This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
This image could very well depict the upcoming Galaxy A57. But it's the predecessor, the Galaxy A56 | Image by PhoneArena
The Galaxy A57 5G is right around the corner. But Samsung's mid-ranger might have contracted a dangerous, contagious disease from the Galaxy S series. Sloth. Well, technically, sloth is one of the seven deadly sins, but for the purpose of this article and to tie it up to the Galaxy S series, we're going to treat it like a disease.
What do I mean by sloth? Well, looking at the rumored specs of the upcoming Galaxy A57 5G and also all the leaks, I feel disappointment.
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I've been a huge fan of the Galaxy A series and advocated for the upper models as a valid flagship alternative for the longest time. But with the Galaxy A57, it seems the time has suddenly frozen.
Galaxy A57 is almost indistinguishable from the Galaxy A56
The leaked renders from Evan Blass and OnLeaks show the Galaxy A57 in different colors, front and back, and it looks almost identical to its predecessor. Go ahead and try to find the differences in the image below. I’ll wait.
There's a slight difference in the camera rings, but it's so minor that I bet people won't be able to tell which one's which, especially from a couple of feet away. But let's put aside the design and see what's expected to change underneath.
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According to the leaked specs, the only major change is the chipset. The A57 is expected to have an Exynos 1680, a step up from the Exynos 1580 inside its predecessor. The other specs look identical: screen size, resolution and brightness are the same as last year. The RAM and storage configurations are the same, as are the camera setup, the battery and the charging.
I've seen this trend in the Galaxy S series, where Samsung has been using the same cameras, screens and batteries for generations, only upgrading the chipset for the most part. Why am I so disappointed to see the A series suffering from the same disease? Because it wasn't always like this.
Things used to be different
The Galaxy A54 looks quite different than its predecessor | Image by PhoneArena
If we trace back the Galaxy A5x model five generations back, we can see how the trend evolved. The Galaxy A54 brought quite a few upgrades compared to the A53. It featured a different screen, a new chipset, different design and build materials, and a different main camera. The next transition from the Galaxy A54 to the A55 saw a couple of upgrades as well.
From the Galaxy A55 to the A56, we got maybe the most upgrades. The design changed once again, the screen grew in size from 6.6 to 6.7 inches, and we got a big bump in charging speeds, from 25W to 45W wired. All in all, changes that might sway you toward getting the new phone.
Looking at the current rumors, the latest jump is almost non-existent. It's like Samsung just used the same phone from last year, just slightly tweaking production lines to install the new chipset. Which leads me to the next chapter, a bit controversial, given everything I've written so far.
Would I still recommend the Galaxy A57?
The Galaxy A57 is still a great value proposition, especially next to its own kin - the Galaxy S26 | Image by PhoneArena
Yes. But I won't feel good about it. The Galaxy A57 is shaping up to be a great value once again, especially if you compare it to the vanilla Galaxy S26. It's expected to have a bigger battery and faster charging, a bigger screen (which might be a pro for many people), similar build materials, and a much lower starting price.
Samsung is still able to pull this off, because the value proposition is still there, and people are habitual buyers most of the time. The Galaxy A series has earned its reputation for great bang for the buck, with reliable performance and a pleasant design. Why all the fuss then?
Slowing down innovation on purpose is never cool
In a smartphone world where we now have huge silicon-carbon batteries in midrangers (Honor Magic 8 Lite), periscope telephoto cameras in phones under $500 (Nothing Phone (4a) Pro), and even things such as liquid cooling (RedMagic 11 Pro) and built-in subwoofers (Poco F8 Ultra), it's really sad to see the biggest companies slacking off.
It's not good for the competition, and it's not good for us, the customers. I really hope Samsung, Apple and Google wake up from this amok state and get back to the drawing board. Speaking of which, let's see what others have drawn and if it's more exciting than the Galaxy A57.
What else is out there?
Now this looks exciting, right? Behold, the RedMagic 11 Pro! | Image by PhoneArena
I've already mentioned some of the cool new models from the past couple of months. The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is out of the smartphone oven, and it's super fresh. The aluminum unibody design is back and I love it. It also has a periscope telephoto camera, a pretty unique design, and a circular matrix display on its back.
A Bose subwoofer on the back? Check! | Image by PhoneArena
The Clicks Communicator is absolutely unique, and even though it can't compete with the Galaxy A57 specs-wise, it has that old BlackBerry vibe and charisma people seem to long for. You can also pick a Motorola Edge phone, some of the models feature very cool designs with wooden backs, and they don't disappoint in the specs department as well.
If you manage to get your hands on a Poco or RedMagic device, you can experience the best bass on a phone, and a leathery denim back. In the case of the RedMagic 11, you get one of the craziest backs I've seen on a smartphone.
I wish Samsung and the other big brands would take notes and give us something similar soon. What do you think about it? Do you find the Galaxy series boring, or are you okay with the level of upgrades and innovation?
Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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