Samsung Galaxy A33 5G camera ad performance review

Introduction

A mid-range portfolio from Samsung, the Galaxy A series gets a refresh every year and is now looking extremely good. One of the more intriguing models this year is the new Samsung Galaxy A33 5G, which has been greatly improved over the Galaxy A32 and is available for around €300.

The Galaxy A33 5G has advanced to the waterproof division and now offers the same IP67-rated ingress protection treatment as the devices in higher price ranges. The A3x versions weren’t water-proof up until this point.

In comparison to the Galaxy A32, the Galaxy A33 5G boasts a 90Hz Super AMOLED screen. However, it boasts a far more powerful Exynos 1280 with a more modern processor, gaming- and user-friendly graphics, and a built-in 5G modem. The choice between the 4G and 5G versions is thus no longer necessary.

The camera has also been upgraded. The 48MP primary camera now has optical stabilisation and is capable of recording 4K video. Furthermore, the 13MP selfie camera is capable of 4K video.

The stereo speakers that were exclusive to the A5x and higher models of the previous generation are now included in the Samsung Galaxy A33. Additionally, the Galaxy A33 enables 25W quicker wired charging, which is the final but not least significant feature.

There have been two negative changes from Galaxy A32, so it’s not all updates. Additionally, the Galaxy A33 lacks a 3.5mm audio port and a microSD card, which is now shared with the second SIM slot.

Unboxing

The Samsung Galaxy A33 is packaged in the tiniest box we have ever seen, and we would only find the phone inside.

The retail box doesn’t have a charger, but that was to be expected. Even though we initially couldn’t see the cord, it turns out that there is a USB-C connection within the paper pocket. If you buy a 25W Samsung USB-C charger or other similar devices, you should be able to use them right away because the cable is compatible with 25W rapid charging.

Design and In-hand feel

When we first opened the box containing the Galaxy A33 5G, it had a very attractive design. One of the simple yet appealing designs, it soon wins you over. The smooth camera wrapping and matte rare panel with the peach colour on the no-nonsense shape are likely to blame, as well as the Matte finish.

The ingress protection is one of the significant changes in design since the Galaxy A32. However, the Samsung Galaxy A33 5g is now dust and water resistant and has an IP67 rating. As the waterproofing’s Achilles heel, the audio jack or 3.5mm jack may have been removed for this purpose. For instance, the Galaxy A23 keeps its audio jack for an additional cycle despite having no water resistance. Another enhancement over the Galaxy A32 is the stereo speaker arrangement, which you cannot see but will most definitely hear.

Available colours for the Samsung Galaxy A33 5G include white, black, blue, and peach. While black is pretty much a norm for smartphones and we love the peach, we have both colours for this evaluation.

The Galaxy A33 5G is constructed similarly to the previous model, with a Gorilla Glass front panel, a sturdy, slightly curved plastic frame, and a seamless plastic back. The matte surface and colour on the back and the frame compliment each other well.

Naturally, the 6.4-inch super AMOLED with 1080p resolution and 90Hz refresh rate takes up the majority of the front. Similar to most recent Galaxy A models, the glass above that screen is Gorilla 5 protected.

The 13MP selfie camera on the panel has a U-shaped cutout and can now shoot 4K video. One tiny, nearly invisible plug for one of the speakers—which also serves as an earpiece—can be found above the front camera.

Even though the Galaxy A33 5G includes an ambient light sensor, it does not have a proximity sensor and instead uses a virtual proximity detecting technique. Without a doubt, it is not good. However, we thought the one on A33 was set up rather effectively.

The Galaxy A33 5G offers a reliable under-display optical fingerprint scanner. The sensor is sufficiently large, quick, and dependable.

The screen bezels lack any real appeal. But since it’s a very inexpensive smartphone, we can state that we are totally happy with its thickness.

The 5-hole camera island on the rear steadily rises above the reset of the unusual panel to form a single, seamless design. The 48MP primary, the 8MP ultra-wide, and the 2MP depth sensor are all located in the first column. To the right are the 5MP macro camera and LED flash.

The plastic frame of the Galaxy A33 is somewhat curved, but it is not the smallest we’ve ever held. And that’s advantageous since it offers more grip than the typical frame these days.

Additionally, Galaxy A33’s left side is empty.

On the right side are the power/lock key and the VOLUME.

A microphone and the Hybrid SM card slot are located on the top of the Galaxy A33.

The primary microphone/mouthpiece, USB-C port, and second speaker are all located at the bottom.

