Samsung Galaxy A57 vs Galaxy A37: which should you buy?

If the fancy features and high price of the Galaxy S26 Ultra don’t speak to you, then Samsung’s new affordable phones might be more up your street.

First up, there’s the Galaxy A37, a low-priced little gem that’ll likely end up in the middle of the eventual Galaxy AX7 series. Then, for a little more power, you’ve got the Samsung Galaxy A57, which could well end up being the top A-series model of 2026. This Galaxy A56 successor steps up the specs — but the price too, so it might be more than some buyers want.

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Samsung Galaxy A57 vs Samsung Galaxy A37: specs comparison

Before we dive into the specifics of each phone, let’s take a look at their key specs.

Samsung Galaxy A57 vs Samsung Galaxy A37: price and availability

While Samsung’s A-series phones have spotty availability across the globe — different combinations go on sale in different regions — it seems that both the Galaxy A37 and Galaxy A57 will get wide releases when they hit shelves on April 10. They’ll be available in different color and storage varieties, though.

What’s in a name? Well, in this case, a clear indication of how these phones compare. This is the 7th-gen wave of Samsung’s Galaxy A series, hence the second number, but the first refers to their placement in the line-up. Naturally, 5 is better than 3.

So, you can buy the Samsung Galaxy A37 for $449.99 / £399.99 (about AU$800). That’s for its base model, with 128GB storage and 6GB RAM, but there’s also a model with 256GB storage and 8GB RAM. This sells for $539.99 / £459.99 (around AU$900).

Now for the Samsung Galaxy A57, and it gets a little bit confusing as there are different sizes in different regions.

In the US, the base model has 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, and goes for $549.99, but this model isn’t on sale in the UK. The next step up has 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, and it sells for $609.99 / £529.99 (roughly AU$1,050).

In the UK, there’s also a £699.99 model with 512GB storage and 12GB RAM. That’s not cheap, and it’s bordering on Galaxy S26 territory.

Winner: Galaxy A37

Samsung Galaxy A57 vs Samsung Galaxy A37: design

To the naked eye, these phones are near-identical; when I saw and photographed the Galaxy A57 and A37 ahead of release, I failed to tag all my pictures, and now have about 20 images that could be either device. I’ve no way of telling.

Perhaps the colors are one giveaway. The Galaxy A37 comes in Charcoal, White, Lavender, and Graygreen (all prefixed by ‘Awesome’, in classic Samsung Galaxy A-style), while the A57 arrives in Icyblue, Navy, Lilac, and Gray variants. Not all colors are available in all regions, mind you.

The Galaxy A57 also has a slight ‘gradation’ effect on its rear panel, which should appear like a flickering and shiny gradient, but it’s quite hard to see.

Picking the phones up does reveal one difference. While they’re both IP68-rated, with metal frames and Gorilla Glass Plus front and backs, the A57 is thinner. It’s just 6.9mm across, compared to the A37’s 7.4mm, and it feels more slender as a result. That’s the biggest design difference between the two.

Winner: Galaxy A57

Samsung Galaxy A57 vs Samsung Galaxy A37: display

The Samsung Galaxy A57 and A37 again match (for the most part) when it comes to their displays.

Both have 6.7-inch 1080 x 2340 displays that reach 120Hz, and are broken up by a punch-hole cut-out at the top for the front camera.

They also get the same screen upgrades over their respective predecessors. Their brightness goes to 1900 nits, and they enjoy what Samsung calls Vision Booster tech, which bumps up the brightness and vibrancy when you’re watching content outside.

However, the A57 gets one enhancement: instead of using Super AMOLED for its panel, as the A56 did (and as the A37 does), it gets AMOLED Plus. This squeaks out a little extra color, so content will look a tiny bit better.

A more dramatic difference can be seen in their respective bezel sizes: both have smaller bezels than their predecessors, but on the A37, it’s still noticeable as a thick ring around the display. On the A57, it’s minimal, like in a flagship phone.

Winner: Galaxy A57

Samsung Galaxy A57 vs Samsung Galaxy A37: cameras

One of the key upgrades that both the Samsung Galaxy A57 and A37 enjoy over their predecessors is that they have an enhanced ISP, or Image Signal Processor. This is the brain that optimizes pictures you take for brightness, saturation, contrast, and the like.

