Samsung Galaxy A55 review: This budget phone has issues
Advantages
- Affordable price
- Reasonable performance
- Large, vibrant display
- Expandable storage
Cons
- Disappointing battery life
- Shorter software support period than Pixel 8A
Samsung’s Galaxy A55 5G is the latest addition to the company’s more affordable A-series of Android phones. Much like last year’s Galaxy A54 5G, phones in the A-series tend to deliver a decent overall experience at lower prices than phones in Samsung’s top-tier Galaxy S24 line. The new Galaxy A55 is no different, packing solid all-round specs, a large 6.6-inch display, a capable octa-core processor and a triple rear camera setup into a colorful glass and metal body.
While the phone didn’t exactly blow me away in terms of performance during my hands-on testing, it feels like a well-equipped phone that’s more than capable of handling your day-to-day tasks, with enough processing power to let you play a game on the bus ride home from work.
The A55 5G initially went on sale in the UK for £439, though that price has since dropped significantly, to £364, over at Samsung’s store. However, it now appears to be even cheaper, at only £248, on Amazon in the UKThe prices of these types of phones fluctuate often, so you may have to do a bit of comparing to find the best deal.
Here are six important things you should know about this phone.
It is not available in the US
While Samsung does offer the A15, A25 and A35 5G in the US, the company has opted not to offer the more expensive A55 in the US, as it would compete too much with the older S23 line and the S23 FE.
It still seems odd that the A55 won’t be offered in the US, considering last year’s Galaxy A54 was a huge hit with the American audience. I’d expect the company to want to build on that success with the refreshed model.
The display has a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz, but you can lower it to 60Hz. This should improve battery life slightly.
The screen is large enough for video on the go
At 6.6 inches, the A55’s display offers more than enough room for gaming or watching YouTube videos on the go. It’s vibrant too, with punchy colors that do justice to colorful games like Asphalt 9: Legends. A maximum 120Hz refresh rate keeps fast-moving action looking nice and smooth.
The screen is bright and avoids annoying reflections from indoor lighting. It is comfortable to use outdoors under the predominantly grey clouds I experienced in Scotland during testing. I suspect it will perform less well under the bright midday sun.
It is powerful enough for gaming
It’s powered by an octa-core Exynos 1480 chip, which offers more than enough power for your day-to-day Instagram sessions and web browsing. However, I also found it to be powerful enough to handle games like Genshin Impact and PUBG at decent framerates.
Genshin Impact played great on the phone.
The cameras are decent for the price
The triple camera setup on the back includes a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and an additional 5-megapixel macro camera. Shots from both the wide-angle and ultra-wide cameras are decent for the price, with solid exposures and enough detail to share on Instagram.
Some shots suffer from heavy software “optimization” that makes shadows look washed out and colors oversaturated (especially blue skies). This is a fairly common occurrence on Samsung phones, and while it might put off serious photographers, it will please those who just want to take casual snaps of family and friends.
The macro camera is essentially redundant and feels like it was shoved in to show off the fact that the phone has three cameras on the back instead of two.
There are three cameras on the back, although the macro lens is a bit useless.
Battery life is disappointing
While the A55 has a hefty 5,000mAh battery, it didn’t last long in our drain tests, with results putting it below the Galaxy S24 range and below the Google Pixel 8A. The display is arguably the biggest battery hog, so capping the refresh rate at 60Hz might help you squeeze a few extra minutes out of it.
With reasonably careful use, I’ve been able to get most of a day out of a single charge. But as with almost all phones, expect to charge it fully every night.
You can expand the storage
While you can pay more upfront to buy the A55 with 256GB of storage instead of the base 128GB, you don’t have to since you can expand the storage via microSD cards. A microSD slot is an extremely rare feature these days, and none of the top phones of the past few years have offered one.
With 128GB microSD cards starting at just £10 or $10, I’d go for the base model and double the storage with a card as this is the most cost-effective option.
There is a USB C port at the bottom and a microSD card slot at the top edge.
You will receive five years of software support
Samsung said the A55 5G will get four years of Android software support and a fifth year of security support, meaning the phone will still be secure well into 2029. That’s not a bad support period, but Google has pledged to support its most affordable Pixel 8A for the same length of time as its flagship 8 Pro. That means the Pixel 8A will get seven years of OS and security updates.
Should you buy it?
The Galaxy A55 is a tough sell at its original price of £439, with its battery life, camera performance and software support period all a step behind the £499 Pixel 8A.
But its lowered price makes it a different value proposition. It’s not a phone that’s going to wow you with pro-level camera skills or fancy new AI features, but it’s a solid option for those after a basic phone that can handle everyday tasks, with a little casual gaming and video streaming thrown in for good measure.
How we test phones
Every phone CNET’s review team tested was actually used in the real world. We test a phone’s features, play games, and take photos. We scrutinize its display to see if it’s bright, sharp, and vibrant. We analyze its design and build to see how it handles and whether it has an IP rating for water resistance. We push its processor performance to the limit using standardized benchmarking tools like GeekBench and 3DMark, along with our own anecdotal observations from navigating the interface, recording high-resolution video, and playing graphics-intensive games at high refresh rates.
All cameras are tested in a variety of conditions, from bright sunlight to dark indoor scenes. We try out special features like Night mode and Portrait mode, and compare our findings to similar competing phones. We also check the battery life by using it every day and running a series of battery drain tests.
We factor in extra features like 5G support, satellite connectivity, fingerprint and face sensors, stylus support, fast charging speeds, foldable displays, and anything else that might be useful. And, of course, we weigh it all against price to give you the verdict on whether that phone, regardless of price, actually represents a good value. While these tests won’t always be reflected in CNET’s initial review, in most cases we do do follow-up, long-term testing.
