Samsung Galaxy A52 vs Google Pixel 4a 5G

So, let's dive right into it!

• Samsung Galaxy A52 5G review
• Samsung Galaxy A52 vs Galaxy A51
  
• Samsung Galaxy A52 vs Galaxy A72
  

Samsung Galaxy A52 vs Google Pixel 4a 5G design and colors

• White, black, violet, and blue vs Just Black, Clearly White

The differences in the design of both the Pixel 4a 5G and the Galaxy A52 are quite major. Samsung and Google have very distinct approaches to design and that shows pretty well when we compare the Pixel 4a 5G and the Galaxy A52. For one, both phones’ backs are plastic, and with this, the design similarities between them end.



First off, the Galaxy A52 has a bigger body and display, surrounded by thin bezels and a small centered punch-hole selfie cam. The Pixel 4a 5G’s selfie cam is situated on the left-hand side of the screen, and its body is more square-ish. On the back, the Pixel has the fingerprint sensor, while the Galaxy’s fingerprint sensor is under the display. The camera bump on the Pixel is painted in black and is in a rectangular shape, while with the Galaxy, the camera bump’s color matches the back color, therefore the camera lenses stand out.



The Pixel 4a 5G rocks a minimalistic look, while the Galaxy A52 goes in the fresh and youthful territory with its five colors to pick from: Awesome White, Awesome Violet, Awesome Blue, and Awesome Black. You can read more about the Galaxy colors in our detailed examination of the Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A72 colors.

An important feature to look for in phones these days is water and dust protection. The Pixel 4a 5G, unfortunately, misses out on an IP water and dust protection rating, while the Galaxy A52 sports an IP67 rating, which should protect the phone against 15cm water submersion and damage from big dust particles.

Samsung Galaxy A52 vs Google Pixel 4a 5G display

• 6.5inch Super AMOLED vs 6.2inch OLED
• 120HZ display refresh rate on the Galaxy A52 5G
  
  

The elephant in the room is that sweet, buttery-smooth 120Hz refresh rate that the Galaxy A52 5G is bragging with, or the 90Hz the 4G-only A52 has. Sadly, the Pixel 4a 5G misses out on that important nowadays feature and is stuck at 60Hz. The difference between those two refresh rates is clearly visible when compared to one another. The good news is that both phones’ displays are giving us deep blacks and rich colors, thanks to OLED; but we can't help but think a higher refresh rate for the Pixel's display would have been great.

In terms of display resolution, the Galaxy A52 sports a 2400 x 1800 resolution, the same as the Pixel 4a 5G’s. The Pixel, being the smaller device, technically has a slightly sharper image, but the difference of a couple of pixels between the two is not that visible with the naked eye.

It’s important to note the Galaxy’s display ratio is 20:9 and it is narrower than the Pixel 5’s 19:9. If you read a lot of text or browse social media often, you might find the narrower Galaxy A52 more comfortable. However, it does need pinch-to-zoom when watching YouTube videos for example.

Samsung Galaxy A52 vs Google Pixel 4a 5G hardware and performance

• Snapdragon 720G (Snapdragon 750 for the 5G version) vs Snapdragon 756G
• 6 or 8GB of RAM vs 6G of RAM
• 128/236GB expandable storage vs 128GB non-expandable storage

The Snapdragon 765G, which the Pixel 4a 5G is equipped with, is an upper-midrange processor as the Snapdragon 750G, that powers the Galaxy A52. However, in most areas, the Snapdragon 750G seems to be a faster processor. The area where the Snapdragon 765 is slightly better is CPU speeds, while most benchmarks show both processors run quite well with a win for the 750G in some categories. This means that technically, both phones’ performance should be pretty similar, but the Galaxy A52 might end up being snappier. Of course, benchmarks don't always show real-life results, so when we test the A52, we will make sure to include the results here.



Here's how last year's Galaxy A51 compared to the Pixel 4a 5G in terms of performance benchmarks. We add the Motorola One 5G Ace that has the same Snapdragon 750G processor as the Galaxy A52, just for reference.


Both phones have a minimum of 6GB of RAM, which is sufficient for your everyday multitasking and social media browsing. Additionally, both phones should run most games fairly well, although some heavier games may need medium settings on both of those midrangers.

Samsung Galaxy A52 vs Google Pixel 4a 5G cameras

• Quad camera system, main 64MP sensor vs dual camera system, 12.2MP sensor

Google Pixel phones get their pride and glory from the camera capabilities they usually have. The Pixel 4a 5G comes with a 12.2MP main sensor, complemented by a 16MP ultra-wide camera, while the Galaxy A52, on the other hand, features a quad-camera system with a main sensor of 64MP with OIS. That being said, when it comes to cameras and photo quality, specs are not always the most important thing we should look for. The Pixel 4a 5G uses Google’s extraordinary AI camera abilities, which can enhance any photo and assure photos turn out well-balanced and with good contrast even in the most challenging lighting situations.

Of course, the images down below are camera samples from the Galaxy A52. We can see a big improvement over last year, the Galaxy A52 clearly captures good photos, bright nighttime shots, and can compete with the Pixel 4a 5G camera prowess.

Samsung Galaxy A52 vs Google Pixel 4a 5G battery life

• 4,500mAh vs 3,885mAh
• 25W vs 18W wired charging

The Pixel 4a 5G’s battery cell is smaller on paper, but battery life depends on a lot of factors. First off, the Galaxy A52 rocks a 90Hz refresh rate (again, 120Hz for the 5G variant), and we will soon test to see how much it affects battery life. The Pixel 4a 5G doesn’t have that high refresh rate, and when we were reviewing it, it lasted comfortably for a day without any worries.

As for charging, the Galaxy A52 supports Samsung's fast 25W charger, which should be a bit faster than the Pixel 4a 5G's 18W charger. Keep in mind that the A52 comes with a 15W charger in the box, so if you want the higher charging speeds, you need to get the 25W one separately.

Samsung Galaxy A52 5G vs Google Pixel 4a 5G price and availability

• €429 (around $517, rumored) vs $499

The Galaxy A52 5G costs around the price of the Pixel 4a 5G. As for availability, the Galaxy A52 is now available in Europe and may soon be available in the States as well. The Pixel 4a 5G is already out and about, and we even have an article with the Best Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a 5G deals right now.

Conclusion