Samsung Galaxy A37 review

High-end phones are where most innovation happens, but most people around the world use mid-range and affordable devices.

While reviewing the Galaxy A37, I wanted to see whether Samsung has made meaningful improvements in areas that matter most, such as camera performance, overall speed, and battery life, so that everyday users can expect reliable fundamentals from a mid-range phone.

On paper, the Galaxy A37 is quite similar to the Galaxy A36, with upgrades mainly in the primary camera and software. However, most buyers will likely be upgrading from older devices like the Galaxy A33 or Galaxy A34, and the question is whether this is a good upgrade for them.

Samsung has adopted a consistent design language across its smartphones in recent years, making Galaxy devices easy to recognize. The Galaxy A37 follows this minimalistic approach.

That said, its minimalistic design does not mean it feels cheap. The phone is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus+ on both the front and the back, giving it a premium feel.

The camera rings are now grouped into a translucent camera island, which looks more refined compared to the individual rings used on older models like the Galaxy A34 and Galaxy A35.

The phone is also thin and comfortable to hold. It now has an IP68 rating, which improves durability, especially against water exposure.

The Galaxy A37 features the same 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display as the Galaxy A36. There are no notable improvements in brightness or durability.

Samsung claims peak brightness of 1,200 nits outdoors and up to 1,900 nits during HDR playback. While I did not measure brightness with specialized equipment, the display was bright enough outdoors and did not cause any visibility issues.

The phone can display HDR content in apps like Gallery and YouTube. However, apps like Netflix and Disney+ do not seem to recognize HDR support. HDR videos I recorded using the Galaxy S26 Ultra and sent to the Galaxy A37 were correctly recognized as HDR and the appeared much brighter.

Samsung does not clearly mention HDR support in its specifications, so it is unclear whether the phone truly supports HDR playback or converts HDR content to SDR on the fly.

The stereo speakers are loud and remain clear even at high volume levels.

The in-display fingerprint reader works reliably. However, the phone allows only three registered fingerprints, which feels like an unnecessary limitation, especially when higher-end Galaxy devices support up to five.

The biggest upgrade in the Galaxy A37 is its larger primary camera sensor. The 50MP sensor, sized at 1/1.56-inch, is comparable to the one used in the base Galaxy S26. It includes OIS and supports 4K 30fps video recording. The results are impressive for a mid-range device.

In daylight, photos are slightly saturated, which many users may prefer. Details are good, and dynamic range is strong for this segment. Skin tones are generally natural and pleasing.

In low light, images remain bright with good color and contrast. Dynamic range holds up well, and portrait shots have accurate subject separation with decent background blur.

The 8MP ultrawide camera produces 12.5MP images by default, thanks to upscaling. They have good colors and the dynamic range is acceptable, but they look a bit soft overall. In low light, performance is average, with noticeable softness and reduced detail.

There is no dedicated telephoto camera. The 2x zoom option relies on cropping from the main sensor, resulting in softer images with limited detail, especially in low-light conditions.

4K video recording is solid, with good colors, dynamic range, and stabilization in both daylight and low light. The ultrawide camera is limited to 1080p 30fps video.

The 12MP front-facing camera delivers good results. While it lacks autofocus, selfies are sharp at arm’s length and wide enough to fit multiple people. Portrait selfies also look good.

Front camera video recording at 4K 30fps performs well in daylight. In low light, noise increases and occasional jitter is visible, though stabilization remains decent.

The 5MP macro camera is largely unimpressive. It lacks autofocus and produces low-quality images. You are better off using the main camera for close-up shots. At this point, Samsung should consider replacing macro cameras with more useful telephoto sensors in this segment.

The Galaxy A37 uses the Exynos 1480 processor, which is not new. It debuted with the Galaxy A55 in 2024 and was not particularly powerful even then. Compared to the Galaxy A36’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, there is no meaningful performance improvement. However, RAM (LPDDR4X) and storage speeds (UFS 3.1) have been upgraded.

In everyday use, the phone performs adequately but does not feel particularly smooth. Multitasking is handled well, but overall responsiveness could be better. There is a bit of lag here and there. Samsung could have used the newer Exynos 1580, which would have offered noticeably better performance.

Gaming performance is decent. Call of Duty Mobile runs at 60fps on the High preset. The Ultra preset was not available during testing and is unlikely to be supported. The good news is that performance remains stable during extended sessions, and the phone only gets slightly warm.

The Galaxy A37 runs Android 16 with One UI 8.5 out of the box. Samsung promises up to six years of OS and security updates.

The interface is polished and feature-rich, with plenty of customization options, as you would expect from a Samsung phone. The company has included some Advanced Intelligence features, but they are not nearly as capable as the Galaxy AI features found on higher-end devices.

For example, Object Eraser works, but not as effectively as on flagship phones. Even basic AI features like Browsing Assist and Writing Assist are missing. As expected, Samsung DeX is not available.

Most other features found on high-end Galaxy devices are present, including Good Lock support.

The Galaxy A37 uses a 5,000mAh battery, similar to its predecessors. However, improved efficiency and software optimization result in slightly better battery life.

In my usage, the phone consistently lasted a day and a half. Even on heavy usage days with messaging, web browsing, camera use, and navigation, it comfortably lasted a full day. The phone was also connected to a Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro (SSC codec) for about an hour of audio playback.

The device supports 45W wired charging. It typically charges over 60% in 30 minutes, with a full charge taking just over an hour.

The Galaxy A37 is not a bad phone. It gets most of the basics right. It has a large and bright display, reliable speakers, and a dependable fingerprint reader. The primary and front cameras deliver good results, and battery life is strong. If you are upgrading from a phone like the Galaxy A34 or the Galaxy A35, the Galaxy A37 is a good choice.

However, at $449 for the 128GB variant, it sits too close to Samsung’s Fan Edition lineup. The Galaxy S25 FE costs about $100 more when it's on discount (which is often) and offers double the storage, while the 128GB version can be had for just $480. The Galaxy S24 FE is often available for around $490 with 256GB storage.

With those FE models, you get significantly better performance, more versatile cameras including a dedicated 3x telephoto lens, and access to advanced AI features. We would advise you to wait for a couple of months so that the Galaxy A37 can be had for at least $50 less.