The weight of the Galaxy A33 5G is 186 grammes, and its dimensions are 159.7 x 74 x 8.1 mm. That compares favourably to the Galaxy A32. It is quite pocket-friendly and of a reasonable size; our team found it to be convenient for both daily use and picture shoots.

The A33 boasts a sturdy waterproof construction that feels comfortable in the hands and has a particularly excellent grip. Overall, we rate the design and build quality as great. We don’t have a single complaint; rather, we’ve had nothing but excellent experiences overall.

Display

The 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display on the Samsung Galaxy A33 5G is identical to the one on the Galaxy A32 from the previous year; it supports refresh rates of up to 90Hz and enhanced 1080p resolution. On top of it, there is Gorilla Glass 5 protection.

The screen’s real resolution is 2,400 x 1,080 pixels, giving it a 411ppi density and a 20:9 aspect ratio. A U-shaped notch has been added to create room for the selfie camera.

We’ve finished taking the customary measurements, and the Galaxy A33’s AMOLED display is quite bright. The screen can be as bright as 728 nits when using the adaptive brightness mode, compared to a maximum brightness of 407 nits when using manual adjustment.

The point white we were able to photograph has an impressively low minimum brightness of just 1.8 nits.

Color accuracy

The Samsung Galaxy A33 has the same colour selection as previous Galaxy smartphone models. Additionally, you have the DCI-P3 and sRGB colour spaces’ respective equivalents in the Vivid (default) and Natural colour presets. When utilising the Vivid option, you can also adjust the white balance.

The Samsung Galaxy A33 has the same colour selection as previous Galaxy smartphone models. Additionally, you have the DCI-P3 and sRGB colour spaces’ respective equivalents in the Vivid (default) and Natural colour presets. When utilising the Vivid option, you can also adjust the white balance.

Refresh rate

The a33 refresh rate offers two options for motion smoothness in the refresh rate section: High (90Hz) and Standard (60Hz). Both of these do not always display dynamic content at the selected refresh rate.

Only a few HRR-incompatible apps, such Google Maps and the camera viewfinder, are an exception to the rule when using 90Hz for static content and video playback.

Streaming and HDR

It is not HDR10-capable, despite the fact that some hardware scanning programmes can detect it in the Samsung Galaxy A33 display. There is not a single app in existence that acknowledges it as such, and the Samsung has neither denied nor supported such accusations. Additionally, it can stream 1080p content to all widely used apps.

Battery

The Galaxy A33 5G contains a 5000mAh battery, which is comparable to the ones found inside other smartphones like the Galaxy A53 and Galaxy A32. With the addition of a new chipset, the phone now supports faster charging.

The Galaxy A33 5G received a respectable 104-hour endurance rating. It performed admirably on the on-screen test, about average—not overly outgoing nor too reserved.

Charging speed

The Galaxy A33 5G supports up to 25W fast charging, an improvement over the Galaxy A32’s 15W charging capabilities. However, the Galaxy A33 does not come with a charger, so you will need to purchase one. Fortunately, Samsung offers a 25W power adapter at a reasonable price.

The 25W USB-C Samsung charger for the Galaxy A33 recharged 50% of the battery in 30 minutes. It took an hour and fifteen minutes to fully charge, which was also the time that the software had predicted would take. The Galaxy A33 5G now supports wireless charging.

Speaker’s

Compared to the Galaxy A32’s single speaker, the Galaxy A33 5G’s stereo speaker arrangement is an improvement. The phone has one dedicated speaker at the bottom, and the earpiece serves as a second speaker.

Although the volume is theoretically unequal, the balance is excellent. The earpiece on the front of the phone is quieter and less bassy, but when working together, the multimedia experience is enjoyable regardless of the phone’s orientation.

The Galaxy A33 5G speaker setup received high scores for its volume. And even though the mid-range smartphone may have been better presented, we can still give it a very good grade because the high notes are fantastic.

Software

The One UI 4.1 and Android 12 are boosted on the Samsung Galaxy A33 5G. In addition, it lacks a few features here and there compared to the Galaxy S22 flagship, but nothing that most users would deem crucial.

The promise of extending software support is another key selling feature for many Samsung mid-range handsets. The four OS upgrades and five years of security patches are to be expected. A33 is also affected by this. If you tend to keep your phone for a while, it’s a good deal.

One UI is still among the top and most often used for customised Android implementations. The UX has undergone a lot of thoughtful, gradual adjustments in recent years, most of which have been cosmetic in nature. Even so, those switching from earlier Galaxy devices ought to be at ease. But there is still another mixture worth mentioning.

First, the A33 5G display is never visible.

