Samsung Galaxy C55: A Charming and Stylish Smartphone

Anupam Das
September 10, 2024

1. Samsung Galaxy C55: First Impression

While the premium flagship smartphones are all about expensive and latest features, the budget smartphones are about usability with value for money. Smartphone companies with budget smartphones have to maintain a delicate balance between quality and price. Samsung’s latest C-series offering, Samsung Galaxy C55, tries to do the same. It tries to walk the delicate balance between the features and budget and comes out with a respectable score.

Samsung Galaxy C55 is a China-specific smartphone that is available only in China. In many ways, the Samsung Galaxy C55 is a twin sibling of the Samsung Galaxy F55. Both of them have almost similar designs, configurations, and specifications. They even look similar except for one or two color differentiations. Samsung Galaxy C55 also has a lot of similarities with Samsung Galaxy M55. So, the users who have already checked out the Samsung Galaxy F55 and M55, and decided on them may skip the Galaxy C55.

The first thing a user will notice in the Samsung Galaxy C55 is its unique vegan leather design and the striking orange shade (to one of the models) at the back. The material offers a velvety and gentle sensation. When you touch it, you can sense its grainy nature. The design features curved edges, mirroring those of the smartphone. The surface is adorned with patterns resembling stitches, which are evenly distributed along its entire length.

Typically, the Samsung Galaxy C55 features a standard design from Samsung in terms of its smartphone appearance. It’s a phone with a rectangular shape, but the corners are rounded. The top-middle area of the phone has a unique camera setup with a camera that sticks out. Behind the camera, there are three more cameras lined up in a row at the top-left part of the back of the phone. The lenses of these cameras are encircled by rings that protrude and have a golden finish.

Additionally, there’s a flash located on the right side of the camera setup. On the left of the smartphone, there’s a hybrid SIM slot that can hold either two nano-SIMs or a single nano-SIM along with a MicroSD card. The power switch and the volume control are on the phone’s right side.

2. Samsung Galaxy C55: Measurements, Weight, and Build

The Samsung Galaxy C55 measures 16.39 cm (6.45 inches) in length and 7.65 cm (3.01 inches) in width. It’s got a sleek and lightweight design, coming in at just 0.78 cm (0.31 inches) thick and weighing 180 grams. This phone feels pretty light and isn’t bulky at all, making it super easy to hold.

The back features a leathery texture that gives a nice, smooth, and soft grip. It doesn’t show smudges or fingerprints easily. Plus, with an IP67 rating, it’s protected against dust and splashes of water. Instead of a metal frame, it has a plastic one, which helps keep the weight down. The back has that cool vegan leather look, while the front is glass, but sadly, it doesn’t have any protective glass like Gorilla Glass or Dragontrail.

3. Samsung Galaxy C55: Cameras

If you’re on the hunt for a budget-friendly smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy C55 has a fantastic camera setup. It features three main cameras lined up vertically on the left side of the back, each encased in raised rings. Next to this camera trio, you’ll find a flash. At the top, there’s an 8 MP ultra-wide camera that offers a 123-degree field of view and has an aperture of f/2.2. This ultra-wide lens captures a broad perspective and a good depth of field, but its smaller aperture means it doesn’t let in as much light.

The main camera of the Samsung Galaxy C55 sits just below the ultra-wide one and boasts a 50 MP wide lens with an f/1.8 aperture and a 1/1.56-inch image sensor. This camera shines in low-light situations since its larger aperture allows more light to hit the sensor. However, be cautious when shooting in bright sunlight, as it might cause some images to appear distorted. Finally, beneath the main camera, there’s a 2 MP Macro camera with an f/2.4 aperture. This little gem is perfect for capturing detailed close-ups, making it great for photographing insects, flowers, and even jewelry.

The main camera of the Samsung Galaxy C55 is really impressive, delivering images with fantastic clarity and depth. The colors pop with vibrant hues and strong contrast, making it easy to see various shades that create a lively picture. Sunlight shots from the back cameras are sharp and clear, showcasing bright hues, contrast, and saturation. When it comes to Sundown photos, they hold up well with enough artificial light, but in very low-light situations, the sharpness can drop. Portrait shots are decent, though they don’t stand out much; the depth of field isn’t very shallow, and focusing on the subject can be a bit tricky.

The back cameras of the Samsung Galaxy C55 can shoot videos in 4K at either 60 or 30 frames per second. They come with HDR technology that adapts the video quality to the surroundings. Plus, features like ‘Phase Detection Auto Focus’ and ‘Optical Image Stabilization’ help reduce shake and improve overall video quality. Playback is smooth, and the colors of the environment are well-preserved.

