Samsung Galaxy F55 review: The style master

Back to the vegan leather bandwagon

The orange vegan leather finish goes well with the golden frame (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Phones with vegan leather panels are currently on trend, and Samsung was one of the first phone manufacturers to offer this finish on a phone, almost a decade ago. With the Galaxy F55, the brand has reconsidered this, and I think it’s a fantastic decision. You don’t need a case, as the back panel offers an ample amount of grip, and the company isn’t including one with the phone.

Unlike a phone with a glass, plastic, or metal panel, the vegan leather on the Galaxy F55 feels soft to the touch, and the Apricot Crush (orange shade) that I have been testing looks quite stunning and stands out from the crowd, as there aren’t many phones that look as vibrant as this. The minor details like the stitched pattern and embossed Samsung logo also add to the look of the device, along with a golden-coloured frame, which complements the whole aesthetics of the phone.

The Galaxy F55 doesn’t have an IP rating of any sort, and I don’t think it’s an issue, especially for those who are looking for a phone in this class. Besides, despite being a large smartphone, it feels light in hand, and Samsung’s industrial design also means it’s easy to recognize that it’s a phone from the South Korean tech giant.

A display that’s bright and vibrant

The display is fast and vibrant (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Samsung phones mostly never disappoint when it comes to display tech, and it’s also applicable to the Galaxy F55. The device has a 6.7-inch flat panel display with a 120Hz refresh rate. While the bezels are quite noticeable, they aren’t as large as the ones seen on the more expensive Galaxy F23 FE, which is a relief! The optical in-display sensor works quite well, but it isn’t the fastest in the segment. I also felt that, under direct sunlight, the peak brightness does start to show its limitations.

However, in indoor conditions, it offers excellent colour reproduction with punchy colours and contrast. I enjoyed scrolling through reels and watching hours of YouTube videos almost every day, and the stereo speaker also helps, although it’s not as loud as my iPhone 15.

A camera setup that’s average

The device has a 50 MP selfie camera that can shoot 4K videos (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

The triple camera setup (50 MP + 8 MP + 2 MP) on the Galaxy F55 could be a bit of a setback for anyone who is considering a phone for photography. In almost every lighting condition, the photos came out soft, and in low-light mode, it takes a couple of seconds to capture, and unless you have a robot arm-like stable hands, it’s quite hard to capture usable images.

Coming to videography, it’s slightly better, as it is one of the most affordable phones that can shoot up to 4K 30fps videos on the selfie camera (50 MP) and primary camera. However, if you are going to shoot in super steady mode, the same is limited to 1080p 30fps.

Take a look at some of the camera samples from the Galaxy F55:

Samsung Galaxy F55 camera sample 1 (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Samsung Galaxy F55 camera sample 2 (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Samsung Galaxy F55 camera sample 3 (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Samsung Galaxy F55 camera sample 4 (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Samsung Galaxy F55 camera sample 5 (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Good software experience that could have been better

The phone ships with Android 14-based OneUI 6.1 sans AI features (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

The Galaxy F55 ships with Android 14-based OneUI 6.1 and is well-optimized. However, unlike flagship Galaxy smartphones, there are no AI tricks here. Besides, the phone is also littered with bloatware, and one has to take extra precautions while setting up the device to limit the bloatware and constant pop-up notifications from the first-party apps, which does spoil the whole experience a bit. On the bright side, the device will receive four major Android OS upgrades and five years of security updates, and the phone will stay up-to-date for years to come.

The Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 is a good processor but definitely not as fast as the one found on recently launched devices like the Realme GT 6T’s Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 or Poco F6’s Snapdragon 8s Gen 3. It can easily handle normal day-to-day tasks fairly well, but after the boot, the phone will feel a bit choppy for a couple of minutes, and it gets better as time progresses, thanks to 12 GB of RAM.

The phone comes with Samsung Wallet with support for UPI payments; however, it lacks card support, unlike more expensive models.

Fastest-charging Samsung phone

The device has a 5,000 mAh battery and supports 45W fast charging (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

The Galaxy F55 can charge as fast as any Galaxy smartphone with up to 45W fast charging support, and the charger has to be bought separately. While it’s still no match for devices from Xiaomi, OnePlus, or Oppo, when paired with a USB-PD 45W fast charger, the device can fully charge in an hour and a few minutes, which one needs to buy separately.

Once charged fully, it can deliver over 6 hours of battery life, even with heavy usage like satellite navigation, social media surfing, and video streaming. The 5,000 mAh battery can easily last for an entire day for most users with ease.

Verdict: Strictly for Samsung fans

One of the best Samsung smartphones under Rs 30,000 (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

If you are looking for a phone from a reliable brand with extended software support, the Galaxy F55 can be a good choice. While it might not have all the mighty specs like its contemporaries, it does really well in terms of features that matter to most users. However, hardcore gamers and camera enthusiasts might have to look elsewhere.