The A54 is the flagship phone from Samsung’s mid-range lineup of phones in 2023. Samsung didn’t make an A74, and we’re unsure if they’ll make an A75 in 2024. We predict that the A55 might be the best A series Samsung phone next year.
This year’s A54 model was a decent upgrade from the A53 but made too many cost cuttings to recommend over phones like the Pixel 7A confidently. Unless you are part of the Galaxy ecosystem and wish to continue investing, the A54 isn’t a compelling choice. Samsung’s own S21 FE is a far better phone that offers better cameras and performance, with flagship S series software for about the same price.
Latest News:
Update 1: The Samsung Galaxy A55 was unveiled on March 11th. This article has a detailed write-up about the phone’s features and specifications.
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.6-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED Display |
| Refresh Rate | Up to 120Hz |
| Vision Booster | Yes |
| Dimensions | 161.1 x 77.4 x 8.2mm |
| Weight | 213g |
| Chipset | Exynos 1480 |
| Camera | 12MP Ultra-Wide (F2.2) |
| 50MP Main (F1.8, AF, OIS) | |
| 5MP Macro (F2.4) | |
| 32MP Front (F2.2) | |
| Memory & Storage | 8GB RAM + 128GB ROM |
| 8GB RAM + 256GB ROM | |
| 12GB RAM + 256GB ROM | |
| Battery | 5,000mAh (typical) |
| Operating System | Android 14 |
| One UI 6.1 | |
| Security | Samsung Knox |
Update 2: Samsung’s Galaxy A55 5G is inching closer to launch. The phone’s model number, SM-A556E/DS, was recently spotted on the Indian BIS certification website. This exciting news suggests that Indian customers won’t have to wait much longer to get their hands on the device.
Update 3: Android Headlines has given us a sneak peek at the Galaxy A55 in three gorgeous colors. The A55 will arrive with Awesome Iceblue, Awesome Lilac, and Awesome Navy color options.
Update 4: Samsung Galaxy A55 appears on Geekbench, confirming Exynos 1480 chipset and AMD’s RDNA2-based Xclipse 530 GPU.
Update 5: MySmartPrice, partnering with Onleaks, has shared the highly anticipated Galaxy A55 smartphone render. Leaked details suggest A55 is ditching plastic for a sleek metal frame, elevating the mid-range lineup with a premium touch. The renders confirm a centered “Infinity O” cutout for the front camera, seamlessly integrated into the display. The leak further highlights a fresh, flat-edge design language for the A55.
Galaxy A55 Specifications: What do we want to see?
Since the A54 isn’t getting a good critical response, here are five things we’d like to see from the upcoming Galaxy A55 in 2024.
1: Make the software refinement better
This is the primary complaint with the Galaxy A54. The phone doesn’t perform general tasks smoothly. There are heavy UI frame drops and slight lags when performing simple smartphone functions like opening and closing apps. This is evidence that they haven’t refined the software well for this phone.
Moreover, the S series One UI has a flagship-grade Gaussian Blur application, better transitions, and more useful features. Mid-range One UI is mostly a laggy mess on this device, and it’s not the kind of experience people expect for the $450 tag.
Opening even slightly heavier apps like Google Maps takes time on this phone. And you can’t expect it to multitask smoothly with such poorly optimized software, so split screen, sidebar, and floating windows won’t run that well on this phone.
Software is the first thing we want Samsung to work on with the A54, and the A55 should have smooth performance out of the box, and we shouldn’t have to wait for multiple updates just for them to address simple UI smoothness.
2. Use a more capable chipset
The Exynos 1380 is an 8-core chipset from the Samsung foundry. It uses Samsung’s 5nm fabrication and has four Cortex-A78 cores at 2400MHz and four Cortex-A55 cores at 2000MHz.
It pulls about 500,000 points on Antutu and scores an underwhelming 700 on the Geekbench CPU test. The multi-core score is about 2600, as powerful as a Snapdragon 778G, which we see on phones at literally half the price.
The A54’s chip also uses Samsung’s poor 5nm node, which is not ideal for anything close to multitasking. Gamers can steer clear. If Samsung wants to use Exynos again, we need something better than the 778G levels of performance, which we saw on a two-year-old A52S.
