Samsung just launched its new midrange Galaxy A37 5G and A57 5G phones, which come with higher prices but only small upgrades. The new models, arriving April 9, come with a $50 price hike over last year’s versions, sparking questions on value for money amid an already competitive budget smartphone segment.

Price Jumps Amid Tight Market Conditions

Samsung's midrange Galaxy A series is known for delivering solid features at accessible prices. But this year, buyers will pay more. The Galaxy A37 starts at $450, up from $399 last year’s A36 model, while the Galaxy A57 costs $550, a $50 increase from its predecessor, the A56. These aren't small changes, especially in a segment where consumers often look for the best deal.

Samsung hasn’t shared much detail about why prices went up. However, industry experts point to a mix of external factors: ongoing memory shortages, rising costs of components, and global economic pressures like tariffs and higher oil prices. Jitesh Ubrani from IDC notes that memory supply constraints are pushing prices up, a problem affecting many brands.

Upgrades Are Mostly Under the Hood

Samsung’s updates to the A37 and A57 are mostly about the processors. The A37 now runs on Samsung’s Exynos 1480 chip, which promises about 14% better CPU performance and a substantial jump in neural processing power compared to last year’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chip. This boost in AI capabilities helps with tasks like photo editing and voice recognition.

The Galaxy A57 uses the newer Exynos 1680, offering moderate gains over the previous Exynos 1580. Improvements include a 10% CPU boost and better graphics performance.

Both phones keep the same 5,000-mAh battery and 45-watt wired charging, which can charge up to 65% in half an hour.

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Design and Features: Small But Noticeable Changes

Design-wise, the A37 sticks with a plastic body but comes in fresh colours like lavender, charcoal, and gray-green. The A57 moves up to a metal frame and is available in navy blue, feeling lighter than its predecessor despite having a similar 6.7-inch display.

Both phones now boast IP68 water resistance, a welcome addition in this price range. Samsung has also incorporated updated AI-driven software features such as object eraser, voice transcription, and enhanced Bixby functions. The A57 gets a few extras like Best Face, which helps fix photos where someone is blinking, and Auto Trim for video editing.

Competition Tightens in the Midrange Market

Even with these tweaks, Samsung’s price increase puts the A37 and A57 close to rivals offering compelling alternatives. The Google Pixel 10a, for instance, is priced at $499 and matches or surpasses Samsung’s phones in several areas: similar memory and storage options, bigger battery capacity, and a comparable set of AI features.

This Pixel’s lack of a third camera is offset by the fact that Samsung’s macro sensor on the A series often adds little real value.

Another competitor, the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro, also sits at $499 and offers a solid feature set, though it falls short on long-term software support. These options might appeal more to buyers who weigh value and software updates heavily.

The Galaxy A series is still popular globally and often ranks among the best-selling Android phones. Still, the modest hardware changes paired with higher prices may prompt some shoppers to reLook at their choices this year.

Both the Galaxy A37 and A57 will be available for purchase starting April 9 in the U.S. And likely Canada soon after. Consumers looking for budget-friendly phones with decent specs will have to weigh Samsung’s brand reliability and ecosystem against competitors offering better bang for the buck.

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These price increases show the bigger issues phone makers face with parts shortages and rising costs. It’s unclear if buyers will pay extra for small upgrades, especially with tough competition in the midrange market.

This article was created with AI assistance.