Samsung Galaxy A55 vs. A35: which mid-range phone is better?

With the Samsung Galaxy A35 and A55, the Korean company has launched successors to its mid-range devices A34 and A54. Both models are very similar, outside an in.

You can get the Samsung Galaxy A35 with six or eight gigabytes of RAM. The Galaxy A55 only comes with eight.

Here are both models with the same memory:

Samsung Galaxy A35 (8 GB of RAM/256 GB ROM)

Samsung Galaxy A55 (8 GB of RAM/256 GB ROM)

Below are the specifications of the two models with a cross comparison to the respective predecessor models. Innovations are generally minimal. The A55 differs from the A35 in terms of the processor and a different ultra-wide-angle camera.

Design and display: Samsung’s trademark remains

With the Samsung Galaxy A55 and A35, you have the same four colours to choose from: black, light blue, yellow and purple. There’s a subtle difference in the finishing: the A55 has a visibly polished aluminium frame, while it’s completely smooth on the A35. And the USB-C port is slightly shifted in its position.

Otherwise, both come in the typical Samsung look with three cameras in a row on the back left. Due to the plastic back, the models may not appear as high-quality as the flagships, but they don’t look cheap either.

Both models, the Galaxy A35 and Galaxy A55, are the same size and have the same display – a 6.6-inch AMOLED with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits. There was still a small difference in size with the predecessors. The resolution of both current models is 2340 × 1080 pixels, the refresh rate is 120 hertz. These AMOLED displays are above average for the mid-range, featuring rich colours and a dark black.

The whole thing is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus. This material is used in many current Android phones and designed to withstand drops from two metres.

Due to the format, about the size of an iPhone 13 Pro Max, the two aren’t suited for small hands. I already criticised this with the predecessors.

Hardware: solid mid-range

To test the performance, I use Geekbench 6. I also look at concrete everyday scenarios for my test. Web browsing as well as videos and games should run as smoothly as possible.

The Samsung Galaxy A35 and A55 perform similarly, the A55 is slightly ahead in single-core performance:

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So what does everyday use life look like? Last year’s predecessors have already shown that the battery life is completely sufficient. Obviously, this hasn’t changed with the new chips. I’m pretty satisfied. Both smartphones always run smoothly when surfing the web and streaming video. I don’t notice many differences with the newer phones. Compared to the predecessors, scrolling is smoother. This is probably down to software, as the flagships also had this flaw.

When it comes to gaming, things look somewhat different. Games that require powerful graphics and computing power, such as Genshin Impact in my case, cause the smartphone to slow down considerably, preventing overheating. I can see a little more detail in the graphics of the A55. For a mid-range device, however, it’s sufficient in both cases.

A 5,000 mAh battery is installed in both models. How long it lasts depends very much on your personal use. I use the software PC-Mark 3.0 to test how the devices compare.

Both the Samsung Galaxy A35 and the A55 have a battery life of around 12.5 hours. Enough for heavy web browsing, video streaming and image editing, lasting you about a day this way. This is in line with the two predecessor models, no improvements. Compared to other mid-range devices, the value is above average. The Nothing Phone 2a, for example, manages just under 11 hours, but performs better in benchmarks.

Both the Galaxy A35 and A55 can be charged with up to 25 watts in just over 1.5 hours. You’ll need your own power supply unit for this. Again, no differences to the predecessors. You’ll have to do without wireless charging.

Cameras: 50 megapixels are misleading

Compared to the predecessors, little has changed in camera terms, but even then they did their job in good lighting conditions. I generally see slight improvements with macro and zoom.

On paper, the current models differ from each other in some respects. The Galaxy A55 has 12 MP instead of 8 MP for the ultra-wide angle, while the A35 and the front camera have 32 MP instead of 13 MP. As a result, I’m comparing the cameras of the Galaxy A55 with those of the Galaxy A35 to see whether the upgrade to the more expensive model is worthwhile.

One positive that strikes me initially: when I use the camera app for the first time, I’m asked whether I’d prefer to take my photos with natural or warm colours. I like it, and I can change the setting at any time. I generally choose natural colours for the photos. For selfies, I prefer the warm option so I don’t look as pale.

Main camera: megapixel, shmegapixel

Both main cameras take very good photos. In most cases, I can’t tell the difference. The attention to detail is pronounced and the colours are bright. The result is a matter of taste.

The main cameras have 50 megapixels. Pixel binning ultimately results in 12 megapixels. If you want to use the full 50 megapixels, you can set this directly in the app, but you’ll then lose certain functions such as zoom.

The comparison between 12- and 50-megapixel photos only shows a difference when you zoom in very close. And the 12-megapixel camera even comes off a little better. Turns out megapixels aren’t everything.

Zoom and wide angle

The zoom on the A35 and A55 is digital and takes good pictures up to four times magnification. A total of ten zoom levels are available. I felt that the photos of the previous models were already at their limit with triple zoom.

Differences between the current models are still minimal. The A55 produces slightly blurrier but more natural results. Still, this is only noticeable when you closely compare on the computer. Here’s the result of the A35:

Here’s a comparison with the A55 at 4x zoom too.

I hardly see any differences between the 12 MP camera of the Galaxy A55 and the 8 MP camera of the Galaxy A35 when it comes to the wide angle. Not even when cross-comparing on a PC monitor.

Portraits

In terms of the selfie camera, the Samsung Galaxy A55 with 32 megapixels competes with the 13 megapixels of the A35. In practice, this difference is only slightly visible when zooming in. Selfies with the A55 even look a little less sharp. I prefer this natural blurring for a self-portrait.

When I look at pictures from the Galaxy A35 on their own, I also like them. The bokeh is fine with both, I only see subtle inconsistencies around my hair on closer inspection.

Videos

I can’t find any differences in videos; the 50-megapixel main cameras of the Galaxy A35 and A55 do a good job. The optical image stabiliser also fulfils its purpose. I’m satisfied with the result.

Software: the usual from Samsung

The Samsung Galaxy A35 and A55 both come with Android 14 and Samsung’s One UI 6.1 user interface. You’ll find pre-installed Samsung apps as well as Google services. Samsung has also included apps from third-party providers such as Spotify, Facebook and Netflix. The latter can be easily uninstalled.

The update periods are a plus for Samsung, the manufacturer promises to deliver the latest Android versions for four years, and security patches for five years.

Special functions that you’ll only find on Samsung devices are also on board. For example, there’s SmartThings to control your smart devices at home. Or Dual Messenger, so you can use your messenger service such as WhatsApp or Telegram with two accounts.

Verdict: hardly any differences, not even to the predecessors

The models are a classic product update of the A-series, and the Samsung Galaxy A55 is a really good mid-range smartphone. You don’t have to sacrifice a good camera or solid processor performance. This is also the case with the Galaxy A35. In practice, there are hardly any differences. Only in gaming and selfies does the more expensive device perform slightly better. I don’t think that’s worth the extra charge, even if it’s small.

But even when compared to the previous models, there’s hardly any point that stands out. If you want a good mid-range device, I’d still recommend the new Samsung Galaxy A35 with 8 GB of RAM. It gives you the longest support from time of purchase and you’ll miss little or nothing compared to the A55 in everyday life.

If you think three years of Android and four years of security updates are enough, I’d go for the Samsung Galaxy A54. If you can live with Wi-Fi 5 instead of Wi-Fi 6, even the Galaxy A34.