While Samsung’s flagship smartphones are considered the best Android devices, its midrange offerings are generally weighed down by the mediocre in-house Exynos chipsets. Enter the Samsung Galaxy M55 with its stunning Super AMOLED+ display, 45W fast charging, and the new Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor, all for the price of Rs 27,000. At this price point, the Galaxy M55 not only rivals the likes of Nothing Phone (2a) (read our Nothing Phone (2a) review here) and OnePlus Nord CE4 (read our OnePlus Nord CE4 review here) but also its Samsung mid-range sibling, Galaxy A35 (read our Galaxy A35 review here). On paper, it certainly looks like this device will make a lot of smartphone enthusiasts happy. But how well does it perform when put through rigorous everyday use? Has Samsung made some tradeoffs to keep the smartphone’s price in check? Here’s our in-depth review of the Samsung Galaxy M55 to answer all your questions.
In This Article
Samsung Galaxy M55 5G review: Design and Display
The Galaxy M55’s retail box isn’t as sleek as its A and S series counterparts. You would think this is a good thing because all that room could only mean additional accessories inside the box. Sadly, the unboxing experience here falls flat. Here are the contents of the M55’s retail box.
- Smartphone
- USB Type-C to Type-C cable
- SIM ejector
- Regional Lock Guide
- Quick Start Guide
The lack of a power adapter inside the box is disappointing for two reasons. The Galaxy M55 is one of the rare Samsung smartphones to support 45W charging. Even the entry-level Galaxy S24 can only charge at a 25W speed. If you’re making a step up from an older smartphone, this means splurging some extra cash on a 45W power brick. Secondly, the USB cable provided in the box is Type-C on both ends. This means if your existing charger has a Type-A slot, this cable will not be of much use to you.
The homogeneous design language we’ve been seeing from Samsung for almost 2 years is also present on the Galaxy M55. The rear camera array is arranged in a vertical layout. The back panel is made out of plastic, which is not something you want in a Rs 27,000 smartphone. But, on the bright side, the smartphone weighs just 180g because of it. In comparison, the Galaxy A35 lifts the needle to 209g on the weighing scale.
The plastic back panel curves slightly towards the edges. Its matte finish lends it a pleasant in-hand feel and ensures that it doesn’t collect excessive fingerprints or smudges. The finish on the rails is smoother than the back. The right edge of the smartphone houses the volume rocker keys and the side button. The rocker is positioned slightly higher than what we’re used to. You’ll find the primary microphone, USB port, and primary speaker slot on the bottom edge. The hybrid SIM slot is positioned on the left rail while the secondary microphone makes its way to the top. The M55’s earpiece acts as the secondary speaker outlet.
Samsung always delivers when it comes to displays and the Galaxy M55 is no different. The stunning 6.7-inch Super AMOLED+ display has a 120Hz refresh rate and can hit a peak brightness of 1,000 nits under direct sunlight. While this isn’t the brightest display we’ve ever used, it does a good job of maintaining its legibility in outdoor conditions. The bezels surrounding the display are slightly more pronounced around the chin, but overall, they are slimmer than the Galaxy A35 and A55.
While the Samsung Galaxy M55 has Widevine L1 certification, it doesn’t support HDR playback on Netflix. This didn’t bother us too much as the AMOLED display produced vivid colours and rendered exquisite details while streaming OTT content. The audio output from its stereo speakers is a little tinny and lacking in the low-end department, but it can go loud.
Samsung Galaxy M55 5G Review: Performance and Cameras
Powering the Samsung Galaxy M55 is the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 SoC, a welcome respite from the Exynos chipsets that Samsung keeps shoehorning in its midrange (and in some cases, flagship) smartphones. In the Geekbench 6 test, the Galaxy M55 scored 781 points in the single-core test and 2,374 points in the multi-core test.
Using the smartphone as our daily driver for a week, there’s nothing bad we can say about its everyday performance. The apps load quickly, the touch response is snappy, and multitasking on the device is a breeze. During the review period, the Samsung Galaxy M55 did not once bother us with any unexpected malfunction. Our experience was entirely jitter-free.
