Half the price of the flagships, not half the functionality

Review: Samsung Galaxy A57 – An affordable all-rounder

A slimmer, more durable everyday phone at a good price, without any major compromises.

Published 24 September 2026 - 11:39

Those who are really serious about their mobile use and want the very best may buy one of the most expensive models, but what always strikes us when we test cheaper phones is, of course, just how far they go. Perhaps most importantly, the price of this phone, the Galaxy A57, starts at around half the cost of the S26 and almost a third of the cost of the S26 Ultra. There is certainly a clear difference in class in several areas, but much is still similar. The phone's system, apps and features are fundamentally the same, and when I take photos in the dark, there is often no immediately noticeable difference between images from the A57 and the considerably more expensive models. Core features such as a bright OLED display, battery capacity and fast charging are also present here.

Thinner and more durable

The main new features of the Galaxy A57 are that, compared with last year's model, the phone is marginally thinner, a little more durable and now has IP68 protection. On the software side, the A57 comes with the new One UI 8.5, meaning that we get, for example, the updated AI assistant Bixby and the third-party AI app Perplexity. This is something of an inheritance from the flagship models in the S26 series.

When it comes to AI, however, the A series is noticeably limited. There is no Galaxy AI here; instead, there is a comparable but pared-down package of services called Awesome Intelligence. You therefore get call recording with speech-to-text, and AI image editing, but not the live translation available on the more expensive phones. Image editing is also considerably worse here than in the S26 series. For example, when I try to remove a distracting object from an image, the S26 Ultra handles it brilliantly, whereas the A57 leaves a coloured haze behind where the object was removed. This does not necessarily have to be decisive, even if you are a frequent AI user, because you are not locked into Samsung's features alone. As with other Android phones and other systems, you can use the Google Photos app, for example, to do similar things better.

Generous updates for six years

One of the most important features of the A57 is that Samsung promises six years of major Android operating system updates, which is an important prerequisite for being able to keep the phone for longer. Important apps, especially Mobile BankID, regularly restrict phones that are too old to be upgraded, so without system updates you could end up in a situation where Mobile BankID stops working even though the phone itself still works. Samsung's promise of six years here, compared with seven years for the flagship models, is a promise of avoiding problems.

On the outside, the Galaxy A57 consists of an aluminium frame and a durable glass front and back. Unlike the more expensive phones in the S26 series, the glass on the back is glossy rather than matte, but the cheaper sibling model has a plastic frame, so the A57 represents something of a middle ground.

Complete package

This is therefore a well-rounded package with a good user experience; we notice no delays in the system, and everything feels well organised and secure. The cameras are good, particularly for night shots, and when I take photos in daylight, I think the results are good. The A57 produces images I am happy with. It is mainly when I compare them directly with images from the S26 Ultra that it becomes clear that colours in photos from the Galaxy A57 are a little too saturated and that it lacks dynamic range, meaning that the brightest parts of the image are easily overexposed. That said, these are good cameras for the money, with the exception of the macro camera. With its measly 5 megapixels, it is mainly there so Samsung can say it has a triple camera. Its mere presence in the camera module may make the lens setup feel more professional, but it adds nothing, and I consistently get better close-ups if I instead step back and zoom in a little with the main camera.

Questions and answers

Does it have the Now Bar?

Yes, the Now Bar is Samsung's small notification bar on the lock screen, and it is included here. It is Samsung's equivalent of Apple's Dynamic Island and Live Activities, but here it is not as full of information as in the S26 series because the more comprehensive Now Brief is missing. Several Android manufacturers have made their own versions of Apple's Dynamic Island, and Samsung has done the worst job, as it provides limited information and also changes position: it is shown in the lower part of the screen, but sometimes in the bar at the top of the phone, where it is so small that it displays even less useful information.

Is the full range of AI assistants included?

Yes, as in the S26 series, there is Google Gemini, Samsung's Bixby and the third-party app Perplexity. Bixby relies on Perplexity for more advanced questions, and Bixby does not yet support Swedish as a language. The other two do, however.

What is included in the box?

No charger, no case, just the phone, SIM eject tool and a USB-C to USB-C cable.

An alternative

An innovative alternative with an aluminium back is the Nothing Phone 4a Pro, which also has a telephoto camera with 3.5x optical zoom, but you only get three years of updates, half of what Samsung gives you.