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Brands like Motorola, TCL, and Samsung have been dominating the budget smartphone segment in the US for quite some time now. With the launch of the Nord N200 last year and the launch of the Nord N20 5G earlier this year, OnePlus is looking to give these brands some competition in the low price segment. In this article, we compare the OnePlus Nord N20 5G to the Samsung Galaxy A53 to see which is the best choice for you.
Design
When looking at the design of the OnePlus Nord N20, we notice that the smartphone looks nothing like other OnePlus budget smartphones. The flat-edged design with no curves, matte finish on the back, and domed camera rings are all new to OnePlus. Even though the company has used plastic on the back, the smartphone is surrounded by a metal frame. Compared to the Galaxy A53, the Nord N20 looks quite striking and attractive.
Looking at the design of the Galaxy A53, you will notice that it is not much different from other Galaxy A series smartphones. This is because the design has been, in fact, left unchanged from last year. . The rectangular camera module still sits in the top left corner with the continuous polycarbonate back sitting on it. Unlike the OnePlus Nord N20, however, the Samsung Galaxy A53 uses a plastic frame instead of metal.
Looking at the location of the buttons, you’ll notice that the OnePlus Nord N20 features the power button on the right while the volume rockers are on the left, much like modern iPhones. On the Galaxy A53, however, the power button and volume rockers are located on the right side. Finally, an advantage of the Samsung Galaxy A53 over the OnePlus Nord N20 is that the phone is officially rated IP67 against dust and water while the latter is not.
Display
Moving on to the display of the two smartphones, you will notice that both smartphones come with similar screens with a (slightly) chunky chin and a punch-hole cutout for the front camera. Looking at the specs, the OnePlus Nord N20 has a 6.43-inch AMOLED flat screen. This screen offers FHD+ resolution. However, the 120Hz refresh rate is not supported on the OnePlus Nord N20. The screen refresh rate is limited to 60Hz.
On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G has a large 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display. This screen offers FHD+ resolution (1080 x 2340 pixels) and supports refresh rate up to 120Hz. Samsung claims that the screen brightness can even reach 800 nits, which allows you to see the screen even in direct sunlight. The Galaxy A53’s spec advantages continue as it uses Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5 for screen protection, while OnePlus didn’t specify what type of glass is used on the Nord N20.
Processor
This is one of the areas where smartphone makers compromise to keep the price down. And as expected, both smartphones are not equipped with a flagship-grade processor. The OnePlus Nord N20 5G is powered by Qualcomm’s cost-effective Snapdragon 695 5G processor. It is an octa-core chipset with two Kryo 660 Gold cores clocked at 2.2 GHz and six Kryo 660 Silver cores clocked at 1.7 GHz.
On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy A53 is powered by the company’s own Exynos 1280 processor. It is an octa-core chipset based on a 5nm node process with two Cortex-A78 CPU cores clocked at 2.4 GHz and six Cortex-A55 CPU cores clocked at 2 GHz. While the two processors won’t offer performance close to their siblings, they’ll do “just enough” to ensure the device can handle day-to-day activities and multitasking.
Camera hardware
Camera hardware is one of the areas where the Samsung Galaxy A53 comes out on top. The Galaxy A53 features a quad-camera setup that includes a 64MP (f/1.8) main camera sensor, 12MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide camera, 5MP (f/2.2) depth sensor /2.4) and a 5MP macro lens (f/2.4). The Galaxy A53 software is much improved as it comes with brand new Night mode and lots of features like object eraser, Photo Remaster, etc. that come with Samsung flagship devices.
On the other hand, the OnePlus Nord N20 only has a three-camera setup which includes a 64MP main sensor (f/1.8), a 2MP monochrome (f/2.4) and a 2MP macro lens (f/ 2.4). Yes there is no ultrawide sensor on the OnePlus Nord N20. The OnePlus Nord N20 also offers some software tricks, such as AI scene enhancement, auto-HDR, and more.
