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Galaxy A55 hands-on: Samsung’s new mid-ranger gives flagship vibes

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Samsung has been attempting to blur the lines between flagship and mid-range Galaxy smartphones for the last couple of years, and the company may have taken the most giant leap toward that goal yet with the Galaxy A55.

The Galaxy A55 is the most exciting phone in the lineup in recent memory. Samsung has sprinkled plenty of upgrades that we expected and some that we didn’t, and after 24 hours with it, I have some thoughts to offer on the Korean giant’s latest premium mid-range phone.

Spoiler alert: the Galaxy A55 has positively surprised me in several ways. Right out of the box, you can feel the difference made by Samsung’s decision to use more premium materials on every side. The Galaxy A54 was the first phone in the lineup with a glass back, but its plastic frame took away some of the allure.

Our initial Galaxy A55 hands-on experience is mostly positive

Galaxy A55 hands-on

Samsung has fixed that by opting to use a metallic frame on the Galaxy A55, in addition to upgrading the display glass to Gorilla Glass Victus+ from the A54’s Gorilla Glass 5. The result is a phone that feels no less than a flagship in the hand.

However, the bezels continue to be obnoxiously big. Samsung has also somewhat ruined the metal frame with a slightly rough finish. The rough finish covers all of the frame except the area around the volume and power buttons. Thanks to Samsung’s Key Island design, the frame is raised around the buttons, and the raised part has the smooth finish that we see on Samsung’s flagship smartphones.

Galaxy A55 hands-on

The Galaxy A55’s performance appears to benefit from optimization that was sorely lacking on its predecessors, at least as far as the out-of-the-box experience is concerned. The A55 uses a new Exynos chip–the Exynos 1480–that has a GPU designed in partnership with AMD, and it seems to be doing its part in making the user interface feel quick and smooth.

The 12GB of RAM on our review unit may be helping as well, though I’m hoping the variants with 8GB of RAM will perform similarly. I also hope game developers will work quickly to optimize their games for the Exynos 1480: since this is a new chip, Call of Duty, which remains one of the most popular games on mobile platforms, only lets you use the low graphic settings at this moment.

I also noticed some lag in the camera app. Changing the zoom level while video recording is active takes a second or two sometimes, which just isn’t acceptable in a mid-range phone with specs like the A55’s. Samsung will likely make optimizations with software updates, but I would have prefered it to not be an issue in the first place, especially given how the A55 otherwise performs remarkably well.

Galaxy A55 hands-on

The software on this phone is also disappointing. The A55 runs Android 14 and One UI 6.1, but it lacks much of what makes One UI 6.1 on the Galaxy S24 series so good. It has none of the AI features, and it also misses out on features like wallpaper support for Always On Display. The software experience is essentially similar to what you get with Android 14 and One UI 6.0 on a Galaxy A53 or Galaxy A54.

I haven’t been able to test much else on the Galaxy A55 in the short time it has been my primary device, so you will have to wait for our full review to find out what’s good about this phone and what isn’t. The initial vibe is a positive one, though.

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Your Galaxy A54 is not as cool as it used to be, but is the A55 worth it?

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By now, you likely know that your Galaxy A54 is no longer the newest kid on the block. Samsung announced the Galaxy A55 yesterday, and we don’t need to tell you that the newer model brings some improvements over your A54. That’s a given from any yearly upgrade. But what are those improvements, exactly? And are they enough for you to ditch the Galaxy A54 for the newer A55?

Right off the bat, the biggest upgrade introduced by the Galaxy A55 is arguably the newer Exynos 1480 chip and extra RAM options. If you’ve used the Galaxy A54 since launch, you probably know better than anyone that the UI stuttered sometimes and performance wasn’t always smooth. However, things got better as Samsung continued optimizing the Exynos 1380 chip.

That’s all in the past now, and the Galaxy A55 comes with a new Exynos chip, which might just be powerful enough (and paired with enough RAM) not to be a cause of concern regarding general performance.

