Skip to main content

Samsung’s Galaxy A53 5G ditches the headphone jack for a sleeker design

Samsung has been doing an excellent job with its midrange A-series devices, which are gaining a reputation for offering great value for the money. Take the Galaxy A52 5G, for example, which earned a solid recommendation from Digital Trends earlier this year thanks to its well-rounded feature set and relatively affordable price tag. With 2022 just around the corner, Samsung seems to be readying a successor to the A52 5G — likely to be called the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G.

Earlier today, Indian tech publication Digit, in collaboration with leaker Onleaks, posted CAD-based 3D renders of the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G. As evident from the image below, the design language of the new phone remains largely unchanged except in one big area — the headphone jack is gone. Samsung has typically shied away from removing the 3.5mm port on its midrange and budget handsets, but that’s started changing. Recently, Samsung launched an M-series device — the Galaxy M52 5G — without a 3.5mm port. Add the A53 to the mix, and it’s likely this is going to become a trend.

Samsung-Galaxy-A53-5G-in-white-color.
The Samsung Galaxy A53 is nearly identical to the Galaxy A52 in terms of design. Onleaks

The phone retains the large 6.7 display with a center-mounted punch-hole camera. The positioning of the quad-camera lenses and the LED flash module also seems to be a straight lift from the Galaxy A52. Upon closer inspection, though, you will notice that the rear camera housing on the A53 isn’t as pronounced and that it seamlessly blends into the rear panel instead of abruptly jutting out. While not evident from the renders, the Galaxy A53 is also expected to be slightly thinner than its predecessor, possibly serving as a possible justification for removing the headphone jack. Onleaks claims that the updated model will measure 8.14mm at the edges compared to the 8.4mm thick Galaxy A52.

Other rumors around the A53 series include the likelihood of the device being launched in a single 5G variant across multiple geographies. This is in contrast to the A52 series that comes in different 4G and 5G variants depending on where you buy the phone from. While it’s too early to comment on a possible launch date for the Galaxy A53, we expect the device to be officially unveiled in the first quarter of 2022, possibly alongside the S21 FE.

Editors' Recommendations

Rahul Srinivas
Rahul is a smartphone buff turned tech journalist who has been tinkering with all things mobile since the early 2000s. He has…
Is this our first look at the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6?
Renders of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, showing the front and back of the phone.

Samsung has already had a very busy 2024, from launching three new Galaxy S phones to teasing its upcoming Galaxy Ring. Now, we reportedly have our first look at the company's upcoming foldable — the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.

Early in the morning on February 28, leaker @OnLeaks teamed up with SmartPrix to share design renders of the Fold 6. At first glance, the Fold 6 looks a lot like last year's Galaxy Z Fold 5. There's a narrow 6.2-inch cover screen on the outside, and when the Fold 6 is opened, you get a 7.6-inch inner display. It's reported that the Fold 6's dimensions measure 153.5 x 132.5 x 6.1mm when it's unfolded, making it slightly shorter and wider than the Fold 5.

Read more
Your next phone could get a huge 5G upgrade, thanks to AI
Qualcomm Snapdragon X80 Modem-RF chip.

It’s that time of year again when Qualcomm ushers in its next generation of 5G modem technology. Announced at Mobile World Congress (MWC ) 2024, this year’s Snapdragon X80 5G Modem-RF system is the successor to last year’s Snapdragon X75, and it builds on the 5G Advanced foundation laid last year with more raw power and new AI features.

While the Snapdragon X75 moved the needle by adding support for the latest 5G Advanced standards, we’re still in that fourth phase of 5G technology, otherwise known as 3GPP Release 18 — and most carrier networks are still catching up. So, with no new standards to embrace, Qualcomm has focused on improving the inside of the Snapdragon X80 to take even fuller advantage of these cutting-edge 5G technologies.
The magic of AI-powered 5G

Read more
This tiny dongle will change 5G connectivity forever
TCL Linkkey IK511 5G Dongle against a blue background.

TCL is having a busy start to 2024. First, it announced a staggering number of new smartphones and two new tablets at CES, and now it’s unveiling something else at MWC 2024 — one of the world’s first 5G dongles that takes advantage of the latest power-efficient 5G standards.

TCL Mobile’s Linkkey IK511 is a pocketable new 5G adapter that’s powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X35 5G Modem-RF system, which debuted last year as the first 5G modem to support the new NR-Light “RedCap” standard.
5G for everyone, everything, everywhere
TCL Linkkey IK511 TCL

Read more