Samsung Galaxy A55

At Rs. 139,999, the Samsung Galaxy A55 is one of the most expensive mid-range phones in Pakistan. It is sold here mainly as the 8GB + 256GB version.

Main advantages:

• A premium aluminium frame, glass back and IP67 water resistance
• One of the best displays in its class, with loud stereo speakers
• A reliable 50 MP main camera with OIS and a sharp 32 MP selfie camera
• Clean One UI with up to 4 major Android upgrades and five years of security updates

Main disadvantages:

• The Exynos 1480 is slower than rivals' chips at this price, especially in games
• No telephoto camera or 2x portrait mode
• 25W charging with no charger in the box
• Thick bezels and a heavy body

Alternatives: the Vivo V60 Lite 5G (Rs. 94,999) is much cheaper and offers a 6500 mAh battery with 90W charging. The Oppo Reno 15F (Rs. 120,999) has a 7000 mAh battery and 80W charging. The Galaxy A35 shares the same rear camera system in a plastic frame and is a cheaper way to get most of the A55 experience.

Verdict: the A55 is overpriced on paper, but it is a balanced and durable phone. It suits buyers who want Samsung's build quality, display and software support and do not play demanding games. Gamers and battery-focused buyers will get more for less elsewhere.

Official specs: a 6.6 inches Super AMOLED panel at 1080 x 2340 resolution, with a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ and up to 1000 nits in high brightness mode. Gorilla Glass Victus+ protects the front.

Real-world use: this is easily one of the best displays in its class. Colours are punchy, there is no unnecessary over-sharpening in videos, and the minimum brightness is low enough for comfortable night use. The screen is brighter than the Galaxy A54's and stays easy to read in direct sunlight, helped by Samsung's Vision Booster.

Smoothness: the refresh rate adapts automatically to what is on screen, up to 120Hz, and scrolling through feeds and Instagram Reels is smooth without jitter.

Media: HDR video is supported on YouTube, and the stereo speakers are louder than before, making movies and shows feel close to a flagship experience.

Limitations:

• Thick bezels, with a lower screen-to-body ratio than many rivals
• The optical in-display fingerprint sensor is fast enough but not as quick as the ultrasonic sensors on S-series phones

The Galaxy A55 uses the Exynos 1480 (4 nm) with 8GB LPDDR5X RAM and fast UFS 3.1 storage in the Pakistani version. Part of the storage can also be used as extra virtual RAM.

Everyday use: apps, scrolling and multitasking run without lag. However, compared with similarly priced phones, the A55 feels a little slower, and its benchmark scores trail many rivals at this price.

Gaming: reports differ. One assessment found PUBG Mobile and Genshin Impact averaging around 30fps, with Call of Duty Mobile staying under 40 frames per second, while early tests found PUBG Mobile holding 60fps smoothly. Either way, this is not a phone for serious gamers.

Heating and sustained performance: heat control is a strength. A vapour chamber 1.7 times larger than the Galaxy A35's keeps temperatures at about 40 degrees or below. In a CPU throttling test the chip kept around 85% of its performance, which is acceptable but less stable than some rival chips. The phone can warm up on weak mobile signal or in hot weather, and the metal frame makes this easy to feel.

Bottom line: smooth, cool and reliable for everyday use, but not the best performer for the price.

Official specs: a 50 MP main camera with OIS, a 12 MP ultrawide and a 5 MP macro on the back, with a 32 MP selfie camera on the front.

Daylight: the main camera is the A55's biggest strength. Photos have pleasing colours, the right amount of contrast, excellent dynamic range and accurate white balance, with highlights controlled well even in bright sun. Close-ups have natural background blur.

Low light: the main camera keeps good detail and natural colours at night, and OIS works well. The ultrawide struggles to gather light, so its night shots look dark. Night mode often makes images look artificial, and the cheaper Galaxy A35 handles night mode better.

Portraits and selfies: portraits are limited to 1x, with no 2x or telephoto option, though skin tones look good. The 32 MP selfie camera gives good detail, solid HDR and a natural look.

Video: the rear and front cameras record up to 4K at 30fps, but 4K at 60fps is missing. Stabilisation is good for handheld shots, though walking or vlogging can add slight jitter. Slow motion is limited to 720p, and there is no portrait video mode.

Ultrawide: shots are usable in good light but less reliable for detail and exposure.

Official specs: a 5000 mAh battery with 25W wired charging.

Real-world use: reports differ, depending on how the phone is used. With heavy use, the efficient 4 nm chip delivers a screen-on time of around 7 to 8 hours. Continuous use at more than half brightness gives about 5 to 6 hours, and travelling on 4G mobile data with a changing signal can bring this down to 4 to 5 hours. On Wi-Fi, a full day is easy.

Charging: A full charge at 25W takes roughly 1.5 hours. There is no charger in the box, so budget for a Samsung 25W adapter.

Compromise: rivals such as the Vivo V60 Lite 5G and Oppo Reno 15F offer bigger batteries and far faster charging. The A55 lasts a day for most people, but refilling it takes much longer.

The Galaxy A55 launched with Android 14 and One UI 6.1. Samsung promises up to 4 major Android upgrades and five years of security updates, and it delivers updates on time more consistently than most brands.

Everyday experience: this is where the A55 shines. One UI is mature and polished, with little to no bloatware, and most pre-installed apps can be disabled. There are no ads in the interface, and the vibration motor gives soft, precise feedback.

Security: Samsung Knox provides hardware-based protection, and Secure Folder keeps private files and apps locked away.

Useful features:

• AI noise cancellation during calls
• AI-based photo editing tools in the Gallery
• Extra virtual RAM from storage

Limitations: there is no headphone jack, and the memory card slot is shared with the second SIM.