Which one should you buy?

Both Google and Samsung are now competing head-on in the mid-to-high-end market. The recently launched Google Pixel 5a is on par with Samsung’s mature Galaxy A52 5G at similar prices and specifications. However, the latter provides many benefits for Samsung fans, including longer security updates, more versatile camera systems, slightly faster processors, and so on. So which one should you consider buying? Let us find out in the comparison of Google Pixel 5a and Samsung Galaxy A52 5G.

Our verdict: Google Pixel 5a review

Google Pixel 5a and Samsung Galaxy A52 5G

Glasses

You will notice some differences between the hardware on Google Pixel 5a and Samsung Galaxy A52 5G. First of all, compared with its predecessor’s plastic chassis, Google chose a higher-quality metal one-piece design this time. In contrast, Samsung insists on using the tried-and-tested polycarbonate frame and back panel that we also saw on the Galaxy A51.

In terms of overall appearance, I think the forest green background and olive power button of the Pixel 5a are more attractive. The Samsung Galaxy A52 5G runs through the entire body in pure matte colors, making everything simple and clear.

You will notice that the Galaxy A52 5G is very similar to its flagship series members, with a thick camera module and a centered punch that can hold a selfie snapper. It is also equipped with an in-display fingerprint sensor, so there is nothing on the back other than the camera and Samsung’s logo.

At the same time, compared with Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5a is not a huge leap in design. It has the same square camera housing with a physical fingerprint sensor underneath.

The durability of the Pixel 4a is a bit worrying, but the Pixel 5a solves this problem with its newly acquired IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating. This means that this phone is comparable to the Samsung Galaxy A52 in this respect, which also has an IP67 rating.

However, Samsung’s mobile phone is better than Pixel in terms of display strength. Google equipped its phones with Gorilla Glass 3 protection on a 6.34-inch OLED display, while Samsung used Gorilla Glass 5 on its slightly larger 6.5-inch AMOLED screen.

Protect your phone: The best Google Pixel 5a protective case | The best Samsung Galaxy A52 phone case

The display specifications of the two mid-range machines are mostly comparable, with matching Full HD + resolution. However, if you are looking for some extra grunt, you might prefer the 120Hz refresh rate of the Galaxy A52 compared to the standard 60Hz screen of the Google Pixel 5a. Android Authority Critic Eric Zeman pointed out that the 120Hz experience of the Galaxy A52 5G is “very good, especially when navigating YouTube and other applications that require a lot of scrolling.”

High refresh rate displays have become a very common feature in this price category, but unfortunately, the Pixel 5a missed it. Nevertheless, as our own Jimmy Westenberg said in his Pixel 5a review, even at 60Hz, the display of the phone is very good.

The most important differentiating factor between Google Pixel 5a and Samsung Galaxy A52 5G is the chipset. Samsung’s mobile phones are powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G. It is based on ARM’s Cortex A77 core, and theoretically should make the CPU emit more sound than the Snapdragon 765G under the hood of the Pixel 5a. However, the GPU performance of Qualcomm’s Adreno 620 on the Pixel 5a should be slightly better than that of the Adreno 619 on the Galaxy A52 5G.

Nevertheless, there should not be much difference between these two phones in actual use. Just don’t expect them to compete with large flagship products. In our own tests, we found that the Snapdragon 750G outperforms the Snapdragon 765G by a small margin. All in all, these two phones should be good for daily use, but they can be disappointing when performing heavy tasks.

Snapdragon SoC guide: All Qualcomm’s smartphone processors explained

Both phones are equipped with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage space. However, in some regions, you can also get the Galaxy A52 5G version with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage space. In addition, Galaxy provides expandable storage space through its hybrid SIM slot, while Pixel does not have this option. Instead, you can get the eSIM function next to the nano-SIM slot.

Because of its software skills, photography is an area that Google has always been good at. The Pixel 5a has the same camera settings as the Pixel 5, which means you will get the same 12.2MP main camera that Google has been using for years. We pointed out in the comments that Pixel can generate clear and accurate photos in daylight, and night vision mode is enabled by default to generate good low-light images. The 16MP ultra-wide-angle camera on the Pixel 5a uses Google’s Super Res Zoom function. It doesn’t quite match the dedicated telephoto shooter, but it still does a good job.

related: The best budget camera phones you can buy

At the same time, the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G has a more general camera setup, equipped with a 64MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens and two 5MP snapshots for dedicated macro and depth photos. Of course, the software skills and machine learning capabilities of this phone are not as powerful as those provided by Google, but the overall image of this phone is still great.

There is no zoom camera, but the mobile phone relies on digital zoom for long-distance shooting. In other words, according to our experience, the 16MP split shooting from the main sensor is very good. Overall, we found that the device provides ideal color, detail, white balance, and exposure. In terms of video shooting, the Galaxy A52 5G can only shoot 4K at 30fps compared to the Pixel 5a’s ability to record 4K lenses at 60fps.

Price, availability and color

• Google Pixel 5a: 449 USD
• Samsung Galaxy A52 5G: 499 USD / 399 GBP / 429 Euro

The Samsung Galaxy A52 5G is priced at US$499, but the company has since reduced the price of the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage version to US$424. This makes this phone a bit cheaper than the Pixel 5a, the price of the same configuration is 449 US dollars.

Check: Google Pixel 5a and Pixel 4a

The biggest difference here is the availability of the two phones. You can only purchase Google Pixel 5a in the U.S. and Japan. It is not available anywhere else in the world, although this may change somewhere. The Samsung Galaxy A52 5G is more widely used because you can buy it in the US and Europe.

Pixel uses a single main black color scheme. Galaxy A52 5G can be purchased in more flavors, including black, white, purple and blue.

If we have to choose a phone between Google Pixel 5a and Samsung Galaxy A52 5G, we might choose Pixel. This is because Google’s phones promise to provide a native Android experience, better cameras, Google’s three-year software update promise, and solid design.

This does not mean that the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G is a bad phone. In fact, its performance is on par with Pixel, the camera has not disappointed, and compared with 5a, in addition to an additional year of security updates, it also provides three years of Android updates.

For most people, this decision will boil down to two things-whether they prefer Android to One UI, and whether they prefer Google’s camera software optimization than Samsung.

However, keep in mind that there are some additional features on Samsung phones that you might find useful-120Hz display and in-display fingerprint sensor. However, compared with Pixel 5a, these are more decorative in nature and should not have a huge impact on the overall performance of the phone.