Intro
This year we are getting the Galaxy A55, replacing the Galaxy A54 from last year which brought a fresh new design, a more powerful chipset, and most importantly a new main camera. Now the question is how the A55 will improve on its predecessor. So far, it seems like it won’t be a major upgrade, but there are some intriguing tweaks that have the potential to be noteworthy.
Galaxy A55 vs Galaxy A54 differences explained:
| Galaxy A55 | Galaxy A54 |
|---|---|
| Mid-range Exynos 1480 (4nm) chipset | Previous gen, Exynos 1380 (5 nm) |
| Possibly 7 years of software updates | 4 years of software updates |
| Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| A new design element — Key Island | Same look, but without Key Island |
| Samsung AI features (maybe) | No focus on AI |
Design and Display Quality
A new design element that might prove controversial
The Galaxy A55 is said to come with a new design element in the form of a small bump where the volume and power keys are, which is being addressed by leakers as the “Key Island.” Here is a leaked render showcasing this so-called Key Island on the A55.
A render of the Galaxy A55 in two of its possible colors, showcasing the new Key Island on its right side.
You can probably tell that there is a sharp slope at the two ends of this Key Island, which blend into the rest of the aluminum frame.
We suspect this new look will create some mixed opinions from Samsung’s fans and others, but we appreciate the manufacturer’s attempt at breaking the formula, if at least a little bit.
The Galaxy A54 is IP67-rated and will endure submersion into water up to 1 meter for 30 minutes, and we expect the Galaxy A55 to keep the same level of water and dust resistance as its predecessor.
As for the displays, the A54 comes with a pretty big 6.4-inch one that has a screen refresh rate of 120Hz (meaning it is super smooth to slide around on), with support for HDR10+ content. The A55, on the other hand, is said to have an ever so slightly larger 6.5-inch display in comparison, and we also expect it to go noticeably brighter compared to the 1000 nits on the A54.
Performance and Software
Moving on to 4nm from 5nm
The Galaxy A54 came with Samsung’s in-house Exynos 1380 made on the 5nm process. One of the main, and so far one of the few upgrades that the A55 is said to bring is the next generation of that chipset, namely the Exynos 1480 that’s built in the 4nm process.
The Exynos 1480 is somewhere in the same ballpark as Qualcomm’s mid-range silicone, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, which can be found in phone such as the Motorola Razr 40, for example. Just how big of a jump in performance the new chip will bring is unclear yet.
No matter how much better the Exynos 1480 is, however, it will likely still be a mid-range processor that is not terribly impressive compared to the competition.
As for storage, both devices come with 128GB with the base version, which is a standard mid-range amount these days. We expect the A55 to come with slightly more RAM though, going to 8GB from the 6GB on the A54.
Camera
The macro camera persists
One of the most prominent rumors about Samsung’s upcoming A5x series is that it is still rocking a third macro camera, which means you will still have to go a step higher and buy at least a Galaxy S23FE to get a dedicated telephoto camera.
Audio Quality and Haptics
The Galaxy A54’s speakers and the audio quality they produced left us a bit disappointed in 2023, as they seemed to have very distorted low frequencies at higher volumes. And speaking of the volume, it didn’t go that high to begin with, with several other models from Samsung’s competition being much better in this segment.
Haptic feedback was alright on the Galaxy A54, and we don’t foresee any changes to that part of the phone with the A55.
Battery Life and Charging
Keeping it solid
The Galaxy A54 came with solid battery life thanks to its massive 5,000mAh battery and the energy-efficient Exynos 1380. The Galaxy A55 is said to come with the same battery size, so the hope here is that the new 4nm Exynos 1480 is even more power-efficient and makes the Samsung mid-ranger last even longer.
Charging will probably remain the same as that of the Galaxy A54, which is to say 25W maximum speed via a cable. We don’t expect Samsung to introduce wireless charging to the A5x series.
Summary and Final Verdict
So, by the looks of things, the Galaxy A55 is shaping up to be a rather small upgrade over last year’s Galaxy a54, so if you are rocking that 2023 model there seems to be little potential reason for an upgrade.
Truth be told, it would be a bit disappointing if that is all there is to come with the Galaxy A55. What would really make the phone stand out and a bit more interesting is if some of the Galaxy S24‘s AI features trickle down to it. Of course, the possible 7 years of software updates are a pretty big win as well and can be a valid reason to choose the A55 over something like the OnePlus 12R, or even to upgrade from the A54.
