Specs
| CPU | Exynos 1280 (5nm) |
| Memory | 8GB / 128GB (microSD expandable) |
| Display | 6.4’’ FHD+ 90Hz Super AMOLED |
| Camera | 48 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.0″ 8 MP, f/2.2, 123˚, (ultrawide), 1/4.0″ 5 MP, f/2.4, (macro) 2 MP, f/2.4, (depth) 13 MP, f/2.2 (wide-selfie) |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.1 ,USB Type-C 2.0, Wi-Fi 5, Dual nano-sim standby, 5G |
| OS | Android 12, One UI 4.1 |
| Battery | 5000 mAh with 25W fast charging |
| Available Colors | Blue, Black, White, Peach |
| Retail Price | 8GB/128GB – RM 1,499 |
Design
- Near Complete Plastic Design
- Easy to hold size
Following suit to the 2022 Galaxy A Series design language, the Galaxy A33 comes in an all plastic build with a matte finish. I got the white, and I must say, it’s the cleanest looking of the bunch. Minimalists will love this.
The camera module is strictly A Series styled, having a more absorbed-in appearance. It blends well and gives off a sense of uniformity and absolute simplicity. In the front is a centered hole-punch selfie camera.
Flagship Class Display
- 6.4″ 90Hz FHD+ Super AMOLED Panel
- Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protects the screen
The Galaxy A33 5G is equipped with a 90Hz Super AMOLED Panel that does the job. For it’s price point we’d love a 120Hz one but that would cannibalize the A53 5G. It’s smooth regardless, but we see rather thick bezels on the screen, with the bulk of it towards the bottom chin. It’s a strange decision, since its 6.4″ form factor is already small and handy enough.
You’ll still be treated to Samsung’s inky black goodness but I obviously won’t be able to outshine the likes of even the S21 FE. I definitely welcome a screen of this quality at this price range. Again, we’re just not fans of such oddly thick bezels especially the bottom.
There’s no screen protector, but the Galaxy A33 does feature Corning Gorilla Glass 5 that protects the screen from any scratches.
Work & Play
- Exynos 1280 chipset
- 8GB RAM & 128GB internal storage
- Expandable storage via microSD
To my surprise, the Galaxy A33 5G was a snappy and capable phone to use. It’s zipped through the usual apps from social media to Netflix. Though there was no lag whatsoever, I did notice some occassional delays when it came to switching between apps from my internet browser to something else. It didn’t feel like a 90Hz limitation so I didn’t bother much about it.
8GB RAM is a decent amount of RAM to have in this price range, along with a starter’s amount of 128GB in internal storage. I was happy to still see the microSD card slot being available, which you can use to expand up to 1TB if you’re in a storage pinch.
Gaming was smooth on almost every level with accompanying thermals being within comfortable temperatures, although after awhile we noticed the occasional lag every now and then when switching between games and apps in quick succession. Games with unlocked framerates like Alto’s Journey managed to stick consistently to 90 FPS which is a promising sign. As of now, even Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 devices can’t even go beyond 60 FPS!
The A33 5G can perform sufficiently in today’s demanding games, exactly on par with the A53 5G and just a rank below the A73 5G.
Nearly 2 Day’s Battery.
The A33 packs the same 5000 mAh capacity battery like both the A53 and A73. With a lower refresh rate, we were able to squeeze nearly 2 days of use out of this phone and it really shows the legs of the A33 in terms of usage longevity. With Power Saving, you can definitely smash through to at least the 2nd day’s afternoon with about 5% left in the tank.
We have our own 25W Samsung charging brick and we managed to get some charging speed tests done.
Charging Results
| From 1% | Unplug % |
|---|---|
| 15 mins | 34% |
| 30 mins | 52% |
| 90 mins | 100% |
Camera System
- 48MP f/1.8 main sensor w/ OIS
- 8MP f/2.4 ultrawide sensor 120˚
- 5MP f/2.4 macro sensor (fixed focus)
- 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor
- 13MP f/2.2 hole-punch selfie camera
Although not as impressive as the A53’s the A33 5G also comes with a quad-camera setup that brings some level of versatility to the table. The main sensor now comes with OIS which is a nice touch, perfect for those looking to take on fast-focused shots in a moment’s notice.
Standard Wide Angle
The Galaxy A33’s main camera really surprised me with how well the photos turned out. Images had colors that brought some life to them, with general un-zoomed detail being good. These were all shot on AUTO and it really showcases the Exynos 1280’s upgraded NPU which assists via AI to improve the final image with post processing and fixes.
Dynamic range was pretty spot on, but I do notice colder tones when it came to white balance. The autofocus hunts well, and along with added OIS, I’m quite pleased with the image quality.
Zoom quality was decent, coming in at 2x, with anything beyond that being really noisy. At 2x, you can see that details were retained well, and therefore I can recommend this for basic zoom use.
Ultrawide Angle
I usually have a good impression for ultrawide’s on any Samsung, but the A33 seemed to have missed the mark on this one. Even on manageable lighting like this overcast weather the image was really soft but at least the colors remained consistent with the main sensor’s.
Dynamic range was quite okay, and the white balancing was somehow a little better than the main sensor’s. Indoor lighting conditions still performed admirably with some loss in detail, while lens distortion remains a specialty for Samsung.
The Macro Did Well
Every time I see 5MP for a macro, I smile a little. I am extremely happy with how macro shots turned out on the Galaxy A33, just as much as I was too with the A53. You’ll be able to out do every 2MP shooter out there, with good detail and background blurs. Colors were also lively, and this is a good thing considering there are other 5MP macro shooters out there that put all their eggs into focus detail but have left us with washed out images.
The macro sensor is pretty balanced here.
Mediocre Selfies But Decent Portraits
I found the 13MP shooter to be really basic and nearly disappointing. We noticed that shots had way too much post-processing with little to no depth whatsoever. The dynamic range felt all over the place with the white balancing being just ‘fair’ for us. The face and shirt looked fine but hair (both head and facial) looked really blotched up together and we didn’t like it.
Level of detail was just okay, but the real problem lies in the post-processing.
Portraits did a little better, with better center focus and great separation. You can really notice how much the face and body pops out and the background was blurred out well. The new NPU really does well here.
The Verdict
The Galaxy A33 is a very good mid-range phone that stays within the RM 1500 range. At this price you’re getting long term value via a snappy AMOLED screen, long battery life and respectable gaming performance.
Cameras may be a mixed bag, and would be a bother for veteran users, but for those seeking to climb from RM 1000 smartphones to a rank higher, this is a good upgrade path that provides everything you need. This made a solid impression during our review and it has earned our respect.
