Samsung Galaxy F55: First impression

On Monday (May 27), Samsung launched the new premium mid-range smartphone Galaxy F55 in India.

The company is offering the device in three configurations-- 8GB RAM + 128GB storage, 8GB RAM + 256GB storage and 12GB RAM + 256GB storage-- for Rs 26,999, Rs 29,999 and Rs 32,999, respectively.

The new Galaxy F55 comes with a lot of upgrades in terms of design, build quality and a more powerful processor.

I spent a few hours with the Galaxy F55 and here are my thoughts on Samsung's latest offering.

Design and display

The new Galaxy F55 comes with a completely new and very refreshing design compared to its predecessor Galaxy F54.

It has a super slim structure. it measures just 7.88 mm in thickness and weighs 180g.

Samsung Galaxy F55 with saddle stitching design on the back.

The device boasts a premium vegan leather cover panel on the back. It also comes with saddle stitching on the sides which makes the device visually pleasing to the eyes.

The company offers the device in two colours-- raisin black and apricot crush. Our review unit is the latter. It is the best looking among the two and stands out among the rival brands in its class.

Samsung Galaxy F55 colour options-- Raisin black and Apricot Crush (orange).

The frame around the display has a gold-like finish and blends beautifully with orange cover panels.

Also, the leather-like texture on the back offers a good grip for the fingers to hold onto the device. So far, it has managed to repel sweaty fingerprint smudges. I hope to keep it that way when I return the review device.

On the front, it flaunts a 6.67-inch full HD+ super AMOLED plus display. It supports 120Hz refresh rate and comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor. The latter works fine as long as the finger is clean and dry.

Samsung Galaxy F55.

The Galaxy F55 also boasts Vision booster technology. When the phone detects it is outdoors under the sun, it automatically increases the brightness to improve readability on the screen. It can offer peak brightness up to 1,000nits.

Processor configuration

Samsung phone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 octa-core processor with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage (expandable up to 1TB via microSD card). Though, it is an older chipset, it is a big upgrade over the Galaxy F54, which has an Exynos 1380 chipset. The new phone promises to offer 18 per cent better GPU performance than the predecessor.

In my brief time with the Galaxy F55, the device has managed to work smoothly. But, I am looking forward to how the device fares while playing graphics-rich games such as Asphalt 9: Legends.

Samsung Galaxy F55.

The new Galaxy F55 runs Android 14-based OneUI 6.1. It is guaranteed to get at least four major Android updates (up to Android 18, till 2028). Also, Samsung will offer an additional year of software security support (up to 2029).

It houses a 5,000mAh battery, 1000mAh less than the predecessor. It is the lone drawback of the device's super slim design. But, it is more than enough to last a full day under normal usage.

Also, the Galaxy F55 supports 45W fast charging. It can fully charge the device from zero to 100 per cent capacity in under one hour. This is way faster than the predecessor, which came with a 25W charging speed limit.

Samsung Galaxy F55's camera sample.

Photography hardware

It houses a triple-camera module-- main 50MP (f/1.8 aperture) with an 8MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide sensor and a 2MP (f/2.4) camera with LED flash on the back.

It also supports Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) and Video Digital Image Stabilization (VDIS) to get stable still images and videos even if the hand is shaking or the phone owner is walking. It can record up to 4K videos at 30 frames per second (fps). Also, it can record HD (720p) slow-motion videos at 240 fps.

Samsung Galaxy F55's camera sample.

And, on the front, it features a 50MP camera (f/2.4) for selfies and video calling.

The new Galaxy F5 takes pretty good photos in the daylight. Like most Samsung phones, it boosts the colour to make the subject look vibrant and most importantly, capture all the minute details clearly.

Samsung Galaxy F55's camera sample.

Even at close-up range, it takes nice photos. As you can see the sample photos, have managed to capture all the minute details clearly.

I am keen to see how the new Samsung phone performs in low-light and night conditions.

Samsung Galaxy F55.

Stay tuned for the full review next week.

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