Samsung Galaxy A57 review: A well-rounded premium mid-ranger with AI smarts

Samsung recently launched its Galaxy A57 smartphone in India. While some have pointed out that the phone offers iterative upgrades over its predecessor, that is, the Galaxy A56, that’s not the story here. The real story here is how Samsung is making flagship-like features and performance more accessible through its newly launched Galaxy A-series smartphone.

The Samsung Galaxy A57 leans into intelligence and long-term usability to offer buyers a premium experience through its sleek design, immersive display, reliable camera setup and a consistent battery life. But what really sets it apart from its competitors and predecessors is its AI story. The Galaxy A57 brings AI-based features like an improved Object Eraser, Voice Transcription, advanced Text Extraction from Images and expanded on-device productivity AI tools to Samsung’s A-series devices – taking it a step closer to the Galaxy S-series devices. Sure, you cannot move or add objects like you can in the Galaxy S26 series devices, but do you get all the tools that can be handy in maximising productivity. (Samsung Galaxy S26+ review)

What makes the Galaxy A57 a compelling buy is that you get the same metal + glass body that you get in premium smartphones. You also get reliable cameras, strong battery life and improved durability all without crossing into flagship pricing territory. So, does that mean it doesn’t borrow any features from its predecessor? It does. It builds upon what Galaxy A56 did right and propels the series a step further in the premium mid-ranger segment. But what does that mean for users? We’ll find that out in the detailed review below. But before that, take a quick look at its specifications.

From afar, the Galaxy A57 looks a lot like its older sibling (barring the colours), that is, the Galaxy A56, but up close, the difference is evident. Firstly, the Galaxy A57 is a lot slimmer than the Galaxy A56. It has a depth of 6.9mm as against A56’s 7.4mm depth. While these numbers may seem insignificant, in usage they make a world of difference. They make the Galaxy A57 much more comfortable to hold and use with a single hand.

Secondly, the Galaxy A57 is a lot lighter than its predecessor. Samsung has managed to shave off roughly 20g in the new A-series smartphone, making it lighter to hold for longer durations. And if you, like me, love to carry your phone in your denim’s back-pocket, you’ll notice the difference there too. Another point of difference is its water-resistance. The Galaxy A57 comes with IP68 dust and water resistance, which means it can withstand submersion in 1.5m of water for up to 30 minutes. It’s also a small yet meaningful upgrade from last year’s A-series smartphone that comes with IP67 rating.

Numbers and features aside, the Galaxy A57 feels premium and incredibly comfortable to use. Its light weight glass body is definitely a welcoming relief in the sea of heavy smartphones. What doesn’t work in its favour is its glossy back, which is a fingerprint magnet and incredibly difficult to maintain. I’m not a fan of its IcyBlue colour either as I feel it takes away its premium-ness. But you may not agree with me on this and that’s ok.

This display is similar to what you get in the Galaxy A56. But we’re not complaining. Samsung offers one of the best displays in the market and the screen of the Galaxy A57 is no exception. This means you get a bright and vibrant display with punchy colours that is suitable for browsing the internet and streaming content on OTT platforms like Netflix and YouTube both indoors and outdoors. Sure, there are phones that are brighter than the Galaxy A57, but this one holds good on its own even under the sun.

Optics aside, the Galaxy A57 gets an under-display fingerprint sensor. While it is easy to reach and works accurately in unlocking the phone, the feature is slow to respond. That said, it’s a small detail. You can always use the face ID feature, which is snappy and consistent in performance.

I took the Galaxy A57 out for a spin to test out its camera setup and I was impressed by its rear cameras, more so in case of evening light, which can be tricky to nail. During the day, the Galaxy A57 delivers balanced shots with decent contrast. It also does a good job at reproducing colours and maintaining clarity. It’s also good at capturing tiny details like seasoning on food or tiny cracks in the floor tiles.

The 50MP also performs well as far as colour and clarity are concerned. It offers an excellent dynamic range and is ideal for capturing images in evening light conditions. Take a look:

Coming to night-time photography, the Galaxy A57 delivers surprisingly impressive performance in low-light conditions. The phone with its night mode on produces bright and vibrant colours without overexposing them. It manages to capture a surprising amount of details while keeping noise to a bare minimum. However, there is visible lens flare in the images.

Beyond the daylight and low-light shots, the Galaxy A57 also does a decent job at capturing portrait shots despite a lack in a dedicated telephoto lens. The colours are accurate and the background blur works nicely to isolate the subject. Edge detection is almost as good if not 100% accurate.

Lastly, the front camera also produces bright and vibrant images with ample depth. Unlike a lot of other phones, the Galaxy A57 keeps the colours natural while capturing facial features – every freckle and every wrinkle – accurately. It even managed to capture my greying hair accurately! This is also true for portrait shots.

But wait, there’s the AI part of things as well! The Galaxy A57 does not have the extensive AI-based camera features of the Galaxy S26 series, but it does have some and they work well. The Object Eraser, for instance, intelligently removes all distracting elements from an image. What I like about this feature is that it also removes the shadows making the results look more natural. Then there is the Auto Trim feature that cuts the videos down to its best parts for easy editing. These features are helpful and they work well.

Facts and figures aside, the Galaxy A57 offers an almost clean UI with a bunch of Galaxy AI features. I say almost because you do get some unnecessary apps like Candy Crush Saga, Vita Mahjong and Tile Explorer. Nothing you can’t get rid of.

Beyond the UI, the Galaxy A57 comes with a bunch of AI-features that are aimed at improving the overall productivity. The most notable one of the lot is the Voice Transcription feature, which is available in the Voice Recorder app. It can be used for transcribing and translating audio recordings from calls and voicemails, making it easier to take notes and get a text-based summary. Another important feature is AI Select that can be used to extract text or create content without manually selecting items. Then there is the classic Circle to Search feature that has become almost a standard on premium mid-ranger and mid-ranger phones now. However, you miss out on some of the other Galaxy AI features like Writing Assist, Audio Eraser and the ability to move and add new objects to existing images, which make it one step short of premium devices, at least on the software end.

Features aside, the Galaxy A57 offers a smooth and consistent performance in everyday usage. The app launches are snappy, the animations are fluid and multi-tasking works without any hiccups. You can throw in some productivity work like transcribing audio files, checking and responding to emails, and snapping and editing images, scroll through social media apps for hours and watch your favorite shows on OTT apps and the device will sail smoothly through it. No lag, no heating and no surprises at all.

On the charging front, the Galaxy A57 takes a little over an hour to juice up completely. But the catch is that you need to charge it with Samsung’s 45W charger, else it takes longer to charge. Samsung doesn’t ship the charger in the box. All you get is a charging cable, which means you will have to spend some to make the most of the phone’s charging capabilities – something I’m not a fan of.

– Bright and sharp display

– Useful AI features

– Reliable cameras (front and rear)

– Slow fingerprint sensor response

– Glossy back is a fingerprint magnet

So, who’s this phone for? Everyone who is looking for a device that offers a decent mix of productivity, camera and performance. But if you are a gaming enthusiast, this one might not be enough for you.

Disclaimer: At Hindustan Times, we help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and products. Hindustan Times has an affiliate partnership, so we may get a part of the revenue when you make a purchase. We shall not be liable for any claim under applicable laws, including but not limited to the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, with respect to the products. The products listed in this article are in no particular order of priority.