Samsung is one of the leading champions of mid-range phones right now, with its A-series of devices being massive hits across pretty much every price point imaginable. The Galaxy A52, in particular, is an excellent device, as reliable as it is affordable. While it's far from an aging phone — it was initially announced in March, with a guaranteed three years of software updates still ahead — Samsung has deemed it worthy of an early upgrade with an all-new model.

The new Galaxy A52s isn't quite a full successor — that's why it's not called the A53. Instead, it's a minor spec bump intended to help improve performance while keeping an identical design and low price. The only tangible difference comes with its Snapdragon 778G, which replaces the Snapdragon 750 found in the original device. It's a relatively new processor to the US, first featured in Samsung's Galaxy Tab S7 FE a couple of weeks ago. As part of a newer generation of chips, the 778G should offer improved performance and battery life over the A52.

SPECS

CPU

Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G

RAM

6GB

Storage

128 GB, expandable by MicroSD (up to 1 TB)

Display

6.5" 1080p 120Hz OLED

Rear cameras

64 MP f/1.8 primary, 12 MP f/2.2 ultrawide, 5 MP f/2.4 macro, 5 MP f/2.4 depth

Front camera

32 MP f/2.2

Battery

4,500mAh, 25W fast charging (wired only)

Software

Android 11, One UI 3.1

Dimensions

159.9 x 75.1 x 8.4mm / 189g

Misc

In-display optical fingerprint scanner, 3.5mm headphone jack, Samsung Pay

Otherwise, well, you're mostly looking at the same device Samsung released earlier this year, right down to identical dimensions. The A52 wasn't particularly desperate for a spec-bump — hell, we mostly lauded its performance in our review — but the focus on improved speed means the A52s likely doesn't fix any of the actual problems with its predecessor. Mushy haptics, a slow in-display optical fingerprint scanner, and mediocre cameras — adding a new processor won't fix these issues. And in a post-Pixel 5a world, those downsides stand out that much more.

The Galaxy A52s will come in black, white, mint, and violet when it goes on sale next month. The only official pricing details we have so far are from the UK, where it'll cost £409 (~$562). That's a bit steeper than the initial $500 asking price for the original A52, which could push potential buyers towards Google's latest phone, even with its older chipset. For now, we'll have to wait and see if the A52s is a worthy upgrade over its older brother.