Galaxy A55 vs. Pixel 8a: Battle of the Mid-Rangers

Pixel 8a and Galaxy A55 compared

	Samsung	Google
Device	Samsung Galaxy A55	Google Pixel 8a
Rating	Galaxy A55 review	Pixel 8a review
Price (MSRP)	not sold in the US/479€	$500/550€
Display	6.6-inch OLED 2340 x 1080 pixels 120 Hz refresh rate	6.1-inch OLED 2400 x 1080 pixels 120 Hz
SoC	Exynos 1480	Google Tensor G3
Memory	8/12 GB RAM 128/256 GB storage microSD expansion	8 GB LPDDR5x RAM 128 / 256 GB UFS 3.1 storage No storage expansion
OS	OneUI 6.1 based on Android 14 4 Android upgrades 5 years of security updates	Android 14 7 Android upgrades 7 years of security updates
Camera	Main: 50 MP, f/1.8, OIS Ultra-wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.2 Macro: 5 MP, f/2.4	Main: 64 MP, f/1.89, OIS Ultra-wide: 13 MP, f/2.2
Selfie camera	32 MP, f/2.2	13 MP, f/2.2
Battery	5000 mAh 25 W wired charging	4492 mAh 18 W wired charging Wireless charging
Connectivity	5G \| eSIM \| Wi-Fi 6 \| Wi-Fi Direct \| Bluetooth 5.3 \| NFC	5G \| eSIM \| Wi-Fi 6E \| Bluetooth 5.3 \| NFC
IP certification	IP67	IP67
Dimensions and weight	6.34 x 3.05 x 0.32 in, 7.51 oz 161,1 x 77,4 x 8,2 mm, 213g	6 × 2.86 × 0.35 in, 6.63 oz 152.1 × 72.7 × 8.9 mm, 188 g
Price	Check offer (128GB – new) Check offer (Samsung)	Check offer (128 GB – new) Check offer (BestBuy)

Galaxy A55 vs. Pixel 8a: Design and display

There is no chance of mistaking one for the other, the Samsung Galaxy A55 and Google Pixel 8a are very different phones when it comes to design. Despite the rounded corners and similar style when looked up front, the back of each phone follows the manufacturer’s style to the point.

Each phone targets a very different market, with the Galaxy A55 offering a big 6.6-inch display, while the Pixel 8a has a compact 6.1-inch screen. both models feature a FullHD+ display with 120 Hz refresh rate and an under-display fingerprint reader which was slightly faster on the Galaxy A55 in our tests.

Google Pixel 8a viewed from the back — The Pixel 8a features a matte plastic back finish with rounded corners. / © nextpit Image source: nextpit

Besides the obvious difference in the camera module arrangement between the Galaxy A55 and Pixel 8a, the back shows two distinct approaches when it comes to materials. The A55 has a Gorilla Glass back with a shiny—and fingerprint-prone—finish, while the matte plastic back on the Pixel 8a is mostly fingerprint-proof.

Performance: Tensor vs Exynos

When it comes to performance there is a clear winner between the two phones. The Pixel 8a shows its processor’s flagship pedigree and easily trumps the mid-range Exynos 1480 chip on the Galaxy A55.

	Google Pixel 8a ^{(Tensor G3)}	Samsung Galaxy A55 ^{(Exynos 1480)}
AnTuTu	1,153,512	n/a
3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test	Best loop: 2437 Worst loop: 1667 Stability: 68.5%	Best loop: 917 Worst loop: 907 Stability: 98.9%
Geekbench 6	Single: 1688 Multi: 4362	Single: 1155 Multi: 3404

Not only does the Pixel 8a have more advanced CPU cores, but it also features a beefier GPU. The results are better performance in demanding tasks, and especially games, where the Pixel can run with better performance and higher graphical settings in general.

Just be aware that both phones can get slightly warm during longer gaming sessions, which can impact performance, with the chips lowering their speeds to avoid overheating.

