Samsung has just announced its newest Galaxy A series lineup, the Galaxy A55 5G and Galaxy A35 5G. Both handsets are offered as mid-range options, designed to democratise Samsung’s “mobile experiences for all.”
The question is, how does the Galaxy A55 5G compare to Samsung’s most recent Fan Edition handset, the Galaxy S23 FE? For those unfamiliar, an FE model is a budget-friendly handset created based on feedback and containing favourite features from the flagship Galaxy S Series.
Although we haven’t reviewed the Samsung Galaxy A55, we’ve spent plenty of time with the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE and compared the two specs to help you decide which is better for your needs.
Both handsets have a trio rear-camera setup
Both the Samsung Galaxy A55 5G and Galaxy S23 FE feature three rear cameras, and although both have a 50MP main lens and a 12MP ultrawide lens, they differ with their third offering.
The Galaxy A55 5G features a 5MP macro lens whereas the S23 FE has a much more useful 8MP telephoto lens instead.
We haven’t tested the Galaxy A55 yet, so we can’t say whether this is a welcome change or not. However, we did find that the S23 FE’s telephoto lens can deliver “great 3x zoomed shots” and that its existence on the S23 FE is “a massive win for the S23 FE that allows it to stand out from the mid-range crowd.”
Both handsets also feature Samsung’s Nightography mode, which we tested with the Galaxy S23 FE and would hope to see similar results with the Galaxy A55. We found the 50MP main lens delivered “fairly similar results to the flagship in the majority of scenarios, both well-lit and low-light.”
We especially found low-light performance impressive as it didn’t “unnaturally lighten dark environments like some high-end alternatives.”
The Galaxy A55 5G has a bigger battery
The Samsung Galaxy A55 5G has a larger battery than the Galaxy S23 FE, with a 5,000mAh capacity compared to the FE’s 4,500mAh. Although we haven’t yet reviewed the A55 and tested the battery life, Samsung claims the handset should last for up to two days.
In our review of the Galaxy S23 FE we found that the handset is more than capable of a full day’s usage. In fact, we found over an 18-hour day we’d get to bed with around 20-30% battery left.
Both handsets are secured by Samsung Knox
Are you tempted to buy the S23 FE purely because it’s secured by Samsung Knox? Well, the Galaxy A55 is now also secured by Samsung Knox, and, alongside the A35 5G, it is the first Samsung A series smartphone to do so. This will undoubtedly be a welcome addition for long-term A series users who had previously missed out on the protection.
Samsung Knox is Samsung Galaxy’s multi-layer security platform, designed to safeguard critical information and protect against any vulnerabilities.
Similarly, both the Samsung Galaxy A55 5G and Galaxy S23 FE promise up to four OS upgrades and five years of security updates too.
The Galaxy S23 FE is more expensive
It would be fair to assume that as an older handset, the Galaxy S23 FE would now be slightly cheaper than the new Galaxy A55 5G, however this is not the case. In fact, the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE starts at £599 whereas the Samsung Galaxy A55 5G starts at just £439.
The S23 FE launched in October 2023, while the Samsung Galaxy A55 will be available to buy starting on 20th March.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
