Now we know if the Pixel 8a is indeed better than the Galaxy A55

Google and Samsung have long distinguished themselves in the mid-range phones market.

Their latest offerings, the Pixel 8a and the Galaxy A55, fight for consumer attention in a battle of innovation and performance, including AI.

Since we’ve had the opportunity to review both phones, we can now delve into the comparison to determine which device deserves your hard-earned cash.

Differences between the Pixel 8a and the Galaxy A55 

Design & Build 

Both phones sport modern designs with slim bezels and sleek finishes. 

The Pixel 8a – with its dimensions of 152.4 x 73.6 x 10.1mm and weighing 192g – is compact and comfortable to hold.  It features a refined design, with rounded edges, matte back and polished aluminium frame for comfort and durability. 

The iconic camera bar is still present, adding stability to the phone. While the Pixel 8a’s glossy finish gives it a premium feel, it also makes it slippery. With Gorilla Glass 3 and an IP67 rating, it can withstand slips, spills and dust; making it the sturdiest Pixel A-Series phone yet.

Available in Bay (blue), Obsidian (black), Porcelain (white) and Aloe (green), the colours are more appealing in person than in images. However, the 256GB model is only available in black.

On the other hand, the Galaxy A55 measures 161.1 x 77.4 x 8.2mm and weighs 213g, offering a slightly larger footprint.  The phone boasts an similarly premium build, featuring an aluminium frame and glass back. It also stands out with a unique raised housing for the power and volume buttons. 

It steps down to Gorilla Glass Victus+ for durability but maintains the same IP67 rating for water and dust resistance. The A55 is available in various colour options, including Awesome Iceblue, Awesome Navy, Awesome Lilac and Awesome Yellow. 

While the Pixel 8a is more compact and comes in a range of vibrant colours, the Galaxy A55 offers more muted, sophisticated options, and is also a heavier and bulkier device. However, it’s not that big of a deal and the choice here is a matter of personal preference, so this round is a tie. 

Screen & Speakers 

Both devices feature impressive OLED displays with a 120Hz refresh rate, ensuring smooth and crisp visuals. The Pixel 8a boasts a 6.1-inch FHD+ panel, while the Galaxy A55 takes it up a notch with a larger 6.6-inch FHD+ screen. 

While the Galaxy A55 gets the same 1000-nit brightness from the A54, the new ‘Actua’ display in the Pixel 8a offers superior brightness, rated at up to 1400-nits for HDR visuals, plus a 2000-nits peak.

That said, both can get very bright, so your decision here comes down to which display size suits you best. 

In terms of speakers, both phones offer stereo setups (with down-firing bass speakers, while the earpiece focuses on higher frequencies). The A55 delivers decent clarity, while the Pixel 8a also offers a good audio quality.

This round is a close call, but the Pixel 8a’s greater depth means it takes the lead by a hair’s breadth. 

Specs & Performance 

The Pixel 8a is powered by the latest Google Tensor G3 chip and equipped with many of the same advanced AI features as the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro; like Best Take, Audio Magic Eraser and more. 

The Pixel 8a isn’t the fastest among other mid-range phones and lags behind in some CPU and graphics benchmarks, however, it outperforms the Galaxy A55 and should more than meet the needs of its target audience.

With the certified Titan M2 security chip and built-in Google VPN, it also offers additional protection against outside threats. The phone comes equipped with 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of internal storage, along with support for dual-SIM functionality. A microSD slot isn’t part of the equation here, though. 

The Galaxy A55 features Samsung’s own Exynos 1480 chip; an upgrade from its predecessor, providing smoother performance thanks to its higher clock speed and having been built on a more energy-efficient 4nm process. 

Backed by 8GB of RAM, it offers improved performance in CPU benchmarks compared to the Galaxy A54, also outperforming competitors like the Google Pixel 7a, but as already mentioned, it lags behind the 8a’s Tensor SoC. It also falls slightly short in terms of graphical performance, making it suitable for everyday tasks but not ideal for heavy gaming. 

The device also offers storage options of 128GB or 256GB, but unlike the Pixel, does also pack in microSD expandability, with support for cards up to 1TB.

With 5G , Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6E, and NFC, both phones are also well-equipped in terms of connectivity for mid-range devices. 

In terms of pure performance, our Geekbench 6 multi-core tests clearly indicate a winner in this category.

The Galaxy A55 – with its Exynos 1380 – produced a score of 3447, while the Pixel 8a – with Tensor G3 chip – left Samsung’s offering in the dust, scoring a whopping 3955 points.

However, this is a result we did not expect, as when we compared Galaxy A54 and the Pixel 7a last year, both phones achieved a similar result (2852 points vs 2720 points, in the A54’s favour).

Ultimately, the choice here is the the Pixel 8a, which offers a flagship processor and much better overall performance than the Galaxy A55.

Cameras 

In the field of smartphone photography, both Google and Samsung have proven themselves over the last few years – even at this price point.

The camera hardware in the Pixel 8a remains the same as the Pixel 7a, taking the form of a 64Mp main sensor and a 13Mp ultrawide sensor. Despite lacking a telephoto lens, the camera setup is effective, avoiding unnecessary additions like a 2Mp macro lens.

