REVIEW: Galaxy M53 5G

A Samsung is one of the owners of the smartphone market with its S-line devices. But in addition to them, the company has a large myriad of models for all audiences, such as the Galaxy M53 5G, recent intermediary. Even though he is below the top of the line, like the Galaxy s22 ultra, its results are excellent and quite satisfactory within the intermediate category.

Design

One word that sums up the design of the Galaxy M53 5G it's simplicity. He doesn't have any features that stand out, either for good or for bad, but that's not a bad thing. Personally, I really liked what I saw. Its screen has 6,7 inches with the technology Gorilla Glass 5 and it's great for those with big hands. Its weight is also a good size: around 176 grams.

The device sent for analysis has a browned back, made of plastic, which, unfortunately, records fingerprints very easily. The use of a case is recommended, even more so to protect the body of the device. The cell phone package doesn't bring any headphones, but luckily it brings the charger along with the USB-C cable and the key to open the section where the SIM chip is inserted.

Connectivity

The Galaxy M53 5G is already prepared for the 5G network, for when it effectively spreads in Brazil. However, there is no input for headphones, which can be a big problem for those who use such devices. Another cool thing about the Galaxy M53 5G is that it has an NFC connection, that is, it can be used to make payments, check Bilhete Único credits, among other things. Finally, the cell phone has a USB 2.0 connection, Bluetooth 5.2 (which uses less energy), GPS, among others.

Fabric

One of the gems of the Galaxy M53 5G is its home screen. Super Amoled Plus, which is 6,7 inches. It has a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels, and a pixel density of 393 ppi, which could be a little better, but I explain that below. Its refresh rate is 120hz, that is, excellent for games and also movies.

To test the colors of the device, I turned on both the Galaxy M53 5G and my S9 Plus in the same color test video, and the difference was noticeable. As the S9 Plus has 529 ppi, the colors looked more vivid on it. But I confess that this is only noticed when tested next to each other, and watching or playing, it goes unnoticed. Another thing that bothers me is the front camera hole, but there's nothing to do for now.

Battery

To test the battery, which has a charge of 5.000mAh, I simulated a period of 8 hours and 34 minutes of use, alternating between periods with the screen off, and, mainly, with it on and playing something, be it a video or playing a little.

After the test, I had exactly 34% of battery left. Which I think is a good amount. As stated above, I played very little in the period, but I could see that more than 10 minutes of Diablo Immortal with everything on high, the game used just over 13% of the battery, while almost 2 hours of video on YouTube consumed less than 9 %.

In short, depending on your type of use, you can spend more or less battery. As my use is not focused on games, for me it lasted longer, but if you are interested in the many games available on the platform, it might be a good idea to keep the charger close by.

Performance

I've been using my S9 Plus for some time now, and I still consider it to be an excellent device. But on my first day with the Galaxy M53 5G, my feeling was that it puts my device down very easily. Switching between apps, installing things and varying usage is all very instantaneous.

This is mainly due to the processor octa-core, being 2x 2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 + 6x 2.0 GHz Cortex-A55, in addition to the presence of 8 GB of RAM and the Mali-G68 MC4 GPU. This excellent combination stood out in the two tests we did: a synthetic one, using applications that compare with other models, and also with games.

Synthetic Tests

Geekbench 5

One of the applications we used to carry out the test was the Geekbench 5, which quantifies the quality of the device in points. As we can see in the images below, the GPU of the Galaxy M53 5G achieved a total of 2629 points, well below the S21 Plus, which scored 6990 points. This shows us that for activities that may require more graphics power, the cell phone may struggle a little to perform the functions.

Now, in the CPU test, the result is different and closer to the highest ranked devices. In the single core test, the numbers obtained were 738 points, while in multiple cores it was 2301. For comparison purposes, the S21 Ultra scored 924 and 3085 points, respectively. If we compare the price of both, we can say that the result was not that discrepant, making the Galaxy M53 5G a great choice.

3DMark

The type of test that 3DMark performs is more specific: it checks how much the cell phone can handle when running a high-capacity game. It also brings results in points and compares with other devices that have already been tested in the application.

