Samsung’s Galaxy A-series has been a popular lineup, offering a good balance of features and performance. The recently released Galaxy A55 is the latest addition to this series, succeeding the well-received Galaxy A54. The device has a bigger display, an upgraded chipset offering greater power, and a sturdier and luxurious build. As with any new model, the question arises: does the A55 bring enough improvements to justify an upgrade or make it a compelling choice under the 40k segment?
Design
At first glance, the Galaxy A55 closely resembles its predecessor, the A54, but upon closer inspection, several subtle changes become apparent. The most notable upgrade is the use of Gorilla Glass Victus+ for the front panel, which offers improved durability and scratch resistance compared to the Gorilla Glass 5 used in the A54. Additionally, the A55 features an aluminium frame, giving it a more premium and sturdy feel compared to the plastic frame of the previous model.
Galaxy A55 design | Photo Credit: Haider Ali Khan
The device retains the IP67 certification for water and dust resistance, ensuring protection against accidental spills or exposure to the elements. The back panel is made of Gorilla Glass and the device is available in different colour options. We got the Iceblue variant which looks simple yet stylish.
While the overall design is reminiscent of the Galaxy S24 flagship series, the larger size and slightly elevated area around the power key and volume rocker give away its mid-range status. Some users may find the sharp edges where the frame meets the front and back panels to be somewhat uncomfortable for prolonged use, but this is a subjective matter.
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Display
The Galaxy A55 has a 6.6-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1080x2340 pixels and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. The panel supports HDR10+ and is Widevine L1 certified, allowing for high-quality, HDR-enabled streaming on popular platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
While the display specifications are modern and impressive for a mid-range device, the bezels around the screen are noticeably thicker compared to some competitors in the same price range. This design choice may be seen as outdated by some users who prefer the modern trend of minimal bezels.
The display comes with 1,000 nits of peak brightness which is the same we saw in the A54. However, the display is easy to view in daylight and you can easily read any content.
OS
The Samsung Galaxy A55 ships with the latest Android 14 operating system out of the box, complemented by Samsung’s proprietary One UI 6.1 skin. One UI 6.1 was introduced with the new Galaxy S24 flagship series and brings most of the features and enhancements found on Samsung’s high-end devices to the A55, with the exception of the new Galaxy AI features, which are reserved for the flagship models.
Samsung has committed to providing up to 4 years of major OS updates and 5 years of security patches for the Galaxy A55.
Processor
Powering the Galaxy A55 is the new Exynos 1480 chipset, manufactured using a 4nm process. While the core configuration remains similar to the previous Exynos 1390 used in the A54 (4x Cortex-A78 and 4x Cortex-A55), the main Cortex-A78 cores are clocked higher at 2.7 GHz, promising improved performance.
The GPU has also been upgraded from the Mali-G68 MP5 to the Xclipse 530, co-developed with AMD and based on the RDNA 2 architecture, which should provide enhanced graphics performance.
A55 comes with two RAM and ROM configurations 8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB. The internal storage can be further expanded via a microSD card, although this comes at the cost of sacrificing one of the SIM slots.
The phone achieved a single-core score of 1155 and a multi-core score of 3473 in the Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark. Its GPU scored 4087 in the same benchmark suite. These scores indicate capable processing power from both the CPU and GPU components. The single-core performance suggests good responsiveness for tasks relying on one core, while the multi-core result shows it can handle parallelized, multi-threaded workloads efficiently. The GPU score demonstrates graphics processing capabilities suitable for gaming.
Camera
The camera setup on the Galaxy A55 remains unchanged from the A54, featuring a 50MP main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS), a 12MP ultra-wide camera, and a 5MP dedicated macro camera. The selfie shooter continues to be a 32MP sensor.
Samsung’s decision to retain the same camera hardware as the previous model may be seen as a missed opportunity for improvement by some users. However, it’s worth noting that the A54’s camera system was already quite capable, and the A55 introduces slightly different processing algorithms for still images.
Galaxy A55 sample image | Photo Credit: Haider Ali Khan
The main camera on the A55 produces sharp, detailed daylight photos with a touch of additional sharpening compared to the A54. Colours are rendered closer to natural tones while still maintaining vibrancy, especially in foliage and sky scenes. The dynamic range, contrast, exposure, and colour temperature are all excellent, with only a barely noticeable amount of noise present in images taken indoors.
The 12MP ultra-wide camera is a standout feature, outperforming many competitors in this price range. It captures impressively sharp and detailed images, with accurate colours, good contrast, and no visible colour fringing.
Low-light performance is mostly solid, thanks to the dedicated Night mode, which captures natural-looking, detailed, and clean photos with accurate colours and contrast.
Galaxy A55 low light image | Photo Credit: Haider Ali Khan
The 32MP selfie camera is capable of capturing 12MP photos in the wide mode, covering the native field of view. There is also a crop mode available for closer shots at 8MP resolution. Selfies from the A55 are excellent, with good detail and sharpness, and natural-looking colours. The HDR algorithm does a commendable job of maintaining proper exposure on the subject’s face without overexposing the background.
Battery
The Galaxy A55 retains the same 5,000mAh battery capacity as its predecessor, but it now features the new Exynos 1480 chipset, which promises improved efficiency. Despite the slightly larger 6.6-inch display, which could potentially increase power consumption, the A55 demonstrates significant improvements in battery life compared to the Galaxy A54 in most usage scenarios.
Samsung has opted to stick with the same 25-watt Power Delivery charging protocol used in previous models. While this charging speed may not be considered competitive in the mid-range market, it’s a trade-off that users will have to consider based on their charging habits and needs. A full charge takes approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes, while a 30-minute charge will provide around 50-55% battery life.
And yes, as always there is no adapter with the phone which will cost a little bit more making users dicey while opting for the new A55.
Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy A55 is a worthy successor to the popular Galaxy A54, bringing meaningful upgrades in key areas while retaining the core strengths that made its predecessor successful. Starting at ₹36,999, the Samsung Galaxy A55 strikes a balance between features and performance, making it a strong contender for those seeking a reliable and capable premium smartphone.
Whether it’s the right choice for you will depend on your specific needs and priorities, but the A55 undoubtedly delivers a well-rounded package that should satisfy most users in its price segment.
