Samsung Galaxy A55 Review: Premium Looks, Solid Battery — But Is It Worth the Price?

Introduction

Samsung’s Galaxy A55 arrives with big shoes to fill after the immense success of the Galaxy A54. The A5x lineup has long been Samsung’s mid-range hero — balancing performance, design, and value for money.

This year, Samsung steps it up with the Galaxy A55, offering a larger display, a stronger chipset, more RAM, and a sturdier aluminum frame with Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection. The phone keeps all the things people loved about the A54 — microSD card support, reliable cameras, long battery life, and IP67 water resistance — but adds a more premium touch.

The real question is: can the A55 still stand tall in 2024’s hyper-competitive mid-range market? Let’s find out.

Design

At first glance, the Galaxy A55 might look like its predecessor, but once in hand, the changes are clear. The new Gorilla Glass Victus+ front and aluminum frame make it feel far more premium than before.

It’s available in Iceblue, Lilac, Navy, and Lemon finishes, with the Navy variant appearing almost black in certain lighting. The new flat aluminum sides and camera layout give off Galaxy S24 vibes, especially with the raised section around the power and volume buttons.

Samsung has definitely refined the look — this is easily one of the most stylish phones in its price range.

Display

The Galaxy A55 features a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution (1080 x 2340 pixels) and a 120Hz refresh rate, plus HDR10+ support for streaming.

Brightness reaches 1,010 nits in auto mode and 446 nits manually, which is good, though not class-leading. The only real downside? The bezels. In an age of ultra-thin borders, the A55’s thicker frame looks a bit dated — even cheaper phones like Redmi’s Note 13 series have slimmer bezels.

Still, the color reproduction, contrast, and smooth scrolling make this one of the most enjoyable displays in its segment.

Battery Life

Samsung sticks with a 5,000mAh battery, but the new Exynos 1480 chipset boosts efficiency. Despite the slightly larger display, the A55 delivers a strong Active Use Score of 13 hours and 27 minutes, a major leap from the A54’s performance.

Web browsing and video playback times have improved noticeably, meaning the A55 can comfortably last through a busy day — or even more for moderate users.

Charging Speed

Charging remains at 25W, which feels a bit outdated in 2024. A full charge takes just over 1 hour, with 55% battery in 30 minutes.

The catch? You’ll need to buy the 25W charger separately, as Samsung doesn’t include one in the box. That’s not ideal, especially when rivals like OnePlus and Motorola offer much faster charging and include adapters.

However, Samsung does let you limit charging speeds in settings to extend battery health — a thoughtful touch for long-term users.

Software

Out of the box, the Galaxy A55 runs Android 14 with One UI 6.1. Samsung promises 4 years of major updates and 5 years of security patches, beating most mid-range competitors.

While the software is slick and polished, the AI-powered Galaxy features from the S24 series don’t make it to this phone — they remain exclusive to Samsung’s flagships. Still, One UI remains one of the most user-friendly Android skins around.

Performance

Under the hood, the Galaxy A55 is powered by the new Exynos 1480 chipset (4nm) — a major leap from the Exynos 1380 in the A54. It offers better CPU and GPU performance, with excellent thermal stability during stress tests.

The phone stays cool even during long gaming sessions, which shows Samsung has fine-tuned the chip’s efficiency. It’s not flagship-fast, but it’s more than capable for everyday use, multitasking, and gaming at medium settings.

Camera

The camera setup remains unchanged:

• 50MP main camera (OIS)
• 12MP ultrawide
• 5MP macro
• 32MP selfie shooter

The main and ultrawide cameras deliver reliable results in daylight, and the 32MP selfie cam captures sharp, natural-looking shots. Samsung’s color science continues to be one of the most consistent in the mid-range segment.

While some rivals offer higher megapixel counts or dedicated telephoto lenses, the A55’s setup is dependable and easy to recommend for everyday photography.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy A55 is a beautifully built, feature-rich mid-range phone that does almost everything right — but its price tag holds it back.

It shines with its premium design, excellent battery life, smooth display, and solid performance. However, it’s hard to ignore that competitors offer faster charging, better value, and slimmer bezels for less money.

If Samsung adjusts the price in the coming months, the A55 could easily become a top contender. But right now, it’s best for users who value Samsung’s reliability, software support, and premium feel over raw specs.