Samsung Galaxy A52, A52 5G and A52s – the most important differences
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Samsung's Galaxy A family of mid-range smartphones is exceptionally popular, holding the position of best-seller for the brand, largely due to the A51 and A52 models. The 2020 A51 model has been surpassed in almost every aspect, and now we just have to clarify one point: Which of the three models is more worth buying: Galaxy A52, Galaxy A52 5G or the recently launched Galaxy A52s?
You'll find that there are slight differences between them. The A52 4G, for example, is the only one with a 90-hertz display and no 5G. On the other end of the spectrum, the A52s comes in an exclusive color, and all three feature different Qualcomm SoCs. But we'll break it down further below.
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Design and colors
The attractive build quality despite the plastic finish, the discreet relief of the camera module — this and everything else is identical in all three models when it comes to design. Even the weight of 189 grams and the dimensions are exactly the same, with variations in the order of tenths of a millimeter. If the three candidates did not have different wallpapers pre-installed, it would be almost impossible to tell them apart.
Unspectacular design: the Galaxy A52 / © Samsung
But wait — one thing is actually different between them! While the A52 and A52 5G are available in Awesome Black, Awesome White, Awesome Violet, and Awesome Blue, the Galaxy A52s comes in an all-new color, Awesome Mint, which replaces the blue option on the A52s.
Screen
The display is almost the same: Samsung's display experts offer Super AMOLED displays that – as you might have guessed – have a diagonal of 6.5 inches and a resolution of 2,400 x 1,080 pixels in all three cases. There is again only one difference, but it plays a much bigger role than a simple color choice. While the A52 4G has to make do with a refresh rate of 90 hertz, both the A52 5G and the A52s bring 120 hertz!
All three phones have 6.5-inch Super AMOLED displays / © NextPit
Once you get used to the smooth, fluid display, you probably won't want to go back to lower refresh rates. With that in mind, the A52 loses points in this regard.
Processor
Finally: with the SoC, we find a point where the three models differ from each other: the Galaxy A52 brings the Snapdragon 720G, the A52 5G is equipped with the Snapdragon 750G and the A52s also has an intermediate SoC from Qualcomm: the recently launched Snapdragon 778G.
In his review of the A52 5G, our colleague Benjamin attested to the competent performance of the Snapdragon 750G, including in games. However, the Snapdragon 778G, the only one of the three processors launched in 2021, does even better.
The Snapdragon 778G is more powerful and more efficient than Qualcomm's other two chips. It also inherits some gaming features from the Snapdragon 888, such as variable rate shading (VRR)which allows for better rendering in games. The leap in performance can be seen in Camila's review of the Motorola Edge 20, also equipped with the Snap 778G.
While the A52 is available in both 5G and non-5G options, the A52s is available exclusively with the next-gen network. The rest of the connectivity is identical, as are the storage options. If you want to use 5G networks, the traditional A52 is eliminated. If you're looking for more performance, then the A52s is the way to go.
The more efficient processor can allow for even better battery life with the 4,500 mAh battery in the A52s. The basic A52 scores points in battery life because its screen only refreshes at 90 hertz. Speaking of battery: all three phones support wired charging at 25 watts, but in Brazil they are all sold with a 15-watt adapter in the box.
Technical sheet
In case you haven't noticed, the three Galaxy A52 models are almost identical. If you still don't believe me, take a look at the table below. In it, we've listed the most important specifications and highlighted the differences in bold:
The Galaxy A: A52 vs A52 5G vs A52s
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| Model | Samsung Galaxy A52 | Samsung Galaxy A52 5G | Samsung Galaxy A52s |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G | Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G | Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G |
| Memory (RAM / internal) | 6GB / 128GB 8GB / 256GB | ||
| Expandable memory? | Yes, microSD up to 1TB | ||
| Dual SIM | Yes | ||
| Screen | 6.5-inch Super AMOLED with 1,080 x 2,400 pixels 90 hertz | 6.5-inch Super AMOLED with 1,080 x 2,400 pixels 120 hertz | |
| Size | 159.9 x 75.1 x 8.4 mm | ||
| Weight | 189 grams | ||
| Connectivity | LTE, WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C, NFC, GPS | 5GLTE, WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C, NFC, GPS | |
| Main camera | 64 megapixels at 1/1.7″ to f/1.8″ (OIS) | ||
| Ultra-wide angle | 12 megapixels at f/2.2 and 123° field of view | ||
| Macro | 5 megapixels at f/2.4 | ||
| Depth | 5 megapixels at f/2.4 | ||
| Front camera | 32 megapixels in 1/2.8″ at f/2.2 | ||
| Video | max 4K at 30 frames per second | ||
| Battery capacity | 4,500 mAh | ||
| Charging technologies | Charging at 25 watts, 15 watt charger included in the box | ||
| Authentication | Under-screen fingerprint sensor | ||
| Operating system | Android 11 with Samsung UI 3.1 | ||
| Colors | Awesome Black, Awesome White, Awesome Violet, Awesome Blue (black, white, violet, blue) | Awesome Black, Awesome White, Awesome Violet, Awesome Mint (black, white, violet, green) | |
| Launch price | R$ 3,299 | R$ 3,499 | R$ 3,499 |
Conclusion: Which model is right for you?
The differences between the three phones in the Samsung Galaxy A52 family are quite subtle at first glance. However, we can deduce a few things from them. Compared to the other models, the A52 has some disadvantages in terms of processor, screen and charging. Only the lower price (around R$2,000) justifies choosing the A52 over the other two.
With that in mind, if you don't want to or can't spend around two thousand reais, we recommend that you take a look at other options on the market, consulting our list of the best mid-range cell phones.
If you eliminate the A52 4G, there are still two alternatives. In the case of the A52 5G there is a small problem, since although Samsung has announced the model in Brazil — including with the suggested price of R$3,499 — the device does not appear to be officially sold by the brand, and can only be found via marketplaces.
The A52s, in turn, was announced in September with a suggested price of R$3,499 (the same as the A52 5G in March), in which case the way is to wait for the traditional price drop of the Samsung line and compare the model with options from the brand itself such as the Galaxy S20 FE (without 5G).
As I said, little things differentiate models from each other. But since cameras, design, battery capacity and memory are identical, it is these details that make the difference. And that is why the Samsung Galaxy A52s has the advantage in our opinion!