The Samsung Galaxy A55 is the Samsung phone to buy if you want a worthwhile performance without going above $1,000. This is an answer to Google’s Pixel 7a, but $50 cheaper, the Galaxy A55 offers a great cost-to-performance ratio that would satisfy anybody who needs a phone but doesn’t typically rely on a phone for too many things.
Samsung’s strategy with this budget device is different to Google’s, whereby Samsung reserves completely different internal tech for its ‘A’ series devices, while Google offers top-end hardware with some slight downgrades, particularly on the display and camera front. This isn’t to say that either phone is leaps and bounds ahead of each other, but the $50 difference between them is a world of difference.
Switching to a lower gear
Perhaps Samsung has spoiled me. For the past two months, I’ve been using the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Samsung’s most powerful phone ever and a quick favourite of mine for its power and gorgeous display. Going from the flagship device to the company’s budget all-rounder would be whiplash for anyone, and it took a moment to get my bearings, but it didn’t take too long for me to appreciate the Samsung Galaxy A55 for what it is.
The Galaxy A55 has the same chassis aesthetic as the Galaxy S24 and S24+, with the addition of indents on the right side, that wraps around to offer a polished aluminium feel. The cameras look more premium this time, though the back looks less reflective than on the S range devices.
Among changes this year, the Galaxy A55 doesn’t have all that many over last year’s Galaxy A54, beyond the addition of Samsung Knox Vault (which encrypts user data in case the storage device becomes compromised) and eSIM capability, along with the usual year-on-year hardware improvements.
That being said, Samsung hasn’t bumped up the price at all, with this phone retaining a strong $799 price point (there’s only one storage option, so that’s the only price on offer). The device comes with 128GB storage (expandable with a micro SD), 5,000mAh battery, 8GB RAM, a 6.6-inch OLED display (120hz, 1080 x 2340), an IP67 resistance rating, and Samsung’s budget-range Exynos 1480 CPU. Last year’s model only included 6GB RAM, so it’s nice to see a subtle upgrade on that front, but for the most part, we’re looking at the same device.
And that’s fine, this is a considerably powerful device that exists to be accessible. It lacks the premium flare of the Galaxy S range, including greater colour variety (the Galaxy A55 is only available in Navy and Lilac), better screens and better performance.
But I highly doubt that most people would get any benefit from many of those features.
Let’s talk performance
In terms of features that do matter for most people, the battery and performance of the Samsung Galaxy A55 were completely fine.
In our Official Gizmodo Australia Battery Test, where we pit the phone against the entirety of Avengers Endgame, the phone did relatively well, dropping to 89 per cent in the first hour, then 80 per cent in hour two, then 71 per cent in the third. It underperformed compared to the Pixel 7a, but only slightly.
In terms of day-to-day performance, I found it to be a fairly average experience – nothing exceptional and nothing bad. It scrolls through social media easily enough, and it’s heavy-duty enough to handle Android games like League of Legends: Wild Rift and Call of Duty Mobile at consistent framerates without stuttering.
Sound and picture quality across these things were great, although the phone doesn’t have high brightness, which can make it a bit difficult to look at in some environments. No surprises there, Samsung does incredible screens, and this one looks great in some conditions, but this is the budget model for a reason.
Finally, charging was not an issue. The phone supports Samsung’s fast charging tech (up to 25W), letting you get up to 50 per cent in less than 30 minutes, and with this achievable, I never ran the phone flat. It was just so easy to look after.
Time for some snaps
We’ll be putting up a camera comparison to the Google Pixel 7a at a later time (watch this space), but for now, here’s how the phone performs on its own.
These photos were taken on quite a bright day, but you’ll see that the camera tends to inject quite a bit of light. This is pretty normal for Samsung phones and can improve low-light shots, but it can add an unfortunate cloudy glare to some shots. I also found that macro shots had some disappointing blur to them, though the colour was satisfying. Finally, you’ll notice in the selfie test that Samsung tends to beautify faces. It was a humid day, as you can tell by my hair, and my face had a lot of redness.
Let’s start with our standard wide-camera test.
Now a bit closer.
And a macro.
Some intense colour.
And some colour variety.
A wide-angle test.
And a maximum zoom test.
Finally, a selfie test – one in shade, and one in sun.
The verdict: should you buy the Samsung Galaxy A55?
I recommend the Samsung Galaxy A55 if you’re after a fairly middle-of-the-road device, and if you’re not too dependent on your phone, but appreciate it for some light use. If you’re a power user, then I’d direct you to the Galaxy S range, but if you’re after a phone that has a little more go, then you might want the Google Pixel 7a, which has, in my opinion, better cameras.
But on its own, I don’t think somebody looking to save money would be disappointed by the Samsung Galaxy A55. It’s a fine smartphone that I’d be happy to own.
The Samsung Galaxy A55 is available from March 25 from Samsung and authorised retailers for $699, in Navy or Lilac.
Image: Zachariah Kelly/Gizmodo Australia