Samsung Galaxy A55 5G evaluate: Must you purchase it?

The Galaxy A55 5G takes a variety of design cues from the Galaxy S24 collection, however it additionally resembles current iPhones in some methods. It now has an aluminum body with flat edges and rounded corners, and I’m glad to see the corporate ditch the cheap-feeling plastic body of its predecessor, the Galaxy A54 5G — mixed with considered one of Samsung’s ever-stunning AMOLED shows, it goes a protracted solution to making the cellphone really feel like a premium piece of package. Samsung’s mid-ranger retains a glass again, too, and the Superior Navy mannequin I examined brings a shiny end that isn’t a complete fingerprint magnet. The cellphone additionally options the so-called Key Island, a raised space on the body that homes the amount and energy buttons. However this design aspect is extra refined in particular person than renders would have you ever imagine.

Samsung has unsurprisingly retained an IP67 ranking this time for mud and water resistance. What’s extra stunning is the swap to Gorilla Glass Victus Plus safety on the entrance, which is a welcome improve from Gorilla Glass 5 and a formidable dedication to sturdiness for a cellphone at this worth tier. Samsung confirmed that there wasn’t Victus Plus safety on the again, however didn’t reveal any extra particulars.

The Galaxy A55 5G is powered by the Exynos 1480, which is the primary mid-range smartphone chipset with an AMD GPU. Then again, the processor additionally makes use of the identical previous CPU as final 12 months’s mannequin, albeit with a major clock pace enhance. What does this imply for efficiency?

Geekbench 6 scores present a small single-core CPU bump however a major ~21% multi-core CPU enhance over the Galaxy A54 5G. Nonetheless, the CPU nonetheless lags behind its closest rivals — the Pixel 8a and OnePlus 12R. The PCMark Work 3.0 check yields top-notch outcomes, although, suggesting loads of system optimizations to beat rivals. Transferring to the GPU check, the Wild Life Stress Check exhibits a notable enchancment over the A54 5G, however it additionally reveals that the cellphone once more lags far behind the Pixel 8a and OnePlus 12R. On the upside, the stress check reveals a formidable 99% stability, suggesting that throttling shouldn’t be a problem in any respect.

I had no issues with real-world efficiency. The cellphone was easy when switching between residence screens, hopping into the recents menu, and launching apps. I used to be additionally capable of play Genshin Influence at a easy tempo with the default low settings, however there was some room to crank issues as much as a comparatively fluid 60fps. I used to be, nevertheless, somewhat stunned to see that I might play demanding video games on PS2 and GameCube emulators at a largely easy tempo. It seems just like the AMD GPU and 4 efficiency cores turn out to be useful right here.

Samsung can be touting a 5,000mAh battery on the Galaxy A55 5G, and the combo of this battery plus a comparatively environment friendly chipset makes for some good endurance. I used to be capable of get properly over 9 hours of screen-on time with typical utilization (looking Reddit, listening to podcasts, enjoying some video games). You possibly can count on a couple of day and a half of utilization, which is broadly according to the Galaxy A54 5G.

You’ll want to attend a good period of time to totally cost the cellphone when you’ve exhausted the battery. The cellphone tops out at 25W wired speeds with a Energy Supply charger and takes over 80 minutes to succeed in 100% capability. That’s higher than the Pixel 8a’s atrocious charging time (100 minutes), however I’ve been spoiled by mid-rangers from Chinese language manufacturers that get a full cost in an hour or much less.

The Galaxy A55 5G ships with One UI 6.1 atop Android 14. The cellphone doesn’t supply any generative Galaxy AI options, as we’ve seen on high-end Galaxy gadgets. Nonetheless, it’s slated to obtain 4 main OS updates and 5 years of safety patches. That’s not fairly nearly as good because the Pixel 8a’s seven-year replace coverage, however it’s nonetheless a nice replace pledge for a mid-range cellphone.

I’m somewhat upset however not stunned by Samsung’s dedication to bloatware. Along with the anticipated Samsung apps that duplicate Google performance, we’ve additionally bought 4 Microsoft apps (e.g., OneDrive and LinkedIn), in addition to additions like Fb, Netflix, and Spotify. A few of these Samsung apps are worthwhile (I benefit from the full-featured gallery app), however I might go with out many of those apps.

What’s even worse is that the corporate shows an unskippable “advisable apps” display screen shortly after establishing the gadget. You’ll should untick a number of apps, however the cellphone will nonetheless set up a number of video games (like Sweet Crush) whether or not you prefer it or not. It’s actually excessive time that Samsung will get taken to job for this bloatware, because it looks like the corporate has been given a go on this for some time now.

