Galaxy A52 review: The mid-ranger that defined the A-series — OIS, OLED and IP67 in 2021.
The mid-ranger everyone copied.
Galaxy A52 set the template the whole $350 class followed — a real AMOLED, OIS, IP67 and stereo sound, none of which were a given in 2021. Years on it is outclassed by 5G rivals and out of support, but its influence on what a mid-ranger should include is everywhere.
01Display
76/10076/100 — right at the average for mid-range phones of 2021.
02Camera
70/10070/100 puts it above the 67-point average for mid-range phones of 2021.
03Performance
58/10058/100 is one of the weaker performance results among mid-range phones of 2021 — 8 points under the average. Check the rows below before buying for this.
04Battery
74/10074/100 trails the 77-point cohort average for mid-range phones of 2021.
05Build
72/10072/100 — right at the average for mid-range phones of 2021.
06Value
76/100At 76/100 this is one of the strongest value showings among mid-range phones of 2021 — 6 points above the cohort average.
- OIS + Super AMOLED + IP67 at $349 — a 2021 benchmark.
- Stereo speakers and a headphone jack.
- microSD expansion.
- Three OS updates was generous for its day.
- Snapdragon 720G is dated and 4G-only.
- 25 W charging.
- Support has ended.
- Plastic frame.
How this review is built: every section score, spec row and comparison on this page comes from SpecEagle's tracked catalogue — scores weight measured specs against the 105-phone cohort of mid-range devices released around the same time. We don't publish invented lab anecdotes. Spot an error? .