I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I was given the new Samsung A55 for review.
Samsung's approach to phones is different to others, with three tiers: the S Series, the Z Series and the A Series. S is of course the flagship series, the phones that come with all the bells and whistles. The Z Series are Samsung's undeniable cool flip phones. And the A Series phone are the entry level products.
It's not uncommon for tech manufacturers to reserve all the truly best features for their top tier phones, leaving the entry level products to be rather underwhelming. I've certainly seen it before. But the new Samsung A Series was a surprise. So much so that when I first saw the phones laid out on a desk, I feared I'd attended the wrong briefing.
The A Series phones, the A55 and A35, do not compromise. In fact, I would say they punch far above their weight. Each phone has the appearance and certainly many of the features of a premium phone. If you're in the market for a new device, you'd be foolish not to consider these. Here's what's new in the 2024 Samsung A Series lineup.
Aluminium casing
The previous A Series was cased in plastic. It's a telling signing that the phone that you have may not be the most premium device. But this year, both the A55 and A35 have an aluminium case, with front and rear dust-resistant glass. This sleek upgrade makes these devices near indistinguishable from some flagship devices that are more than twice the price.
Enhanced security features
Samsung has introduced a new hardware-based security solution. In layman's term, all your most sensitive data like pin codes, lock screen credentials and passwords are stores in a physically isolated place away from the rest of the memory. It's called Knox Vault, and it's one of the key features of Samsung's flagship phones. In my view, it's impressive that a value-led device like the A Series would be given top spec features normally reserved for flagships only.
There are a tonne of other security features, including an auto blocker that can block malicious app instalations, enhanced controls that allow you to see how your data is being used - and my personal favourite - real-time threat detection that can identify scammer calls as you're receiving them.
Updated camera features
Phone users consistently identify the camera and photography features as their first priorities when choosing a phone, so the A Series models have not skimped here. The sensor in the A Series is now larger, allowing for more light and better quality photos. This has helped facilitate a Night Portrait Mode, allowing for high-quality imagery to be taken in low light. There's also dual (front and rear) filming capabilities, a handy feature for creators.
Battery life
In my briefing, the inevitable conversation about battery life arose. According to Samsung, the A55 has 2 days of battery life - an extremely impressive credential. Obviously battery life is affected by how you use your phone, but even if this was a generous estimate, it's still well above industry average.
Pricing
The A35 is $549 and the A55 is $699. It's an incredible price point considering just how many features these phones have. Notably, these devices both have Super AMOLED displays and e-sims.
The A Series has always been Samsung's value-led phone range, and the value has never been better. The A Series is available now on Samsung or through your telco.
