REVIEW: with Galaxy A55, Samsung brings intermediary closer to the premium line

A Samsung presents us with the Galaxy A55 5G, one of its most recent launches in the mid-range smartphone category. The device arrived on the market with two storage variants, giving notable differences between the two models: one with 128GB, which we received for this review, and another with 256GB, both with 8GB of RAM. 

The new smartphone from Samsung showed excellent performance for an intermediate smartphone, bringing the device closer to the premium category both in simple day-to-day activities and in more challenging tasks such as a game running without choking with background activities. 

Did you like the premise of the new device? Galaxy A line? Stick around to find out more below.

Design

The aesthetics of Galaxy A55 gave it a premium appearance, particularly highlighted by the use of glass on both the front and back, with aluminum on the sides. The edges are predominantly straight, with the exception of the area designated by Samsung as Key Island, where the buttons are located. At the bottom, there is a sound output, while the stereo system uses the call speaker as a second audio source.

The straight aluminum sides give the impression of a cell phone above the mid-range category. When compared to other smartphones, the Galaxy A55 appears to be more sophisticated and premium, even than the S23FE, from Samsung's top line. With the brushed finish of the metals, the feeling is of having a very valuable device in your hands, and even resembles the stainless steel of luxury appliances. And precisely this care in finishing ends up creating a negative point: very smooth surfaces are prone to making the device slip in your hands.

At this point, the Key Islands they show real function beyond aesthetics: improving ergonomics, offering a much more comfortable grip thanks to the relief that serves as a support for the finger. This innovation debuted on models Galaxy A15 e Galaxy A25, representing a significant advance in terms of usability and accessibility.

Furthermore, the design of the Galaxy A55 features flat edges, following the established trend of the device Galaxy S24. Samsung has been dedicated to adopting a more premium look on its flagship Galaxy A line smartphones recently. The presence of the antenna line visible on the Galaxy A55 indicates the use of a metal chassis, further reinforcing the quality and durability of the device.

At the top we have the chip tray and noise reduction microphone, while at the bottom we have the USB-C output from the charger, the microphones and speaker.

Another important factor is ease of handling. For me, who have small hands, the A55 is the ideal size. It's comfortable, I can type and click on icons with just one hand, making it much more practical than other more robust smartphones. But there is a caveat about the ease of slipping with the smooth side surfaces.

You should be extra careful at these times, but I would only consider this a problem for those who don't like using cell phone cases, which is not very common nowadays.

Regarding the colors chosen for the device, we have the dark blue of the device we received, which is sober and very elegant, but the Galaxy A55 It is also available in light blue and soft pink, in a tone reminiscent of cotton candy. 

Fabric

with a panel Super AMOLED 6,6 inches, the screen offers a resolution Full HD + and supports a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz, in addition to being compatible with HDR10 +. This guarantees an excellent level of contrast, with deep blacks, in addition to providing sharpness and fluidity to the displayed content. 

The maximum brightness of the Galaxy A55 hits 1.000 nits, providing excellent visibility, especially in environments with lots of sunlight. This maximum brightness mode is automatically activated when the cell phone detects the need, ensuring a comfortable visual experience in any scenario.

Additionally, the settings offer the choice between a vivid or natural display mode, allowing you to adjust the white balance to customize the colors to your preference. This includes the ability to adjust the saturation and vividness of the screen to suit your personal preferences.

O Galaxy A55 also has a function Always On Display, a function designed to preserve your phone's battery life while providing useful information on the lock screen. Essentially, it allows you to view the time and/or recent notifications without having to turn the device on and off repeatedly, providing convenience and energy savings.

Performance

As for its performance, the generous 8 GB RAM ensures smooth running of social media applications and even helps with processing more demanding games. As I already mentioned, the device is available in two versions, one with 128 GB and another with 256 GB of internal storage, therefore, the smartphone offers ample space to store your data.

Regarding the operating system, the Galaxy A55 wheel the Android 14 under the One UI 6.1 when leaving the box. Samsung guarantees four versions of the Google and up to five years of security updates. In other words, it is a cell phone with updates scheduled until 2029, a good estimate of the system's useful life.

Your processor Exynos 1480, which replaced the 1380 of the Galaxy A54, provides more than 20% improvement and CPU performance. Even though the change wasn't that obvious, it was enough to make the cell phone feel better between functions. 