Triple Samsung camera vs dual-camera Pixel

At first look, the Galaxy A55 stands out from the Pixel 8a by having an extra camera sensor on the back. In practice, however, the Pixel 8a showed why the Pixel line is famous for its photography chops, with a better performance in most scenarios.

Galaxy A55 sample pictures

Pixel 8a sample pictures

While the Galaxy A55 gets nice daylight and night pictures, the results from the Pixel 8a are generally more pleasing, especially in low-light situations.

Both phones feature very open (0.5x) ultra-wide-angle cameras and lack a dedicated zoom (telephoto) lens. For closer shots, you can use the 2x digital zoom, which gave us decent results, especially for posting on social media or sharing over messaging apps.

When it comes to selfies, results were equally good on both phones but the Galaxy A55 had a small advantage when zooming in on portrait mode photos, while the Pixel 8a had a small issue with subject separation.

Software: Stock Android (+AI) vs. Samsung One UI

Software-wise, the Pixel 8a is unbeatable when it comes to long-term support, with Google promising seven years of security updates versus five from Samsung. Additionally, the South Koreans usually reduce the update frequency in the last couple of years, while Google is expected to keep releasing monthly patches.

In line with 2024’s trend, both phones include a bunch of AI features, but Google offers some extra ones, including (actually) useful ones for photo editing, blur removal, and more. It is possible for Samsung to backport some of those to the Galaxy A55, but it remains to be seen.

In favor of the Galaxy A55, however, Samsung has a bigger device ecosystem, which can be a strong argument for households deeply invested in the Galaxy family.

Battery and charging: More stamina or wireless charging?

First the bad news in the battery category: None of the phones come with a charger in the box. Only the Pixel 8a is compatible with Qi wireless charging between the two, but the Galaxy A55 replies with faster charging and a small advantage in battery life.

Charging	Google Pixel 8a ^{4492 mAh \| 18 W}	Galaxy A55 ^{5000 mAh \| 25 W}
5 minutes	8%	9%
10 minutes	15%	18%
20 minutes	29%	36%
30 minutes	42%	53%
1 hour	75%	85%
Full charge	1h40	1h33
PC Mark Battery test	13h44 (120Hz) 11698 points	14h09 13395

The Galaxy A55’s faster charging is hardly noticeable in daily usage but it is important to remember that the Samsung phone has a bigger battery, resulting in a longer battery life in general.

In the simulated test using PCMark’s battery benchmark, the Galaxy A55 lasted 25 minutes more while also doing more processing work, indicating better energy efficiency.

In real life, expect both phones to offer all-day battery life but the Samsung Galaxy A55 can be more easily tweaked to last longer.

Conclusion

The battle between the Pixel 8a and Galaxy A55 is not as straightforward as a few seasons ago. Pricing changes made the Google phone more expensive than the Samsung, but one could argue that the longer software support, superior camera, and better performance justify that.

Pros of the Google Pixel 8a

Seven years of security and feature updates
Excellent Pixel camera
Good everyday performance
Good enough battery life
Bright and fast 120 Hz display
Some AI features that are actually useful

Cons of the Google Pixel 8a

Slow charging times and no charger included

However, the Galaxy A55 has its merits, with a bigger screen and longer battery life—with faster charging, besides the broad integration with Samsung’s ecosystem.

Pros of the Samsung Galaxy A55

Good AMOLED screen
Good performance in apps and games
The best update policy in the category

Cons of the Samsung Galaxy A55

Some bloatware
Slow battery charging
No headphone jack

In our opinion, the Pixel 8a offers a more balanced package in the long run, but the Samsung Galaxy A55 is noticeably cheaper in most markets, so it is worth checking for deals on both models. And if you are looking for alternatives in this price range, check a few other phone reviews on nextpit:

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Galaxy A55 vs. Pixel 8a: Which Phone Offers More for Your Money?