If you're looking for a more budget-friendly option, the Samsung Galaxy A53 may be suitable, providing a larger screen and good battery life. It also offers a high refresh rate display and ample storage. However, if camera quality is a priority, the Sony Xperia 5 III, despite being pricier, offers superior camera performance with HDR video capabilities and higher overall camera quality. Additionally, the Xperia 5 III has more RAM, which may translate to smoother performance. Both phones offer OLED displays, but the Xperia's glass back might feel more premium than the plastic back of the A53. If you often use wired headphones, you should consider the Xperia 5 III as it retains the 3.5mm headphone jack, unlike the Galaxy A53. 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
Very good battery life
Advantages of the Sony Xperia 5 III
The Sony Xperia 5 III has no clear advantages over the Samsung Galaxy A53.
Key differences
Video Quality
5.2/10
6.0/10
The Sony Xperia 5 III takes only fair videos, while the Samsung Galaxy A53 takes poor videos.
The Samsung Galaxy A53 generally takes better videos because it has a higher video resolution and framerate, offering good stabilization and a good software experience for video, whereas the Sony Xperia 5 III, while having very good video software experience, falls short in video stabilization, dynamic range, and low light performance, resulting in only a fair overall video output.
Battery
8.0 Hours
7.3 Hours
The Samsung Galaxy A53 has 8 hours of battery life. The Sony Xperia 5 III has 7.3 hours of battery life.
Screen Size
The Samsung Galaxy A53 has a screen size of 6.5 inches and the Sony Xperia 5 III is 6.1 inches.
Cost
$200
$450
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
The Samsung Galaxy A53 has a price of $200 and the Sony Xperia 5 III costs $450.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sony Xperia 5 III to have only fair overall camera quality, while the Samsung Galaxy A53 has poor overall camera quality.
The Samsung Galaxy A53 offers a fair camera experience across various photo aspects including software, dynamic range, and low-light performance, and it has fair selfie capabilities. In comparison, the Sony Xperia 5 III provides a very good video and photos software experience, but falls behind with a fair selfie quality, although it still manages good results in terms of camera versatility and mic quality during video recording.
Photo Quality
6.2/10
5.9/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Samsung Galaxy A53 to have only fair photos, while the Sony Xperia 5 III takes poor photos.
The Samsung Galaxy A53 provides a good photo software experience and fair selfie quality, indicating solid performance for general photo-taking and self-portraits. In contrast, the Sony Xperia 5 III offers a very good photo software experience but holds the same fair selfie quality, suggesting a superior software handling for photography, albeit without an advantage in selfie pictures.
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How the Samsung Galaxy A53 and the Sony Xperia 5 III compare to other phones
"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."
"The Sony Xperia 5 III excels when it comes to rear camera photography, its display and multi-media features, and all-day battery life. Buy the Xperia 5 III if you’re looking for a fun but imperfect camera setup, customizable gaming features, all-day battery life, and all the best multimedia capabilities that Sony has to offer"
Get a great deal on the Samsung Galaxy A53 or the Sony Xperia 5 III
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.
About Sony
Sony has had a long history in the mobile market, entering the scene all the way back in 1993 with its first commercially available phone, the CM-H333. Nowadays, their Xperia line of phones provide well-rounded and sometimes expensive devices with a focus on camera software that includes extensive support for manual tweaking of settings. Sony's dedication to audio quality is also evident in its smartphones, which often feature high-resolution audio support while also being one of the few remaining manufacturers that consistently provide headphone jacks in their phones. The company's version of Android is also considered to be close to stock, enabling a bloatware-free experience for its users.
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
68
Phones evaluated
7,820
Phones stats compiled
8
Proprietary Phones ratings developed
121,500
Recommendations made
68,850
Consumer hours saved
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.