The gaming experience offered by the Galaxy M55 is satisfactory. We stuck to a 60fps frame rate and were happy with the seamless gameplay experience on titles like Call of Duty Mobile and Asphalt 9. The internal temperature of the smartphone started rising after hitting the 30-minute mark, but it braved through and provided relatively stutter-free gameplay. With that being said, if you prioritise the frame rate and elite in-game graphics, there are better smartphones out there than the M55.
There is not much to complain about on the software front either, as you get the full OneUI 6.1 experience on this device. Gone are the days when affordable M Series smartphones were bogged down by the ‘Core’ version of the OS. You get Knox security on this device. Certain flagship-exclusive features like Galaxy AI and Samsung DeX are missing from the device, but that is also the case with the midrange A Series smartphones.
The presence of bloatware apps does marr the software experience, but thankfully all of the additional apps can be uninstalled from the device. Samsung’s ‘Shelf’ widget is also ridden with ads, but you can remove and replace the sponsored panel with useful widgets. Putting a neat bow on the OS experience is Samsung’s promise of 4 major updates and 5 years of security patches for the M55. You won’t find better future-proofing from any other OEM in this category.
Samsung’s M Series is known for its versatile battery performance and the M55 carries forward the mantle passed on to it by last year’s M54. Although it is equipped with a smaller 5,000 mAh battery pack (the M54 had a 6,000 mAh battery), it was still able to clock 6-7 hours of Screen on Time with ease. Our daily tasks on the Samsung Galaxy M55 during the review period consisted of video calling, social media browsing, IMing, navigation, media streaming, and gaming. 45W charging support is also a welcome upgrade as the M55 takes just under 50 minutes to fully charge. In comparison, it took us 90 minutes to charge the Galaxy A35.
Moving on, the camera performance on offer here is certainly above average but not something that sets the benchmark for the category. The rear camera setup comprises a 50MP primary shooter, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 2MP macro sensor. A 50MP sensor fulfils the role of the selfie camera.
In outdoor daylight conditions, the 50MP primary shooter captures balanced pictures without subjecting them to excessive processing. The dynamic range is good, the shadows are crisp, and the images pack a lot of detail. While the colours certainly ‘pop’, they lack the tuning found in other Samsung smartphones. This isn’t a dealbreaker for us, but if you’re expecting colour science in the mould of A55 and A35, you will be left wanting more here.
Images taken with the 8MP ultrawide lens are good, but there is a noticeable shift in the vibrancy of colours. We were happy with the field of view captured by this lens, but it didn’t enthral us with anything special. The macro sensor completes the triple camera layout, but it fails to leave a lasting impression.
Images taken in limited lighting using the primary shooter are well-composed and brightened to the right degree. The Night Mode plays a part in artificially brightening the subject and the phone does a good job of assigning colours to the images. The only downside is that shooting pictures in Night Mode requires holding the phone still for 8 seconds.
In Portrait Mode, the M55 does a good job of separating the subject from its background and applying the optimum level of blur. The 50MP selfie camera also captures good images but tends to brighten the skin tone of the subject. The good thing is that this front-facing camera can record 4K videos at 30fps. The primary shooter can accomplish this task as well.
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Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy M55 is a great buy at Rs 27,000 if you’re willing to make certain tradeoffs. The glass back panel or IP67 rating of its A series cousins are missing from the M55, but its Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset ensures smooth functioning for casual and heavy users alike. When it comes to battery performance, the M55 has the A35 (and even the A55) comfortably beat. And while its pictures may not be in line with Samsung’s signature shots, the M55’s camera is still incredibly fun to use.
Samsung Galaxy M55 5G: Pros
- Great display
- Slim bezels
- Good processor
- 4 major OS upgrades + 5 years of security patches
- 45W fast charging
Samsung Galaxy M55 5G: Cons
- Plastic back
- Does not ship with a charger inside the box
