News sponsored by the Samsung Galaxy S22 series:

It is safe to say that while it is only March, Samsung is pulling out all the stops to impress us this year. Fresh on the heels of its lavish launch of the S22, this week the company did another Unpacked last night, to debut its Galaxy A53 5G and Galaxy A33 5G devices.

The A (for Awesome) series are the company’s more cost conscious devices. However, cost conscious doesn’t mean the devices aren’t well equipped. Quite the contrary. The new A series devices are powered by a new processor, coupled with Galaxy’s signature AI camera, expansive and smooth display, and two-day battery life. The new Galaxy A series further feature 5G connectivity, defence-grade security, an eco-conscious, stylish and slim design, and advanced connected experiences. Plus, both devices support continuous One UI and Android OS upgrades and security updates.

“We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the positive impact mobile technology can have on their lives,” said TM Roh, President and Head of Samsung Electronics’ MX (Mobile eXperience) Business. “With the latest Galaxy A series release, we’re making it easier than ever to enjoy Galaxy’s advanced, innovative mobile experience,” he added.

Photography first

A significant part of yesterday’s unpacked was focused on the photography chops of the new devices, with the Galaxy A53 5G and Galaxy A33 5G offering "an advanced, next-level camera experience,'' packing with many of the features from the Galaxy S series. Galaxy A53 5G’s quad-camera system features a 64MP OIS Camera with VDIS technology that takes crisp and steady shots. Meanwhile, a high-resolution 32MP front camera caters to crisp selfies and clear video call experiences.

Improved Night mode automatically synthesizes up to 12 images at once, so night photos look bright, with less noise. And when shooting video in low-light environments, the Galaxy A series’ framerate is automatically adjusted to create bright, clear videos.

The enhanced Portrait mode captures depth and subject outlines more accurately with dual cameras and powerful AI. And with Fun mode, moments can be amplified using playful filters and effects that now work with the Ultra-wide lens. Plus, Photo Remaster breathes new life into old and low quality photos, and Object eraser removes pesky photo bombers in the background.

Take it outdoors

Something else that we saw introduced on the S22 has made the move to these devices as well, and that is Samsung’s screen enhancement for outdoor viewing. The company explained that the Galaxy A series’ intelligent algorithm ensures the display comes through in vivid detail, even outside. The Galaxy A53 5G’s 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display also offers a 120Hz refresh rate for an immersive experience while Galaxy A33 5G features a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate.

Another imperative, battery life, was also addressed, with Samsung promising that the Galaxy A series is now equipped with up to two-day battery life and 25W Super-Fast Charging. In one area the new A series devices even has something the latest S22 doesn’t – expandable storage, enabling users to increase storage by up to 1 TB using a microSD card.

Neither the Galaxy A53 5G nor the A33 5G are the black sheep of the Galaxy ecosystem. Samsung stressed that both devices work seamlessly with other Galaxy devices for the full, connected Galaxy ecosystem experience, which mean that both accommodate the Galaxy Buds Pro and coming soon to Galaxy Buds2 and Buds Live. As on the S and Note series, users can use Link to Windows to connect the new Galaxy A series to a Windows PC to copy and paste, transfer files and answer calls or texts. 

The Galaxy A53 5G will be available in South Africa from mid-March 2022 and the Galaxy A33 5G will be available beginning April 2022.