Pixel 6A vs. Samsung Galaxy A53 vs. Nothing Phone: Under-$500 Phones Compared
These three Android phones offer quite a lot of value. We examine which one's best for you.
Price and availability: The Nothing Phone 1 is hard to get
Let's start with a biggie. the Nothing Phone 1 is on sale in the UK and wider Europe but a rollout into the US is so far uncertain. While Nothing has said it would like to launch its phone in the US, it needs a network partner to make it compatible with US 5G networks. As of the time of writing, there are no plans for a proper US launch. People in the US can easily get the Pixel 6A and the Galaxy A53 5G, however.
All three phones start at very similar prices; $450 for the Pixel 6A, $450 for the Galaxy A53 and $472 for the Nothing Phone 1, based on a conversion from its UK price. In the UK, all three phones start at £399. Simple.
Design and display: Nothing's flashing lights stand out
While many phones in recent years have been forgettable-looking slabs, all three of these midrangers have designs that are very much their own. The A53 keeps things simple with a plastic back, raised camera unit and metallic edging. The Pixel 6A maintains the distinctive camera bar seen on its pricier siblings and while its back is technically plastic, you'd be hard pressed to tell it apart from the glass back of the 6 and 6 Pro.
Phones that cost just under $500 are looking better and better as 2022 continues, with Samsung, Google and new contender Nothing all offering three phones at pretty much identical $450 prices. All three of these phones promise a slick and enjoyable experience, even with their lower prices.
The Google Pixel 6A has already earned itself a glowing review, with CNET's Lisa Eadicicco calling it "the best budget Pixel yet." Meanwhile I myself was impressed with the Nothing Phone 1's balance of price and performance -- not to mention its flashing rear lights. Then there's the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G, which earned a great review score thanks to its price, its display and its cameras.
But which phone is actually deserving of your hard-earned cash? I got hold of all three to put them through their paces.
Between the two, the Pixel 6A has a more premium feel, than the plasticky A53, but it's the Nothing Phone 1 that stands out in the looks department. That's due to its transparent back panel, which not only provides a unique view of its internal components but also allows for its light-up LED "glyph" to pulse when you get notifications. It's arguably a gimmick and one that you may not care about at all, but it's certainly fun and it's nice to have something quirky at this price.
The Pixel 6A is the smaller of the three, packing a 6.1-inch display against the Nothing's 6.55-inch and the A53's 6.5-inch screens. That said, the Pixel's resolution results in a pixel density higher than its competitors, although all three are pin sharp with vibrant colors and high brightness levels. The Nothing's extra size might make it the better choice for mobile gamers among you, or those of you who watch a lot of video on the move, but they all do a good job of displaying vibrant content and colorful games.
Power and performance: Pixel 6A packs a punch
The Nothing Phone 1 makes use of a Snapdragon 778G+ processor and 12GB of RAM (as reviewed), while the Galaxy A53 5G uses an Exynos 1280 chip and 6GB of RAM. The Pixel 6A meanwhile uses Google's own custom-built Tensor processor with 6GB of RAM.
And that Tensor processor put in some excellent scores on our suite of benchmark tests, that put it consistently above the other two. The Nothing was a fair second, while the A53 did somewhat fall behind on both CPU and graphics benchmarks.
Benchmarks alone aren't a perfect indicator of real-world performance however and I found all three to be perfectly capable of handling the essentials well. Navigating the interfaces was swift and lag-free on all models and all of them handled more demanding gaming in Asphalt 9: Legends without any noticeable stuttering or slow-down. Video streaming was no problem on any phone and I could immediately jump between open apps with the multitasking switcher.
Over time I would expect the Pixel 6A to generally perform better as it's already starting from a more powerful position. It might mean that as even more demanding games arrive it's well-placed to handle them in a way that perhaps the A53 couldn't. Right now though, any of your everyday emailing, Instagramming, Candy Crushing, WhatsApp group message avoiding fun will be handled perfectly well by any of these phones.
Cameras: Pixel 6A strikes the right balance
All three phones have multiple rear cameras, giving both standard views and ultrawide shots. The A53 includes a 5-megapixel macro camera and a depth sensor for portrait photos, but it's the main and wide cameras you'll likely find yourself using most often. Samsung's phone cameras have often had a tendency to look overly saturated and contrasty and that's absolutely the case with the A53.
2022-08-22 20:20:14
