Samsung Targets Enterprise, Students With Feature-Packed $349 Smartphone

Samsung dipped into the flagship Galaxy S palette for advanced features in its latest Galaxy A series smartphones billed as “accessible to all” in a Thursday online launch event. The phone’s broad feature set -- including “fun” photo editing tools and Samsung’s latest security technology -- is designed to attract a range of users from students to enterprise workers, said Reeve Harde, senior manager-mobile D2C retail.

Preorders began Thursday for the step-up $449 Galaxy A53 5G, which is available for $349 with a $100 “cracked-screen” trade-in credit. Those who preorder are eligible to receive a pair of Buds Live earphones free. The 6.5-inch A53 5G is due in T-Mobile and Verizon stores March 31, followed by general availability April 1. Availability wasn’t given for the A33.

The A53 5G has a quad-camera system led by a 64-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization; additional cameras include a 32-megapixel (MP) front camera for selfies, a 12MP ultra-wide and a 5MP macro lens. Night mode synthesizes 12 images at once to brighten images with less noise, said a spec sheet. A Fun mode lets users add “playful” filters and effects. They can use an object eraser to remove unwanted people or objects from photos.

A53 5G battery life is given as two days; an AI feature puts apps that aren’t used frequently into sleep mode to conserve power, the company said. The phone supports 25-watt fast charging. It has a stereo speaker and Dolby Atmos for “immersive” sound, with Samsung 360 Audio technology “coming soon” to the Buds2 and Buds Live true wireless headphones.

The phone has Samsung’s Knox Security platform, which enables companies to outfit employees with an affordable phone that offers “secure access” to important applications and workloads, Samsung said. A “secure folder” feature allows users to store sensitive documents such as a passport, in encrypted form, it said. Harde referenced the phone’s global texting platform with rich communications service messaging that lets users send photos and videos, while supporting end-to-end encryption to “connect with your friends across borders with better privacy.”

Both phones are made with recycled materials from water bottles and CD cases that were mixed with new materials to make SIM trays and side keys. Harde said. The phones’ packaging uses sustainably sourced paper. The phones don’t come with a charger plug, which Samsung said “reduces the size of the packaging."