Galaxy A55 vs Pixel 7a: Low cost, good value،
Introduction
Galaxy A55 against Pixel 7a differences explained:
Galaxy A55 | Pixel 7a |
---|---|
A modest Exynos 1480 chipset | Tensor G2 on board, a flagship chipset |
A larger phone with a 6.5-inch screen | A much more compact device with a 6.1-inch screen |
Large 5,000 mAh battery | Built-in smaller 4,385 mAh battery with wireless charging |
Water resistance IP67 | IP67 water and dust resistance |
Triple camera setup with a macro camera | Dual camera setup |
Starting price of $450 | A slightly higher starting price of $499 |
Design and display quality
Candy bars never go out of style
Both Galaxy A55 and the Pixel 7a don't stray from the classic, well-established candy bar paradigm. Standard devices, with a standard design and a traditional exterior. Both Galaxy A55 and the Pixel 7a are glass-aluminum sandwiches, but each has a unique design element.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy A55 comes with what is called Key Island, which is a bump on the right side of the frame. It houses the power button and volume rocker. An intriguing design element, of course.
Now, the two phones have quite different things when it comes to screens. THE Galaxy A55 will be the much larger device, apparently sporting a 6.5-inch FHD+ OLED display, perhaps far brighter than last year's Galaxy A54. It will most likely also support a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR.
Meanwhile, with the Pixel 7a, we get a 6.1-inch OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, so we get a smaller screen that isn't as smooth. It may also be much dimmer, as the peak brightness isn't great. The display could surely be one of the weakest aspects of the Pixel 7a.
Performance and software
Exynos vs. Tensor
Each manufacturer puts their own flavor of chipset on their respective device.
Meanwhile, Samsung will most likely place the Exynos 1480 inside the Galaxy A55which may not be a very powerful engine either.
Camera
Who needs a macro?
THE Galaxy A55 would again come with a macro camera. This sensor joins the much more useful wide and ultra-wide cameras that you probably use much more frequently. There aren't many rumors on the subject, but we assume that Galaxy A55 will just be a generational upgrade over the Galaxy A54 and will introduce a few improvements here and there. To recall, the Galaxy A54 came with a 50 MP main camera and a 32 MP ultra-wide camera, joined by a 32 MP front camera. There's no shortage of megapixels here.
At the same time, the Pixel 7a comes with the 64MP main camera powered by Sony IMX787, which is pretty much on par with the flagship Pixels and takes equally good photos. There's also a new camera sensor for the ultra-wide camera, which is now a 13 MP Sony IMX712 and also performs admirably in most situations.
Audio and haptic quality
We expect that the Galaxy A55 will provide an above-average audio experience. Of course, this cannot be expected to happen at the level of Galaxy S24 series, but not too bad at all. Meanwhile, we were happy with the audio quality coming from the Pixel 7A. We said that this created “a very decent soundstage that doesn't shine with deep bass or super clear treble, but delivers strong, punchy sound with bright mids.” We were quick to point out that the Galaxy A54 sounds livelier, so our expectations are already relatively high.
Battery life and charging
Long-term champions?
THE Galaxy A55 will most certainly come with a traditional 5,000mAh battery that has been the de facto standard for several Android flagships over the years. Hopefully it will pair well with the Exynos 1480 and provide excellent battery life. Judging by the Galaxy A54, the Galaxy A55 could deliver exceptional battery life.
Meanwhile, the Pixel 7a did well compared to Galaxy A55's predecessor, beating it in our video streaming test, but narrowly losing in the web browsing test. It also took a beating in the 3D gaming test, where the Galaxy A54 performed much better. There's a smaller 4,385mAh battery on board, so there's that.
From a charging point of view, the Pixel 7a supports 18W slow wired charging and 7.5W wireless charging, so nothing too impressive. In fact, it takes a full two hours for the phone to fully charge from 0 to 100, which isn't great at all. THE Galaxy A55 should charge much faster with its rumored support for 25W charging speed.
Summary and final verdict
So which of these two could be the ultimate affordable phone recommendation for 2024? Well, it all depends on the quality of the Galaxy A55 East! THE Pixel 7a is already a safe choice in the mid-$500 bracket and is often our default answer for a low-cost but high-value device.