The Samsung Galaxy C55 boasts one of the best selfie cameras in the budget smartphone market. When it comes to megapixels, its 50 MP wide selfie camera can outshine some high-end models. It has an f/2.4 aperture, which is smaller than that of the main camera, meaning it lets in less light. The selfies turn out pretty great, showing good clarity and sharpness. Sunlight shots are lively with nice contrast and color.

Just keep in mind that super bright sunny days might lead to some overexposure. Sundown photos are also solid, offering plenty of sharpness and clarity. But in really low-light situations, the images can look a bit flat and lifeless. Overall, the selfie camera on this smartphone is among the top contenders in the budget category. Plus, it can shoot videos in 4K at both 60 and 30 frames per second.

4. Samsung Galaxy C55: CPU, GPU, and OS

Samsung Galaxy C55 - CPU - Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 — Image Credit: Samsung China

The Samsung Galaxy C55 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor, which has become a popular choice for Samsung’s latest budget-friendly smartphones. Besides the Galaxy C55, models like the Galaxy F55 and M55 also feature this Snapdragon chip. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 is an 8-core processor that can reach speeds of up to 2.4 GHz. It includes one Cortex-A710 core at 2.4 GHz, three Cortex-A710 cores at 2.36 GHz, and four Cortex-A510 cores at 1.8 GHz.

The Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 is built using a 4-nanometer process, which is smaller than the previous 5-nanometer technology. This smaller size allows for more transistors in the chip, boosting its processing power and making it more compact. A more compact processor is not only energy-efficient but also generates less heat, which helps extend battery life and protects the device’s internal components from overheating.

In addition to the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, the Samsung Galaxy C55 features an integrated Adreno 644 GPU. This GPU runs at a frequency of 0.44 GHz and supports various APIs like OpenCL, OpenGL, and Vulkan. It also supports DirectX 12, enhancing multimedia and gaming experiences. The GPU is paired with LPDDR5 memory, boasting a maximum pin speed of 6400 Mbps. It can achieve 250 GFLOPS for Double Precision 64-bit, 1012 GFLOPS for Single Precision 32-bit, and 2024 GFLOPS for Half Precision 16-bit floating points.

The Samsung Galaxy C55 runs on Android 14 and features Samsung’s One UI 6.1. You can expect 4 years of OS updates with this phone. It also includes Samsung Wallet for all your digital payment needs and Knox Vault for top-notch security. One UI 6.1 is user-friendly and lets you customize it to your liking.

The Snapdragon CPU, Adreno 644 GPU, and Android 14 give Samsung Galaxy C55 impressive performance. Apps run smoothly and fit well with the interface. The touch response is quick, making it easy to open and navigate through apps without any lag. You can multitask without any major issues, and switching between apps is a breeze. Gaming performance is solid, with HD games running smoothly. The touch response is responsive, and the refresh rate is pretty good.

That said, when you crank up the settings to the max, you might run into some problems. Some games played at high frame rates (120 fps or more) can experience lag and stuttering. Plus, if you game for extended periods, you might notice the phone heating up a bit.

5. Samsung Galaxy C55: Display

The Samsung Galaxy C55 features a 6.7-inch display with a punchhole camera right in the center at the top. It offers a solid viewing experience, with vibrant colors that really pop. You can easily distinguish between the various shades, including the deep blacks and whites. With a color depth of 16 million, it showcases 256 shades for each RGB color, resulting in over 16 million different hues. This phone sports a Super AMOLED Plus display, which is slimmer than the regular Super AMOLED, contributing to a sleeker design. It boasts a 120 Hz refresh rate that adjusts based on the media you’re using, helping to save battery and reduce heat. The screen can reach a peak brightness of 1000 nits.

That 120 Hz refresh rate is pretty impressive. Everyday tasks like browsing the internet, launching apps, scrolling, and checking social media are smooth and lag-free. The touch sensitivity and response time are also on point. Plus, it has an on-display fingerprint scanner that works seamlessly. The brightness of 1000 nits is great for outdoor use, although it can struggle a bit in direct sunlight or extremely bright conditions.

The Samsung Galaxy C55 features a display that measures 108.4 square cm, which is about 16.80 square inches. It boasts an impressive screen-to-body ratio of 86.5%. The maximum resolution is 2400 x 1080 pixels, and it has a 20:9 aspect ratio. With a pixel density of 394 PPI, the smartphone sports a sleek and even bezel surrounding the screen.

