Samsung Galaxy A57
| Photo Credit:
ashwin rajagopalan
One battle after another. That’s what smartphone brands such as Samsung set out for each year. Samsung’s A series launch typically follows the flagship S series debut each year and plays in the premium mid-range segment. This is one of the tougher battles for Samsung where most consumers are sitting on the fence between flagship killers and the pricier S series flagships. The Samsung Galaxy A57 5G sits at the apex of this year’s A series line-up. Does it have the right mix to appeal to consumers willing to spend around ₹50,000-60,000 for a smartphone?DesignIf there’s one reason we’d recommend the A57, it’s the form factor. Samsung has reduced the heft (over last year’s Galaxy A56) by 20 gm. That’s a significant design achievement despite retaining the same battery capacity. The device is under 7mm thin and weighs 179 gm. Design teams work hard to create that wow moment when you first hold a smartphone at a retail store. This is a test the A57 passes in flying colours. It’s not just the lightweight form factor, Samsung has nailed the ergonomics; this device feels great in your hand. It’s a tad slippery and I’d recommend a back case if you have butter fingers. Samsung has improved the ingress protection over its predecessor with an IP68 rating.Display Display has traditionally been Samsung’s core strength. While some of the display specs may not compare favourably on paper with some of the A57’s rivals in this category, my real world experience suggests that this is a dependable binge watch screen complemented by punchy stereo speakers. While the bass may not be very deep, we like the overall soundstage. The display is now a Super AMOLED+ 6.7-inch screen (1080 x 2340 pixels) that hits a peak brightness of 1900 nits. The device comes with Widevine L1 support out-of-the-box that allows you to stream Netflix content in Full HD resolution. I watched two episodes of Season 2 of Crooks on Netflix, this display handled the contrasting colour palettes of the Austrian Alps and Bangkok’s night spots effortlessly.PerformanceThis is a segment where brands such as OnePlus and iQOO ride on ultra-fast performance and monster batteries. The Samsung Galaxy A57 doesn’t lean on raw power but aims to offer a balanced hardware and software performance that won’t leave users gasping for breath. The device handled app switching and multi-tasking without breaking a sweat. At its heart is an Exynos 1680 processor, the device is available in 8GB/256GB and 12GB/256GB storage versions. The A57 managed a respectable score of above 4400 in our Geekbench (multi-core tests). It’s certainly not in the top-tier in this segment but it’s no slouch.Samsung’s promise of six years of OS updates gives this device a clear edge. That’s backed with the AI smarts and the clutter-free One UI 8.5 that comes with a host of customisations.The 5000 mAh battery life lasted a day in our tests but you might need to reach out for a charger slightly earlier if you’re a heavy duty user or gamer. The device supports 45W charging that should power the device in about 75 minutes; it’s certainly not the fastest in the segment. There’s no charging brick in the box, I also believe that the lack of wireless charging at this price is a miss.CameraThe rear camera set up includes a 50MP primary lens that teams up with a 12MP ultra-wide and a 5MP macro lens. Camera performance is solid across lighting scenarios, portrait images are sharp with good edge detection. I find that I’m more likely to use a telephoto lens than a macro lens but that might boil down to personal preferences and use-case scenarios. While the camera hardware hasn’t changed from last year’s A56, the device delivers a better performance thanks to software optimisations and a newer processor. I also found the AI-powered Edit Suggestions quite handy.VerdictThe Samsung Galaxy A57 comes with a significant price increase over last year’s A56 that might also be driven by rising input costs the smartphone industry is grappling with. This is a segment with quite a few options including last year’s Samsung Galaxy S25 FE that scores over the A57 in a few areas such as wireless charging and a telephoto lens. There are also offerings from OnePlus, Nothing and Google that make a strong case in certain areas such as display or battery performance. The Samsung Galaxy A57’s appeal stems from its slinky form, premium build and a smooth overall performance backed by six years of OS updates.SnapshotsPrice: ₹49,999 onwardsPros: Design, form factor, 6 years of OS updates.Cons: Iterative upgrade, no telephoto camera, no wireless charging.Published on May 20, 2026
