For the last week, I've been testing the Samsung Galaxy A55, paying attention to everything from its design, display and camera system to its performance, software and battery life. Before you decide, I'll take you through everything you need to know.
This Samsung Galaxy A55 review isn't about one of the best iPhone alternatives you can buy, it's about an affordable handset that does the basics well. After all, it costs less than £500, a fraction of the price of the best smartphones, such as the Google Pixel 8 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
If you want one of the best Samsung phones but don't want to splash out loads of cash, the Galaxy A55 is worth considering.
Samsung's A series starts from as little as £110 for the Galaxy A05s, and the higher the number on the end, the more expensive it gets. The top A series phone is this one, the Samsung Galaxy A55. But at £439 for the cheapest model, it's still by no means pricey. We expect it to be featured in some of the best Samsung device deals, especially over sale periods like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day.
Pros
- Premium design and build
- Big, bright display
- Solid battery life
Cons
- Underwhelming performance
- Hit-and-miss camera system
| Screen size | 6.6 inches |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels |
| Battery | 5,000mAh |
| Cameras | 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 5MP macro, 32MP selfie |
| Operating system | Android 14, One UI 6.1 |
| Processor | Exynos 1480 |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB |
| Water resistance | IP67 |
| Weight | 213g |
Samsung Galaxy A55 review: design
As soon as you unbox the Samsung Galaxy A55, you'll know which family of phones it comes from. Despite belonging to the cheaper A series, it resembles the flagship Samsung Galaxy S24 devices. It has sharp edges, rounded corners and individual camera lenses on the back instead of a dedicated module as you would find elsewhere.
I like the design of the lenses, but the downside is that when you use the phone flat on a table it rocks quite a lot. Besides that, the handset has an entirely flat back and front with an indent in the frame, giving you a solid grip on the phone. That's just as well because it's a big device with a 6.6-inch display. My small hands struggled to hold it, it was nearly impossible to use one-handed. At 213g, it's a similar weight to phones with a similar screen size like the Google Pixel 8 Pro.
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The Samsung Galaxy A55 might be cheap but it certainly doesn't feel it. The device has an aluminium frame and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus build, which both looks and feels premium. I don't think it would break easily, but I didn't drop it during my testing so it's hard to say for sure. It's also IP67 water resistant and the screen is fairly immune to fingerprint marks, although you will still notice them periodically on the back.
You can buy the Samsung Galaxy A55 in a few different colours including 'Awesome' Iceblue, Navy, Lilac and Lemon. It's great to see a smartphone that doesn't take itself too seriously. I tested the blue model and it looks more interesting than your standard black or white handsets.
Around the frame, Samsung has kept things simple. There's a USB-C port, volume rocker and power button. There's no headphone jack. On the front, you'll find a hole punch camera placed towards the top of the screen. The bezels are thicker than on Samsung's flagships, but it doesn't look dated.
To unlock the handset, there's an in-display fingerprint sensor that works quickly and effectively. You can choose to use facial recognition as well, and the usual password, pin or pattern.
Samsung Galaxy A55 review: display
The Samsung Galaxy A55 sports a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display with 1080 x 2340p FHD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of around 1,000 nits.
The quality won't match the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S24+ or the Google Pixel 8 but it is comparable to other mid-rangers like the Google Pixel 7a. At this price point, the A55's screen is a solid offering. It may not be as crisp as pricier displays and the colours are almost too bright. But for the most part, everything from social media posts to shows like Game of Thrones.
The Adaptive refresh rate is something to shout about, reaching a maximum of 120Hz. As a result, the Galaxy A55 feels super smooth to scroll and swipe on which will be most useful in responding quickly to mobile games. Only some smartphones have this, for comparison, the iPhone 15 is limited to only 60Hz.
Samsung Galaxy A55 review: camera
On the back, the camera system has a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide camera and a 5MP macro camera. That's paired with a 32MP selfie snapper.
I tested out the camera in a few different scenarios, snapping selfies, cityscapes, close-ups and shots on gloomy days, sunny days and at night. The results were very mixed.
In bright conditions, my photos looked lovely. The colours were vibrant but quite realistic and the main lens picked up a good amount of detail. I did need to manually focus the camera to get the best outcome but that's not a major issue. You can easily and quickly snap pictures that are social-media ready, whether that's of people, plants, buildings or anything else you can think of.
On a rainy day, I was less pleased with the shots. The system couldn't brighten up the images enough so they looked dull and dark, lacking sharpness. Then using the ultrawide mode or digital zoom, I lost a lot of clarity very quickly. There was more blurring and chromatic aberration in the photos.
