Samsung has revealed the Samsung Galaxy A55 5G, its new tempting mid-ranger for 2024 – but how does it compare to last year’s Samsung Galaxy A54 5G?
While the two may look very similar on the surface, sporting a broadly similar design and plenty of hardware similarities to boot, there are key upgrades from this year’s Samsung Galaxy A55 5G that make it a particularly tempting upgrade over its predecessor.
While we’ve not yet spent any time with the Galaxy A55 5G, we’ve spent plenty of time with last year’s Samsung Galaxy A54 5G. With that said, here’s what’s new with the new Samsung Galaxy A55 5G to help you decide which is best for your needs.
The Samsung Galaxy A55 5G has better night photography
In terms of hardware, the Samsung Galaxy A55 5G retains a very familiar camera setup comprised of an OIS-enabled 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide and 5MP macro, and by very familiar, we mean straight-up identical to last year’s Samsung Galaxy A54 5G.
That’s not a particularly bad thing considering we were fairly happy with the performance of last year’s Galaxy A54 5G in the camera department, though even then, it wasn’t the very best available at the price point.
That said, Samsung has improved the AI processing of the ISP that drives the camera setup. With a new iteration of its Nightography tech on board, the company claims that it takes “clearer and more vibrant photos even in poor lightning conditions” compared to last year’s mid-ranger, while also introducing Night Portrait mode and 12-bit HDR video to the series for the first time.
It remains to be seen whether that’ll allow the Galaxy A55 5G to compete with some of the surprisingly well-equipped mid-range competition, like the Google Pixel 7a, but it looks capable on paper.
The Samsung Galaxy A55 5G has a newer processor
Of course, it wouldn’t be a yearly upgrade without the use of a new processor, and this year’s Galaxy A55 5G doesn’t disappoint on that front with the use of a new Samsung Exynos 1480 chipset, coupled with 8GB of RAM and either 128- or 256GB of storage depending on the variant you opt for.
The Galaxy A54 5G, on the other hand, sports the now-year-old Exynos 1380 along with the same 8GB of RAM and either 128- or 256GB of storage. It’ll certainly be interesting to benchmark the newer model as we found that we’d notice the occasional bit of lag and stuttering when using the Galaxy A54 5G to scroll through social media and play games.
The Samsung Galaxy A55 5G boasts Samsung Knox support
Flagship-level tech has a way of trickling down to mid-rangers over time as the more budget-friendly smartphones get more powerful, and that seems to be the case with the Galaxy A55 5G and the introduction of Samsung Knox support.
It’s the first time it has been seen on the Samsung A-series, usually exclusive to high-end Samsung alternatives like the Galaxy S24 or foldables like the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5, and it essentially brings enhanced security to the mid-ranger.
This is hardware-level security with a dedicated chipset that Samsung claims can offer “comprehensive protection against both hardware and software attacks” by essentially creating a secure environment that’s physically isolated from the main system, and it can also keep data like PIN codes, passwords, credentials and more safe from hackers.
The Samsung Galaxy A55 5G boasts longer software support
While a few years ago you’d be lucky to get more than a single OS upgrade from a mid-range Android smartphone, the industry has come a long way since. These days, it’s not uncommon to get multiple OS upgrades from even rather cheap Android smartphones – and that means Samsung has had to bolster its long-term software support with this year’s Galaxy A55 5G to help it stand out in a more competitive space.
That said, the Galaxy A55 5G – along with the cheaper A35 5G – will get four OS upgrades and five years of security patches, taking the phone all the way through to Android 18. It’s not quite as expansive as the seven years of OS upgrades you’ll find from the flagship Galaxy S24 series and the Google Pixel 8 range, but it’s a nice upgrade that’ll mean that your Galaxy A55 5G will continue to get new software features for the next few years.
For reference, last year’s Samsung Galaxy A54 5G came with (still decent) three OS upgrades and four years of security patches. This means that Samsung has essentially extended the life of the Galaxy A55 by a whole year, completely free of charge.
The Samsung Galaxy A55 5G is more affordable
Despite the improved features on offer, the Samsung Galaxy A55 5G is slightly cheaper than last year’s Galaxy A54 5G – at RRP anyway.
The Galaxy A54 5G would cost either £449 or £499, depending on whether you opted for 128 GB or 256GB of storage, while this year’s Galaxy A55 5G will cost a slightly reduced £439 and £489 for the same storage options.
Of course, being a year old, the Galaxy A54 5G can be found for much less than its £449 RRP, but it’s nice to see Samsung at least attempting to make it a more compelling option in a busy mid-range market.
The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G is available to buy now, while the Samsung Galaxy A55 5G will be released on 20 March 2024.
