The Galaxy A55 was a return to form for Samsung’s most premium mid-range smartphone lineup, and for the company’s mid-range Exynos chips. It brought substantial performance improvements over previous models and is the true successor to the Galaxy A52s, which previously held the title of the fastest and smoothest A-series Samsung phone.
Excellent performance is not the only thing on the list of impressive Galaxy A55 features, but as the norm dictates, Samsung decided to hold back on some upgrades for future models. Some of those upgrades will come with the Galaxy A56 next year, and there are two that are particularly exciting.
45W battery charging
Samsung brought 45W charging to mid-range phones for the first time ever with the Galaxy M55, and regulatory certification has confirmed that the Galaxy A56 will support 45W charging as well.
25W charging on the Galaxy A55 and older mid-rangers isn’t slow by any stretch of the imagination. And 45W charging isn’t as fast compared to 25W as you would expect. But it’s still a welcome upgrade, especially in the face of competition from phones from other brands that support charging at 100W and higher.
Samsung shouldn't pursue numbers for the sake of it, but the least it can do is offer the maximum charging speed on as many devices as possible. Hopefully, the faster charging spec will not just be symbolic. Samsung handicapped charging speeds on recent flagships like the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, and it will be rather disappointing if the same is true for devices like the A56 next year.
Six to seven years of software updates
Samsung made giant strides this year when it comes to how long its smartphones are supported with software updates after launch. At the beginning of the year, it announced that all flagship Galaxy smartphones and tablets launched in 2024 and beyond will get seven major Android OS upgrades and seven years of security updates.
Then, in October, Samsung launched the budget-oriented Galaxy A16 with a promise of six years of OS and security updates, and most future budget and mid-range Galaxy phones, including the Galaxy A56, will also be eligible for at least six years of firmware support.
You will essentially be able to use the A56 till at least 2031 without worrying about outdated software. The A55, on the other hand, will stop getting updates within this decade as it is only eligible for four major Android OS upgrades and five years of security updates.
