Samsung Galaxy A55 test: without AI, and without madness
Alongside the prestigious S and Z ranges, respectively dedicated to premium and folding models, the Korean brand is not abandoning its Galaxy A, offered at much more reasonable prices. Faced with fierce competition where historic manufacturers and new Chinese giants jostle, it's not easy to find a place in the sun. Especially with a smartphone marketed at almost €500.
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BakerSamsung Galaxy A55 technical sheet
| Galaxy A55 | |
|---|---|
| Screen | – Super AMOLED – 6.6 inches – Full HD+ definition – 120Hz |
| Design | – Holographic glass back – IP67 |
| SoC and GPU | – Exynos 1480 – Xclipse 530 GPU |
| Memory | – 8 or 12 GB of RAM – 128 GB or 256 GB of storage – microSD slot |
| Colors | – Midnight blue – Lilac – Lime – Blue |
| Camera | – 50 Mpx wide-angle (f/1.8) main sensor and electronic optical stabilization – 12 MP ultra-wide-angle sensor (f/2.2) – 5 MP macro sensor (f/2.4) – 4K video at 30 fps – 32 Mpx front camera |
| Battery | – 5000mAh – 25W “Super fast” charging – No wireless charging – No Powershare |
| Connectivity | – WiFi 6 -NFC -Bluetooth 5.3 – 5G – GPS – Fingerprint sensor under the screen |
| Software | – Android 14 – One UI 6.1 -Samsung Apps |
| Price | – €479 for 8+128 GB – €529 for 12+256 GB |
| availability date | March 15, 2024 |
Design and ergonomics: an S24+ at a lower cost
We didn't expect anything less, Samsung is once again doing very well in the design of its Galaxy A55. Seen from the outside, the smartphone doesn't look much mid-range. With his all-glass covering and aluminum frame, the device offers impeccable finishes and design. We find all the markers of the S24 generation there, with flat borders, rounded corners, and its three photo blocks integrated into the chassis. Regardless of the price, Samsung takes care to ensure the visual coherence of its range, and this new A55 plays elbows with the S24+, offering a slightly more compact format of 6.6 inches (161.1 x 77.4 x 8, 2 mm) for 213 grams when weighed.
In terms of design, the Galaxy A55 is flawless. Its Gorilla Glass back tends to pick up fingerprints, but its slightly holographic lilac coating (among the four offered by the brand) looks great. In our hands, the smartphone has a rather classic format, which fits in the palm, but remains more comfortable to handle with both hands. We also find an IP67 certification, which ensures perfect seal, in accordance with the rest of the Galaxy range, as well as two control buttons, perfectly located on the right edge. There is also a fingerprint reader under the screen, and — good news! — MicroSD support.
When it comes to the screen, Samsung also hits hard. The manufacturer equips the biggest brands in the world, it was logical that its Galaxy A55 was impeccable at this level. No surprise then, but a design that meets our expectations. With its 6.6 inches diagonal and its thin borders, the panel Super AMOLED Full HD+ of the smartphone shines with its responsiveness (with a non-adaptive 120 Hz refresh rate) as much as its quality. Very beautiful, very bright (up to 1,000 nits with the Vision Booster option), and with almost perfect control of the color spectrum, the Galaxy A55 screen undoubtedly constitutes one of its primary qualities, and rivals the most high-end models.
Performance and AI: the big absentee
Under the hood, Samsung still chooses an Exynos. Its predecessor relied on the 1380, the new version of the Korean manufacturer is logically based on the following model, with a Exynos 1480 with versatile ambitions. No surprise then, the smartphone benefits from the same qualities as its elder, as much as it suffers from the same faults.
A mid-range model, the Samsung Galaxy A55 is effective when it comes to basic tasks (social networks, messaging, etc.). On the other hand, it slows down as soon as it is called upon for more demanding tasks. In addition to the premature melting of its battery, which we will return to, the consumption of multimedia content – 3D games in particular – lack of fluidity and comfort. The smartphone knows how to be useful, but it is far from shining on a daily basis.
The other black point of this test inevitably lies in the absence of AI. The new features offered by Samsung's generative artificial intelligence made us happy on the Galaxy S24. In recent weeks, the manufacturer's premium range is no longer the only one to benefit from it, since all previous smartphones have benefited from the One UI 6 update and its integrated tools. For the A range, you will have to do without it. Despite the presence of One UI 6.1, no AI on the horizon. A decision undoubtedly motivated by the absence of high-end SoC, which could have caused serious slowdowns on the device, but which leaves us with a bitter aftertaste.
The only consolation on the software side: the One UI interface is still just as pleasant. Despite the absence of AI, it is still as pleasant to use.
Photo: just average
This is surely one of Samsung's major flaws in the mid-range. The A54 before it suffered from the same problem: in wanting to be good everywhere, Samsung's mid-range smartphone did not shine anywhere, and especially not in photography. Rather than reviewing its copy, hoping to compete with a very efficient Google Pixel 7a, the Samsung Galaxy A55 chooses to resume exactly the same photo block as its elder. At the rear, we find a 50 Mpx main sensor with wide-angle lens (f/1.8) and optical stabilization. To complete everything, the phone also has a 12 Mpx ultra-wide-angle sensor (f/2.2), and a 5 Mpx macro lens (f/2.4). On the front, there is a 32 MP selfie camera.
As with the A54, the result is convincing, but far from standing out. Outdoors, it is possible to obtain a very decent result, even if the x2 zoom quickly shows its limits. In low light, the result is disappointing, but not surprising. Unfortunately, night mode does not work miracles in this regard. The video does a little better, with a nice rendering in bright light, and 4K recording at 30 fps which turns out to be surprisingly stable.
Autonomy
Too bad for the A55, the large battery of Samsung's new smartphone is not enough to improve its autonomy. Despite its 5000 mAh under the hood, we barely reach a full day, a little less in the case of compulsive use or more demanding tasks. Shooting and gaming, for example, will force you to plug in your phone sooner than expected. For a mid-range, the observation is difficult to justify. This is all the more unfortunate as this is undoubtedly a concern for optimization rather than pure performance. Lack of adaptive refresh rate and the excessive heating of the device when pushed to its limits definitely does not work in its favor.
This lack of autonomy could have been made up for by the charge “super fast” promised by the brand. Except that at 25W, the battery goes from 0 to 100% in over an hour and a half. That's a lot, even for a mid-range. Especially since the Galaxy A55, like the A54 before it, and the rest of the A range, still does not take into account wireless charging and PowerShare, reserved for the premium models of the S range.
Price and availability
The Samsung Galaxy A55 is available since March 15, 2024, and available in four colors: blue, midnight blue, lilac and lime (yellow). Depending on the configuration chosen, count on €499 for the 128 GB version, and €549 for the 256 GB version.