Within Wild Life, one of the tests available, the Galaxy M53 5G manages to reach 2222 points, and, according to the app, while maintaining a frame rate between 7 and 17. The temperature remains constant, around 35 degrees.

test with games

To carry out the tests with games, I looked for some of the most played and others very heavy, to see how the Galaxy M53 5G would do. First it was via Xbox Game Pass with two games: Fortnite and Yakuza: Like a Dragon.

In Fortnite everything went perfectly fine, there was no lagging or crashes. The matches ran cleanly and quietly, it is possible to connect a controller and enjoy the service even more. The only thing I couldn't use was the voice chat, but I believe this is a Google Chrome issue, not the mobile one.

Now, in Yakuza, the game was even cleaner. As this is a single player game, I was able to enjoy it in its splendor.

When it comes to mobile games, I played eFootball, which has online play and also relatively heavy graphics. The games I played went by without any major problems and it was possible to appreciate all of Konami's art on the players' faces and, especially, in the gameplay.

Finally, I tested it on one of the most controversial smartphone games of the moment: Diablo Immortal. To make sure the graphics are maxed out, I changed all the functions to Alto and downloaded the pack the game asks for. At no time did it crash or choke, the quality was sensational. The experience I had was better than on my S9 Plus.

System and interface

The Galaxy M53 5G already comes with Android 12 installed, using Samsung's One UI 4.1. It brings everything users are already used to, such as screen recording, linking to Windows, focus mode and many others. As a novelty of this new version, the user will be able to choose to leave his microphone on or off, regardless of the permissions that the applications have.

The cell phone's on and off button also has a fingerprint reader, and in my experience it was quite easy to register my finger. The button isn't very big, but it's extremely functional and it's located in a perfect position, as I felt that my finger was looking for it quite naturally.

However, the location of the volume buttons is not the best. They are located exactly above the power button, and although it is easy to control the volume, there is a certain difficulty when taking it off. graphic works screen, for example. However, this is more due to the lack of habit with the device, and with time this would disappear.

In particular, I find the Samsung version of Android to be very good to use, and this one is to take my hat off, as everything works very smoothly.

Camera

Even though it is not a high-end device, the Galaxy M53 5G manages to deliver a very good result. The device has 4 rear cameras and one front, each with its different function and qualities.

• Main camera: 108 MP, f/1.8, (wide), PDAF
• Ultra Wide Camera: 8 MP, f/2.2, 1/4″, 1.12µm
• Depth camera: 2 MP, f/2.4
• Macro Camera: 2 MP, f/2.4
• Front: 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm

The main camera of the device is 108 MP and works very well. Even without using the many settings, taking pictures at any time of day is extremely easy and with great quality. The colors are all faithful, and there is no loss of any kind. But there is a catch, when using the zoom to the maximum, the image becomes extremely grainy.

One of the best cameras during the test was, without a doubt, the depth camera. It manages to blur the rest of the image and give more emphasis to the centered object.

The front camera does its job well. You can choose between 4 aspect ratios: 1:1, 4:3, 16:9 and full. It is possible to activate a timer, if the shooting button cannot be pressed. However, in this mode, it's not like zooming in at all. The most you can do is select between photos alone or with others, and a tiny zoom is automatically given or removed.

One of the coolest modes can only be used when you are connected to the internet, either broadband or via data. This mode consists of a series of filters similar to those found on Snapchat or Instagram, for example. It is possible to add all sorts of filters, such as ears, roses, types of framing, fireworks and much more.

Finally, we have the macro camera, used to photograph small objects that are a few centimeters from the lens. During the tests, this camera worked perfectly, and it is possible to extract the smallest details of the desired object.

Audio

One of the things I liked most about the Galaxy M53 5G was the audio. Testing with a decibel meter, the device managed to reach 82 decibels, which is a very high result, and is within the safe limit for the human ear. The only thing I need to mention is the location of the sound output.

It is located on the bottom, next to the USB-C port, used to charge the battery. The problem occurs when we are playing something. If your hand is big, like mine, the chance of blocking this output is very high, which greatly damages the hearing of the content being played.

In addition, both to watch a video on any platform streaming, listening to music or simply playing games, the result is quite satisfying. Now, when we plug in a Bluetooth headset, we really feel the quality. Only with the headset we can activate Dolby Atmos technology. It greatly improves the experience, bringing a greater sense of immersion, whether watching a movie or listening to music.