They also both enjoy new Low Noise modes, changes to in-app camera zoom (it now feels more seamless), and faster shutter speeds.

The actual cameras, too, are almost identical: both have a 50MP main and 5MP macro camera, and the A37 has an 8MP ultra-wide while the A57 bumps that to 12MP.

Both phones also have a 12MP selfie camera. So, it’s close, but the A57 gets some extra pixels.

The Samsung Galaxy A37 does enjoy some upgrades over the A36, including a bigger main camera sensor, HDR boosts, and advanced portrait modes. But these just bring it closer to its pricier sibling, instead of giving it an edge.

We’ll be able to give a proper verdict on the camera quality of both phones (and share image comparisons) when we’ve tested them fully.

Winner: Galaxy A57

Samsung Galaxy A57 vs Samsung Galaxy A37: performance and software

The differences between these two phones have so far been minor, but that changes now.

Not with software, mind, because both are identical on that front. They come with One UI 8.5 installed out-of-the-box, and Samsung has pledged 6 years of operating system and security updates to both models.

The phones have Bixby-powered AI, Voice Transcription on calls and in the Recorder app, and shared actions across apps. However, other than enhanced Circle to Search functionality, most of the key S26 tools don’t make their way across to these mid-range devices: there’s no Audio Eraser, Privacy Display, or Finder upgrades.

It’s the performance department that sets these phones apart from one another.

The Samsung Galaxy A37 has an Exynos 1480 chipset, while the Galaxy A57 has an Exynos 1680 chipset. Both are made by Samsung itself, and the numbers give the game away: the Exynos 1680 is, quite simply, a more powerful chipset. If you want more power, the A57 is the way to go.

The A37 certainly won’t stutter during everyday tasks like streaming or scrolling, but as soon as you boot up some demanding mobile games or attempt any form of video editing, the Exynos 1680 chipset in the A57 will reveal its superiority (though if you want real smartphone power, you’ll need to choose one of the best Samsung phones).

Winner: Galaxy A57

Samsung Galaxy A57 vs Samsung Galaxy A37: battery

When comparing two very similar phones, it’s natural to have a lot of ties or close calls, but here we’ve finally got a department where the cheaper of the two can shine.

Both the Samsung Galaxy A57 and Galaxy A37 have the exact same battery size: 5,000mAh, the same as the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Due to the A57 having a more power-hungry chipset and a more advanced display, it’ll likely go through its battery a little quicker. Now, the difference could be pretty minimal, coming down to just minutes of real-world time, but it’s a point in favor of the A37.

Of course, we’ll need to conduct some proper lab testing to confidently say that one is better than the other, but with the A37 being markedly cheaper than the A57, it edges the A57 in this department.

Both have Samsung’s Super Fast Charge 2.0, too, so will power up at 45W. There are no wireless charging capabilities to speak of in either, unfortunately.

Winner: Galaxy A37

Samsung Galaxy A57 vs Samsung Galaxy A37: early verdict

When comparing the Samsung Galaxy A57 and Galaxy A37, we’re putting two differently-priced members of the same family head-to-head.

It’s only natural that the Galaxy A57 is a better phone than the A37 in a lot of ways: it costs more. Its cameras and display show marginal improvements over the A37, while its design and processor reveal bigger ones.

But it’s not that much of a step up over the A37, and you’re getting a very similar package at a lower price point in its sibling. We’ve only given the A37 the advantage in the battery and price sections, but it’s a close competition in every quarter.

If you’re conscious about cost, you wouldn’t be losing that much by opting for the A37. But if you want the objectively better phone, then the A57 is the way to go.

Again, we still need to put both devices through our full review process, so stay tuned to TechRadar for our full verdicts on each. Both phones will be available from April 10.

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Tom Bedford is a freelance contributor covering tech, entertainment and gaming. Beyond TechRadar, he has bylines on sites including GamesRadar, Digital Trends, WhattoWatch and BGR. From 2019 to 2022 he was on the TechRadar team as the staff writer and then deputy editor for the mobile team.