Apple and Samsung both rolled out mid-range refreshes to their respective smartphone lineups over the past couple weeks, the iPhone SE and Galaxy A53/A33, respectively, and we compare the specs.
Before the iOS faithful bust out their rusty pitchforks and fueled-up flamethrowers, understand this is a comparison of specifications and what each phone offers for the money. And if looking only at the spec sheet, it’s clear the Galaxy A53 and even the Galaxy A33 bring substantially more to the mid-range phone market than the latest generation iPhone SE. Note that the above chart compares the baseline configuration. The iPhone SE is also available in 128GB ($479) and 256GB ($579) configurations, while both the Galaxy A53 and A33 can be purchased with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Additionally, Samsung has only announced UK pricing for the Galaxy A33, so it remains to be seen if it will ship in the US. Those disclaimers out of the way, the iPhone SE and A33 are virtually tied in pricing at the cost of entry point, while the Galaxy A53 is a tad higher at $449. Starting with the display, the iPhone SE wields the smallest of bunch with a 4.7-inch IPS screen,1334×750 resolution, and 90Hz refresh rate. The Galaxy A53 and A33 are both substantially bigger at 6.5 inches and 6.4 inches, respectively, and both feature an OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. Whether you’ll actually notice a difference between 90Hz and 120Hz on a smartphone is debatable, but there’s no question Samsung is using an overall superior panel for its mid-range phones.
