A few days ago, two new mid-range Samsung devices were officially launched in Malaysia, the Samsung Galaxy A55 and the Samsung Galaxy A35. Both devices run One UI 6.1 based on Android 14 without any Galaxy AI features. But this time Samsung emphasizes the built-in security feature which is Knox Vault. The question is which Galaxy A is worth owning?
SPECIFICATION AND DESIGN
Samsung Galaxy A55 Samsung Galaxy A35
6.6″ Super AMOLED screen, 1080 x 2350 FHD+,
120Hz, HDR10+, Gorilla Glass Victus+ 6.6″ Super AMOLED, 1080 x 2350 FHD+
120Hz, HDR10+, Gorilla Glass Victus+
Exynos 1480 processor (4nm)
4x 2.75 GHz Cortex-A78
4x 2.0 GHz Cortex-A55 Exynos 1380 (5nm)
4x 2.4 GHz Cortex-A78
4x 2.0 GHz Cortex-A55
Graphics Chip Xclipse 530 (AMD RDNA2) Mali-G68 MP5
RAM 12GB LPDDR5 8GB LPDDR5
Storage 256GB UFS 3.1 256GB UFS 3.1
Primary Camera 50MP, f/1.8, Wide Angle OIS
12MP, f/2.2 Ultra Wide Angle
5MP, f/2.4 Macro 50MP, f/1.8, Wide Angle OIS
8MP, f/2.2 Ultra Wide Angle
5MP, f/2.4 Macro
Front Camera 32MP, f/2.2 13MP, f/2.2
5000mAh battery
25W 5000mAh Floating Charging
25W Floating Charging
Sim/Telephony Dual-SIM 5G Dual-SIM 5G
Stereo Speaker Audio Stereo Speaker
Wi-Fi. NFC, Bluetooth WiFi 6, Yes, Bluetooth 5.3 WiFi 6, Yes, Bluetooth 5.3
Infrared None None
Waterproof IP67 IP67
Under Screen Fingerprint Scanning System Under Screen Fingerprint
Sale Price Priced at RM1,999 Priced at RM1,699
The screen of this device uses a flat design but unfortunately unlike Nothing or Redmi, Samsung does not offer a design with thin and even bezels. This causes both Samsung Galaxy A55 and Samsung Galaxy A35 devices to not be comfortable enough to look at the screen in the long run. Too bad it's hard for me to appreciate a Super AMOLED panel with beautiful colors, fast scrolling and enough brightness for two devices in this mid-range.
For years, Samsung has borrowed the design of the Galaxy S series to the Galaxy A series. This indirectly makes the Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35 the best Galaxy S24 alternatives. The design is more or less the same so you don't feel left out, the selling price is also more affordable and both of these devices are still built to feel premium in the hand. Believe me, if you don't look at the screen from afar, people will definitely see this Galaxy A as a Galaxy S.
There is a bit of uniqueness in the design of these two devices compared to the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+. On the side of the device there is a slight indentation for extra grip. The side view also makes this device look sexier. All power and volume buttons are on the left, nothing on the right, on top there is a microphone hole and a SIM card slot, finally below is the speaker grille, USB-C slot and another microphone hole. The back panel of the device is flat and only has the Samsung logo and a camera bump with each lens sticking out.
USAGE – ONE UI 6.1 + KNOX VAULT
I was very disappointed to find that the Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35 both use One UI 6.1 based on Android 14 which is the same as the Galaxy S24 series but unfortunately there is no Galaxy AI feature at all. Even something as simple as translation is limited to Google Translate which is built into the keyboard. For this new Galaxy A series, Samsung focused on security which is Knox Vault.
Before I get into the Knox Vault, I'll share a brief experience using the device for a few days. I'll start with the Galaxy A55 which is pretty fast, smooth and absolutely no serious lag issues over a few days of use. The Exynos 1480 really challenges the processing chips of other mid-range devices. I dare to say that using the Gakaxy A55 is like using the Galaxy S24+ without AI features and satisfying initial capabilities.
As for the Galaxy A35, I keep patting my forehead because I keep feeling disappointed. The device uses the same Exynos chip on the 6nm-based Galaxy A54. This kind of chip construction is actually obsolete and no longer efficient. Because of that, the device will have obvious lag issues and serious heating issues that make the device hard to hold. I'd rather go with a mid-range device with a Helio G99 chip than an Exynos 1380.
Here are the Knox Vault features that Samsung wants to emphasize on these two new Galaxy A;
TEE-based protection, TrustZone.
Passwords, biometrics and cryptographic keys in the device are managed by a separate non-Android operating system.
