. This virtually means that Galaxy A52 owners should be able to upgrade to Android versions 12, 13, and 14 in the coming years, whereas the Galaxy A50 and A50s will be stuck with Android 11.

Galaxy A52 vs Galaxy A50 / A50s: It's time to upgrade

The Galaxy A50 / A50s haven't reached end of life but they certainly won't receive any other major Android OS upgrades. The hardware remains usable but it is getting dated, so even if you want to squeeze the most out of the Galaxy A50 / A50s, a time will soon come when you'll probably consider switching to a newer model.

So far, the Galaxy A52 is the best alternative, especially if you're willing to trade-in your aging Galaxy phone for it. The new model simply redefines the Galaxy A series in too many significant ways, so if you've been looking for a worthy upgrade, you can look no further because it's already here.

Samsung
Galaxy A50

Select model SM-A505F SM-A505FN SM-A505GN SM-A505G SM-A505FM SM-A505YN SM-A505W SM-A505U SM-A505Y SM-A505U1 Buy Full specs

Samsung
Galaxy A50s

Select model SM-A507F SM-A507FN SM-A507GN SM-A507FM SM-A507YN SM-A507W SM-A5070 Buy Full specs

Samsung
Galaxy A52

Select model SM-A525F SM-A525M Buy Full specs

Samsung
Galaxy A52 5G

Select model SM-A5260 SM-A526B SM-A526N SM-A526U SM-A526U1 SM-A526W SM-A526M Buy Full specs