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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize a high-end camera and superior performance, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra offers a significant upgrade with top-of-the-line features and quality, but it comes with a higher price tag. However, if you are looking for a more budget-friendly option and can compromise on camera quality and performance, the Samsung Galaxy A53 provides decent features and a lower cost. The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a larger and higher resolution display, better battery life, and more sophisticated camera capabilities, while the A53 is lighter with a plastic back compared to the glass back of the S23 Ultra. Both run on Android and have OLED screens with high refresh rates. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Samsung Galaxy A53
- The Samsung Galaxy A53 has no clear advantages over the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Advantages of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Best in class for taking photos
- Very good for recording videos
- Best in class battery life
- Best in class display quality
- Excellent performance
Key differences
Overall Camera Quality
5.9
9.2
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has excellent overall camera quality, while the Samsung Galaxy A53 has poor overall camera quality.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts excellent selfie capabilities, better dynamic range, superior low-light performance, and a more versatile camera system than the Samsung Galaxy A53, which offers fair selfie quality and limited camera versatility.
Photo Quality
6.2
9.5
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra takes best in class photos, while the Samsung Galaxy A53 takes only fair photos.
The Samsung Galaxy A53 offers a fair selfie quality with a basic level of camera versatility, whereas the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra provides very good selfie quality and the best camera versatility, which includes more sophisticated features like a telephoto lens with optical zoom. The S23 Ultra also exhibits very good performance in low light conditions, dynamic range, and has a much more advanced photos software experience compared to the Galaxy A53.
Video Quality
5.2
8.0
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra takes very good videos, while the Samsung Galaxy A53 takes poor videos.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra delivers excellent videos owing to its higher video resolution/framerate capabilities, alongside superior video stabilization, dynamic range, and low light performance; it also boasts better mic quality which contributes to more professional-looking and sounding video content. In comparison, the Samsung Galaxy A53 offers good video capabilities, but its video resolution/framerate, stabilization, dynamic range, and low light performance, though adequate, fall short of the S23 Ultra, resulting in less refined videos.
Battery
8.0 Hours
10.4 Hours
The Samsung Galaxy A53 has 8 hours of battery life. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has 10.4 hours of battery life.
Cost
$200
$1,200
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Samsung Galaxy A53 has a price of $200 and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra costs $1,200.
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Key similarities
Screen Size
The Samsung Galaxy A53 has a screen size of 6.5 inches and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is 6.8 inches.
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How the Samsung Galaxy A53 and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra compare to other phones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Samsung Galaxy A53 | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$200 | $1,200 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Samsung | Samsung | |
Operating System | |||
Operating System | Android | Android | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 24, 2022 | February 17, 2023 | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Screen Size | |||
Screen Size | 6.5" | 6.8" | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2400 x 1080 | 3088 x 1440 | |
Variable refresh rate | |||
Variable refresh rate | No | Yes | |
Pixels Per Inch | |||
Pixels Per Inch | 405 | 501 | |
Display Type | |||
Display Type | OLED | OLED | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | E1280 | SD8G2 | |
Internal Storage | |||
Internal Storage | 128 GB | 256 GB | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB | |
CAMERA | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Overall Camera Quality Score | |||
Overall Camera Quality Score | 6/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Photos Score | |||
Photos Score | 6.3/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Videos Score | |||
Videos Score | 5.3/10 | 8.1/10 | |
Rear Cameras | |||
Rear Cameras | Main, Ultrawide, Macro | Main, Ultrawide, Telephoto, Super Telephoto | |
Main Camera | |||
Main Camera | 64 megapixels + OIS | 200 megapixels + OIS | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 10.4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 5000 mAh | 5000 mAh | |
Wireless Charging | |||
Wireless Charging | No | Yes | |
Wireless charging Speed | |||
Wireless charging Speed | 0 W | 15 W | |
Reverse wireless charging | |||
Reverse wireless charging | No | Yes (4.5 watts) | |
PHYSICAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Size | |||
Size | 6.28" x 2.94" | 6.43" x 3.07" | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.67 oz | 8.25 oz | |
Back Material | |||
Back Material | Plastic | Glass | |
Stereo Speakers | |||
Stereo Speakers | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Dual SIM | |||
Dual SIM | No | Yes | |
Bluetooth Version | |||
Bluetooth Version | 5.1 | 5.3 | |
A2DP | |||
A2DP | Yes | Yes | |
WiFi Version | |||
WiFi Version | 5 | 6e | |
NFC | |||
NFC | Yes | Yes | |
US 5G Bands | |||
US 5G Bands | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)2, 5, 48, 66, 77, 78, 260, 261 | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)1, 7, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 270 | |
OTHER FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Biometric unlock | |||
Biometric unlock | Face unlock, Fingerprint sensor: Under Display | Face unlock, Fingerprint sensor: Under Display | |
Unlockable Bootloader | |||
Unlockable Bootloader | No | No | |
Color | |||
Color | Blue, White, Black | Green, Phantom Black, Cream, Lavender, Graphite | |
Stock Android | |||
Stock Android | No | No | |
SD Card | |||
SD Card | Yes | No | |
Shopping
Samsung Galaxy A53
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Dig into reviews and images
Android Authority
Ryan Haines | May 2023
"Samsung’s quartet of rear cameras delivers the goods, both day and night, with the only blemish being the lack of 4K/60fps video recording. The large, 6.5-inch, 120Hz AMOLED display is crisp and smooth, making video streaming enjoyable. You should have no issues pushing the 5,000mAh battery to its limits and it’s not too slow to charge relative to its competitors in the US."
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
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Dig into reviews and images
Android Authority
Ryan Haines | March 2023
"The Galaxy S23 Ultra doesn’t just want a place at the top right now; it expects to stay there. Samsung’s excellent update commitment and connectivity standards will keep its flagship feeling fresh for years to come, and the high-end materials will put up with more than their share of wear and tear. It might be more than most users need in terms of size, power, and cost, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a glaring weakness."
Get a great deal on the Samsung Galaxy A53 or the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
About Samsung
Samsung is one of the most recognizable names in the smartphone industry, standing as the undisputed best-selling brand of Android smartphones in the United States for many years now. Samsung is known for offering a variety of smartphones in all available price points, as well as for implementing cutting-edge technology and innovative features in their flagship devices, ones that often shape the market going forward. The company offers its own unique spin on Android, called One UI, which focuses on offering a multitude of features and is heavily customizable, according to user preference.
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Why trust us
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec phones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest phone information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
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Phones evaluated
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Recommendations made
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About the phone team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Phones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Seth Peoples
Phones Expert
Seth is a US-based product expert focusing on smartphones and he is a moderator of one of the largest smartphone subreddits. His tailored recommendations have helped him earn over 87k comment karma, putting him in the top 1% of Redditors.
Efthimis Kotanidis
Phones Expert
Efthimis is a Greece-based product expert focusing on smartphones. He has been recommending phones for 4 years and his recommendations on Reddit have earned him over 35k karma.
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