Heavy games like Genshin impact ran well in low overall quality (graphics, rendering, environmental details) on Galaxy A55, even with WhatsApp running in the background. At one point I was pleasantly surprised to notice that I had forgotten to close some apps, and Genshin's gameplay maintained the same pattern even with Pokémon Go and 5 other open applications.

Well, playing with minimal graphics doesn't bother me, as long as the gameplay is fluid, which it was. The game doesn't choke, even in scenes with more complex battles and visual effects. However, it is a point worth highlighting for those who enjoy a cutting-edge experience: games that are a little more complex, like the game itself. Genshin Impact, PUBG, AFK Arena and Ragnarok Online will only run at the lowest quality. 

Something easily noticed is that the cell phone heats up, see? Nothing that would make him fry, but enough to raise his ear. When downloading and loading data it raised the temperature, but what caught my attention was during use in games and videos. This indicates that the smartphone was indeed being required for tasks. What ensured that it did not exceed the limits of the powerful cooling system was its rapid stabilization, which in less than 5 minutes returned the device to normal.

In terms of connectivity, the device supports technology 5G, demonstrating that it is aligned with the most recent trends. Furthermore, the presence of technology NFC facilitates communication with other devices, enabling, for example, payments via contact with banking applications. 

Bluetooth 5.3 offers a more stable pairing, maintaining the characteristics of the previous version and allowing you to connect two pairs of headphones simultaneously to the same TV.

Cameras

Camera has always been one of my priorities when choosing a smartphone. Similar to other devices from competing brands, the Galaxy A55 features a set of three cameras on the back, combining impressive image quality 50 MP, 12 MP and 5 MP, resulting in a total resolution of up to 8165 x 6124 pixels.

At the front, the camera stands out with its impressive 32 SM, clearly indicating that this smartphone is designed for high-quality selfies and “professional” photography with the rear camera. It is important to mention that both the front and rear cameras are capable of recording in 4K with image stabilization mode, making the device an excellent option for content producers who make vlogs, or common users who want to record tours and trips in good quality.

Regarding the selfie camera, we can say that it does not disappoint. However, the colors are slightly distorted, giving a more whitish appearance. How good sommelier of the front cameras for selfies, I can say that this aspect displeased me: I came out paler than I actually am. 

And the environment calibration itself doesn't work very well, making it difficult to define the best lighting and scenario for a selfie, color distortion appears randomly without following a pattern.

However, pulling the trigger on filming again, the front camera can record in 4K, proving once again that the recommendation made by Samsung categorizing the Galaxy A55 as a device for content production is correct. 

A problem that, for me, comes with almost all smartphones with the Android operating system is the slight delay in taking photos. There is a certain delay between the click and the moment the photo is taken, and that bothers me a little, to be honest. The issue is alleviated with the multiple capture function, which, even with the delay, can be used to take a good spontaneous photo. 

I took my dog ​​to the park to test the camera, and sometimes the most beautiful lighting and ideal framing can only last for seconds, so by the time I take my cell phone out of my pocket and set it up the right way, the moment has already passed. 

The macro camera was a show in itself (and a bit of a hassle too). Image stabilization takes a while and any slight movement will ruin everything, but the result is very beautiful. It could have more sharpness and details, but with so many positive points in the camera in general, it's okay that the macro function doesn't perform as premium. Still, it offers good colors and details, in my opinion, it made the effort of turning it into a statue for a photo worth it. 

Audio

O Galaxy A55 supports the Dolby Atmos, technology that enhances surround sound, providing an immersive audio experience that envelops you in the sound, creating the sensation that the sound is happening around you. As if it were a “home theater” with several speakers, only inside your Samsung smartphone.

To activate the functionality, simply access the device settings, select “Sounds and vibration” and then “Sound quality and effects”.

O Galaxy A55 provides a satisfactory experience in closed and relatively silent environments, but for a true and differentiated immersion, it is recommended to use headphones, which are not included. But for those who like music in the environment, they should feel slight discomfort with the volume above 70%. This is because the treble is a little muffled and the bass is distorted, although it is possible to distinguish different musical instruments and people's voices. 

This criticism may not apply to all users, it will depend on each user's sound requirements, but for me, once my ear notices the muffled hiss, it is very difficult to enjoy the sound at the highest volume.