Conclusion

Overall, the Galaxy M53 5G is a great phone. It is already better than many of the high-end devices of a few years ago, in addition to having a battery that can easily last a day of use. Its screen together with the audio make this device a great content player, no matter if it's videos, movies, or just music. Its size is excellent and fingerprint reading is top notch. I highly recommend this device (which can be found at BRL 2.429 at Americanas) for those who are looking for a good phone, but cannot afford to invest in any of the latest S family models.

Technical specifications

Córdoba	Galaxy M53
Colors	Blue, Green or Brown
Processor	Processor Speed 2.4GHz, 2GHz Processor Type Octa Core
Fabric	Size (Main Screen) 169.5mm (6.7″ full rectangle) / 166.4mm (6.6″ rounded corners) Resolution (Main Screen) 1080 x 2400 Technology (Main Screen) Super AMOLED Plus Color Depth (Main Screen) 16M
Camera	Rear Cameras (Multiple) - Resolution 108.0 MP + 8.0 MP + 2.0 MP + 2.0 MP Rear Cameras (Multiple) – Aperture F1.8, F2.2, F2.4, F2.4 Rear Cameras - Auto Focus Yes Rear Cameras – Image Stabilizer No Rear Cameras – Zoom Digital Zoom up to 10x Front Camera - Resolution 32.0 SM Front Camera - Aperture F2.2 Front Camera - Auto Focus No Front Camera – Optical Image Stabilizer No Rear Camera – Flash Yes Front Camera – Flash No Video Recording Resolution*** UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) @ 30fps Slow motion 240fps@HD
Memory	RAM memory (GB) 8 GB Total Internal Memory (GB)* 128 GB * Available Memory (GB)* 101.0 GB Memory Card Support MicroSD (Up to 1TB)
Network / Bands	Chip Number Dual-SIM Chip Type (SIM Card) Nano SIM (4FF) Chip Slot Type Chip 1 + Chip or Micro SD (Hybrid) Adjustable 2G GSM, 3G WCDMA, 4G LTE FDD, 4G LTE TDD, 5G Sub6 FDD, 5G Sub6 TDD 2G GSM GSM 850, GSM 900, DCS 1800, PCS1900 3GUMTS B1 (2100), B2 (1900), B4 (AWS), B5 (850), B8 (900) 4G FDD LTE B1 (2100), B2 (1900), B3 (1800), B4 (AWS), B5 (850), B7 (2600), B8 (900), B12 (700), B17 (700), B20 (800), B26 (850), B28 (700), B66(AWS-3) 4G TDD LTE B38 (2600), B40 (2300), B41 (2500) 5G FDD Sub6 N1(2100), N3(1800), N5(850), N7(2600), N8(900), N20(800), N28(700), N66(AWS-3) 5G TDD Sub6 N38(2600), N40(2300), N41(2500), N78(3500)
Connectivity	USB Interface USB - Type C USB version USB 2.0 Location GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS MHL version No Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac 2.4G + 5GHz, VHT80 Wi-Fi Direct Yes Bluetooth version Bluetooth v5.2 NFC Yes PCSync Smart Switch (PC version)
Operational system	Android
Sensors	Accelerometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyroscope, Geomagnetic Sensor, Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor
Physical Specifications	Dimensions (HxWxD, mm) 164.7 x 77.0 x 7.4 Weight (g) 176
Battery	4G internet usage (Hours) up to 17 Wi-Fi Internet Usage (Hours) up to 17 Video Playback (Hours, Wireless) up to 19 Battery Capacity (mAh, Typical) 5000 removable No Audio Playback Time (Hours, Wireless) up to 87 Time on calls (4G LTE) (Hours) up to 39
Audio and video	stereo sound No Video Playback Format MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM Video Playback Resolution UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) @ 30fps Audio Playback Format MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA
Services and Applications	Gear Support Galaxy Buds Pro, Galaxy Buds Live, Galaxy Buds+, Galaxy Buds2, Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Fit2, Galaxy Fit e, Galaxy Fit, Galaxy Watch3, Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Watch Active2, Galaxy Watch Active, Gear Fit2 Pro, Gear Fit2, Gear Sport , Gear S3, Gear S2, Gear IconX (2018) Samsung DeX support No Mobile TV No
Price	R$2.429

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