Samsung Galaxy A55 vs. Galaxy S23 FE (Exynos)
The Samsung Galaxy A55 vs. Galaxy S23 FE is quite an unlikely duo for one of our dedicated versus articles, but Samsung's pricing strategy led us here. After launching this year's popular Galaxy A55 at around â¬450 (now just a little over â¬400), the company has positioned it too close to its budget flagship, the Galaxy S23 FE.
But those devices are not created equal by any means. The Galaxy S23 FE is still the more expensive of the two (now selling for around â¬500), but it also delivers a flagship-like experience, while the A55 tries to strike a good balance between hardware and cost. They have two different target audiences and very similar price tags.
There's a lot to go through, so we better get started, but before we do, head over to our specs page and compare the Galaxy A55 and the S23 FE to understand what to expect in this comparison.
Size comparison
The Galaxy A55 and the S23 FE are similar in size, but there are notable differences. The S23 FE is the more compact choice, with a slightly smaller screen (0.2" difference), resulting in a shorter and a tad narrower body.
The difference in absolute size may not look like much on paper, but you can feel the difference when holding the two side by side.
The Galaxy S23 FE arguably feels more comfortable in hand due to its rounded side frame. It feels nicer to hold, whereas the Galaxy A55's sharp edges delve into your palm. On the other hand, others will like the A55's design more visually.
Build quality is quite similar - Gorilla Glass sheets on the front and back held by aluminum side frames. Notably, the A55 takes the lead with a more recent Gorilla Glass Victus+ sheet on the front, while the S23 FE settles for Gorilla Glass 5. Alternatively, you may have a bit of extra peace of mind given the S23 FE's higher IP68 ingress protection compared to the A55's IP67, which means it has a slightly higher water resistance.
Display comparison
Aside from the screen size, the Galaxy A55 and S23 FE have the same displays. If you are looking for a slightly bigger panel, the A55's 6.6-inch OLED will likely suit you better, while the S23 FE's 6.4-inch OLED will appeal to users looking for a more compact solution.
Both display panels support HDR10+; they tick at 120Hz, the resolution is 1080p+, and we measured the same maximum brightness in manual and auto modes. The latter is equally bright with both - at around 1,000 nits.
Battery life
The difference in battery life between the two devices is night and day, and the smaller cell inside the Galaxy S23 FE is partly to blame.
The A55 sports a standard 5,000 mAh unit, while the S23 FE settles for a 4,500 mAh battery. But the difference in endurance is so big that we can't blame total capacity alone.
Remember that we are comparing the A55 to the Exynos version of the Galaxy S23 FE because the A55 is not yet available in the US where you'd usually find the Snapdragon S23 FE, which objectively has better battery life across all tests.
The Galaxy A55 blows the Exynos S23 FE out of the water in our battery endurance tests. The midranger has an Active Use Score of 13:27h against the S23 FE's underwhelming 8:28h Active Use Score.