Samsung's Galaxy A55 5G and A35 5G Focus on Security and Design Upgrades
The new midrange phones bring improvements to core areas like security and design rather than flashy new features.
Samsung's Galaxy A55 5G has a glass and metal design.
Samsung has already launched a slew of new products this year, and it's continuing that streak with two new midrange phones: the Galaxy A55 5G and Galaxy A35 5G. Both phones will include the company's Knox Vault security system for the first time, and Samsung is flaunting the A55 5G's ability to take better photos in the dark.
Like Google's Pixel A series and Apple's iPhone SE family, Samsung's Galaxy A phones are a lower-cost alternative to the company's premium devices. Samsung's press release didn't mention pricing or availability, but we can expect these phones to fall in the same price range as last year's devices. The Galaxy A54 5G, for example, launched at $450.
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Only the Galaxy A35 5G will be available in the US. Samsung is instead positioning the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 FE as cheaper options for those who want something more powerful than the Galaxy A35 5G, but at a more affordable price than the Galaxy S24.
"We can confirm that Galaxy A35 5G will be coming to the US market and look forward to sharing more details in the coming weeks," a representative from Samsung's US branch said in a statement to CNET, adding that it "will not be carrying the Galaxy A55 5G at this time."
Samsung Galaxy A35 5G.
The headline feature of both phones seems to be the addition of Samsung Knox Vault, a secure environment that's physically separated from the phone's main processor and memory for storing sensitive data like login credentials. While Knox Vault has been available on other devices like those in the Galaxy S product line, it's the first time Samsung's made this security feature available on the more affordable Galaxy A family.
Both phones have a 6.6-inch screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 5,000-mAh battery, but there are some differences when it comes to camera hardware. Samsung says the Galaxy A55 5G should take crisper nighttime photos thanks to the phone's AI image signal processing, although it's unclear whether the Galaxy A35 5G will also have this capability. However, Samsung's Indian product page for the Galaxy A35 5G does suggest it will have an improved neural processing unit and enhanced sensor for low light photos.
The Galaxy A55 5G has a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera, a 5-megapixel macro camera and a 32-megapixel front camera. The Galaxy A35 5G has similar camera hardware, but a slightly lower-resolution 8-megapixel ultrawide camera and 13-megapixel front camera along with the 50-megapixel main camera and 5-megapixel macro camera.
Samsung's Galaxy A55 5G.
Samsung's press release didn't include many details on the phones' design, but the company's Indian and Malaysian product pages suggest they have glass backs made with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus Plus and IP67 water resistance, while the Galaxy A55 5G also has a metal frame. Both phones will run on an octa-core processor, according to those product pages, although the company hasn't shared more details.
The websites also suggest both phones will have expandable storage -- a notable difference that separates them from the more premium Galaxy S series -- and will receive four generations of Android and Samsung's One UI software updates. That's not as long as the seven-year pledge Samsung made for the Galaxy S24 series, but it matches the company's previous software support policy.
With the Galaxy A55 5G and Galaxy A35 5G, Samsung appears to be focused on upgrading core elements like design and security rather than adding flashy new features. Samsung is seemingly building on its approach with last year's Galaxy A54 5G, which included a fresh design that felt more premium than its predecessor's.
