Apple iPhone SE (2022) vs. Samsung Galaxy A52 5G

The Samsung Galaxy A52 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G, while it also uses 6GB of RAM as standard. This makes it a very capable smartphone, and it runs just about all the latest games and apps without issue. That said, as good as it is, the modest iPhone SE (2022) comes with the very powerful Apple A15 Bionic, as well as 4GB of RAM. Using the A15 Bionic – which is built using 5nm transistors – makes Apple’s phone surprisingly fast for such a small device, and as solid as the A52 the SE has a clear advantage .

Unfortunately, the SE commits the increasingly unforgivable crime of coming with 64GB of internal memory as standard (although for $479 you can have it with 128GB). That’s a pretty paltry amount of storage in 2022, with our growing need to take 20 different photos of the same scene to find the perfect image. As for the A52, it offers a more generous 128GB of memory as standard, giving you more or less twice the storage pleasure. It also has a slot for a microSD card, so you can really expand its memory.

Winner: Tie

The Samsung Galaxy A52 5G comes with a 64MP wide lens, a 12MP ultra wide lens, a 5MP depth lens and a 5MP macro lens on the back. The iPhone SE (2022), on the other hand, comes with a single 12 MP wide lens.

So you’d be forgiven for thinking the A52 offers a much better camera, but it doesn’t. Yes, the iPhone SE has only one lens, but Apple’s software extracts every ounce of quality from it. As with the second-gen SE, it takes very natural and well-balanced shots in most conditions. It also benefits from the addition of Apple’s Deep Fusion technology, Smart HDR 4, as well as an improved Portrait mode that uses the same Portrait Lighting effects found in the iPhone 13.

In other words, its primary lens is among the best in the industry. The same can’t be said for the A52, which, despite having a 64MP primary lens, still suffers from the same inconsistency and oversaturation issues as other Samsung phones that have come before it. So even with an extra ultra-wide and macro lens, you probably won’t enjoy the A52’s camera as much as the SE’s.

Winner: iPhone SE (2022)

The Samsung Galaxy A52 5G has now been updated to Android 12 with OneUI 4 running on top. OneUI 4 is a remarkably fast Android skin, with plenty of customization options to suit your particular style. It’s no better or worse than the iPhone SE’s iOS 15, though Apple’s operating system has historically prioritized simplicity and security over customization and complexity.

While it’s largely a matter of taste as to which operating system you prefer, there’s no doubt that the iPhone will receive more updates over its lifetime. Samsung has committed to three major Android updates for the A52, while you’ll likely get five or six with the SE. That means Apple’s phone wins.

Winner: iPhone SE (2022)

Both phones support 5G, which might not be remarkable these days, but is still commendable for such cheap phones. That said, both devices only support the longer-range sub-6Hz 5G frequency range and not the faster mmWave bands. Still, 5G sub-6Hz is still a big step up in speed over 4G, so most people won’t care.

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