Samsung aims for consistency and meaningful features on Galaxy M53 5G

Big updates on the hardware front have become rare instead it’s time to look at practical, meaningful changes on smartphones. Better processor, efficient user interface, good software update cycle, improved camera performance… that’s what some companies are aiming for. More than anything, consistency is important, which is not a common feature on Android phones. Keeping this mind, let’s look at the Samsung Galaxy M53 5G, which may not be a path-breaking phone in way of design but it meets quite a few key requirements.

Don’t expect a razzle-dazzle-level camera bump or design. Samsung is, in fact, playing out a sensible design philosophy across its phones. One look and you know the company’s name. Though a biggish device, it’s very light, even with a hefty 5,000mAh battery.

Meaningful innovation comes in the form of display quality and type, which is 6.7 inches of FHD+ Super AMOLED+. The ‘plus’ bit ensures that millimeters are shaved off the thickness of the phone while bringing down the weight. It’s a very bright, crisp screen, which you can hold at any angle without flaws. This is the company that makes displays for many leading brands. Besides, there is 120Hz screen refresh rate.

Second, software. That’s right, software is that important to one’s experience. Out of the box, you get Samsung’s own One UI 4.1 based on Android 12. The extras come in the form of Knox security, which adds a layer of security, plus, there is Secure Folder. A more practical addition is auto data switching feature. In case you have dual SIM cards and there is data facility on both, this feature can be handy. There are times when data stops working on one SIM; the phone can switch to the other one. Or take the case of enhanced noise cancellation while speaking on the phone. Very importantly, there are two years of Android upgrade and four years of security patches, which ensures long-term protection. The only drawback is bloatware, though all of it can be installed. While setting the phone up, you can control bloatware by reading through the instructions carefully.

Punchy colours ensure photos are Instagram-worthy

Third, Samsung is listening to constructive criticism. The company has done away with packing in a charging brick in the box. That’s a good environmental move. In case you do need a charging brick, why don’t you add it to your Amazon cart while ordering the phone and that too at a reduced price?

Fourth, camera. There is a sharp 108MP camera, which takes crisp photos. The colours are slightly punchy but I want this for my Instagram feed. It just looks great. Further, it captures skin tones accurately. All this features are extended to the 8MP ultra-wide camera. As for the two 2MP macro and depth sensors, it’s not that interesting. The selfie camera goes big — 32MP and doesn’t play around with skin tones. Most impressive is the video performance — 4K@30fps on both the front and main cameras. There’s the usual Single Take, Fun Mode, Night Mode and so on.

Should you buy it?

Powering the phone is MediaTek Dimensity 900, which is quite a good processor and can do all the heavy lifting while playing games at high settings. You can get the 8GB RAM (LPDDR4X) version and then if needed turn on the RAM Plus feature (2GB, 4GB, 6GB extra virtual RAM) but I didn’t require it at all. What you get is sustained gaming as well as a good cooling feature. And future protection comes in the form of the presence of 12 5G bands. Like we said, Samsung is aiming for consistency and meaningful features, which are in plenty on the Galaxy M53 5G.

At a glance