The Samsung Galaxy A37 and the Galaxy A57 have been announced, marking Samsung’s latest bid for the mid-range smartphone market – but which is the better buy?
We haven’t yet had enough hands-on time with these phones to offer up any definitive verdicts – stay tuned for our reviews around their 10 April launch – but we do have a full rundown of their specifications and features.
It’s an interesting time to be launching a mid-range phone into the market, with component shortages squeezing margins and forcing up prices across the board.
Google’s solution was to essentially release the same phone again in the Google Pixel 10a, while Nothing has ventured to try something bolder with the Nothing Phone (4a) and (4a) Pro.
So, which approach is Samsung taking with the Samsung Galaxy A37 & A57? More importantly, which one should you be thinking about buying?
Do you take a lot of landscape photos?
These two phones share the same 50Mp main camera, and both benefit from improved Nightography and an improved Image Signal Processor (ISP).
The Galaxy A57 apparently has an advantage here with the exclusive addition of enhanced image processing, which is said to sharpen detail and reduce noise for clearer results. It also promises faster shutter speeds, doubtless thanks to its superior SoC (more on which later).
Chris Hall / Foundry
But the clearest photographic advantage is the Galaxy A57’s 12Mp ultra-wide camera, which throws way more pixels at its landscape shots than the Galaxy A37’s 8Mp equivalent.
Both phones share the same 5Mp macro camera and 12Mp front camera, so it really is about that ultra-wide, alongside improved image processing.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy A57
Is performance important to you?
You don’t buy a Samsung Galaxy A-series phone if you’re a performance fiend. Recent examples offer smooth enough experiences, but you can generally get much faster for your money.
However, if you are after a mid-priced Samsung phone that will perform tasks and run games as well as possible, you’ll want the Galaxy A57.
Chris Hall / Foundry
It packs Samsung’s own recently announced Exynos 1680 chip, which promises the best performance and efficiency we’ve ever seen from the A-series. This enables certain AI features that the Galaxy A37 can’t match, such as Auto Trim video editing and more photos and continuous shooting in Best Face.
The Galaxy A37, by contrast, uses the Exynos 1480 released back in 2024, along with the Samsung Galaxy A55. We’re talking about a two-generational difference in performance here, and that’s not to mention the difference in memory provisions – 6- or 8GB for the Galaxy A37, 8- or 12GB for the Galaxy A57.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy A57
Do you want the slimmest, lightest phone possible?
Besides a potential leap in performance, the biggest way in which the Samsung Galaxy A57 justifies its elevated status in the A-range is its slimmed-down design.
The A3X and A5X series have always looked and felt pretty similar, but there’s a little crack of light appearing between them in 2026.
Chris Hall / Foundry
The Samsung Galaxy A57 has dimensions of 161.5 x 76.8 x 6.9mm compared to the Galaxy A37’s 162.9 x 78.2 x 7.4mm. The higher-grade phone is smaller in every way, most notably with its sub-7mm thickness and slimmer screen bezels (see title image).
Add in a considerable disparity in weight – 179g for the Galaxy A57 compared to 196g in the A37, despite sharing the same 5000mAh battery – and we’re getting distinctly flagship vibes from the more premium phone.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy A57
Are you on a strict budget?
Let’s face it, for all the Galaxy A57’s subtle advantages, the main deciding factor between these two phones is going to be your budget. On that front, the less Samsung Galaxy A37 has an even bigger advantage than before.
While the Galaxy A37 retains its pricing from the Samsung Galaxy A36 range, the Samsung Galaxy A57 is more expensive than its Samsung Galaxy A56 predecessor.
Chris Hall / Foundry
The Galaxy A37 starts at £399 for the model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Stepping up to 12/256GB will cost you £459.
Contrast that with the Galaxy A57, which starts at £529 for 8/256GB, and moves up to an eye-watering £699 for 12/512GB. It’s worth noting that you’re getting double the storage in that entry model, but we’d argue that such details are less relevant than the price tag at this end of the market.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy A37
Samsung Galaxy A37 vs Galaxy A57: Conclusion
There appears to be a slightly wider gap between the Samsung Galaxy A57 and Galaxy A37 this year.
We’ll need to spend more time with each to be sure, but the Galaxy A57 appears to be pulling away from its lower-grade brother in terms of performance and design.
Unfortunately, this also comes with a corresponding increase in the price differential, with a larger-than-ever £130 gap between the two entry models.
Given that the Galaxy A37 looks to offer the same display, main camera, battery and software as its classier brother, it might just turn out to be the better buy this time around.
Stay tuned for our definitive verdict either way.
