Samsung Galaxy A57 Review - the right phone for most people

There’s always something oddly reassuring about Samsung’s Galaxy A5x series. It never tries too hard to win the spec war, and it rarely delivers headline-grabbing upgrades, but year after year, it ends up being one of the easiest phones to recommend to the average user. The Samsung Galaxy A57 continues that formula — and after using it for the past two weeks, it’s clear this is a device that focuses more on getting the fundamentals right than chasing trends. Samsung Galaxy A57 Video Review Subtle Design Refinements That Matter

At first glance, the Galaxy A57 looks like any other Samsung mid-range slab, but spend a little more time with it and you’ll start to notice the thoughtful refinements. The camera bump now has a slightly more pronounced contrast against the rear panel, giving it a cleaner visual separation, while the raised frame around the buttons improves usability in daily use.

The biggest upgrade here is the thickness — or rather, the lack of it. At just 6.9mm, this is one of the slimmest phones in its category, and it genuinely improves the in-hand feel. It’s lightweight, easy to grip, and feels more premium than you’d expect at this price point. That said, the slim build does make it more vulnerable to scratches and dents, so a case is still highly recommended.

On the bright side, durability gets a bump with IP68 water and dust resistance, which is a welcome upgrade from IP67 and adds extra peace of mind.

A Display That Gets the Job Done

The Galaxy A57 sticks with a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED+ display, and while it doesn’t aim to top the brightness charts, it remains a solid performer. With up to 1200 nits peak brightness, it holds up reasonably well under sunlight, and the slimmer bezels help make the overall experience feel more immersive.

Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection is another strong point, offering better durability than most competitors in this segment. Paired with improved stereo speakers and Dolby Atmos support, the Galaxy A57 ends up being a surprisingly good device for watching videos and casual entertainment.

Software Is Still Samsung’s Biggest Advantage

If there’s one area where Samsung continues to dominate in this segment, it’s software. The Galaxy A57 runs One UI 8.5 based on Android 16, and more importantly, it comes with up to six years of software and security updates — something very few brands can match.

The experience feels polished and stable, with smoother animations and better system optimisation. Powered by the Exynos 1680 chipset, performance is reliable across daily tasks, and while you won’t see massive gains in app speed, gaming performance does feel more consistent with improved graphics handling.

“Awesome Intelligence” Feels a Bit Half-Baked

While Samsung has been pushing Galaxy AI heavily on its flagship devices, the Galaxy A57 only gets a limited version called “Awesome Intelligence.” Unfortunately, it feels more like a checkbox feature than a meaningful upgrade.

Basic tools like Object Eraser still work well, but the overall AI experience lacks depth and usefulness. Considering many AI features are cloud-based, it feels like Samsung is intentionally holding back to differentiate its flagship lineup — which is a bit disappointing for a device at this price point.

Cameras That Play It Safe

Samsung hasn’t made any major changes to the camera hardware, reusing the familiar setup from the Galaxy A54 — a 50MP main camera, 12MP ultra-wide, and 5MP macro.

Image quality remains decent in good lighting, with natural colours, good detail, and reliable dynamic range. However, once lighting conditions drop, performance becomes less impressive, especially when capturing moving subjects. While it’s still perfectly usable for everyday photography, it doesn’t quite keep up with competitors that are pushing more advanced camera systems.

Battery Life You Can Depend On

The Galaxy A57 continues to use a 5000mAh battery with 45W charging, which might not sound impressive on paper, but Samsung’s optimisation once again does the heavy lifting.

In real-world usage, the phone easily lasts a full day under heavy use, and moderate users can stretch it closer to a day and a half. Charging speeds aren’t class-leading, but they’re fast enough to keep the phone topped up without much hassle.

Pricing and Final Verdict

With rising costs across the industry, the Galaxy A57 does come in at a slightly higher price, but Samsung has already made it more appealing with discounts. In Malaysia, the 512GB variant is going for RM2,399, which is notable as this is the first time the Galaxy A series offers such a large storage option.

The Galaxy A57 doesn’t try to be the most exciting phone in its class — and that’s exactly its strength. It focuses on delivering a balanced experience with strong software support, a comfortable design, and reliable battery life. It may not win on specs, but for most users, it’s a phone that simply makes sense.

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