User protection from the processor chip into the device all the way to the cloud.
The only line of mid-range devices with the strictest security system.
If you usually find this security feature on flagship devices, with the Samsung Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35 you can enjoy this awesome protection for under RM2000. So if you store a lot of confidential information on your phone, Samsung Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35 will be the best device of choice.
PERFORMANCE AND BENCHMARKS
For the benchmark test I compared the Galaxy A55 with Nothing Phone (2a) and the Galaxy A35 with the Oppo Reno11 F. The score of the Galaxy A55 surprised me because it is really powerful and can be a mid-range device killer. The score on the Galaxy A35 makes me think, is this a basic class device? No, but the score is quite low and the usage is also not satisfactory.
Antutu 3D
Samsung Galaxy A55 – 686,987
Nothing Phone (2a) – 685,115
Samsung Galaxy A35 – 503,093
Oppo Reno11 F – 606,353
Geekbench 6
Samsung Galaxy A55 – 1120/3338
Nothing Phone (2a) – 1110/2589
Samsung Galaxy A35 – 780/2700
Oppo Reno11 F – 884/2164
3D Mark Wildlife Extreme
Samsung Galaxy A55 – 1049 / 6.28
Nothing Phone (2a) – 1157 / 6.93 FPS
Samsung Galaxy A35 – 810 / 4.86 FPS
Oppo Reno11 F – N/A
I only had time to test the first on the Galaxy A55. The Exynos 1480 chip is faster and smoother than the Dimensity 7200 Pro. Launchers like Marvel Snap are very smooth, fast and don't shut down by themselves like Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 devices. But high graphics launchers like Honkai Star Rail can't run because after 10 seconds it shuts down by itself. Galaxy A35 I'm sure it can run first, but 3D graphics need to use low settings.
OK CAMERA!
Samsung Galaxy A55 uses a 50+12+5 Megapixel camera configuration with a 32 Megapixel selfie camera. The camera capabilities of this device are only average but the post-processing of each picture is faster than the Nothing Phone (2a). The color on me is good, it's just that it's not bright enough and the focus is a little slow.
The yellow color looks similar to the real object, but only in a bright environment.
In low light, the Galaxy A55 can be beautiful – but inconsistent.
A bonus feature, built-in Snapchat filters.
Night time is not so neat, focus is also not good.
As for the Samsung Galaxy A35, it's a bit extreme if I continue to get angry and express dissatisfaction when I've only been using it for a few days. Even using 50+8+5 Megapixel with a 13 Megapixel selfie camera, the result is more than okay... It's not bad, because it still manages to produce beautiful colors and tries to preserve details. It's just that a device priced at RM1699 should have a better camera like the Redmi Note 13.
When there are many colored elements, the system gets confused making the result look washed out.
Focus is sometimes good, but colors are dark.
The zoom result is quite soft and has a lot of noise.
At first glance it looks beautiful, but the details are not preserved.
Video recording for both devices is very poor. The color result looks good but there is a problem with focus and the audio is recorded in fragments as if there is static interference. One bonus thing I like is the built-in Snapchat filters right in both devices' camera apps.
BATTERY AND CHARGING
This is something I don't expect to happen on a device that uses an Exynos chip. The battery of both devices can last for quite a long time. Light use on the Galaxy A55 leads to 6-7 hours SOT, while on the Galaxy S35 around 5-6 hours SOT. For heavy use you should look forward to the next review article. What I hate about these two devices is that charging is limited to 25W, while some competing devices support up to over 100W.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX?
No matter which is more expensive or cheaper, these two new Galaxy A's only have;
1x Samsung Galaxy A55 or Samsung Galaxy A35
1x SIM Pin
1x USB-C to USB-C Cable
1x Guidebook and safety
CONCLUSION
As far as using these few days, I am very satisfied with the Galaxy A55 and less comfortable using the Galaxy A35. What I can conclude here is, Exynos chips deserve a second chance. The Exynos chip when paired with One UI 6.1 will be an inseparable pair because this operating system is fast enough and packed with useful features. One thing I have to say is, if you want to buy one of these devices make sure you make the right choice because the design is 90% the same. The only difference is the antenna.
PRO
Beautiful design, premium and sexy.
The same One UI 6.1 as Samsung's flagship devices.
Beautiful screen and fast.
Tight and secure Knox Vault security system.
CONS
No generative Ai feature.
Ugly screen design with ultra thick and uneven bezels.
Camera capabilities are not satisfactory.
Galaxy A55 can't play high graphics games, Galaxy A35 has a heating problem.