Samsung Galaxy A55 Review – Tougher, more secure all-rounder phone with 5G tested

We previously had a firsthand look at the new Samsung Galaxy A55, their latest addition to their midrange Galaxy A series line-up that builds on a proven formula and expands on it with a number of modest but important improvements.

After putting it through its paces, here’s our Samsung Galaxy A55 review where we share in detail if their latest budget phone is worth your money…

Samsung Galaxy A55 review – Performance and Benchmarks

The successor to last year’s Galaxy A54, the Galaxy A55 has aesthetics akin to the latest Samsung Galaxy S24 while retaining much of the hallmarks that make the Galaxy A-series of midrange phones a success with an added emphasis on security via the addition of their new Samsung Knox Vault.

The biggest key upgrades this time around for the Galaxy A55 include the use of a new Exynos 1480 chipset over the Galaxy A54’s Exynos 1380 processor, additional RAM to the tune of 12GB, the provision of tougher Gorilla Glass Victus+ to protect the display and the use of metal for the chassis.

The classic hallmarks of the Galaxy A series have been retained in the Galaxy A55, namely the inclusion of optical image stabilisation in the main camera, a microSD card slot to augment onboard storage, stereo speakers and a 120Hz Super AMOLED display.

For Malaysia, the Galaxy A55 only comes in one RAM/storage configuration but you do get a choice of three colourways. Connectivity is also top notch with 5G and WiFi 6. Here’s how our Samsung Galaxy A55 review unit stacks up on paper…

Price	RM1,999
Display	6.6-inch Super AMOLED FHD+, 1080 x 2,340 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 1000 nits (HBM)
Processor	Exynos 1480
OS	Android 14 w/ OneUI 6.1
Memory	12GB RAM / 256GB + microSD card
Cameras	50MP F/1.8 w/ OIS + 12MP F/2.2 ultra wide camera + 5MP F/2.4 macro [rear] / 32MP F/2.2 [front]
Battery	5,000mAh w/ 25W wired charging
Size/Weight	161.1 x 77.4 x 8.2mm /213g

The new Exynos 1480 processor used in the Galaxy A55 is built on a more efficient 4nm process and is more of recent vintage, offering a slightly faster CPU clock speed and better Xclipse 530 graphics versus the older Exynos 1380 which was built on a 5nm process, uses Mali-G68 MP5 graphics and has a slightly slower clock speed.

When subjected to benchmarks with 4GB of RAM Plus vRAM, here’s how our Galaxy A55 review sample scored…

3D Mark Wild Life	3,888
3D Mark Wild Life Unlimited	3,961
3D Mark Wild Life Extreme	1,022
3D Mark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited	1,006
Geekbench 6 Single core	1,152
Geekbench 6 Multi core	3,450
Geekbench 6 OpenCL	4,014
Geekbench 6 Vulkan	4,134
PC Mark Work 3.0	13,292
PC Mark Battery Life	14 hours 18 mins

In general, the Exynos 1480 has markedly better performance across the board with improved 3D Mark, Geekbench and PCMark scores in single and multicore performance as well as for graphics performance.

On the gaming front, it is able to handle most games on default settings like Call of Duty Mobile and Genshin Impact. The new Warzone Mobile stutters and has long loading times but this is also on account of the game being so new that it still isn’t optimised yet.

Gaming aside, our Galaxy A55 review unit proved to be fast and responsive in day to day use with seamless multitasking across the usual gamut of social media and productivity apps, helped in part on account of the generous amount of 12GB RAM and up to 8GB RAM Plus virtual RAM.

Even under heavy sustained work loads, heat is well managed and after an hour’s worth of gaming the phone was only slightly warm to the touch thanks to a 70% larger cooling system compared to the Galaxy A54.

 

Samsung’s own OneUI 6.1 offers the same fluid navigation and interface akin to the Galaxy S24 series flagships though it understandably lacks the more sophisticated Galaxy AI features and Samsung DeX which are reserved primarily for their flagship-grade phones.

Fortunately, the Galaxy A55 enjoys a generous 4 years of OS and 5 years of security updates which remain among the best among midrange and for many flagship phones in the market.

Samsung has paid greater emphasis to security this time around and both the Galaxy A55 and smaller sibling the Galaxy A35 feature an enhanced upgrade to the existing Samsung Knox hardware and software security in the form of a new Knox Vault.

For the uninitiated, Samsung Knox Vault is a chip separate from the processor itself to store and to protect critical information like passwords, pattern unlocks and by extension also protect access to important services like Samsung Pay and Samsung pass from potential hardware and software attacks. Essentially, Knox Vault acts like a secure data vault, hence the name, that is immune to external hacks or tampering.

By and large, Knox and the new Knox Vault security features are running in the background and don’t require manual activation.

The phone also has an optional Secure Folder that lets you store a separate set of your apps and email account in a separate part of the phone storage that does not interact with any of the apps or other settings on your main phone account.

In effect, you’re swapping between two separate installs on the same phone though enabling Secure Folder does eat into your existing storage. While it is primarily intended for work related purposes so you can have a separate set of apps and emails for work and personal use, Secure Folder does offer exceptional privacy and security.

Samsung has also added a new Auto Blocker feature that is a new feature that complements Knox Vault to enhance overall security on the phone.

Auto Blocker is an optional feature that you can toggle on that ensures that apps from unauthorised sources cannot be installed and can, according to the official literature, stop malicious commands sent to the phone especially via the common avenue of charging the phone at public charging stations such as those at airports and the like as well as attacks via malicious messages embedded with nasty code in them festooning social media.

