5 Android smartphones to buy instead of Galaxy A55

summary

• The Google Pixel 7a offers a cheaper, more compact option with a great camera and clean software.
• OnePlus 12R outperforms the Galaxy A55 with its powerful Snapdragon chip and 2-day battery life.
• The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE caters to fans with its premium specs, while the Moto Edge impresses with its style and display.

Surprisingly, Samsung has decided not to release this year’s most powerful mid-ranger, the Galaxy A55, in the US, at least for the time being. The Korean giant’s mid-range phones were never known for their performance or value for money, but their wide availability and excellent software support meant they were still the default choice for many. With the Galaxy A55 not coming to the US, here are his five Android smartphones that will perfectly fill that void and are worth your money.

1 google pixel 7a

amazing all rounder

If there’s one company that will benefit most from the Galaxy A55’s absence in the US, it’s Google. The company’s $499 Pixel 7a packs the best parts of the Pixel 7 into a cheaper, more compact package.

There are some trade-offs to choosing Google’s mid-range champion over Samsung. Unlike the Galaxy A55’s 6.6-inch 120Hz AMOLED panel, the Pixel 7a has a smaller 6.1-inch display with a 90Hz refresh rate. Battery life also doesn’t come close to the A55. The latter can easily survive a day of intense usage thanks to its Exynos 1480 SoC and powerful 5,000mAh battery.

However, once you overcome these shortcomings, you get a phone with a great camera, useful AI features like Magic Eraser, a clean, bloatware-free Android experience, and quick software updates. The Tensor G2 chip in the Pixel 7a also performs better than Samsung’s Exynos 1480 chip in the Galaxy A55. It gets hot if you push it hard, but it’s better to have horsepower than no horsepower at all.

The official price of the Pixel 7a is $499, but you can regularly get up to $150 off the MSRP. This makes it far more affordable and a much better choice than any option made by Samsung. If you’re okay with waiting, he might be wise to wait until the Pixel 8a comes out later this year.

2 One Plus 12R

beast of performance

If you don’t want to spend more than $500 on an Android smartphone in the US, the OnePlus 12R is probably the device to buy. Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, the phone’s performance revolves around the Galaxy A55. It also features a larger 6.78-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and 3,000 nits peak brightness.

Even better, the 5,500mAh battery gives the OnePlus 12R a two-day battery life. If you’re in a hurry, 100W wired fast charging can fully charge the cells in under 30 minutes.

The only downside to the OnePlus 12R is its limited availability. Samsung phones are typically available at all major carriers and retailers in the United States, but OnePlus phones are not. You can buy it directly from the OnePlus website or Amazon, but you won’t find it in your carrier’s store.

3 Samsung Galaxy S23 FE

one for fans

If you prefer Samsung’s One UI skin and are willing to pay a premium, consider buying the Galaxy S23 FE. This phone is packed with the best parts of last year’s Galaxy S23, including a 6.4-inch 120Hz AMOLED panel, 50MP f/1.8 primary camera with OIS, and a massive 4,500mAh battery. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC gets a little hot when it’s running, but if you don’t use heavy apps or games, you don’t need to worry too much.

The Galaxy S23 FE is a much better buy than the Galaxy A55 thanks to its stronger internals and capable camera. Also, many Galaxy AI features will be added as part of One UI 6.1. The Galaxy S23 FE costs $600, making it one of the most expensive options on this list. You can usually get a good discount on the phone, but the hefty price tag is disappointing.

Four Moto Edge (2023)

style over content

If you prefer style over substance, the 2023 Motorola Edge is a great alternative to the Galaxy A55. This is the only phone on this list with a 144Hz OLED panel and a sleek design, and those alone may overcome some of Samsung’s resistance.

In addition to its great display, Moto Edge also stands out with its clean OS and UI. Motorola’s software support isn’t even close to Samsung’s, so you’ll have to make compromises in this area. The MediaTek Dimensity 7030 chip isn’t the fastest either, so if you want your phone to smoothly run the best Android games, look elsewhere. Thankfully, it’s a battery champ. Despite its thin structure, Moto Edge packs a 4,400mAh battery. Combined with 68W wired fast charging, you can quickly charge the battery when you’re in a hurry.

The $600 MSRP might be intimidating, but the Motorola Edge (2023) is always on sale. In fact, throughout 2024, he was more often discounted to $350 than the actual standard price.

Five Samsung Galaxy A35

affordable galaxy

If you don’t want to spend a lot of money on Samsung’s own Galaxy A55 replacement, buy the Galaxy A35 instead. It packs the best parts of the Galaxy A54 and this year’s A55 into a cheaper package. A 6.6-inch AMOLED display is built into the IP67-certified body, and inside it is powered by Exynos 1380 SoC. This is paired with 128 or 256 GB of storage and 6 or 8 GB of RAM. Powering the phone is a massive 5,000mAh battery with 25W fast charging support.

The Galaxy A35 is the least powerful Android smartphone on this list, and in some areas it’s clearly worse than the Galaxy A55 and its main competitors. But if you want a relatively cheap Android smartphone with long-term software support for basic use, the Galaxy A35 won’t let you down.

Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy A35 will be available in the US, but its pricing and availability have not yet been announced.

There are still many options to choose from

The Galaxy A55’s withdrawal from the US market has given other, much better phones a chance to shine. The OnePlus 12R and Google Pixel 7a are better choices than Samsung’s mid-ranger, with more powerful internal features and better cameras. You should even consider an older flagship phone over Samsung’s missing low-cost Galaxy phone.

As a consumer, you stand to gain from the absence of the Galaxy A55. If anything, we’ll likely see even more competition among other Android manufacturers to fill the void left by Galaxy’s absence.