Samsung Galaxy A35 vs. A55: which one should you buy?

Samsung has presented two new models of the A series, the Galaxy A35 and the Galaxy A55. That means there are two more devices to choose from in the mid-range again. This is a first impression: the detailed tests will follow. This is about what sets the two apart and who the purchase is worth it for.

Samsung presented the devices at the end of February at a lounge event, its small trade show of its own, “World of Samsung”.

Same basis in design, display and battery

From the outside, both share the same design. Like the Galaxy S series, they have an almost completely flat frame. On the A35 it is made of plastic, on the A55 of stainless steel. That is the only difference by which you can tell them apart from the outside. The A55’s metal frame is slightly brushed and has a small visible antenna strip on the side.

Both have in common:

• glass back made of Corning Gorilla Glass
• camera modules in the new Samsung design, where the lenses come directly out of the housing
• 5,000 mAh battery
• 6.6-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display with 120 Hz and about 1,000 nits; in direct sun it gets harder to read
• identical colors
• protection against dust and water to IP67
• four years of OS updates and five years of security updates

The prices (RRP) are €379 for the A35 and €479 for the A55, each with 128 GB.

Differences in processor and camera

From my point of view, two differences matter.

	Galaxy A35	Galaxy A55
Processor	Exynos 1380 (like in last year’s A34)	Exynos 1480
RAM (128 GB)	6 GB	8 GB
Wide-angle camera	8 megapixels	12 megapixels
Dual Recording	no	yes
Image Clipping tool	no	yes
Frame	Plastic	Stainless steel
RRP (128 GB)	€379	€479

With the A55, you can expect more power, for example when gaming or when editing photos and videos. How big the difference actually is, I’ll test in detail.

For the camera, both have a 50-megapixel main camera and a 5-megapixel macro camera. Both record videos in Super HDR, at 12 bit. We otherwise know that from the premium segment. On the A55, Dual Recording is added, with which you film with the front and main camera at the same time. That’s a cool feature for content creators. The Image Clipping tool cuts something out of an image so you can paste it somewhere else. Samsung itself says the A55 is therefore more suited for everyone who creates content for social media. Whether the camera difference is really significant, I’ll check in the test.

No Galaxy AI

With the Galaxy S24 series and the Galaxy Book 4, Samsung put the topic of AI front and center. The Galaxy AI features are also coming to the Galaxy S23 as well as the Z Flip and Z Fold 5 via update. The A series doesn’t get them; that remains reserved for more expensive devices. I regret that, especially for Circle to Search. Presumably the processors’ performance isn’t sufficient for it. Only the A55 has a mini AI feature: with portrait shots, the images are post-processed with AI support.

There are also no seven years of updates as in the premium segment. Something has to make the premium segment the premium segment.

Which device is worth it for whom?

In first impressions, both devices are built to a very high standard for me and give more of a premium than a mid-range impression in the hand. Without having done the test in detail, I say: if you do somewhat more in the social media area with your smartphone, you should go for the A55. If you don’t need that, you’re better off investing the €100 in something else, for example new headphones or a nice smartwatch.