The 8a excels in point-and-shoot situations, offering various modes but no Pro mode. While many phones in this price range perform well in daylight, the Pixel 8a stands out in challenging conditions thanks to its advanced software. Night Sight remains the best night mode available, enabling confident nighttime photography.

The main camera delivers the best results, but the other cameras are still above average, thanks to the series’ establish post-processing magic. The Pixel 8a also offers advanced and useful editing tools, like Magic Editor, Magic Eraser and Photo Unblur, to triage artifacts and unwanted elements in a scene quickly and all on-device.

Like the 7a, the Pixel 8a also supports up to 4K video recording at 30fps across all lenses, with the main camera capable of 60fps, though Full HD quality is satisfactory.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy A55 opts for a 50Mp main shooter, backed by a 12Mp ultra-wide and 5Mp macro lens. On the front is a 32Mp selfie camera. It also maintains the same camera hardware setup as its predecessor, the Galaxy A54. 

While the main camera produces detailed images with vibrant colours in good lighting conditions, night shots exhibit some graininess and softness not seen on the Pixel. The ultrawide camera, meanwhile, offers versatility but lacks consistency compared to the main sensor. 

The macro camera delivers passable closeup shots, but we consider it superfluous. That said, despite the absence of a dedicated telephoto lens, 2x shots are solid thanks to cropping capabilities. 

The front camera captures natural-looking selfies, with good subject definition and background bokeh too. Video recording capabilities include 4K at 30fps or 1080p at 60fps. 

While both setups are capable of capturing impressive shots, the strength of Google’s software-based image processing gives it the upper hand, once again. 

Battery Life & Charging 

When it comes to staying powered throughout the day, battery capacity plays a crucial role. 

The Pixel 8a comes equipped with a typical 4492mAh battery and offers the same 18W wired charging and Qi-certified 7.5W wireless charging as the Pixel 7a.

The phone typically lasts a day under normal usage but struggles beyond that unless you go a little easier on it. When testing, it reached 41% in 30 minutes while charging.

In comparison, the Galaxy A55 boasts a slightly bigger 5000mAh battery, proving to be ample and efficient. It exhibits strong stamina in everyday use, with impressive battery life lasting up to two days of normal usage between charges. 

At 25W, it outperforms the Pixel 8a in charging speeds. It gets to around 50% from empty in 30 minutes of charging. The absence of wireless charging is not surprising at this price point, although the Pixel 8a offers this feature. Overall, faster charging speed and higher battery capacity gives the Galaxy A55 the advantage. 

Software & Apps 

Both devices run on the latest Android 14 out of the box, offering a seamless and intuitive user experience. (Android 15 is coming soon! See what phones will get Android 15 and check out the new features – or try them for yourself by downloading the Android 15 beta.)

Naturally, the Pixel 8a benefits from the same Google optimisations and seven years of software updates as the flagship Pixel 8 series, ensuring peak performance and security for longer.

What’s more, thanks to Google’s latest Tensor G3 chip, it sports advanced AI features, such as Circle to Search, Best Take and Magic Editor. The Pixel 8a also introduces Audio Emojis, enhancing phone calls with expressive audio reactions triggered by tapping emoji icons on-screen, during calls.

Meanwhile, Samsung’s One UI 6.1 adds its own layer of customisation and functionality to the Galaxy A55. However, while it gives you a user experience comparable to the flagship Galaxy S24 series, it doesn’t offer the same roster of advanced AI features.

Slightly undermining the Pixel’s lead in this area if the fact that now all Google Photos users get AI-based photo editing tools, making some powerful once-Pixel-exclusives, available to Galaxy users too.

One UI provides a familiar interface, known for its smoothness, flexibility, and rich features, although some users may find it busy compared to ‘stock’ Android on the Pixel 8a. Samsung promises four years of major OS upgrades and up to five years of security updates for the Galaxy A55, mean it sits behind the Pixel 8a. 

Choice here ultimately boils down to personal preference, but the Pixel 8a’s close integration with Google’s ecosystem, exclusive AI features and longer OS support gives it an edge. 

Price & Availability 

The Samsung Galaxy A55 is available directly from Samsung in two storage variants in the UK, priced at £439 for the 128GB model and £489 for the 256GB model. Various retailers, including Amazon, John Lewis, Very, Argos, and Currys, are also offering the phone at similar prices. However, the phone isn’t available in the US, unlike the cheaper Galaxy A35.

The Pixel 8a costs £499/$499 for the 128GB variant and £559/$559 for the 256GB version. It’s available from a variety of retailers, including Google, Amazon and Argos in the UK and Google, Amazon and Best Buy in the US. Learn more in our separate article on where to buy the Google Pixel 8a, and the best Pixel phone deals.

Here are the best contract deals on both phones in the UK right now:

Verdict 

Considering the overall comparison, the Pixel 8a emerges as the better buy for users prioritising design, screen quality, camera performance and software features.

What’s more, you can already get the Pixel 8a at very attractive lower prices. One such recent deal means you could get the Pixel 8a for just £9.

However, if longer battery life and faster charging are critical factors, the Galaxy A55 presents a compelling alternative. It is also cheaper in the UK, when it comes to fixed prices, with even the 256GB model being £10 less, if you’re restrained by a tighter budget. 

If you’re based in the US, there’s no competition: only the Pixel 8a is available there. If you decide to go for it, be sure to find out more about the 8 hidden Pixel 8a features and how to enable them.