Before the dealer and camera shortcuts in monochrome, the lock screen had the same appearance. The face unlock feature can still be used in place of or in addition to the under-display fingerprint reader as the primary means of unlocking the A33. But in some circumstances, it might be more practical. However, because it only uses a selfie camera, it is often less secure.

There are many customization choices for the lock screen, and there hasn’t been much of a change since it was discussed.

Performance and Benchmarks

The Exynos 1280 chipset from Samsung, which debuted in the new Galaxy A53 5G model, powers the Galaxy A33 5G. If you have a Galaxy A32 or Galaxy A32 5G, it will replace the Helio G80 or Dimensity 720, respectively. The fact that the processor and graphics are much more powerful makes it a significant advancement.

Utilizing Samsung’s 5nm manufacturing technology, the Exynos 1280 was created. Two “large” Cortex-A78 cores, clocked at up to 2.4GHz, are included in its octa-core processor. Compared to the A75 and A76 utilised in Helio G80 and Dimensity 720, the A78 is a more recent core.

Mali-G68 GPU is included with the chipset, which is a nice improvement over Mali-G52 and G57.

Last but not least, the Galaxy A33’s Exynos 1280 includes a built-in 5G modem.

The Galaxy A33 5G processor is significantly faster than the A32 and A32 5G internal processor. The Galaxy A52s has a potent snapdragon 778G 5G chipset with a superior CPU and GPU, and it will likely maintain its position as the mid-range performance leader up until it is discounted.

With a significant and welcome improvement over the A32, the GPU performance is now among the best in the mid-range market.

With the exception of the Galaxy A52s, which is only slightly quicker and less expensive, the Galaxy A33 5G was on par with its peers in this market sector thanks to its samsung galaxy a33 5g antutu score was 498711.

The Galaxy A33 offers a superb selection of chipsets that are strong enough to handle everything, even the games, with ease.

Camera

The samsung a33 camera quality has the same camera as the Galaxy A32 5G, but with a few upgrades: the main camera now has OIS, and both the front and back cameras can record 4K video.

The a33 5g camera review backside therefore houses a 48MP OIS primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, a 5MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth camera. On the front, there is a 13MP selfie camera.

The primary camera has a 26mm f/1.8 optically stabilised lens with a 48MP Sony IMX 582 1/2 sensor with o.8 mm pixels. We are grateful for the presence of OIS in the mid-range market, which is extremely uncommon. The camera features a Quad Bayer colour filter, therefore it typically takes 12MP photographs with 4-in-1 binning. However, there is an oddly available high-res 48MP shooting mode inside the aspect ratio selections. Additionally, it supports phase-detection autofocus.

The 8MP Don’t IMX 355 imaging with 1.12mm pixel pitch is used by the ultra-wide camera. A 13mm f/2.2 lens with fixed focus surrounds the sensor.

The 5MP GalaxyCore GC5035 sensor for the macro camera has an aperture of f/2.4 and a fixed focus distance of roughly 4 cm.

A 2MP GalacyCore Moduel with an f/2.4 aperture and an infinity-fixed focus is used as the depth sensor.

The 13MP Sony IMX 258 1/3.06 sensor with 1.12mm pixels serves as the samsung a33 selfie camera primary sensor. The focus is fixed, and it is placed in front of a 26mm f/2.2 lens.

Every Samsung phone today has the same camera app. There is an option from the viewfinder, and you may move between all modes by swiping left and right. The front camera can be changed to the uncommon camera with vertical swipes in either direction.

You may fine-tune the samsung a33 camera settings by selecting the settings icon, which is in the top left corner of the screen. Since there aren’t many options overall, there isn’t a separate settings panel for images and videos. like guidelines, geographic information, etc. There is the typical things there. The scene optimizer can also be turned on and off. Even after turning it on, you must turn it back on using the main UI.

The Night mode is supported by the main, ultra-wide, and selfie cameras.

There is also a pro mode. You get up to 10s shutter speed control, manual focus with peaking, and granular exposure controls, but no live histogram or operating options.

It is a bit counterintuitive that the aspect option on the primary activated the full resolution mode.

Photo Quality

As recommended by the samsung a33 photo quality, we decided to use both scene optimize and auto HDR when taking pictures. Though the HDR does benefit some Scenes and the tonal extremes are typically well-developed, the Scene Optimizer option rarely makes a difference.

Therefore, the primary camera’s 12MP default images are excellent for the mid-range market. There is no noise and they are sharp with plenty of resolved details, nice contrast, and a pleasing dynamic.