I gave the Night mode a go a few times during testing. It takes a few seconds to capture the image and then another few seconds to process it. It works fine if you have some light nearby to help but if not you can't expect to be blown away.
Samsung Galaxy S series smartphones, like the Galaxy S24, use clever artificial intelligence software in their cameras to help enhance the results. It's a shame you don't get as much of that here, particularly when phones like the Google Pixel 7a exist. Having said all of that, it is worth pointing out that up against its similarly-priced competition, the Galaxy A55 camera is one of the better ones.
Samsung Galaxy A55 sample photos
Take a look at the gallery below to see examples of unedited shots taken on the Samsung Galaxy A55.
Samsung Galaxy A55 review: performance
The brain of the operation is the Exynos 1480 mid-range processor which runs alongside 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage (which can be expanded using a MicroSD card).
If you only intend to use the phone for scrolling social media, browsing the web, making calls and snapping a picture or two, it will cope fine. The performance can handle having a few apps open at once and flicking between them is relatively smooth.
However, if you want powerhouse-level speeds for work or gaming, this chipset won't deliver what you need. Over my time using the device, I encountered the occasional blip, stutter and delay, some apps crashed and others took a few seconds to load. You do get what you pay for in that sense.
Samsung Galaxy A55 review: battery
Samsung claims the 5,000mAh battery will last up to 28 hours of video playback. I tested this by downloading and playing an HD video at full brightness over two hours. In that time the battery dropped by 14% suggesting it would have lasted around 14 hours in total. Despite that, the phone always lasted me through an entire day out at work without needing a charge which is the most important thing.
When you plug it in, the Samsung Galaxy A55 supports 25W charging. It took me around an hour and a half to charge it from 0 to 100%. That matches up to most of the competition but some phones can charge in 30 minutes or less. You won't be able to charge it wirelessly.
Samsung Galaxy A55 review: software
Shipping with Samsung's One UI 6.1 skin over Android 14, the Samsung Galaxy A55 software has a few pros and cons. On the pro side, it's colourful and legible with an easy-to-use app drawer and lots of features to try out.
But on the cons, Samsung's software is busy, loaded with apps you'll never use and an extensive settings menu you're unlikely to explore. You won't get Galaxy AI on this phone just yet, so far that's only available on its Galaxy S and Galaxy Z devices.
The Samsung Galaxy A55 will get four major software updates and five years of security updates. That is a substantial amount of time but some other devices take this even further, like the Fairphone 5, which promises Android updates until 2031.
Samsung Galaxy A55 review: drawbacks
Given its price, I expected the Samsung Galaxy A55 would have some drawbacks. It's very much a mid-ranger, albeit a good one.
There are some areas in which it excels, while in others it cuts corners. Performance is its biggest downside, this is not a super speedy phone that can cope with lots of demanding tasks at once — it can be slow to load bigger apps and games.
I found the camera could be quite hit-and-miss too. When the lighting around you dips, so does the quality of the photos it can produce. I wouldn't use its zoom or Night mode much at all because the images simply aren't up to scratch.
The A55 is missing some features that you would get on pricier devices like wireless and fast charging.
Samsung Galaxy A55 review: verdict
If you're on a budget and want a smartphone with a big screen, the Samsung Galaxy A55 is one of the best options out there right now. Yes, it has its faults but I think they're well balanced with its strengths.
At this price, you will inevitably have to make sacrifices. The biggest sacrifice is to the performance, but if speed isn't one of your non-negotiables then that won't be too much of an issue. The camera system has its quirks too, but the main lens did a good enough job in the right lighting. Aside from that, the design and build quality impressed me, as did the quality of the display and the battery life. All in all, I think this smartphone is fantastic value for money.
Samsung Galaxy A55 review: also consider
There are lots of great affordable smartphones to choose from. The Nothing 2(a) is slightly cheaper than the A55 but still has a lot to say for itself. Firstly, it looks cool thanks to its transparent design and funky Glyph lights. You'll get a superb display and all-day battery life. However, you will have to make quite substantial sacrifices on the camera and it'll only get three years of software updates.
A great way of saving money on a new phone is by opting for a previous-generation handset. For example, you can find some amazing Pixel 7 deals right now — the Google Pixel 7 Pro is a big-screen beauty with a super impressive camera system, and it's still worth buying today. You can also find some excellent Pixel 7a deals throughout the year.
