Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
The Galaxy A55 is Samsung ’s unexampled midrange , affordable smartphone , build as an choice for those who do n’t desire to splash out on the Galaxy S24 . But that does not intend it does n’t palpate special . Samsung has updated the design in a few subtle ways that make the Galaxy A55 expression and feel desirable from the moment you pick it up .
I ’m acquire ready to give the Galaxy A55 a full review , but in the meanwhile , here are my very early notion of Samsung ’s latest affordable earphone . As I hinted at , it ’s in spades looking proficient , but regrettably , a few concerns are also mouse in — which I hope will quickly disappear .
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
A new, sharp shape
The Galaxy A55 has a metal shape with flat side , much like the Galaxy S24 , but it takes the design a whole step further by adding a brushed impression , and I think it looks not bad . Moreover , it has added more frame to the material body by raise the section around the button ever so slightly and then removing the brushed consequence . This combining looks antic , and the drab color of my follow-up model shimmers and glint in the light , so it manages to make the Galaxy A55 smell more modern and mature than theGalaxy A54 .
On the back is Gorilla Glass Victus+ , and it ’s completely flat . The border of the glass is n’t arc , and it meets the frame at a acute slant , making the Galaxy A55 uncomfortable to hold . I ’m not indisputable what the obsession is with entirely cut biotechnology , as phone do n’t have to be so harsh on your palms , even with a square - off shape . I do n’t really like using a casing , but this is one time where I recall it ’d be worth it — just to make the phone more well-heeled to grapple .
A lawsuit may also help keep the extremely reflective glass rearward jury free of smudges . It does n’t seem awful at appeal muck , but I have wipe it down quite a flock for the photos despite it only being in my possession for a few hours . It comes in four colors , all prefix by the word “ awesome . ” The earphone in our photo is in Awesome Navy , plus you’re able to get Awesome Lilac , Awesome Lemon , and Awesome Ice Blue . Awesome , indeed .
The Galaxy A55’s specifications
On the front is a 6.6 - inch Super AMOLED screen door with a 2340 x 1080 pixel resolution , a 120Hz refresh rate , and some hefty bezels around the edge . Many will dislike this , just as they did with the Galaxy A54 , but I ’m just run to say it — I do n’t mark them very much at all . Yes , the bezels are thick than a Galaxy S24 ’s bezel , but they look far worse in exposure and with certain wallpaper than they do in person . It ’s a sullen edge around the screen , but there ’s stilla lotof covert on the Galaxy A55 , and the bezels do n’t really detract from everyday purpose .
I ’m write this on my first day with the Galaxy A55 , so I ca n’t appraise the 5,000mAh battery ’s carrying into action yet , nor can I really notice on the new Samsung - made Exynos 1480 CPU . That say , it has n’t started out by impressing me much . Smartphones always work heavily on the first few days as apps are optimized and data organized in the screen background , so I ’m hopeful the few stammer and slowness I have noticed will step by step disappear .
I ’m also hoping the in - display fingerprint sensing element meliorate . The Galaxy A - series has always meet from inferior fingerprint sensors , where multiple tries are often required before they work . Unfortunately , the Galaxy A55 ’s fingermark sensing element has n’t convert me that things have changed on the tardy model , but again , it ’s still in the early days . The phone has Android 14 with Samsung ’s One UI 6.1 installed , just like the Galaxy S24 . However , none of theGalaxy AItools are here .
The Galaxy A55 has a hatful of what has always made the Galaxy A series such secure economic value . It has 128 GB of storage infinite plus a MicroSD card slot , 5 G connectivity , NFC , all of Samsung ’s Knox protection features , a long software program update committal covering four OS updates and five years of security measures update , and an IP67 water and dust resistor rating . On paper , the cameras have n’t changed much compared to the Galaxy A54 , but there are sensor alterations that will make them interesting to test .
Samsung’s weird release decision
I liked the Galaxy A54 because it was a sensibly priced smartphone useable in the U.S. , the U.K. , and other regions . It became an easy good word . However , Samsung has decidednotto betray the Galaxy A55 in the U.S. at the moment and will instead only release theGalaxy A35 . This may change in the future , though it ’s not guarantee to .
It have in mind anyone looking for a high - quality new smartphone for around $ 500 has one less choice this twelvemonth , but for once you ’re still present with some excellent alternatives . TheOnePlus 12R , theGoogle Pixel 7a(and soon - to - bePixel 8a ) , and theNothing Phone 2are all great options . Plus , at the time of writing , the flip - styleMotorola Razr ( 2023)is useable for $ 500 , and it ’s a big phone we love . It ’s a surprisal that Samsung did n’t want to compete with all these by using its own , previously very desirable , midrange smartphone .
In the U.K. , the Samsung Galaxy A55 take up at 439 British British pound sterling , which is around $ 556 , and it ’s available to buy now . The limited review cognitive process has well and truly begun on the Galaxy A55 here , and while I like the direction Samsung has taken with theA - series over the last few yearsand how it gets the fundamentals — big screenland , bad battery , software system updates , and durability — right , it does n’t seem to have addressed some of the on-going complaints about the model .
I go for I ’m wrong and that it will root down into everyday life-time after I ’ve lived with it for a while . If it does , the Galaxy A55 will be another reasonably priced winner . I want it to be a serious disappointment Samsung has decided not to launch it in the U.S. , and not shoulder - shrugging indifference that Samsung has held it back from the U.S. at this clip .
