Samsung Galaxy A55: A Mid-Range Marvel in Review
Samsung Galaxy A55: The Powerful Mid-Range Contender
SAMSUNG has had a busy year already with fancy new Galaxy S24 smartphones – but now it’s time for some love on the mid-range end. The Samsung Galaxy A55 is certainly an eye-catcher on the surface – and it’s easier on your wallet than most handsets these days.
Samsung Galaxy A55: Look and Feel
The Galaxy A55 has an instant premium vibe to it. Bold and flashy are the first thoughts that came to mind as I grasped the metal frame and felt the slick glass back. Sadly, the downside to this is the handset can be quite susceptible to hand smears. The 6.6-inch super AMOLED display is rich, detailed and bright, especially when watching a movie on Netflix. But the bezel around the screen is a bit thick for my liking. At 213g, I don’t find it too heavy to hold either.
Samsung Galaxy A55: Performance and Features
The A55 runs on Android 14 with Samsung’s latest One UI 6.1 on top, so you get a load of the company’s latest features. It means you’ll find a lot of Samsung apps alongside the usual Google ones. One thing I love is Samsung TV Plus which offers a load of free TV channels and shows to watch with no subscription – it’s available on all Samsung devices. It’s the first time Samsung has included its top-level security feature, Samsung Knox, on the budget Galaxy A series of handsets.
Samsung Galaxy A55: Battery
The battery is a big beast at 5000mAh – larger than any iPhone – but that doesn’t mean it’s any better. It got me through a day of general usage just fine. Watching an hour-long episode of a show on Netflix knocked the battery down by seven per cent. The real sticking point is the charging speed – the A55 is pretty slow compared to others around, with no fast charging support. There’s no wireless charging either.
Samsung Galaxy A55: Camera
The A55 has three cameras on the back – a five-megapixel macro camera, a 50-megapixel wide-angle camera, and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera. These manage to take pretty decent snaps from the local park, really pulling in those beautiful spring colors. Shots in darker settings are equally as impressive. The editing options are more limited compared to premium Samsung smartphones – and you don’t get all those fancy AI photography features either. That said, I found myself appreciating the simplicity. Photos do get fuzzy with the digital zoom so I wouldn’t bother. But it does shoot stunning videos at 4K with 30 fps.
Samsung Galaxy A55: Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy A55 is a real stunner. I love the bold, slick design with its glass back. The same can be said of the gorgeous display. The camera is the key pull for me, making beautiful photography easy. However, the battery charging is a sticking point when so many others have got on board with fast charging now. And while £439 is pretty cheap by today’s standards, there are some cheaper mid-range devices around. All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed. Always do your own research before making any purchase.