With regards to shopping for the correct cellphone, the selection isn’t at all times apparent with so many choices throughout a variety of worth factors.
The mid-range cellphone market, specifically, is full of plenty of aggressive choices, and the Samsung Galaxy A55 and OnePlus Nord 4 are two standout contenders.
Each telephones present premium options at an reasonably priced worth, however they cater to barely completely different person wants.
Right here’s a complete comparability of those two units, that can assist you determine which higher meets your wants.
Design & Construct
The Galaxy A55 boasts a premium construct with an aluminium body and a glass again, nearer to that of flagship fashions. It retains IP67 water and mud resistance, making it a sturdy selection for many who need sturdiness with out compromising on fashion.
The cellphone is out there in a number of colors, like Superior Iceblue, Navy, Lilac, and Yellow, providing a vibrant palette for customers. Nonetheless, its heavier weight of 213g and bigger dimension may make it much less comfy for some customers.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
The OnePlus Nord 4 contains a comparatively distinctive steel unibody design, which provides it a premium really feel whereas protecting the load comparatively low at 199.5g. The distinct two-tone rear design – though eye-catching – is susceptible to fingerprints and smudges.
It packs an IP65 ranking, which is barely much less sturdy than the Galaxy A55’s IP67 certification, however nonetheless affords safety in opposition to mud and water. The cellphone’s aesthetics may additionally attraction extra to these in search of a modern and trendy look, with some standout design parts.
Chris Martin / Foundry
The Galaxy A55 affords a extra premium really feel, with its aluminium body and glass again, together with superior water and mud resistance. Whereas the OnePlus Nord 4 has a lighter steel unibody and distinctive design, it falls quick in sturdiness.
The Galaxy A55 additionally is available in a wider array of finishes, which can attraction to these in search of larger private expression.
Show & Audio system
The Galaxy A55 comes with a 6.6-inch Full HD+ AMOLED show, that includes a peak 120Hz refresh charge. The panel boasts vivid colors and stable brightness output, though it’s not preferrred for outside use in vibrant daylight until auto-brightness is enabled.
The stereo audio system ship respectable readability however lack bass depth, making them appropriate for informal listening however not for audiophiles.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
The Nord 4 affords a barely bigger 6.74-inch Full HD+ OLED show, with the next decision of 2772 x 1240. It additionally helps a 120Hz peak refresh charge.
The show performs nicely throughout numerous lighting circumstances, and the twin stereo audio system ship a passable audio expertise, with extra outstanding bass in comparison with the Galaxy A55.
Chris Martin / Foundry
The Nord 4’s OLED show totes the next decision and offers higher efficiency in several lighting circumstances, making it extra versatile for outside use.
Whereas each telephones prime out at a 120Hz refresh charge, the Nord 4’s show affords sharper visuals.
Efficiency
The Galaxy A55 is powered by the Exynos 1480 chipset, paired with 8GB of RAM.
It offers clean efficiency for every day duties and handles reasonable gaming nicely. Nonetheless, it falls quick relating to intensive gaming, the place body charges might drop on greater constancy graphical settings.
The cellphone comes with 128GB or 256GB of storage, expandable by way of microSD, which is a bonus for these needing extra area.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
The Nord 4 makes use of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 chipset, which is a step down from as we speak’s flagship-class processors however nonetheless delivers wonderful efficiency.
With 12GB or 16GB of RAM, multitasking is a breeze, and gaming efficiency is stable too, although not flawless for graphically demanding video games.
Storage choices are 256GB and 512GB, however not like the Galaxy A55, there isn’t a microSD slot for growth.
Chris Martin / Foundry
The Nord 4’s chipset, paired with greater RAM choices, offers higher multitasking and gaming efficiency versus the Galaxy A55.
That is much more evident in our Geekbench 6 multi-core take a look at. Whereas the Galaxy A55 achieved a rating of 3447, the Nord 4 surpassed it, reaching 3835 factors.