According to GalaxyClub, Samsung is internally testing the upcoming Galaxy A55 smartphone with a new chipset believed to be the unannounced Exynos 1480. The model number of this SoC is S5E8845. Talking about Samsung’s chipset numbering scheme, the Exynos 1380 (in the Galaxy A54) carries the S5E8835, and the Exynos 1280 (in the Galaxy A53) carries the S5E8825. The incremental model number suggests the Exynos 1480 will be more powerful than its predecessors, though details of the chip’s specifications are unknown. It is said that Samsung will use AMD GPU in the mid-range Exynos 1480 chipset. The Exynos 1480 could give the A55 improved performance over the A54 and A53.
3. Faster storage, charging, and better pricing
The A54 came out at 449$ in the USA for an unlocked model. For that chipset and the kind of performance and software experience you’re getting, it’s not a fair price. Buyers might flock to the more attractive S21 FE or Google Pixel 7A. The Pixel 7 regularly offers a discount on this price as well.
The A54, with better software, is a decent buy for $ 400. You can currently buy it for much cheaper with carriers. However, the A54 still uses an old storage type, UFS 2.2. UFS 2.2 is an inefficient ancient standard that takes forever to open heavier apps, transfer large files, or save and transfer large videos. The phone also has a USB Type C 2.0 port, and a better 3.1 would help with file transfer speeds.
The Galaxy A55 has been spotted in China’s 3C certification database with a 25W adapter (9V/2.77A). This is the same charging speed as the Galaxy A54 5G, so there is no improvement in charging speed with the new model. 25W of charging is also too slow in 2023, and at least 45W would be a welcome addition. It will not ship with a charging adapter in the box, so you will need to purchase one separately.
4. Add telephoto zoom
The A54 has a decently sized primary sensor and good cameras overall. However, there’s still no zoom lens. A simple 3X telephoto will add more versatility to the camera system. The A54’s low-light performance isn’t that impressive with details, so better algorithmic tuning is something we want to see with the A54.
5. Design
The A54’s design on the rear is understated and rather striking since it resembles the S23 a lot. However, it just doesn’t look good at all from the front. It has much thicker bezels than Samsung’s A53 and a large chin.
This step down in terms of front bezel size makes no sense, and it ruins the appearance of the front of the phone. We expect slimmer bezels on the upcoming model.
Those were the top 5 things we wanted to see on the Galaxy A55.
Galaxy A55 Expected Release Date
- The Galaxy A55 is expected to be released on March 11, 2024.
While details are still scarce, we can expect the launch of the Samsung Galaxy A55 in March 2024 based on the company’s previous release timelines. The predecessor Galaxy A54 was unveiled on March 15, 2023. Following Samsung’s typical annual update cadence for its A-series models, the Galaxy A35 will likely become available around the same March timeframe next year.
Galaxy A55 Expected Price
- The Galaxy A55 could be priced at $499 for the base model.
The Galaxy A54 launched with a starting price of $449. However, its successor, the upcoming Galaxy A55, may see a higher starting price tag if Samsung includes significant upgrades and feature improvements. Given the Galaxy A series’ position as Samsung’s premium mid-range smartphone lineup, the company has gradually increased prices yearly as it adds more premium capabilities.
If the rumored upgrades for the Galaxy A55, like a new chipset, improved camera system, and faster charging, prove true, Samsung could potentially price it closer to $499 at launch. This would position it as a more powerful but relatively affordable device than the A54.
The Samsung Galaxy A55 is an upcoming mid-range smartphone that is expected to offer much value for money. It will have a powerful processor, a large battery, and a triple-lens rear camera system. It is also expected to be affordable, making it a great option for budget-minded buyers.
The thicker bezel is the thing the smartphone has going for it. I’d never buy these bezel-less aberrations that will break the moment they fall and that you cannot hold without your hands covering the edges of the screen. Also makes using a case a nightmare. The A10 would have been at least usable; it had a bezel like older phones. Also, ditch the glass that’s meant to fool flagship buyers. Samsung is just fueling the competition. The FE line has no battery in the long run and heats like a metal toaster; the A70 line is gone, and Exynos is the chipset used in international markets.