6. Samsung Galaxy C55: Battery and Charging

The Samsung Galaxy C55 comes with a solid 5000 mAh battery, which is pretty decent, but it’s actually one of the smaller batteries in Samsung’s latest budget lineup. Most of the other budget models sport a 6000 mAh battery. Still, the drop in capacity is balanced out by a sleeker design, making the C55 lighter and thinner compared to other M-series phones. When it comes to charging, the Galaxy C55 skips wireless charging and instead offers a speedy 45 W fast charging option through a USB Type-C 2.0 port.

Samsung Galaxy C55 is one of the few budget models from Samsung to feature 45 W charging. You can fully charge it from 0% to 100% in about 60-70 minutes. With a full charge, you can expect around 48 hours of regular use. If you’re into binge-watching videos, it can last up to 15 hours. However, if you’re gaming hard, the battery life drops a bit to around 10 hours, and you might experience some heating and lag during intense sessions.

7. Samsung Galaxy C55: Variants, Prices, and Connectivity

Samsung Galaxy C55 comes in two color variants – Orange and Black. Both variants have vegan leather backs with patterns and stitches. It has two RAM options – 8 GB and 12 GB. Although it provides only a 256 GB storage option. It has two RAM and storage combinations – 8 GB RAM / 256 GB storage and 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage. As the Samsung Galaxy C55 is a China-specific smartphone, currently it is available in the Chinese market. On Samsung China’s website, the 8 GB / 256 GB variant is listed at ￥1,799 and the 12 GB / 256 GB variant at ￥1,999.

This Samsung smartphone features 5G technology, ensuring you can enjoy fast speeds all the time. It also supports HSPA and LTE, so it’ll work just fine on 3G or 4G networks too. This smartphone is equipped with Bluetooth 5.2 and Wifi 6, operating in the 2.4 Hz to 5 Hz range. For wired connections, it has a USB Type-C 2.0 port for both charging and data transfer.

8. Samsung Galaxy C55: Main Specifications, Pros & Cons, and Score

Specifications

Released: April, 2024
Chip: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1
GPU: Adreno 644
Operating System: Android 14
Storage: 128 GB / 256 GB
RAM Memory: 8 GB / 12 GB
Dimensions: 16.39 X 7.65 X 0.78 cm / 6.45 X 3.01 X 0.31 inches
Weight: 180 grams
Screen Size: 17.01 cm / 6.7 inches
Screen Area: 104.8 cm² / 16.80 inches²
Resolution: 2400 X 1080
Highest Nits: 1000
Main Cameras: 50 MP Wide – f/1.8, 8 MP Ultra-Wide – f/2.2. 2 MP Macro – f/2.4
Selfie Camera: 50 MP Wide – f/2.4
Battery: 5000 mAh
Charging: 45 W
Battery Life: More than 48 hours (Normal Usage). 15 Hours (Continuous Video Playback). 10 hours (Intense Gaming).
Wired Connectivity: USB Type-C 2.0
Wifi: Wifi 6
Bluetooth Version: 5.2

Pros & Cons

Pros

Good battery life
Good collection of cameras
A 50 MP selfie camera
Striking looks with vegan leather back
Attractive Orange and Black variants
Fast and blazing performance with Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 and Adreno 644
4 Major operating system updates and 5 security updates

Cons

There could be some issues of lagging and freezing while playing games at higher settings
There could be heating issues while playing games for long hours
No Gorilla Glass or Dragongtrail protection
Currently not available in the international marketplace

Score

Functions	Score
Performance	7.5/10
Power	7.5/10
Display	6.5/10
Storage	6/10
Battery	8/10
Connectivity	7/10
Value for Money	8.5/10
Overall Score	51/70

(1 = Lowest. 5 = Highest). (0.5 increments)

Verdict

As the Samsung Galaxy C55 is a China-specific smartphone and Samsung is yet to release it in the international market, international buyers need to import it or physically go to China to buy it. It also has a lot of similarities with Samsung F55. So anyone who already has Galaxy F55 may avoid this one.

Having said that, it is an effective budget smartphone that ticks several essential boxes including CPU, cameras, battery life, display, etc. It also has an attractive and unique look owing to the sublime vegan leather. Anyone looking for a mid-range budget smartphone with good features and a fashionable look can definitely go for the Samsung Galaxy C55.

*The information in this article may not be 100% accurate and it may change or vary.

**Do not make your decision based solely on the information provided in this article. Do your own research.

***Prices are subject to change.

Samsung Galaxy C55: A Charming and Stylish Smartphone

Table of Contents