Samsung galaxy A33 Review

Samsung galaxy A33 Review: Introduction

The Galaxy A33 is probably one of the most interesting models with significant upgrades as a successor to The Galaxy A32. The Galaxy A33 5G has been promoted to the waterproofed league, and it now features the same IP67-rated ingress protection treatment as the higher tier models. We bring you the Samsung Galaxy A33 5G Review.

Samsung galaxy A33 Review: Specs

• OS/Software: Android 12, One UI 4.1.
• Rear Camera: 48 MP + 8 MP + 5 MP + 2 MP
• Front Camera: 13 MP
• Display: 6.4 inches | 2400 x 1080 pixels’ resolution | 90Hz Refresh rate
• Chipset: Exynos 1280 (5 nm)
• Memory: 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM;
• Battery: 5000mAh; Fast charging 25W, non-removable.

Pros

• Good-looking screen
• 4 years of software updates
• Solid battery life
• Good design
• Lightweight

Cons

• A bit pricey
• Middling performance
• No headphone jack

Samsung galaxy A33 Review: Design

The Samsung Galaxy A33 5G is a mid-sized phone, and depending on the size of your hand, it could either be a comfortable fit or a little too big.
First of all, the back panel is made of matte plastic. It does a pretty good job at avoiding fingerprints, so if you are brave enough to hold it without a case, the new blue and peach colors pop beautifully.

Going around the sides, you will find the power button and volume rocker, the SIM card tray/expandable storage combo and microphone hole on the top. On the bottom of the Galaxy A33 are the speaker grill, USB-C port, and a second microphone. You can pick up the phone in black, white, peach or blue, and we found the two latter options pleasantly attractive: they stood out, but in a subtle way.

Samsung galaxy A33 Review: Display

The 6.4-inch device has a FHD+ resolution with a 90Hz refresh rate. It’s an AMOLED panel, and that means colors are bright and vibrant, with great contrast and good viewing angles. The handset has an IP67 rating, so it’s dustproof and water resistant, as well as a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 screen, so it should be durable too.

Samsung galaxy A33 Review: Camera

There are four rear cameras on the Samsung Galaxy A33 5G, but quantity is not the same as quality. The handset’s photography power is fine for social-media-busy TikTokers or Instagramers, but professional or amateur photographers might be underwhelmed.

The main camera is a 48MP one, and it’s joined by an 8MP ultra wide, 5MP macro and 2MP depth-sensing cohort. It’s nice to see Samsung bucking the trend of throwing on 2MP macro snappers to flesh out a specs list – 5MP makes a marked improvement on close-up images.

First and foremost, optical image stabilization (OIS) makes an entrance in the A3x series, which compensates for your shaky hands when you’re taking a photo or recording video – lots of phones have this, but budget handsets often don’t. The main snapper on the A33 5G’s back is the one equipped with this feature. It allows for the Galaxy A33 to utilize Samsung’s night mode, since the main camera can now shoot long-exposure images and gather more light.

Samsung galaxy A33 Review: Performance

Much of the improvements in the Galaxy A33 5G stem from its new chipset, the Exynos 1280, which is the first SoC built on the 5nm process to be placed in a Galaxy A3x series. The processor inside features eight cores: 2 x 2.4 GHz and 6 x 2.0 GHz.

The chip is paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage – that’s a good amount of space for a phone at this price, but if you need more, there’s a micro SD card slot that can get you up to 1TB extra space. Like quite a few mid-range and premium mobiles, the A33 offers a RAM extension mode, which temporarily turns storage space into RAM, which can give you a boost for gaming or intensive tasks.

Samsung galaxy A33 Review: Software

Software-wise, we’re looking at Android 12 with Samsung’s One UI 4 laid over the top. Both Google’s latest Android build, and Samsung’s fork of it, focus on customization improvements, including Material You, which gives you lots of scope to change the look and color of menus and apps.

Samsung galaxy A33 Review: Battery and Charging

Onto battery, it’s nice and big, at 5,000mAh. A power pack that big will almost definitely serve you for a whole day of use. Just like the Galaxy A32, the Galaxy A33 has a maximum wired charging speed of 25W, with no support for wireless charging. Unlike the predecessor, though, it comes with no included charging brick in the box, so you would have to get that yourself.

ALSO READ: Samsung Galaxy A52 5G review

Price and Availability

We have the Samsung Galaxy A33 5G price for the UK and Australia, where it’ll cost £329 / AU$599 (roughly $430).

Verdict

The Galaxy A33 5G is a huge upgrade over its predecessor, and extremely close in terms of features to the Galaxy A53 5G. The new processor brings faster everything, including AI, and GPU power, the screen makes it all look good, and when you sprinkle in the optical image stabilization, louder speakers, and better durability, it starts to look quite appealing.