Samsung has launched two new smartphones in the Indian market today, the Galaxy A52 and the Galaxy A72. These models were launched internationally a few days ago and have been quick to make their way here. Sadly, the much-awaited Galaxy A52 5G has not been brought to India, at least not yet. The Samsung Galaxy A52 is positioned in the sub-Rs. 30,000 segment while the Galaxy A72 is priced a tad higher starting at Rs. 34,999. I got my hands on the Galaxy A52, to check out what’s new about this smartphone and if it’s really worth the price Samsung is asking.
Samsung Galaxy A52 Price
The Samsung Galaxy A52 starts at Rs. 26,499 and the base variant has 6GB of RAM plus 128GB of storage. The higher spec offers 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage and is priced at Rs. 27,999.
The first thing that caught my attention about my Galaxy A52 review unit is its colour and finish. Samsung calls this Awesome Blue, and it looks different from any of the smartphones already in the market. It has a matte finish which helps it grab attention easily. It doesn’t pick up fingerprints that much, and even when it does, they are barely visible. The other colour options are Awesome Violet, Awesome White, and Awesome Black.
Samsung has gone with a polycarbonate back, which is a bit disappointing considering that many other phones at this price level have glass backs. The camera module is raised slightly and has the same finish as the rest of the back. There are four sensors here: a 64-megapixel primary camera, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, a 5-megapixel macro camera, and a 5-megapixel depth sensor.
The Samsung Galaxy A52 has a matte finish which helps it stand out
Pick the phone up and you will notice that the weight is relatively manageable at 189g. This phone is just 8.4mm thick. The frame is also plastic and is rounded at the edges, making it easy to hold the phone. Samsung has positioned the power and the volume rockers on the right, while the left is completely bare. There’s a 3.5mm audio jack at the bottom along with the USB Type-C port and speaker. The SIM tray is on the top along with the secondary microphone. The Galaxy A52 is IP67 rated for dust and water resistance, and the SIM tray has a rubber seal around it for waterproofing. You get a hybrid dual-SIM configuration on the Galaxy A52, which means that while storage is expandable by up to 1TB, it will come at the cost of a second SIM.
The Galaxy A52 has a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. It’s set to this refresh rate by default, which helps make the UI feel smooth. You do have the option to lock it at 60Hz if you wish. The Galaxy A52 has an in-display fingerprint scanner which is easy to reach and works quickly. Towards the top, there’s a hole to house a 32-megapixel selfie shooter. The display has the kind of punchy output that we’ve learned to expect from Samsung. Thankfully, the company has given the Galaxy A52 stereo speakers which should complement the Super AMOLED panel when watching videos or playing games.
The quad-camera setup on the Galaxy A52 has a 64-megapixel primary camera
The Galaxy A52 has a 4,500mAh battery and is capable of 25W fast charging. However, you only get a 15W charger in the box. Powering the Galaxy A52 is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G processor which I have seen in several other smartphones that are much more affordable. There is support for Bluetooth 5, dual-band Wi-Fi, NFC, and four satellite navigation systems.
In terms of software, you get Android 11 out of the box, with Samsung’s One UI 3.1 on top. The UI is very easy to use and I did not face any issues finding what I was looking for. Samsung’s Edge Panel, which allows quick access to apps and tools, is just a swipe away when you are on the home screen. You do get a large number of preinstalled apps on the Galaxy A52 including Amazon, Prime Video, Netflix, Facebook, Snapchat, PhonePe, MX Takatak, and Moj. You can uninstall them easily, which I would recommend doing if you don’t plan on using them.
The Galaxy A52 is a good-looking smartphone and is sure to grab eyeballs. The cameras also seem to be in line with what one should expect at this price point, going by their specifications. However, I have some reservations about the choice of processor here. Can the Galaxy A52 change my mind? Stay tuned to Gadgets 360 to find out in the full review, coming up soon.
