Just when we thought the budget phone space wasn’t receiving its fair share of love this year, we are suddenly being inundated with them. Just a few weeks ago it was the Nothing Phone 2a trying to earn that coveted title of best cheap phone, but now the spotlight's on the Galaxy A55.
Samsung just announced its new budget friendly phone alongside its other cheaper phone, the Galaxy A35. Between them, the Galaxy A55 is the more logical rival to the Pixel 7a based on the specs and what we know about it. These two phones are going to collide with one another until we presumably get Google’s successor later this summer with the Pixel 8a. Yup, the battle for best cheap phone is heating up.
It’s not a matter of making the cheapest devices for phone makers anymore, but rather, proving to consumers that their devices offer more value than their rivals. For the interim, though, there’s extra incentive for the newer phone. Here are all the ways the Galaxy A55 beats the Pixel 7a.
Larger screen, faster refresh rate
Budget phones typically get lower resolution displays paired with boring 60Hz refresh rates, but these two get a little extra love in this department. However, it’s the Galaxy A55 with the more attractive display because of its larger size and higher refresh rate.
Sporting a 6.6-inch FHD AMOLED display, the Galaxy A55 has more screen real estate to enjoy watching all of your favorite Oscar 2024 winning films versus the Pixel 7a’s 6.1-inch OLED panel. This size disparity is nice, but the Galaxy A55 takes it a step further by offering a smoother 120Hz refresh rate. Of course, this inherently makes videos and animations look smoother on the Galaxy A55, but it’s probably going to be emphasized a lot more with gaming versus the Pixel 7a’s 90Hz refresh rate.
Better durability
Both phones have IP67 ratings to protect them from accidental submersion, but the Samsung Galaxy A55 has a bit more durability in the form of Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus Plus covering the front and back of the phone. It helps to make the phone tougher and more damage resistant than the Pixel 7a’s Gorilla Glass 3 covering.
It’s an upgrade for the Galaxy A55 over last year’s Gorilla Glass 6 with last year’s A54. But the biggest reason why the Galaxy A55 beats the Pixel 7a here is how there’s better drop performance with Gorilla Glass Victus Plus. Don’t get us wrong, Gorilla Glass 3 can endure scratches and other minor abrasions, but it doesn’t have the same level of drop performance based on Corning’s own testing.
More utility with its triple cameras
There’s also a big difference when we pay attention to their rear cameras. That’s because the A55 has the slight utility of having an extra camera. In fact, its triple camera arrangement breaks down to a 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, and a 5MP macro. The latter should be helpful in capturing closeups, especially when the Pixel 7a’s dual-camera system lacks a proper macro mode.
While it’s swell for the A55 to feature an extra macro camera, it’ll ultimately come down to performance to really distinguish the better one. So far, the Pixel 7a hasn’t disappointed us in any of our recent camera shootouts, which is probably why it continues to earn a spot in our best camera phones guide — so it’ll be a tall order for the Galaxy A55 to beat it.
Larger battery capacity
The best battery life phones are no longer just reserved for flagship models, and the Galaxy A55 could very well prove that again with its larger 5,000 mAh battery. The larger size should give it the boost to eclipse the 4,385 mAh battery of the Pixel 7a, which achieves a time of 10 hours and 5 minutes in Tom’s Guide’s battery benchmark test. That time was largely considered average, but it has since been upped by other recent budget phone releases like the Nothing Phone 2a.
Faster charging speed
Likewise, the Galaxy A55 beats the Pixel 7a in the recharge department as well with its faster 25W wired charging — versus the Pixel 7a’s 18W wired charging. If you’re in a pinch for time, the Galaxy A55’s 25W charging speed should yield more battery charge, making it perfect for those moments when you need to top off while waiting for your morning coffee. Unfortunately, Samsung continues to forgo including wireless charging in its budget phone, so that’s an incentive you’ll find with the Pixel 7a.
More attractive color options
Even if you intend on buying a case to protect it, not only are there more color options available with the Galaxy A55 (four in total), but they’re also more attractive than the Pixel 7a color options. The four color options consist of Awesome Ice Blue, Awesome Yellow, Awesome Navy, and Awesome Lilac — with the latter getting our attention the most of its rainbow-like shimmering effect.
It’s cheaper
And finally, cash strapped buyers will be happy to know that the Galaxy A55 is cheaper than the Pixel 7a. While its pricing in the U.S. is still unknown, the Galaxy A55’s price overseas in markets like the U.K. will have it listed at £439 — whereas the Pixel 7a retails for £449. Presuming that we’ll get a similar pricing structure in the U.S., the Galaxy A55 could essentially replace its predecessor’s top spot position in our best cheap phones list.
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