Samsung Announces Galaxy A55 But Should You Buy?

What to know

Samsung has officially announced the release of Galaxy A55, a mid-tier upgrade over last year’s A54.
A55 comes with a few upgrades, including a slightly better Exynos 1480 processor, improved low-light photography, a metal body, and the inclusion of Knox Vault.
Despite a global release, the A55 will not be available in the US. Only its sibling the Galaxy A35, released alongside the A55, will be available in the US.

Alongside Galaxy A35, Samsung has announced the release of Galaxy A55, the other addition to its A-series. The phone comes with various upgrades and features that are a first for the A-series – the company’s best-selling series to date – and give the midrange series a soft upgrade over last year’s Galaxy A54. But is it time for you to make the change, or should you wait a while? Let’s explore.

Samsung announces Galaxy A55: Should you buy it?

Samsung Galaxy A55 comes with a few important upgrades that set it apart from last year’s offering. It is the only other A-series phone (apart from Galaxy A35) that has received Samsung’s Knox Vault, a security feature that physically isolates sensitive information like lock screen credentials and encryption keys from the phone’s main memory to keep them safe from attacks.

There’s also a better low-light camera for nightographers (nighttime photographers) and a metal frame body. The 4-nanometer Octa-core processor is also a step up, better even than the A35’s processor, for improved multitasking, gaming, and streaming.

But it still won’t compare with the S-series which boasts best-in-class processors and allows support for AI features. So if you were expecting some exciting AI features like Circle to Search on A55, you’d be bitterly disappointed. The only AI-based feature found on the Galaxy A55 is in the image post-processing that takes place once you take a photo.

Apart from a few other newer elements, including a raised frame for volume and power buttons, the A55 is mostly a familiar Samsung A-series offering.

5 Reasons to Buy

Improved data safety with Samsung’s Knox Vault.
A premium metal (aluminum) frame design for easy gripping and overall protection.
Classic three-camera setup with improved cameras for better night photography; easy image editing with Edit Suggestion and Image Clipper; simultaneous front and rear camera video recording for creators.
A 5000mAh battery that can last about 2 days; support for 25W super fast charging.
Improved processor for multitasking and gaming.

5 Reasons to Skip

Exynos 1480 processor isn’t powerful enough to handle advanced AI features.
A55 will not come to the US in 2024, despite an otherwise global release.
Other comparable devices in the same price bracket are on the horizon (like Pixel 8a) or already available (Nothing 2a).
No support to show lock screen wallpaper on Always On Display.
If you already have A54, there’s little reason to upgrade to A55.

Specification list

Processor – Exynos 1480, 4nm
CPU – Octa Core (4x 2.75GHz, Quad core, Cortex A78 + 2GHz, Quad core, Cortex A55)
RAM – 8GB
Storage – 128 GB and 256 GB
Display – 6.6 inches, Super AMOLED, FHD+, 1000 nits brightness, HDR 10+ support, 120 Hz refresh rate, Vision Booster.
Camera – Rear – 12 MP (Ultra Wide) + 50 MP (Wide angle) + 5 MP (Macro) | Front – 32 MP
Weight – 213 grams
Network and Connectivity – Dual-SIM; SIM1 + Hybrid (SIM or MicroSD) or Embedded SIM; USB Type-C, Bluetooth V5.3
OS – Android 14, One UI 6.1
Battery – 5000 mAh
Colors – Awesome IceBlue, Awesome Navy, Awesome Lilac, and Awesome Lemon

Release, price, and availability

Although Samsung has globally announced the release of the Galaxy A55, including in the UK, Europe, and India, it will not be coming to the United States anytime soon. It will go on sale in several countries on March 11th, 2024, while users in the UK will have to wait until March 20th. Here’s how it will be priced:

Samsung Galaxy A55 5G (8GB/128GB): €479 or £439
Samsung Galaxy A55 5G (8GB/256GB): €529 or £489

Those in the United States will only get the A35 model which, in most respects, is a toned-down version of the A55, though it is also much cheaper. Samsung also promises four years of Android OS updates and five years of security updates. But compared to the seven years of updates that users were expecting, this may be a slight letdown.

Nevertheless, there are just enough upgrades on the A55 (compared to last year’s A54) to invite users, especially those who’ve been waiting for its release, to purchase the new A55. For everyone else, including those who already own the A54 or have recently bought a new device, the Samsung Galaxy A55 might be a hit or a miss.