The Galaxy A55 5G additionally retains the identical elementary inexpensive digital camera cellphone system because the Galaxy A54 5G. Meaning a 50MP important digital camera, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and a 5MP macro digital camera. Photographs shot through the day are usually detailed, as you’d count on from a fairly sized 1/1.56-inch sensor, although colours can generally be oversaturated to a ridiculous diploma. It’s nearly like we’re again within the dangerous previous days of Samsung cellphone cameras at occasions. Try the third picture beneath, with the crimson blanket wanting neon and halos across the palm tree fronds. It’s just like the HDR and saturation sliders have been cranked to 11. Portrait mode pictures aren’t nice both, with frequent depth estimation errors. These aren’t minor errors, because the final picture within the gallery exhibits (examine the realm simply above my head).

On the upside, I’m glad to see that the horrible low-light shutter lag is lowered in comparison with my expertise with the Galaxy A34 5G. It’s not gone altogether, and I want to see the digital camera UI higher talk the necessity to watch for an everyday shot. However that is nonetheless higher than tapping the shutter button, ready a second or two, after which going to place the cellphone down, solely to see that the cellphone lastly determined to take the damned picture. You’ll usually need to go away evening mode enabled when the solar goes down (even when noise discount generally is a bit aggressive), as the primary digital camera produces darkish, noisy pictures in any other case.

The Galaxy A55 5G additionally brings a 12MP ultrawide lens, though it’s a transparent step down by way of element and noise in comparison with the primary sensor, notably in blended lighting. A 5MP macro digital camera rounds out the rear digital camera system, bringing good image high quality for a devoted macro digital camera however nonetheless displaying that watercolor impact and an absence of resolvable element when zooming in. Talking of zoom, the cellphone affords a cropped 2x possibility, however it’s not price capturing past 2x as outcomes are grainy and fully missing intimately. You possibly can view a gallery of full-resolution pattern photographs through the Google Drive hyperlink right here.

Samsung’s cellphone continues to supply options like the nice Single Take mode, a Enjoyable mode for Snapchat filters, twin recording (albeit through the primary and selfie cameras solely), a nifty Professional Video mode, and a gallery with options like shadow erasing and picture clipping. The cellphone additionally tops out at 4K/30fps video recording, which is extremely disappointing when Google and OnePlus’s telephones supply 4K/60fps assist. A minimum of 4K/30fps selfie movies have returned.

The Galaxy A55 5G is a largely iterative improve over the already good Galaxy A54 quite than a extra formidable refresh. We’re actually glad to see a full-blown premium design this time, the Exynos 1480 chipset is a small however welcome improve for gaming, and newer Gorilla Glass ought to provide you with extra peace of thoughts. These upgrades be a part of current A54 5G strengths like a protracted replace coverage, good battery life, and a slick show.

Exterior of the premium design and smaller upgrades, although, Samsung nonetheless has some room for enchancment in areas that grow to be more and more extra blatant because the competitors continues to boost its sport. Samsung continues to crank up the primary digital camera’s saturation ranges, the Exynos chip positively wants a CPU and AI improve, and the dearth of 4K/60fps video is unacceptable at this worth.

Samsung’s rivals, just like the OnePlus 12R and Google Pixel 8a, are transferring a lot sooner to shut the hole between the mid-range and bonafide flagships. The Pixel 8a, specifically, brings a lot better efficiency, wi-fi charging assist, superior picture high quality, and AI options. Don’t get me mistaken — a great deal of individuals will purchase the Galaxy A55 5G (although lower than regular because of the baffling lack of an official US launch). However they’ll achieve this as a result of it’s a secure, wise, and acquainted improve, not as a result of it’s probably the most thrilling buy nor the very best that you may purchase at its price ticket.

There’s no scarcity of nice Galaxy A55 5G options, so try our picks beneath:

• Samsung Galaxy A35 5G ($400 at Samsung): The Galaxy A55 5G isn’t obtainable within the US, however the A35 5G is a good various. You’ve nonetheless bought an IP67 ranking, a long-term replace coverage, and Samsung’s feature-packed software program. However you additional lose out on efficiency, digital camera {hardware}, and construct high quality. The hole between the A collection and the S collection is fairly enormous in 2024.
• Google Pixel 8a ($499 at Amazon): Google’s newest mid-range Pixel is the closest Galaxy A55 5G rival, and it’s notably superior in some ways. The Pixel 8a stands out from the Samsung cellphone because of wi-fi charging, a high-end chipset, AI options, and flagship-tier digital camera high quality. However the A55 5G brings sooner charging and an even bigger battery.
• OnePlus 12R ($599.99 at Amazon): Worth efficiency, charging pace, and/or display screen high quality? Then the OnePlus 12R is certainly price contemplating over the Galaxy A55 5G, bringing a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, 100W charging (80W within the US), and a super-bright, sharp display screen. Sadly, it lacks water resistance whereas the cameras are mediocre at finest.
• Nothing Telephone 2a (£319.99 at Amazon): The Nothing Telephone 2a is barely obtainable within the US through a developer program, however it’s an awesome decide in different markets. That’s because of the distinctive design, nice display screen, and good cameras. Sadly, community assist is hit-and-miss within the US, whereas the restricted IP ranking pales compared to Samsung’s IP67 ranking.