Samsung Galaxy A52 review: All-rounder smartphone in mid-range - amazing design

After launching the successful Galaxy A51 mobile phone last year in India, South Korean smartphone brand Samsung recently brought its latest mid-range Galaxy A52 handset to India. With a completely new style, design and a big upgrade in the camera setup, Galaxy A52 comes with features like a 64MP rear quad camera set up, Super AMOLED display, huge 4500mAh battery and IP67 rating.

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The newly launched Galaxy A52 is priced at Rs 26,499 for the 6GB+128GB variant and Rs 27,999 for the 8GB+128GB variant.  The smartphone is available in four different colours - Awesome Violet, Awesome Black, Awesome White and Awesome Blue. We reviewed the 'Awesome Blue' colour variant. We used the device for more than two weeks and here are my views about this device.

In terms of design and looks, the Galaxy A52 is completely different and unique from the Galaxy A51, which was launched last year. The Galaxy A52 is heavier, bigger and has a strong appealing design and looks. With its unique design, the smartphone has a matte finish which helps it grab customers attention easily. Its appealing looks will definitely attract young buyers. However, the device is broader and heavier than Galaxy A51, measuring 159.90 x 75.10 x 8.40 mm and weighs 189.00 grams. The good thing about the Galaxy A52, the back panel will not attract fingerprints. Despite being slightly heavier, the device does offer a good grip.

It is easy to hold and looks good in hands. Overall, in terms of design and looks, the Galaxy A52 has checked the right boxes. On the rear side of the device, there's a rectangular camera block with a quad-camera setup and LED flash on the top left corner. It features an advanced 64MP main camera with 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera, a 5MP macro camera, and a 5MP depth sensor.

The newly launched Galaxy A52 multiple in-built features in-camera application. It includes Single Take, Fun, Pro, AR doodle, Panorama, Food, Night, Macro, Portrait, Pro Video, Super Slow-Mo, Slow motion, HyperLaps and many more. While using these features during a review, I personally liked the Portrait, Night, Pro, and Food mode. The images in all these modes came out very detailed and colourful. Overall, the camera produced decent images. In low light, the device managed to capture good and sharp snaps. While using the Super Slow-Motion and Slow Motion, the device did produce shake-free videos in both indoors and outdoors. Overall, the Galaxy A52 captured smooth and stable videos.

This time you will find the SIM tray option on the top of the device and the volume rocker and power buttons On the right side of the Galaxy A52. At the bottom, the device houses Type-C USB charging port, Dolby Atmos dual stereo speakers, along a 3.5mm headphone jack. The speaker quality was up to the mark in both outdoor and indoor conditions. The connectivity options on the device include Wi-Fi, GPS, 3G, and 4G. Sensors on the Galaxy A52 include an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, compass/ magnetometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, and in-display fingerprint sensor.

In terms of display, like other Samsung smartphones, this device also comes with the top-class display quality. The Samsung Galaxy A52 comes with a 6.5-inch display with a 90Hz refresh rate. The most satisfactory part is the Galaxy A52 adjust the display colour temperature based on smartphone usage patterns and reduces eye fatigue with the 'Eye Comfort Shield' feature.

There's a punch-hole camera in the top centre of the display with an on-screen fingerprint sensor. The display worked well and colours came out bright in the direct sunlight. One of the major USP of this device is its selfie camera. On the front side, the Galaxy A52 comes with a 32MP selfie camera for video calls and selfies. The front camera captured sharp and detailed selfies in all light conditions.

Samsung has also improved the battery capacity on the Galaxy A52 from 4000mAh on the Galaxy A51 to 4500mAh in this device. However, the Galaxy A32 which is cheaper than Galaxy A52, and available at Rs 21,999, comes with a massive 5000mAh battery. For me, this was the only disappointing factor in Galaxy A52. However, coming back to battery performance, while using the smartphone heavily, the device didn't heat up.

 After watching movies on the OTT platforms Disney+Hotstar and Amazon Prime, Netflix and using YouTube for long hours, the device lasted more than a day on a single charge. While watching the Korean TV series "Descendants of The Sun" on Netflix, the smartphone made the viewing experience smooth.

This smartphone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G processor Android 11 out of the box, with Samsung's One UI 3.1 on top. The UI is very easy to use and users might not face any issues.  While playing games like Call of Duty: Mobile and Asphalt 9: Legends on the device, the smartphone provided lag-free gaming experience and worked smoothly. The overall gaming experience was fine and lag-free. However, the device did heat up once while playing Asphalt 9: Legends for more than one hour. Overall, the smartphone was quick, switching between the apps was easy and the performance was up to the mark.

Verdict: Available at a starting price of Rs 26,499, the Samsung Galaxy A52 is competing with smartphones like OnePlus Nord, Oppo F19 Pro Plus, Realme X3 and Redmi 10T. With its unique design and all-round performance, this handset will make its mark in the Indian smartphone market in the mid-segment range.