You can’t help but notice the typical Samsung processing—all the images include vibrant colours, and while the way the foliage is presented in the shots is nice, it might be better, especially when it comes to the grass.

The viewfinder has a 2x zoom option that offers high-quality digital zoom, or what we like to call “lossless” zoom. In essence, it appears that the camera app is shooting in 48MP and cropping the centre of the images. While not on par with the default photos, the per-pixel sharpness is substantially better than what ordinary digital zoom would have provided.

The rest is essentially the same as on the typical photos—bright colours that satisfy dynamic contrast.

Within the aspect ratio setting, a 48MP mode is available. It takes high-resolution pictures, which look a little less edited and provide good levels of resolved detail for such (un-binnd) pictures. If you intend to keep these images at their original 48MP resolution and 20MB file size, they are useless. However, if you have the ability to shrink those to 12MP, we do advise adopting this mode because doing so will give you more per-pixel detail than the regular output and enable a more realistic-looking shot with higher clarity and previously unattainable intricacy throughout various photographs.

With the 8MP Ultra-wide pictures we took with a special camera, we are quite pleased. Even when the camera’s automatic distortion correction is turned on, the f/2.2 13mm lens offers a reasonably broad field of view.

The detail level and noise levels on this ultra-wide are excellent. The colours are handled the Samsung way – punchy and likable, though we can see why they won’t be everyone’s favourite – and the contrast and dynamic range are both good.

It takes some practise to master the 5MP macro camera’s fixed focus at a distance of 4 cm. You will get good closeups that are detailed, have strong contrast, and have vibrant colours once you become accustomed to the fixed focus and find the focus sweet spot. There is a lot of obvious noise, but it turns out that it doesn’t really interfere with anything. Motorola Edge 30 Fusion on the hands.

A special 2MP depth sensor on the Galaxy A33 5G helps the primary camera when taking portrait photographs. And considering the phones’ low-end/mid-range position, those outcomes were surprisingly positive.

The A33 5G’s selfie camera offers a toggle to choose how wide the frame will be, similar to many other Samsung phones. It is bothersome that this setting automatically selects the narrower choice, which results in an 8MP crop. Selfies produced when shooting with a wider angle are 13MP.

In light of this, the full-size 13MP selfies we took with the Galaxy A33 5G are some of the best available today. They contain sufficient information, but the extensive Samsung processing and noise reduction muddy some of it, giving the image a general appearance of a poorly painted picture.

The samsung a33 5g front camera photos we shot with the camera were nice; the background blur and subject separation were both excellent. However, the detail is less than on typical selfies, likely due to the much more intensive processing.

We can recommend the main camera’s Night mode for these improvements because it records photographs that are crisper, cleaner, and less noisy. Additionally, it will reveal greater shadow detail. However, you should be aware that it will also increase exposure, producing even brighter pictures that might not appear as realistic as you had planned.

The processing was able to preserve the 2x zoom images viable even though the resolved detail has been noticeably reduced and everything appears to be an oil painting. If you require a zoomed photo at night, you should use the zoom just like you would when shooting in the daytime.

The nighttime 8MP Ultra-wide pictures we took weren’t too bad. Since there is just enough information for that, the colour is largely unaltered, and the exposure is not too terrible, they are usable. If you have to use this camera, it will perform the job in an acceptable manner even though some of the photographs have excessive noise in them.

Video recording

The primary camera and selfie camera on the samsung a33 4k video can record 4K @30fps. All cameras can use the common 1080p mode at 30 frames per second, but only the primary camera can use 1080p at 60 frames per second.

The primary, ultra-wide, and selfie cameras can all use electroni stabilization, but it can only be applied at 1080p resolution. Naturally, the primary camera’s samsung a33 video stabilization is always in use.

A substantial 48–49Mbps in 4K and 17Mbps in 1080p are used for the video nitrate. The sound quality of the audio, which is recorded in stereo at 256 Kbps, is excellent.

Our Verdict

The Galaxy A33 5G succeeded the Galaxy A32 in a well-executed manner and stepped up the A3x models by adding an IP rating and OIS. This indicates that the premium portion of the A series officially kicks off with the a33 gsmarena.

In conclusion, the Galaxy A33 features a truly lovely and appealing design. The 90Hz OLED display is bright and quick, and we are pleased with the overall performance and colour accuracy. The battery life and charging speed are comparable, albeit you will need to purchase a 25W charger if you don’t already have one.

The speakers on the Galaxy A33 were upgraded along with the design and camera. It now provides stereo speakers with excellent sound quality and loudness. Oh, and it now features 5G as standard, and performance has increased dramatically since the A32. Nice!

Pros and Cons