Samsung, Apple to vie over midrange 5G phones

Samsung Electronics unveiled its new midrange smartphones -- Galaxy A33 5G and A53 5G -- at the Galaxy A event held Thursday, a week after its smartphone rival Apple came out with the latest iPhone SE series.

The new lineup is part of the South Korean tech giant’s move aimed at giving Android users access to 5G connectivity at a more affordable price and to lure more people into its own Galaxy ecosystem.

“We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the positive impact mobile technology can have on their lives,” Roh Tae-moon, president and head of mobile experience at Samsung Electronics, said in a statement.

According to Samsung, both A33 and A53 boast a 5G network connectivity, a maximum two-day battery life supported by up to 25 W super-fast charging and a brand-new octa-core 5-nanometer mobile processor.

Also, both products will guarantee up to four generations of One UI and Android OS upgrades and up to five years of security updates, as well as an improved night camera.

By model, Galaxy A53 sports a 6.5-inch super AMOLED display panel that features a high level of motion smoothness with a 120 Hz refresh rate, as well as an artificial intelligence-powered quad-camera system equipped with optical image stabilization camera technology. The A33’s display is 6.4 inches and features a 90 Hz refresh rate.

Galaxy A53’s retail price will begin at 499 euros ($551.7), while the lower-range A33 will retail for a minimum of 369 euros. The price may vary depending on the storage size, among other options.

Galaxy A53 5G will be available in select markets including Korea beginning April 1, while the Galaxy A33 5G will be available from April 22. Samsung said preorders for A53 will start in Korea Friday, and the date for the Korea A33 release has yet to be determined.

Samsung also said it would launch a higher-range A series phone, named A73 5G, in select markets excluding Korea.

The newest phones are likely to be the strongest rivals to iPhone SE 2022, unveiled on March 8, with which Apple aims to provide users with “faster downloads and uploads, higher quality video streaming, real-time interactivity in apps,” with 5G connectivity, among others.

Samsung’s midrange phones have a larger display than Apple’s 4.7-inch display, but its starting price of $429 is lower than that of Galaxy A53. Preorders for Apple’s latest iPhone SE started in about 40 countries on March 11, and the product will be available from Friday, Apple said.

(consnow@heraldcorp.com)