The new Galaxy A52 5G is redefining Samsung's mid-range portfolio just as much as it's challenging rival phones from other OEMs. It's probably the closest we've ever gotten to a perfect mid-range device, and because of this, it represents a real threat to its competitors who are probably already laying down new plans for combating Samsung's aggressive push into the segment.
Whether or not the Galaxy A52 5G is the best mid-range phone in the world may be subjective. The answer will vary depending on what exactly you're looking for in a mid-range device, but even so, it's impossible to deny the fact that the Galaxy A52 is the most complete smartphone in its segment. Other devices might excel in one or two areas, but the Galaxy A52 5G is just a solid phone across the board and unlike all of its rivals, it makes little-to-no compromises.
Galaxy A52 5G against the world
Some of the Galaxy A52 5G's direct rivals are the Google Pixel 4a 5G, the Motorola One 5G Ace, the OnePlus Nord N10 5G, the LG K92 5G, the Oppo F19 Pro+ 5G, and the Xiaomi Note 10 5G, just to name a few. Each of these phones has a display with an FHD+ resolution just like the Galaxy A52 5G does, but their other display characteristics differ widely. As a result, Samsung's mid-range phone is the only one capable of a high 120Hz refresh rate, with the OnePlus device coming in a close second thanks to 90Hz support.
Some of the aforementioned smartphones lack fast charging, others have more than 25W, but the Galaxy A52 5G seemingly hits the sweet spot with a 4,500mAh capacity and 25W fast charging capabilities. Other devices had to compromise either in terms of charging speeds or battery capacity, or both in some cases.
The Galaxy A52 5G offers the best memory options, and even though the Google Pixel 4a 5G has a slightly better chipset (it's the only alternative that does, by the way), it's lacking in various other areas such as memory options and the fact that it has no expandable storage, not to mention the fact that it has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner while being more expensive and a lot more difficult to come by.
Most other phones mentioned today have poorer-than-Gorilla Glass 5 display protection. Furthermore, the Galaxy A52 5G is one of the very few mid-range phones to boast stereo speakers, though the Pixel 4a 5G and the LG K92 5G do too. Likewise, the A52 is the only model listed here — save for the Pixel 4a 5G — to boast OIS (optical image stabilization) for the main camera.
Build quality is yet another interesting topic of conversation because most mid-range phones don't have an IP rating. But the new Galaxy A52 does. The phone is IP67-certified which means it's dust-proof and water-resistant at depths of up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes. As for its rivals, you can benefit from a weak water-repellent coating at best.
Combine all of this impressive hardware and build quality with a superior software experience and you got yourself the Galaxy A52. The phone offers three years of Android OS updates and four years of guaranteed security patches, whereas most other mid-range phones benefit from two major OS updates at best.
All of these characteristics make the Galaxy A52 5G a fantastic mid-range phone able to compete not only with Samsung's own higher-end devices but also with virtually every other mid-range phone on the market right now. Do you agree, or do you have a different take on the current mid-range landscape? Leave a comment below.