Free charging ports are hazardous for the unwary as they have the potential to be booby trapped and modified to send a nasty command to the phone to steal data or compromise security the moment you plug your phone in to use them.

The same goes for clicking on a nasty website or an incoming message which may also potentially have malicious code in it that activates when you click on it- Auto Blocker stops all of these attempts cold. All these new security features add greater peace of mind, especially for those who aren’t very security conscious like younger users or those who aren’t as tech savvy.

While our Galaxy A55 review unit retains the same 5,000mAh battery as the earlier Galaxy A54, the more power efficient chipset does offer improved battery life to the tune of 14 hours and 18 minutes, even with the introduction of a slightly larger display.

Charging the phone does take some time though as Samsung is playing it safe with 25W wired charging which is a bit on the slow side circa 2024 with about an hour and 7 minutes needed for a full charge.

Samsung Galaxy A55 Review – Display

Compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy A55 has a slightly larger 6.6-inch FHD+ 120Hz Super AMOLED display with support for HDR10 and HDR10+ content playback along with a brighter peak 1,000 nits brightness, lending it to better viewability in outdoors scenarios.

This time around, the Super AMOLED display also has an Eye Care Certification by SGS with a blue light filter which is a pleasant bonus especially for those who tend to read or use their phone after sundown in dim light. 

The provided stereo speakers are a rarity on midrange phones and they prove to be surprisingly good with quite a bit of volume and a fair bit of detail with emphasis on the mids, making them ideal for a spot of gaming or catching up on the Netflix backlog.

Samsung Galaxy A55 Review – Cameras

On the imaging front, our Samsung Galaxy A55 review sample features a similar front and rear camera setup as its predecessor.

The rear hosts a main 50MP F/1.8 camera with optical image stabilisation, a 12MP F/2.2 ultra wide angle camera and a 5MP F/2.4 macro camera which is almost identical to the Galaxy A54.

@hitechcentury Check out how the new Samsung Galaxy A55 5G rear triple camera array performs in daylight conditions by this cool pool in Malaysia! #awesome #techtok #malaysia #sembanggadget #malaysia #fyp #tech #galaxya55 #samsung #samsunggalaxy #cameratest #hitechcentury ♬ Aesthetic – Tollan Kim

The rear camera offers up a lossless 2x zoom by cropping the main feed as well as up to 10X digital zoom for stills and video alike. Up front, you get a 32MP F/2.2 camera for selfies. Both front and rear cameras are capable of up to 4K@30fps video capture. 

Shots taken by the 12MP ultra wide angle camera and the main 50MP camera in daylight conditions all the way to 2X zoom offer excellent detail, good dynamic range and slightly more realistic colour rendition rather than the slight oversaturation of blues and greens typical of Samsung’s usual colour science. At maximum zoom, shots viewable though details still look a bit soft.

In low light scenarios, Samsung has improved performance from the ultra wide angle camera this time around with slightly better dynamic range, improved retention of colours and detail though the phone offers the best results in low light if you stick with the main 50MP camera.

 

@hitechcentury Here’s a low light camera test for the all new Samsung Galaxy A55 5G that is now available in Malaysia! The triple camera array offers up to 10x digital zoom and has a HDR mode too with up to 4K@30fps video capture. Will you buy one?#galaxya555g #awesomelilac #samsung #galaxyawesome #galaxya55 #sembanggadget #malaysiatiktok #fyp #hitechcentury #awesome #cool #viral ♬ original sound – Hitech Century

The main 50MP camera acquits itself well in low light scenarios with improved noise reduction and good shots all the way out to 2X with a bit of softness. Seeing as the phone lacks telephoto zoom options and relies solely on cropping the 50MP camera, details get soft beyond 2X zoom.

Selfie performance hasn’t changed much from the Galaxy A54 seeing as it has an identical camera setup. If you’re keeping to within an arms length and in brightly lit conditions, you’ll get good mugshots with accurate skintones from the 32MP selfie camera.

When capturing 4K videos on the rear camera, you have the option to capture footage on the ultra wide angle camera too and are able enjoy digital zoom all the way out to 10x with video stabilisation which is a pleasant surprise for a midrange phone.

Video quality is above par for its price range and while it falls short of what the Galaxy S24 can offer, videos on the Galaxy A54’s main 50MP camera are surprisingly good in both daylight and dimly lit scenarios.

The fact that this is one of the few phones that support a miroSD card in this day and age – something even the Galaxy S24 series lacks – means that this can make for a viable prospect for content creators.

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy A55?

The Samsung Galaxy A55 builds on the solid formula of its predecessors and expands on it in meaningful ways, blending a number of desirable features from flagship phones while adding enhanced security via their Samsung Knox Vault to the mix, all at a reasonable price point. 

For your money, you’re getting a vibrant 120Hz Super AMOLED display, improved performance with more RAM as well as expandable storage, a solid rear camera array with OIS and good battery life.

The provision of Samsung Knox Vault also adds extra peace of mind in protecting the phone from malware while the guaranteed 4 years of OS updates add exceptional value to what is a otherwise solid phone. If you’re looking for a solid midrange that will last and which has enhanced security, the Galaxy A55 ought to be on the top of your shopping list.

Samsung Galaxy A55 review unit courtesy of Samsung Malaysia. To purchase and for more details, please visit https://www.samsung.com/my/smartphones/galaxy-a/galaxy-a55-5g-awesome-lilac-256gb-sm-a556elvdxme/buy/