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It’s time to compare the Google Pixel 5a 5G vs Samsung Galaxy A52 5G, two compelling mid-range smartphones. These two devices have been out in the market for a while now. If you’re planning on getting a mid-range phone, and your budget is around $500, you should consider these two phones. In this article, we’ll compare them, just to give you a better idea of what you’re dealing with.
They are similar in some ways, completely different in other ways, but both are compelling. We’ll start things off by listing their specifications, and will then move to the design, display, performance, battery, camera, and audio categories. Let’s kick off the Google Pixel 5a 5G vs Samsung Galaxy A52 5G comparison, shall we.
Specs
| Google Pixel 5a 5G | Samsung Galaxy A52 5G | |
| Screen size | 6.34-inch fullHD+ OLED display (60Hz) | 6.5-inch fullHD+ Super AMOLED display (120Hz refresh rate) |
| Screen resolution | 2400 x 1080 | 2400 x 1080 |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G | Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G |
| RAM | 6GB (LPDDR4X) | 6GB/8GB (LPDDR4X) |
| Storage | 128GB, non-expandable | 128GB/256GB, expandable |
| Rear cameras | 12.2MP (f/1.7 aperture, 27mm lens, 1.4um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, OIS) 16MP (ultra-wide, f/2.2 aperture, 1.0um pixel size, 119-degree FoV) |
64MP (f/1.8 aperture, 26mm lens, OIS, PDAF, 0.8um pixel size) 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 123-degree FoV, 1.12um pixel size) 5MP (macro) 5MP (depth) |
| Front cameras | 8MP (f/2.0 aperture, 24mm lens, 1.12um pixel size) | 32MP (f/2.2 aperture, 26mm wide-angle lens, 0.8m pixel size) |
| Battery | 4,680mAh, non-removable, 18W fast battery charging | 4,500mAh, non-removable, 25W wired charging |
| Dimensions | 154.9 x 73.7 x 7.6mm | 159.9 x 75.1 x 8.4mm |
| Weight | 183 grams | 189 grams |
| Connectivity | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C |
| Security | Rear-facing fingerprint scanner | In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) |
| OS | Android 11 | Android 11 One UI 3.1 |
| Price | $449 | $499.99 |
| Buy | Samsung |
Google Pixel 5a 5G vs Samsung Galaxy A52 5G: Design
In regards to the design, it’s not that difficult to differentiate between these two phones. The Galaxy A52 5G includes a centered display camera hole, while the Pixel 5a 5G’s is in the top-left corner. Both smartphones include a flat display, and thin bezels. Their bezels are not uniform, though, in case you were wondering. Their rear camera islands do look noticeably different. The Galaxy A52 5G includes more cameras, which is obvious. Those camera islands are in the same spot, though.
You’ll also notice a fingerprint scanner on the back of the Pixel 5a 5G, which is not present on the Galaxy A52 5G. Samsung’s offering does include a fingerprint scanner, but it’s under the display. It’s an optical fingerprint scanner, and it works well, both of them do. Samsung and Google brandings are also visible on the back of these two phones. Both devices include physical buttons on the right side, but they’re positioned differently.
The Galaxy A52 5G is taller, wider, and thicker than the Pixel 5a, while it’s also slightly heavier. The phone is made out of plastic, while the Pixel 5a is made out of metal. Its metal shell is covered by resin, though, so it’s not slippery at all. The two phones do feel considerably different in the hand. In regards to the design, it’s also worth noting that both phones are IP67 certified for water and dust resistance.
Google Pixel 5a 5G vs Samsung Galaxy A52 5G: Display
Both devices include OLED displays, but they’re considerably different. The Pixel 5a 5G features a 6.34-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) OLED display with a 60Hz refresh rate. So, this is not a high refresh rate panel. It’s flat, and we’re looking at a 20:9 display aspect ratio here. This panel is protected by the Gorilla Glass 3, which is not exactly the latest protection Corning has to offer. The Gorilla Glass 3 is prone to micro scratches, so keep that in mind.
The Galaxy A52 5G, on the other hand, sports a 6.5-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) Super AMOLED display. This display offers a 120Hz refresh rate, and it’s flat. Scrolling will be much smoother thanks to such a high refresh rate, and that will be quite noticeable in comparison to the Pixel 5a 5G. This phone also has a 20:9 display aspect ratio, and its display is protected by the Gorilla Glass 5.
