Out of the box, this phone ran like it was a year old and had the software bloat and sluggishness that comes along with it. It's only gotten worse. Bluetooth connectivity is a spotty and frustrating hassle, and mine arrived with a manufacturer defect even the over-the-phone top tier phone support expert couldn't help me with, which is that my speaking voice over Bluetooth in the car comes through distorted, garbled, and kinda scary sounding. Imagine being on the road taking personal and work calls and having to manually disconnect from Bluetooth (waiting several seconds to do so) every time. Phone calls through the main phone app are the only time this issue happens, strangely. I also had an entire section of the display become unresponsive to touch, making daily use an utter pain. Most other functions have been fine-ish, but Samsung and T-Mobile have collaborated to deliver a pretty intrusive level of un-removable software bloat that persistently bogs down basic functions, including making the otherwise very nice camera difficult and annoying to use thanks to a delay of sometimes several seconds before a photo is taken, if one gets taken at all. This phone's very existence feels like evidence of how much of our world is crowded by consumer garbage made to trap us into monthly payments and subscriptions, offering little value, if any. Samsung will keep making garbage because we buy it, T-Mobile will keep offering mediocre experiences because telecoms in the US are a lawless wasteland, and the entire tech world will continue failing to meaningfully discuss this issue because the planned obsolescence product refresh cycle keeps us distracted by the next thing instead of creating a space of sustainability and accountability. Samsung and T-Mobile are making me strongly consider whether I want to continue using smartphones at all, and it feels like they and the collective software makers of the world are counting on their respective ecosystems' hooks making the prospect of leaving too difficult to follow through on. If I do, it'll be with this most recent experience vividly in mind. (Note: this review was originally written for this device on the T-Mobile site based on my experience as a T-Mobile customer, but I believe the content of my review is still applicable here and don't feel like spending the time editing those sections out.)

Two thing: Drops WiFi and Too many Manufacturer Apps pre loaded using up space before I could download any of my favorites.
I only purchase Samsung phones. My Galaxy A12 was perfect for me until the microphone STOPPED working after 2 years of having the phone. I Still don't understand Why a perfectly good phone would Stop....
So I purchased an A53 5G and I'm on the Android version 14.
This phone Literally Drops the wifi and mo calls or texts can be sent or received. I am Constantly putting this phone on Airplane mode to restart it. It is EXTREMELY ANNOYING to have to do this on a daily basis at random times without warning.
Here I am 7 months with this phone and currently doing research for YET another New phone. So here goes hundreds of dollars Again for a new phone.
These phones are too EXPENSIVE to not be able to do what it's simply made to do.

I bought this phone several months ago because it was the last Samsung phone with expandable memory. I wish the S line had maintained expandable memory and audio jacks, because those are the features I actually want, and the S line offers a smaller "normal" size option as well. (Frankly, I wish they had maintained longer support for old phones; my S7 Edge still works better than this one, it's just "out of date" and no longer supported.)

It should be telling that a 7-year old phone works better than this one (and maybe the S line too, because it's a software problem). It "conveniently" tries to save you battery by running your apps in battery saving mode, unless you go opt out each app manually. Thanks, I love missing notifications! (sarcasm)

It will also intermittently just stop checking for notifications/updates altogether, with no sign that it has done so, until you realize it's been awfully quiet for a long time.

So maybe this is a software issue, in which case the Samsung mobile lines in general are a problem, but ultimately this has been very disappointing from a company that has tried to innovate hardware and produced some very good mobile tools in the past. Frankly, overall, the performance is so bad I'm glad I didn't spend an extra $800-1200 dollars on top of this for a top-of-the-line S model, and I'm increasingly unlikely to consider Samsung for my next phone, either.

Support has also been utterly impossible to get. The website is useless, and Samsung Members Support app is a joke. I have submitted multiple problems/requests for support, only to be met with clueless responses time after time. They are completely unserious about supporting their products.

Overall, a frustrating disappointment.

The Galaxy A53 5G, is one of Samsung’s most popular smartphones and is a very good option in the mid-range market by including a high refresh rate display, the latest software, a stylish casing with water protection and a versatile camera system. The Galaxy A52 5G was a very complete phone and became one of the best in its segment. I find The A53 5G series to be a solid upgrade over the A52 5G and it’s a great phone for its price range. However, it doesn’t introduce enough improvements to justify buying it if you already have an A52 5G or another good mid-range phone. Samsung has applied slight changes such as a larger battery, a higher screen refresh rate and changed the design. That said, it is worth mentioning that the new chip seems to help a lot when shooting photos and videos. Samsung has opted for the 5-nanometer Exynos 1280 5G chip for the Galaxy A53 5G and equipped it, in addition to 5G connectivity, with a Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. This allows for seamless app usage, streaming, gaming and all around day to day usage. The A53 5G also has a waterproof casing and an attractive matte back. The strengths are completed by great sounding stereo speakers, a large battery with a relatively fast charging process, a fingerprint scanner under the display that works perfectly. The only gripe to have with Samsung's A53 model is the choice of not including a charger when purchasing the device and the decision to remove the 3.5 millimeter headphone jack.