When I reviewed the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G, I liked it so much and I recommended it as the best midrange phone for 2023. The Galaxy A54 5G stood out for its impressive battery life, sturdy design, and capable camera setup.
Now, its successor, the Galaxy A55 5G, enters the market with the same price tag of Rs. 62,999 for the 8 + 256GB variant and Rs. 67,999 for 12 + 256GB. Sporting a newer, more powerful Exynos chipset, the crucial question remains: can the Galaxy A55 5G meet or exceed the high standards set by its predecessor? Let’s delve into the following Samsung Galaxy A55 5G Full review to find out.
Samsung Galaxy A55 5G Full Review: Detailed Experience, Pros and Cons, Complete Breakdown
Design
The Galaxy A55 5G borrows its design from Samsung’s top-of-the-line S-series phones, and it looks quite snazzy. It has a glass back and metal sides, just like the S24, but some key differences exist. For example, the bezels around the screen are thicker on the A55, making it look a bit dated. The bottom bezel is also larger than the top one, which slightly throws off the balance.
The metal sides are a bit sharp, which might not be the most comfortable for everyone, especially since the phone itself isn’t very thin. Overall, the A55 looks more expensive than it feels.
There are two color options: Awesome Iceblue (which is similar to the blue iPhone 15) and Awesome Navy. Both look great, so the choice really comes down to your personal preference. On a positive note, the A55 5G has an IP67 water resistance rating, which means it can withstand splashes and spills better than some competing phones.
Display
The Galaxy A55 5G’s display hits most of the marks we look for a vibrant 6.6-inch AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ support delivers a smooth and enjoyable viewing experience. Colors look great, transitions are silky smooth, and Gorilla Glass Victus+ offers peace of mind for potential scratches.
However, the bezels do hold it back a bit. While using the phone, we couldn’t help but notice how much thicker they are compared to many other phones on the market, especially the large chin. This does take away from the overall immersive feel, despite the excellent display quality itself. It’s worth mentioning that some competitors might offer similar display experiences with slimmer bezels, so that’s something to consider if that’s a priority for you.
Compare with its predecessor:
Performance
The Galaxy A55 5G is a zippier phone compared to its older sibling, the A54 5G. This speed boost comes from a brand-new chip under the hood called the Exynos 1480. This chip is like the brain of the phone, and it’s better at handling all sorts of tasks, big or small. Whether you’re casually scrolling through social media or battling it out in a game of League of Legends Wild Rift, the A55 5G should run smoothly without stuttering or delays. The geek bench 6 benchmark test score says it all.
Speaking of games, the phone automatically adjusts the graphics settings in Wild Rift to medium for a good balance between performance and visuals. Pushing the settings higher might heat the phone, so it’s best to stick with the recommended settings.
I tested the phone’s stress-handling capacity against the 3D Gamers PC mark test and it stood out as one of the best in this case. Following are the stats and performance graph.
Another upgrade is the RAM, which jumps to 8GB in the A55 5G compared to 6GB in the A54 5G. More RAM generally means the phone can handle more apps running at the same time without slowing down. Storage starts at 128GB, which is enough for most users, but there’s also a 256GB option for those who need more space for photos, videos, and games. If that’s still not enough, you can pop in a microSD card for even more storage. It’s worth noting that the storage isn’t the absolute latest technology, but you shouldn’t experience any issues with apps loading slowly.
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OS and UI
The A55 5G gets the latest Android 14 operating system with Samsung’s One UI 6.1 on top. This means you’ll get a familiar and user-friendly experience with features like lock screen widgets for glances at information and color themes that match your wallpaper for a personal touch. Samsung is known for its long software support, and the A55 5G is no exception. You’ll get four years of major Android updates, which means you’ll get the newest features and security improvements for a good chunk of time. On top of that, you’ll also get five years of security patches to keep your phone protected from vulnerabilities. This software support is good, but it’s worth noting that Samsung’s top-of-the-line Galaxy S24 series gets a bit longer with seven years of software updates.
One thing to keep in mind with the A55 5G’s software is that it comes pre-installed with a bunch of apps you might not want or need. This is something you might see more often with phones from Chinese manufacturers, so it’s a bit of a surprise here. The good news is that most of these pre-installed apps can be uninstalled, so you can customize your phone to have just the apps you use.
Camera
The Galaxy A55 5G takes pictures similar to its sibling, the A54 5G. It has three cameras: a main one, an ultra-wide one for capturing big scenes, and a macro one for taking close-up pictures of tiny objects. While many hoped for a zoom camera instead of the macro, Samsung stuck with this setup.
The main camera is interesting. Even though it boasts 50 megapixels, it takes 12.5-megapixel photos by default. This is because it combines smaller pixels into bigger ones for better quality in most situations. If you have great lighting, you can use a special mode to capture 50 megapixels.
Videos look great on the A55 5G, especially when shot with the main camera. The phone keeps things steady with its stabilization feature. You can even switch between the main and ultra-wide cameras while recording, although it might not be the smoothest transition.
The Galaxy A55 5G takes more natural-looking pictures than older Samsung phones. Colors are more accurate and consistent between the main and ultra-wide cameras, regardless of which one you use.
Main and ultra-wide cameras handle highlights and shadows well, but some very challenging scenes might be too much for them. The phone’s portrait mode works well, but the background blur can sometimes look a bit unnatural.
While the main camera has 50 megapixels, it captures 12.5-megapixel photos by default for better quality. There’s a 50-megapixel mode for bright conditions. Photos captured at night look great, realistic, and with good color reproduction.
The phone lacks a dedicated zoom lens, so zooming relies on software. Zooming in slightly (2x) is okay, but anything more results in low-quality photos. It’s better to use the 50-megapixel mode and crop the photo later for more zoom.
Selfies taken with the A55 5G are sharp and have natural-looking colors. However, the background blur behind people in selfies is quite strong and cannot be adjusted.
Extra Features
Especially talking about the audio, I found the audio to be somewhat muffled across all volume levels, the audio output from the Galaxy A55’s speakers is exceptional regardless of the volume level.
The Galaxy A55 delivers rich and clear sound, with a maximum volume that can easily overpower louder surroundings. I could enjoy music, podcasts, and videos without feeling the need to use headphones throughout my experience with the phone.
Battery and Charging
The Galaxy A55 has a big 5,000mAh battery, which is good news because it will last most people a full day on a single charge. If you’re not using your phone a lot, it might even last a day and a half.
The downside is that the charging speed isn’t super fast. Other phones in this price range can charge up their batteries much quicker. Also, the A55 doesn’t support wireless charging, which means you can’t charge it by placing it on a special pad. This might be a dealbreaker for some people, but it depends on how important fast and wireless charging is to you.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| The build quality of phone is extremely good | The width of the phone may seem not convenient |
| Glass and Metal build makes phone attractive. | Phone comes with some bloatwares |
| Great Camera and photo quality across daylight and night time too. | The phone is not very good for gaming |
| Speakers are extremely good at providing immersive audio quality | Charging is slow |
| The chipset is good according to the price. |
Samsung Galaxy A55 5G Full Review: Verdict
The Galaxy A55 5G is a good all-rounder, but it doesn’t excel at anything in particular. Think of it as a reliable daily driver that should last you for years. It’s a great choice if you prioritize long battery life and a smooth user experience with the latest software.
However, if you’re a gamer or need a speed demon, you might be happier looking elsewhere. The A55 5G isn’t the fastest phone out there, and its charging speed is a bit on the slow side. It also lacks some features like wireless charging that you might find on competing phones.