But this is not an impossible issue to resolve, by reducing the volume, the distortions disappear, but the audio power may not be enough for environments with moderate noise levels. The sound at 50% still took over my room, but any noise coming from the street is more evident than the music on my cell phone. Therefore, it is possible to hear and distinguish sounds, but the presence of external noise can interfere with the auditory experience.

Battery

The battery, with a standard capacity of 5.000 mAh, promises an autonomy of two days of moderate use, except for those who spend long periods playing or watching movies, who may need a recharge by the end of the day.

And that's what happened to me. On days where I didn't use the cell phone much, the battery lasted more than 48 hours, but use was almost minimal on those days, which supports the premise that with moderate use it should maintain its stability within 2 days. 

On the days that I dedicated myself to using it, downloaded games and kept my cell phone active, the battery didn't perform as much. In 40 minutes of playing straight, for example, the cell phone went from 50% to 30% and heated up considerably, as I said previously. For regular consumption of 6 hours a day, with WhatsApp, Instagram, X (Twitter) and YouTube, the battery held up masterfully and reached the end of the day with 24% without touching the socket.

Finally, the Galaxy A55 It's accompanied by a 15W charger in the standard kit, meaning it will take around two hours to fully charge the battery from 0%. However, when using a 25W charger, recharging time is reduced to less than an hour and a half, matching the charging standards of other smartphones in the same category.

Conclusion

O Galaxy A55 is a premium intermediary with incredible performance for everyday life and for more specific requirements. As the category already shows, it does a little bit of everything without any outstanding performance, but it does very well in everything it sets out to do. Whether for gaming, routine use or a work tool, the new device in the line A Galaxy will not disappoint.

In fact, the purpose of the device is to be a key piece for those who work creating content or use their cell phone as a fundamental part of their professional life, as social media. Its long-lasting battery plays its part in this, and really, it won't let you down in the middle of the day without a charger. Even with prolonged use, and apps running in the background, the device handles the responsibility very well. 

The capacity will be limited only in 128GB and 256GB it's understandable. A cell phone intended to support content production could not have anything less than that. Even if it directly affects the price of the smartphone, its performance would be compromised, and the user would not be able to enjoy everything that the smartphone offers. Galaxy A55 could give.

Their cameras offer incredible images, but with a certain delay depending on the configuration and how demanding the environment will be. Still, this is an observation of mine that may not be noticeable to other people. The colors look incredible on HDR, and if you know how to use all the settings masterfully, the result will look like a professional. 

in general the Galaxy A55 It's a great mid-range device, ideal for people who are strict with their smartphones, but can't invest in a top-of-the-line model. As it is a launch, the price is still a little “salty”: in the official store Samsung, the 128GB model can be found for R$2.699,10 in cash, while the 256GB device is for R$3.149,10 in cash. 

More affordable prices can be found at Magazine Luiza: Galaxy A55 128GB for R$ 2.199 and the 256GB version also for R$ 2.399. Remembering that both models have 8GB of RAM.

Technical specifications

Model	Galaxy A55 5G
Trademarks	Samsung
Social	LTE and 5G Sub6.
GSM chip	and yes; Hybrid Dual SIM
Dimensions	161,1 77,4 x x 8,2mm
Weight :	213g
Composition	Metal and glass Corning® Gorilla® Glass Victus®+
Resistance	Water and dust
Fabric	6.6″” Super AMOLED FHD+ with Vision Booster
Processor	Exynos 1480 Octa Core
CPU	xclipse 530
Frontal camera	32MP F2.2
Rear Cameras	Ultra Wide 12 MP f/2.2Main 50 MP f/1.8Macro 5 MP f/2.4
ADIEX	Principal: 2160p@30fpsWide: 4K@30fpsFrontal: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps
System	Android 14 OneUI 6.1
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 6
RAM and Internal Memory	128GB + 8GB RAM 256GB + 8GB RAM
Memory card	Yes
Cores	Light blue, Dark blue, Light pink.
Suggested price	128GB model: R$ 2.699,10 at Samsung256GB model: R$ 3.149,10 at Samsung

See also: REVIEW: Galaxy A54 5G raises the bar for mid-rangers

reviewed by Glaucon Vital in 17 / 4 / 24.