More RAM than the base Galaxy S24 and a 4nm chip with an AMD GPU

You read that right. While there is a chance that your Galaxy A54 has 4GB of RAM, or, if not, 6GB or 8GB, the new Galaxy A55 offers 8GB minimum plus a 12GB option.

Meanwhile, Samsung’s new Exynos 1480 chip is the first mid-range solution with a GPU based on the AMD RDNA architecture. It was built on a 4nm node, similar to the flagship-grade Exynos 2400, and early benchmark figures are indeed very promising, not just for A5x users but the entire Exynos chip legacy.

Needless to say, if you’re unsatisfied with the way your Galaxy A54 performs, the Galaxy A55 might be your answer and a logical step up. However, we’ll have to test the device ourselves to be sure. We’re preparing a review as we speak.

Bigger screen and better build quality

Another change you might notice coming from the Galaxy A54 is that the newer A55 has a slightly larger 6.6-inch screen instead of a 6.4-inch panel. This also increases the phone’s overall dimensions slightly and contributes to a bit of weight gain. The new model tips the scale at 213 grams instead of 202g.

Whether the A55 fits better in one’s palm is subjective. Nonetheless, the new model offers a bigger screen, which generally is viewed as an improvement.

In addition to the bigger screen and the Key Island design, with which you’re probably already familiar thanks to leaks, Samsung also gave the Galaxy A55 better materials.

Your Galaxy A54 has a plastic frame sandwiched by two Gorilla Glass 5 panels. That glass sandwich design was a big deal last year, but Samsung gave the Galaxy A55 Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection at the front and back. And the pièce de résistance: the Galaxy A55 is the first in its series to boast an aluminum frame.

On a final note, Samsung also improved the camera slightly, if not through megapixels, then through better optimization and processing. For instance, the Galaxy A55 features Super HDR video recording capabilities, which could help you capture videos with better dynamic range.

Samsung Galaxy A55 Cameras

Should you trade your Galaxy A54 for the newer Galaxy A55? Well, if you find a good trade-in deal and the exchange costs you pocket-change, we don’t see why you wouldn’t want to upgrade to the A55. It is a superior phone.

Unfortunately, that’s not the reality most of us live in. Trade-in deals are not ideal in many markets, and the A55 just might not be worth the trouble. It depends on how easily and cheaply you can transition from the Galaxy A54 to the A55 in your market.

But to answer at least part of the question, yes, the Galaxy A55 has your A54 beat in a few key areas, and the Exynos 1480 SoC paired with more RAM might be worth it. On the other hand, if you own the Galaxy A54 and don’t want to upgrade, your phone should still feel fresh and competent enough to stay relevant in a post-A55 world, at least for the foreseeable future.

Benchmark chart credit: GizChina

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Samsung’s midrange Galaxy A55 has a bigger screen and new security features

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Samsung has launched its 2024 midrange phone lineup, which combines weaker specs and feature sets with more alluring prices than its flagship handsets. The Galaxy A55 and A35 have 6.6-inch Super AMOLED displays. For the first time in its budget handsets, the company included Knox Vault, a walled-off security section that debuted in the Galaxy S21.

Both Android 14-running phones have FHD+ (2220×1080) displays (374 pixels per inch) and variable refresh rates up to 120Hz. Like last year’s Galaxy A54, both include Samsung’s Vision Booster feature, which adjusts the screen’s tone mapping based on ambient lighting conditions. Their 6.6-inch diagonal measurements (not accounting for rounded corners) are a slight bump up from the A54’s 6.4 inches.

Samsung’s official materials didn’t list the phones’ processors, but Android Police reports the A55 uses an Exynos 1480, while the A35 settles for a slower Exynos 1380. RAM comes in different configurations: 8GB or 12GB in the A55 and 6GB or 8GB in the cheaper A35. Your storage options are 128GB or 256GB in each handset, but only the A55 has a microSD card slot.

The Samsung Galaxy A35 against a plain white background. The phone has a pink wallpaper and back.

