When it comes to buying the right phone, the choice isn’t always obvious with so many options across a price range.
The mid-range phone market, in particular, is full of plenty of competitive offerings, and the Samsung Galaxy A55 and OnePlus Nord 4 are two notable contenders.
Both phones offer premium features at an affordable price, but meet slightly different user needs.
Here’s a comprehensive comparison of these two devices, to help you decide which one best suits your needs.
Design and build
The Galaxy A55 benefits from a premium build with an aluminum frame and glass back, closer to that of the flagship models. It maintains IP67 water and dust resistance, making it a rugged choice for those looking for durability without compromising style.
The phone is available in multiple colors, like Awesome Iceblue, Navy, Lilac, and Yellow, offering a vibrant palette to consumers. However, its heavier 213g weight and larger size might make it less comfortable for some users.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
The OnePlus Nord 4 features a relatively unique metal unibody design, giving it a premium feel while keeping the weight relatively low at 199.5g. The distinctive two-tone rear design – while eye-catching – is prone to fingerprints and smudges.
It has an IP65 rating, slightly less rugged than the Galaxy A55’s IP67 certification, but still offers protection against dust and water. The aesthetics of the phone might also appeal more to those looking for a sleek, modern look, with standout design elements.
Chris Martin / Foundry
The Galaxy A55 offers a more premium feel, with its aluminum frame and glass back, as well as superior water and dust resistance. Although the OnePlus Nord 4 has a unique lighter metal body and a unique design, it lacks durability.
The Galaxy A55 is also available in a wider range of finishes, which may appeal to those looking for greater personal expression.
Screen and speakers
The Galaxy A55 comes with a 6.6-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display, with a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz. The panel offers vibrant colors and solid brightness, although it is not ideal for use in outdoors in direct sunlight unless auto brightness is turned on.
The stereo speakers provide decent clarity but lack bass depth, making them suitable for casual listening but not for audiophiles.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
The Nord 4 offers a slightly larger 6.74-inch Full HD+ OLED display, with a higher resolution of 2772 x 1240. It also supports a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz.
The screen performs well in various lighting conditions and the dual stereo speakers provide a satisfying audio experience, with more prominent bass compared to the Galaxy A55.
Chris Martin / Foundry
The Nord 4’s OLED display offers higher resolution and provides better performance in different lighting conditions, making it more versatile for outdoor use.
While both phones hit a 120Hz refresh rate, the Nord 4’s screen offers sharper visuals.
Performance
The Galaxy A55 is powered by the Exynos 1480 chipset, paired with 8GB of RAM.
It delivers smooth performance for everyday tasks and handles moderate gaming well. However, this isn’t enough when it comes to intensive gaming, where frame rates can drop at higher fidelity graphics settings.
The phone comes with 128GB or 256GB of storage, expandable via microSD, which is a bonus for those who need extra space.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
The Nord 4 uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 chipset, which is a step down from today’s flagship processors but still offers excellent performance.
With 12GB or 16GB of RAM, multitasking is a breeze and gaming performance is also solid, but not perfect for graphically demanding games.
Storage options are 256GB and 512GB, but unlike the Galaxy A55, there is no microSD slot for expansion.
Chris Martin / Foundry
The Nord 4 chipset, coupled with higher RAM options, offers better multitasking and gaming performance compared to the Galaxy A55.
This is even more evident in our Geekbench 6 multi-core test. While the Galaxy A55 achieved a score of 3447, the Nord 4 surpassed it, achieving 3835 points.
So while neither phone is suitable for intensive gaming at the highest quality, the Nord 4 performs better overall.
Cameras
The Galaxy A55 features a versatile camera setup, with a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 5MP macro sensor.
The main camera captures detailed images with vibrant colors, although low-light performance isn’t its strong point. The 12Mp ultra-wide is useful but suffers from a notable drop in quality compared to the main sensor.
Selfies from the 32Mp front camera are sharp, making it a great option for social media enthusiasts.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
The Nord 4 has a 50MP main camera, with a Sony Lytia sensor, which performs well in good lighting, delivering realistic colors and excellent dynamic range.
The 8MP ultra-wide camera, however, is a notable downgrade and produces less detailed and washed-out images. There is also a 16MP front camera, which delivers high-quality selfies.
Unfortunately, the lack of a dedicated telephoto lens limits its versatility, compared to the Galaxy A55.
Chris Martin / Foundry
Overall, the Galaxy A55’s camera setup provides a more comprehensive photography experience.
The Nord 4 has a powerful main camera, but it lacks a dedicated telephoto lens and a less capable ultra-wide camera, making the A55 a better choice for those looking for photographic versatility.
Battery and charging
The Galaxy A55 houses a 5,000mAh battery, which can comfortably last up to two days of moderate usage.
Its 25W charging speeds are a bit slow compared to the Nord 4, however. It also lacks wireless charging, which could be a drawback for some users.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
The Nord 4 excels in battery performance, with its 5,500mAh battery providing long-lasting power even under heavy use.
It supports 100W fast charging, although no charger is included in the box, meaning you’ll need to purchase one separately to take advantage of the maximum charging speeds. Wireless charging is also absent here.
Chris Martin / Foundry
With a larger battery and faster charging speeds, the Nord 4 offers greater battery life and faster charging times than the Galaxy A55.
Software and applications
The Galaxy A55 runs Android 14 with Samsung’s One UI 6.1 overlay. It’s a feature-rich, highly customizable interface that some may find cluttered compared to stock Android.
Samsung is promising four years of operating system updates and five years of security patches on its mid-range models, ensuring the phone stays up to date for years to come.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
The Nord 4 runs Oxygen OS 14.1, also based on Android 14. It offers a cleaner, more streamlined experience compared to One UI, but comes with bloatware.
OnePlus guarantees four major operating system updates and six years of security updates, providing slightly longer support than the Galaxy A55.
Chris Martin / Foundry
While both phones run Android 14, the Nord 4 offers a cleaner, more streamlined software experience with Oxygen OS, unlike Samsung’s One UI.
OnePlus’ slightly longer update promise also makes it a better choice for long-term software support and in terms of overall value for money.
Pricing and availability
The Samsung Galaxy A55 starts at £439 for the 128GB model and goes up to £489 for the 256GB variant. You can buy it directly from Samsung.
It is also widely available from various retailers in the UK, but not in the US.
The OnePlus Nord 4 is slightly cheaper, starting at £429 for the 12GB/256GB model and £529 for the 16GB/512GB version.
It’s sold directly through the OnePlus store and other online retailers, but – like the Galaxy A55 – it’s also not available in the US.
Should you buy the Galaxy A55 or the Nord 4?
If you prefer a full-featured device with good overall performance, the Galaxy A55 is a great choice.
However, if you’re looking for a more powerful device with excellent battery life and performance – especially at a lower price and with slightly longer security support – the OnePlus Nord 4 edges out to victory in this mid-range phone battle.
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