Nevertheless, Samsung’s camera advantage continues even when it comes to the front camera, as the Galaxy A53 has an HDR-capable 32MP wide-angle selfie camera. On the other hand, the OnePlus Nord N20 comes with only a 16 MP front camera sensor.
While you won’t be unhappy with the camera sensors of either smartphone – they should be more than satisfactory – if you’re a photo enthusiast and capture a lot of photos, the Galaxy A53’s ultra-wide camera sensor might be useful in a number of situations. Samsung’s optimization and software techniques also give it an edge over the OnePlus Nord N20.
Battery
Focusing on the batteries offered by smartphones, the OnePlus Nord N20 features a 4500mAh cell due to its overall smaller body. This battery should last an entire day for most users, but that depends on how OnePlus has optimized the operation of the smartphone. By comparison, the Samsung Galaxy A53 has a larger 5000mAh cell that should easily last a full day of use.
OnePlus smartphones are known for their fast charging, and it’s a similar case here too. The OnePlus Nord N20 has 33W fast charging capable of charging the device to 60% in around half an hour. The Galaxy A53, on the other hand, only supports 25W fast charging. Neither phone supports Qi wireless charging due to the plastic back.
Verdict
Choosing between the OnePlus Nord N20 and the Samsung Galaxy A53 can be confusing for many, as the devices are nearly identically priced and similar on many fronts. While the Nord N20 offers a better design, OxygenOS, and faster charging speed, the Samsung Galaxy A53 comes with a better camera, better battery experience, and display if hardware specifications are to be met.
If you want a future-proof smartphone with 5G capabilities on all networks (the OnePlus Nord N20 does not support 5G for AT&T and Verizon), a vibrant display and an ultra-wide camera, the Samsung Galaxy A53 is the way to go. . However, if you rarely use 5G and want to save some money while getting a better design, Qualcomm processor, and OxygenOS, you might want to consider the OnePlus Nord N20 5G.
OnePlus Nord N20 5G
The Nord N20 is OnePlus’ latest budget 5G smartphone, and it’s one of the best and most affordable devices for those who want a great device without breaking the bank. Check out all the deals below:
Samsung Galaxy A53
The Samsung Galaxy A53 packs a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display, Exynos 1280 and a 5000mAh battery along with a decent set of camera sensors. For $450, it offers a combination that’s a perfect balance between price and spec.
Technical specifications
| Smartphone | OnePlus Nord N20 5G | Samsung Galaxy A53 |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Android 11 | Android 12 |
| Dimensions | 6.30 x 2.88 x 0.30 inches | 6.30 x 2.94 x 0.32 inches |
| lester | 173g | 189g |
| Display | 6.43-inch, 1080 x 2400, AMOLED, 60Hz | 6.5-inch, 1080 x 2400, Super AMOLED, 120Hz |
| Display glass | N / A | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G | Exynos 1280 |
| CPU specifications | – 2x 2.2GHz Kryo 660 Gold – 6x 1.7GHz Kryo 660 Silver |
– 2x Cortex A78 2.4GHz – 6x Cortex A55 2.0GHz |
| GPUs | Adrene 619 | Mali-G68 |
| RAM | 6 GB | 4/6/8 GB |
| ROMs | 128 GB | 128/256 GB |
| Expandable storage | Yes | Yes (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Rear cameras | 64MP, ƒ/1.8, PDAF 2MP, ƒ/2.4, Macro 2MP, ƒ/2.4, Depth |
64MP, ƒ/1.8, OIS 12MP, ƒ/2.2, ultra-wide 5MP, ƒ/2.4, Depth 5MP, ƒ/2.4, Macro |
| Front camera | 16 MP, ƒ/2.4, Wide, HDR | 32 MP, ƒ/2.2, Wide, HDR |
| Connectivity | 5G, LTE, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC | 5G (no 5G support for AT&T and Verizon), LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC |
| Ports | USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack | USB-C |
| IP Rating | Nope | IP67 |
| Battery | 4500mAh | 5000mAh |
| loading | 33W | 25W |
| Colors | Blue | Black, white, blue, peach |
| Price | $300 |