Galaxy A35 (Samsung)

In addition to performance, cameras will be one of the primary differences between the two phones. The pair has three rear cameras, each with a 50MP main camera and a 5MP macro lens. But the more expensive A55 uses a 12MP ultra-wide sensor, while the A35 has a more pedestrian 8MP ultra-wide lens. In addition, the A55 has a 32MP front-facing camera, compared to the A35’s 13MP front shooter. Both use optical image stabilization (OIS) and video digital image stabilization (VDIS) to offset camera shake.

Unsurprisingly, neither phone appears to include the generative AI features Samsung uses to differentiate the Galaxy S24 series (and older flagships, via software updates). The closest you may get in this price range is the company’s “advanced AI Image Signal Processing (ISP)” for better photography in low-light conditions, included only on the A55.

Samsung didn’t list the phones’ build material in its press release and official specs, but Android Police says the A55 is the company’s first midrange phone with a metal frame. (Last year’s Galaxy A54 used plastic.) Engadget reached out to Samsung to clarify, and we’ll update this article if we hear back.

The handsets each have a 5,000mAh battery. Samsung estimates two days of battery life, but this could vary greatly depending on usage.

US pricing and launch dates aren’t yet available. However, Samsung says the A55 will start at £439 (US$562) in the UK, while the A35 will begin at £339 ($434). Samsung lists a March 20 release date for both handsets in the UK.

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Samsung Galaxy A55 launches with Exynos 1480 processor, metal design

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Alongside the Galaxy A35, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy A55, its new mid-range phone. It is the company’s most premium-looking and feeling mid-range phone yet.

The Galaxy A55 features a metal frame, a powerful new processor, and some camera features usually found on premium Galaxy S series phones.

Galaxy A55 has a metal frame, Exynos 1480 chip with AMD GPU

Samsung Galaxy A55 Awesome Lilac Front

Samsung has used a metal-and-glass body for the Galaxy A55. It is the first Galaxy A series phone to feature a metal frame, and its front and rear are covered by glass. As usual, this new mid-range Galaxy A phone features an IP67 dust and water resistance rating.

It has a 6.6-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, Vision Booster, and Gorilla Glass Victus. Its peak screen brightness can reach up to 1,000 nits under direct sunlight and even higher in HDR scenes. It has stereo speakers for a more immersive media consumption experience. The phone has an under-display optical fingerprint reader.

Samsung Galaxy A55 Awesome Navy Back

The 4nm Exynos 1480 processor powers the Galaxy A55. It has four high-performance Cortex-A78 CPU cores clocked at 2.75GHz, four power-efficient Cortex-A55 CPU cores clocked at 2GHz, and the Xclipse 530 GPU based on AMD’s RDNA 2 architecture. It is said to have a 15% faster CPU and a 32% faster GPU, so playing high-end games shouldn’t be an issue.

The phone has 8GB/12GB RAM and 128GB/256GB internal storage. It is the first Galaxy A series phone with up to 12GB RAM. A microSD card slot allows for further storage expansion.

Samsung is shipping the Galaxy A55 with Android 14-based One UI 6.1 pre-installed. The mid-range phone, like others from Samsung, will get four major Android OS updates and security updates for five years. It features Auto Blocker, Samsung Knox, and Samsung Knox Vault.

Galaxy A55 has Nightography camera with Super HDR videos

The Galaxy A55 has improved overall cameras. It has three cameras on the rear: a 50MP primary camera with OIS and autofocus, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and a 5MP macro camera. On the front, it has a 32MP selfie camera. The 50MP and 13MP cameras can record 4K 30fps videos with VDIS (EIS for video stabilization).

The advanced AI ISP inside the Exynos 1480 brings improved low-light images on a Galaxy A series phone for the first time. Thanks to Nightography, the Galaxy A55 also has Night Portrait mode. It is also the first Galaxy A phone with 12-bit Super HDR Video for a wider dynamic range and deeper colors.

The phone is powered by a 5,000mAh battery and supports 25W fast charging. Its connectivity features include GPS, 5G, a dual-SIM card slot, eSIM, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, and a USB Type-C port. The phone will be available in four colors: Ice Blue, Green, Lilac, and Navy.

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