Android 13 is finally here for unlocked Galaxy A53 5G in the US

After a two-month delay, Android 13 has finally reached factory-unlocked units of Samsung‘s Galaxy A53 5G in the US. The big Android update was rolled out to the carrier-locked variants in early December last year. International versions of the phone got it a month ago.

The Galaxy A53 5G was Samsung’s first mid-range smartphone to get the Android 13-based One UI 5.0 update. Since it is also the latest premium mid-range model, that wasn’t surprising. It followed the likes of the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S21, Galaxy S20, and Galaxy Note 20 phones into the party in early November last year. The rollout began in Europe before expanding to other regions.

A month later, Samsung released the Android 13 update for the Galaxy A53 5G in the US. Carrier-locked units on Comcast, Xfinity Mobile and US Cellular networks got it first. We expected the rollout to reach unlocked variants a few days later, but it didn’t happen. Samsung kept them waiting all this while. Most carrier-locked units are also still missing the big Android update.

Now, about two months later, Samsung has now released Android 13 for unlocked Galaxy A53 5G phones in the US. The update is already live on most networks, including AT&T, Verizon, Bluegrass Cellular, Cellular South, Comcast, Cricket Wireless, Nextech, US Cellular, and Xfinity Mobile (via). The new firmware version for the premium mid-range smartphone is A536U1UEU4BWA5.

This update brings tons of goodies to the Galaxy A53 5G. Android 13-based One UI 5.0 contains a minor UI overhaul and a host of new features and improvements. Along with all those goodies, the handset is also getting Samsung’s January 2023 security patch.

The Korean firm has already revealed that last month’s SMR (Security Maintenance Release) patches more than 70 vulnerabilities, the vast majority of which are “high-severity” issues. This phone will also get the February SMR a few weeks later.

Galaxy A53 5G is eligible for three more major Android updates

Samsung launched the Galaxy A53 5G in March of last year. It followed in the footsteps of its predecessors to emerge as the company’s best-value smartphone of 2022, a title which should transfer to its successor, the Galaxy A54 5G, in a few months. The device brings impressive specs at an affordable price, making it a “mid-range juggernaut”.

On top of that, Samsung gives it the same level of software support as its flagship models. Like the Galaxy S23 series, the Galaxy A53 5G is also eligible for four major Android OS updates. The device debuted with Android 12, so Android 13 is the first such update.

It will also get Android 14, Android 15, and Android 16. You can read our Galaxy A53 5G review to know about this phone’s everyday performance.