Samsung Galaxy A55 vs. A54: Explanation of all major changes

Samsung is actively releasing new phones in 2024. At the end of January, Samsung launched its flagship line Galaxy S24. That’s great, but not everyone can afford the latest and greatest flagship. Luckily, Samsung also offers affordable alternatives, and that’s part of the appeal of the new model. Galaxy A55.

If you are new to phones AndroidSamsung has the Galaxy S series and the A series. While the Galaxy S series is designed to provide high performance and cutting-edge technology features, the A series is more focused on affordability but also comes with some new features.

The new Galaxy A55 is the successor Galaxy A54 since last year. It has a new design and improved features, but to what extent is it really an upgrade? Let’s take a look.

Samsung Galaxy A55 vs. Galaxy A54: characteristics

Samsung Galaxy A55 vs. A54: design and screen

Typically, there are no big changes in how Samsung Galaxy A phones look from year to year. However, this option is different.

The Galaxy A55 is actually slightly larger than its predecessor, with a 6.6-inch screen. For comparison, the A54 had a 6.4-inch screen. The A55 is also slightly heavier at 213 grams compared to the A54’s 202 grams.

The difference in weight is partly due to the materials each phone is made from. The old Galaxy A54 had a plastic frame, while the new Galaxy A55 has switched to a metal frame. Because of this, the A55 should feel a little more premium than its predecessor.

The Galaxy A54 and A55 have the same vertical triple camera design on the rear glass. Here’s a simple way to look at it: The A55 is similar to the S24 line, while the A54 is more similar to the S23 series.

An obvious design change for the Galaxy A55 compared to its predecessor is the new ‘key island’ that it borrows from the Galaxy A15 and A25. This protrusion protrudes slightly from the right edge of the phone and contains the volume and power buttons. It’s also an easy way to differentiate the A55 from the flagship S24 devices.

While the Samsung Galaxy A55 has the same IP67 certification as the Galaxy A54, the front glass is now reinforced with Gorilla Glass Victus instead of Gorilla Glass 5. This should mean a little more resistance to drops and scratches.

This year, Samsung has also improved the color options available for the A55 as it comes in four vibrant colors: Awesome Blue, Awesome Black, Awesome Pink and Awesome Yellow. The A54 is also available in four colors: Awesome Graphite, Awesome White, Awesome Violet and Awesome Lime.

Despite the different sizes, the Super AMOLED screens have a refresh rate of 120 Hz and a maximum brightness of 1000 nits. The A55 also has slightly thinner bezels around the screen, and Samsung has added a new feature called Vision Booster. This is supposed to make the screen clearer and brighter in different lighting conditions.

Samsung Galaxy A55 vs. A54: performance and battery

Samsung has focused on improving the performance of the Galaxy A55 with a new chip. The A55 uses the newer and more powerful Exynos 1480 chip, while the A54 uses the older Exynos 1380 chip.

However, Samsung hasn’t said how much faster the new chipset is compared to the previous version, but we should see a noticeable improvement. This is also because the A55 has more RAM – it starts at 8GB of RAM for the 128GB version, while the 256GB model can be had with 8GB or up to 12GB of RAM. In comparison, the A54 starts with 6GB of RAM and goes up to a maximum of 8GB.

On the software front, the Galaxy A55 runs Android 14 with One UI 6.1 layered on top. Samsung says the A55 will receive four years of major software updates and five years of security patches. Since it’s the same promise for the A54, the A55 will outlast the A54 in at least one major software release.

Both phones pack a 5,000mAh battery and support up to 25W wired charging. None of them have wireless charging.

Samsung Galaxy A55 vs. A54: cameras

At first glance, Samsung hasn’t made any changes to the Galaxy A55’s triple-lens camera system to differentiate it from the Galaxy A54. Both phones feature a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 5MP macro lens. The front selfie camera on both phones has a resolution of 32 MP.

Again, it appears that no changes have been made to the camera hardware, but the differences could lie in the new advanced AI image signal processing (ISP) system that Samsung uses. Samsung claims that with this new ISP, the A55 will be able to take better images in low light. There’s also a new night portrait mode and Super HDR video support.

These are big claims from Samsung, so we’ll have to wait and see if the Galaxy A55 actually takes better photos than its predecessor once we get our hands on it.

Samsung Galaxy A55 vs. A54: price and availability

Even though the Galaxy A54 is the oldest model, it can still be purchased directly from Samsung.com, carrier stores, and major retailers like Best Buy.

When the Galaxy first launched, the retail price was $450, which wasn’t a bad price at all considering the specs. But now, since it’s an older model, it’s easy to find at a discount, meaning you can often snag one for under $400. In the US, the Galaxy A54 only comes in two colors: Awesome Graphite and Awesome Violet. The other two colors, Awesome White and Awesome Lime, are only sold in Europe.

The Galaxy A55 is a little trickier in terms of accessibility. It will launch on March 20, but only in select markets. Additionally, Samsung has confirmed that it will not be coming to the US. If you can buy the Galaxy A55, its price will start at £439, which is around $564.

Samsung Galaxy A55 vs. A54: is it worth upgrading?

If you’re currently using a Samsung Galaxy A54, you’ll be fine in the next two years. The Galaxy A55 is a worthy upgrade, but given its lack of availability in the US, it’s harder to get one for a minor iterative upgrade. Plus, the Galaxy A54 is smaller, so if you prefer a more compact phone, you’ll want to keep what you have right now.

But if you’re in the UK or Europe, don’t already have a Galaxy A54 and want a decent mid-range phone that won’t break the bank, the Galaxy A55 is a good option.

Galaxy A55 features a large 6.6-inch AMOLED display with new Vision Booster technology for greater clarity and brightness. The new Exynos 1480 processor with 8GB to 12GB RAM offers better performance and (hopefully) power efficiency. And despite having an identical camera system, the new ISP should help you take better images in low light.

We’ll update this comparison once we’ve had a chance to use the Galaxy A55 for ourselves, but for now, your path forward is clear: if you live in the US and already have a Galaxy A54, keep holding on to it. If you’re in the market for a new budget phone, the Galaxy A54 is still a good buy in 2024. If you can wait for the Galaxy A55 to arrive and live in a market where it will be available, your patience should pay off.