Samsung Galaxy A57 review: now a smart buy thanks to its lower price

Our experiences with the Samsung Galaxy A57

Samsung offers devices in all shapes and sizes. Having put the Galaxy S26 and the Galaxy S26 Ultra through their paces in extensive tests earlier this year, today it’s the turn of the Samsung Galaxy A57. The device was announced alongside the Galaxy A37. We’ll be putting that smartphone through its paces in detail later on. But first, let’s turn our attention to the Galaxy A57. With previous models, such as the Galaxy A56, A55, A54 and earlier generations, the South Korean brand has already proven itself capable of producing excellent devices. Over the past few weeks, we’ve put the Galaxy A57 through its paces.

Unboxing

Samsung supplies the device with a SIM ejector pin, some paperwork and a USB-C data cable. A case isn’t included. A screen protector, the sort we often see with Chinese brands, isn’t included with the Galaxy A57 either. So you’ll need to sort this out yourself if you want to use one.

Design and interface

The Samsung Galaxy A57 features a slightly different design to its predecessors. For this review, Samsung sent us the ‘Awesome Navy’ colour variant. This has a glossy finish on the back and is extremely prone to fingerprints. Personally, we preferred the matt finish of previous generations, but tastes differ. The phone looks well-finished with no sharp edges. A characteristic feature of the A-series is the ‘Key Island’, where the volume key and power button are grouped together on a small island. The Galaxy A57’s three cameras are arranged vertically. Weighing 179 grams, the device is relatively light.

However, with a screen size of 6.7 inches, it is not the smallest device. The Galaxy A57’s display is a Super AMOLED panel with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels and a dynamic refresh rate of 1–120 Hz. The screen is easy to read on sunny days, and can be dimmed sufficiently during the hours of darkness.

Interface

You’ll be familiar with Samsung’s interface from the brand’s other devices. This is because all Galaxy devices run the One UI skin on top of Android. In the case of the Samsung Galaxy A57, this is the latest version, One UI 8.5. The interface is clear and intuitive. By default, the menu is rather cluttered, with all the apps jumbled together. However, if you tap the three dots, you can sort them alphabetically. It remains a bit odd with Samsung that you can no longer scroll horizontally through your apps, but only vertically. Fortunately, though, it’s perfectly workable.

Communication and multimedia

You can use the Samsung Galaxy A57 with a SIM card, but it also supports eSIM. Reception is excellent and we haven’t experienced any issues with call quality either. Phone calls sound crystal clear and the volume is loud enough. By default, you type text messages using the Samsung keyboard, but you can also download alternatives from the Play Store.

We’ve already mentioned that the A57 has a great screen, but what about the sound quality? For music, the smartphone has speakers at the front and bottom. The volume can be set quite high. Given the price of the device, the sound quality is satisfactory. At maximum volume, it verges on being shrill, though it isn’t immediately annoying.

Camera

The rear camera module houses three lenses: a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens and a 5-megapixel macro lens. We’ve already spoken at length about the latter, the macro lens. In practice, this lens adds little to nothing. It’s a shame that Samsung didn’t include a telephoto lens here to bring your subject closer. Although we often only find this feature in models one tier higher across various brands, Samsung could have set itself apart with this.

The camera app is intuitive and a pleasure to use. Taking a photo is simply a matter of pointing the camera and the shot is taken in no time. When taking a photo, you can opt for 2x zoom, although this isn’t an optical zoom, so some quality is lost. With this camera setup, the cameras are on a par with its predecessor, the A56. That camera performed quite well, but its results were inconsistent.

Enough about the technical specifications; the most important thing, of course, is how the camera performs in practice. We’ve taken plenty of photos with the Galaxy A57 both at home and abroad. The photos the device takes are exactly what you’d expect from a smartphone in this price range. First and foremost, the phone scores points with its wide-angle lens. With previous models, there was a significant difference in performance between the various lenses. This is much less pronounced with the Galaxy A57. The camera also seems to be less inconsistent than earlier generations. In the evening, the photo quality of the Samsung Galaxy A57 takes a step backwards. Photos are more likely to be blurred and aren’t always in focus. Here, the phone makes it a bit clearer that it can’t compete with high-end smartphones – something you shouldn’t expect anyway.

Below is a photo taken with the Samsung Galaxy A57. If you’d like to see more photos, take a look at the device’s digital photo album here.

Video camera

We took the Samsung Galaxy A57 with us on a trip to Sweden. The video below was filmed there. The A57’s video quality is quite good, although it sometimes lacks deeper, more saturated colours.

Performance and battery life

The Samsung Galaxy A57 features Samsung’s own Exynos chipset. The Exynos 1680 performs reliably for everyday use, but doesn’t really stand out in any particular area. The phone offers 8GB of RAM. For storage, the manufacturer offers a choice of 128GB, 256GB or 512GB. As with its predecessor, the storage cannot be expanded with a memory card.

Battery

Samsung has long included a 5000 mAh battery in the Galaxy A models in this series, and this is also the case with the Galaxy A57. You can charge this battery at 45W, provided you have a compatible charger. As for battery life, the Galaxy A57 performs quite well. It’s not a standout performer, but it will certainly last you a day. Screen-on time is around 4.5–5 hours, which is virtually the same as on the Galaxy A56. When the device isn’t in use, you’ll notice that the Galaxy A57 uses quite a lot of battery power whilst on standby.

Update policy

Samsung has a reputation to uphold when it comes to its update policy. That certainly applies to this Galaxy A57 as well. The device will receive security updates and Android updates for the next six years. Very impressive!

Verdict

The Galaxy A series really isn’t exciting anymore. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. With this Samsung Galaxy A57, the manufacturer has once again laid a solid foundation for success. Although the phone was announced with a starting price of 529 euros, you can now buy it for around 350 euros. That makes this Galaxy A57 a lot more appealing, as otherwise it would have been far too expensive for what it offers. Compared to the Galaxy A56, the camera is slightly better, whilst retaining the battery life, which is more than enough to get you through the day. Add to that the excellent update policy, and you’ve got a great mid-range phone. You can enjoy this for years to come.

Fancy getting started with the Samsung Galaxy A57 yourself? You can buy it directly from Samsung, Mobiel, Belsimpel, Bol.com, MediaMarkt, Coolblue and the mobile providers Ben, Simyo, Odido and KPN.

Want to know what other options are available for this price? Inthe DroidApp Buying Guide, we independently list the best smartphones under 500 euros for you. That way, you can make the best choice for yourself.