So, regardless that neither cellphone is appropriate for intensive gaming on the highest high quality, the Nord 4 handles itself higher total.
Cameras
The Galaxy A55 contains a versatile digital camera setup, with a 50Mp primary digital camera, a 12Mp ultrawide lens, and a 5Mp macro sensor.
The primary digital camera captures detailed photographs with vibrant colours, though low-light efficiency is just not its sturdy go well with. The 12Mp ultrawide is helpful however suffers from a noticeable drop in high quality, in comparison with the principle sensor.
Selfies from the 32Mp entrance digital camera are sharp, making it a terrific choice for social media lovers.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
The Nord 4 has a 50Mp primary digital camera, with a Sony Lytia sensor, which performs nicely in good lighting, providing true-to-life colors and wonderful dynamic vary.
The 8Mp ultrawide digital camera, nonetheless, is a noticeable downgrade and produces much less detailed and washed-out photographs. There’s additionally a 16Mp entrance digital camera, which delivers high-quality selfies.
Sadly, the shortage of a devoted telephoto lens limits its versatility, in comparison with the Galaxy A55.
Chris Martin / Foundry
Total, the Galaxy A55’s digital camera setup affords a extra well-rounded photographic expertise.
The Nord 4 has a powerful primary digital camera however lacks a devoted telephoto lens, and has a much less efficient ultrawide digital camera, making the A55 a better option for these after photographic versatility.
Battery & Charging
The Galaxy A55 homes a 5000mAh battery, which might comfortably last as long as two days of reasonable use.
Its 25W charging speeds, nonetheless, are a bit gradual, in comparison with the Nord 4. It additionally lacks wi-fi charging, which is perhaps a downside for some customers.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
The Nord 4 excels in battery efficiency, with its 5500mAh battery providing long-lasting energy, even beneath heavy use.
It helps 100W quick charging, though no charger is included within the field, which suggests you’ll must buy one individually to make the most of the utmost charging speeds. Wi-fi charging can be absent right here.
With a bigger battery and sooner charging speeds, the Nord 4 affords superior battery life and faster charging occasions, versus the Galaxy A55.
Software program & Apps
The Galaxy A55 runs on Android 14 with Samsung’s One UI 6.1 overlay. It’s a feature-rich, extremely customisable interface that some might discover cluttered, in comparison with inventory Android.
Samsung guarantees 4 years of OS updates and 5 years of safety patches on its mid-rangers, making certain the cellphone stays present for years to return.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
The Nord 4 runs Oxygen OS 14.1, additionally based mostly on Android 14. It serves up a cleaner, extra streamlined expertise in comparison with One UI, however comes with some bloatware.
OnePlus ensures 4 main OS updates and 6 years of safety updates, offering barely longer help than the Galaxy A55.
Chris Martin / Foundry
Whereas each telephones run Android 14, the Nord 4 affords a cleaner, extra streamlined software program expertise with Oxygen OS, in distinction to Samsung’s One UI.
The marginally longer replace promise from OnePlus additionally makes it a better option for long-term software program help, and when it comes to total worth for cash.
Value & Availability
The Samsung Galaxy A55 begins at £439 for the 128GB mannequin and goes as much as £489 for the 256GB variant. You should purchase it immediately from Samsung.
It’s additionally broadly obtainable by means of numerous retailers within the UK, however not within the US.
The OnePlus Nord 4 is barely cheaper, beginning at £429 for the 12GB/256GB mannequin, and £529 for the 16GB/512GB model.
It’s bought directly through OnePlus’ store and different on-line retailers however – just like the Galaxy A55 – it’s additionally unavailable within the US.
Do you have to purchase the Galaxy A55 or Nord 4?
When you favor a well-rounded system with good all-around efficiency, the Galaxy A55 is a superb choose.
Nonetheless, when you’re in search of a extra highly effective system with wonderful battery life and efficiency – particularly at a lower cost and with barely longer safety help – the OnePlus Nord 4 edges the win on this mid-range cellphone battle.