It’s worth saying that viewing angles on both devices are quite good, and that blacks are as deep as you’d expect them to be considering these are OLED panels. The Galaxy A52 5G does include a better panel. It doesn’t look that much better for sheer image quality, but its high refresh rate does affect things while you’re using it. Both displays are bright enough, but not as bright as flagship panels out there.
Google Pixel 5a 5G vs Samsung Galaxy A52 5G: Performance
So, what’s the performance like? Can they compete with flagship offerings out there? Well, when it comes to regular, everyday tasks, sure. The performance is snappy on both phones. They can open and close apps really fast, web browsing and multitasking are excellent, and so is multimedia consumption. The cameras launch really fast as well, and so on. Both of these phones can also run the latest games, not as well as flagships, but that’s not something many people will notice. It will be noticeable only when it comes to graphically demanding games.
The Pixel 5a 5G is fueled by the Snapdragon 765G SoC, while the Galaxy A52 5G includes the Snapdragon 750G 5G. Both of these processors are quite capable, and the difference between them is not that noticeable. Both phones come in 6GB RAM variants, while the Galaxy A52 5G is also available in an 8GB RAM version. Android 11 comes pre-installed on both devices, though at the time of writing this article, the Pixel 5a 5G is already upgradable to Android 12.
So, the bottom line is, they are both quite powerful, and you should not have any issues when it comes to performance. If you care about getting the latest software straight away, the Pixel 5a 5G is the way to go. Some people tend to prefer One UI that comes pre-installed on Samsung’s phones, so, if that’s your cup of tea, Samsung has improved on the software side of things immensely, and the Galaxy A52 5G is really compelling in that regard as well.
Google Pixel 5a 5G vs Samsung Galaxy A52 5G: Battery
The Pixel 5a 5G comes with a 4,680mAh battery, while the Galaxy A52 5G includes a 4,500mAh unit. The Pixel 5a 5G has a larger battery despite the fact it has a considerably lower display refresh rate, and a smaller display overall. That does play a part in the battery life equation, that’s for sure. The Galaxy A52 5G offers great battery life, to say the least. This phone will keep you going throughout the day, even if you’re a power user.
The same can be said for the Pixel 5a 5G, actually. Both of these phones were able to cross the 7-hour screen-on-time mark for us, and still had plenty of battery juice left. They are the real road warriors when it comes to battery life, so that’s something you shouldn’t worry about. Your numbers will, of course, be different. If you’re pushing the phone hard with gaming and whatnot, it will perform noticeably worse. There are a number of other parameters that come into play.
The Pixel 5a 5G offers 18W wired charging, while it doesn’t offer wireless charging. The Galaxy A52 5G, on the flip side, supports 25W wired charging, and it also comes without wireless charging support. It’s a shame that neither phone offers wireless charging, but it’s not exactly surprising considering these are mid-range handsets.
Google Pixel 5a 5G vs Samsung Galaxy A52 5G: Cameras
The Pixel 5a 5G features two cameras on the back, and one on the front. The Galaxy A52 5G, on the other hand, sports four cameras on the back, and one on the front. The Pixel 5a 5G comes with a 12.2-megapixel wide-angle camera, and a 16-megapixel ultrawide camera on the back. The Galaxy A52 5G sports a 64-megapixel wide-angle camera, in addition to a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit, and two 5-megapixel cameras (macro and depth).
Both of these camera setups are quite good. Both do a great job in good lighting, as they provide really detailed, sharp images. The Galaxy A52 5G tends to provide images that are a bit oversaturated, to be quite honest. In low light, the Pixel 5a 5G does a bit better job. The Galaxy A52 5G shots in such conditions do look a bit yellowish, and they don’t retain the same amount of detail as the ones taken with the Pixel 5a 5G. Ultrawide cameras are good on both phones, while the macro camera on the Galaxy A52 5G is not particularly impressive.
Audio
Both of these phones come with a set of stereo speakers, while they both also offer an audio jack. This is a rarity when it comes to high-end smartphones, but some mid-rangers still tend to include audio jacks. Having said that, the speakers included on these phones are good. They’re not as good as some others, but not many people will have complaints. They’re loud enough, and also sharp enough, while the distortion is barely noticeable at the very highest of volumes.
You can also get good audio output via a 3.5mm headphone jack, or via Bluetooth, if you hook up a good pair of headphones. The audio is well-balanced across the spectrum, so there’s not much to worry about.