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Motorola and Samsung continue to compete fiercely in the mid-range mobile phone market with their latest offerings.
The Edge 50 Neo and the Galaxy A55 5G are among the latest models, both packed with features aimed at delivering value for money. But which one will prove to be a better buy?
While we still haven’t fully tested the Edge 50 Neo, our hands-on experiences have given us some initial thoughts. Here’s a comparison of these two devices to help you decide which offers the better deal.
Design and construction
The Motorola Edge 50 Neo focuses on style, with vegan leather and suede finishes making it stand out in the crowded mid-range segment.
Available in four unique Pantone curated colors, such as Poinciana and Nautical Blue, it adds a touch of premium appeal at an affordable price.
The phone is also IP68 certified for water and dust resistance, ensuring durability, and it weighs just 171 grams.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
The Samsung Galaxy A55 5G, on the other hand, has a more premium build with an aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass Victus+ on the front. The flat edges resemble the flagship Galaxy S24, but feel bulkier at 213 grams.
The Galaxy A55 also offers IP67 protection, which, while slightly less rugged than the Edge 50 Neo’s IP68, still provides decent protection against water and dust. It comes in stylish options like Awesome Navy and Awesome Iceblue.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The Edge 50 Neo wins for its lighter and unique design, although the Galaxy A55 5G offers more durability with Gorilla Glass Victus+
Screen
The Motorola Edge 50 Neo has a 6.4-inch pOLED display with ‘Super HD’ (1220p) resolution.
The panel supports HDR10+ and offers an impressive 120Hz refresh rate, ensuring smooth scrolling and vibrant colors.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
The Galaxy A55 5G is equipped with a larger 6.6-inch AMOLED screen, with a Full HD+ resolution and a refresh rate of 120 Hz.
The screen is bright, with up to 1000 nits, but may struggle a bit in extreme outdoor conditions.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The Galaxy A55 5G wins for its larger screen, although both offer excellent color accuracy and refresh rates.
Performance
The Motorola Edge 50 Neo is powered by the MediaTek 7300 chipset, paired with up to 12 GB of RAM.
It handles daily tasks and multitasking smoothly, but may experience slight limitations when handling heavy gaming.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
On the other hand, the Galaxy A55 5G features the more powerful Exynos 1480 chipset, which is built using a more efficient 4nm process.
Backed by 8GB of RAM, it delivers a smoother experience overall, especially in gaming and heavier workloads.
Martijn Casserly
Cameras
The Motorola Edge 50 Neo comes with a versatile camera system including a 50Mp main sensor with OIS, a 13Mp ultrawide, a 10Mp telephoto with 3x optical zoom and a macro lens.
The Sony Lytia sensor and AI optimization ensure high-quality photos, but this can be difficult in low-light environments.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The Galaxy A55 5G features a similar 50MP main sensor with OIS, along with a 12MP ultrawide and a 5MP macro lens.
There’s no dedicated telephoto lens, however, and while the camera performs well in good light, it falters in low light, similar to the Edge 50 Neo.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
The Edge 50 Neo wins for the addition of a telephoto lens, which adds versatility to the camera system.
Battery and charging
The Motorola Edge 50 Neo has a 4310mAh battery, which supports 68W TurboPower fast charging and 15W wireless charging.
Although the capacity is slightly smaller compared to the Galaxy A55 5G, Motorola claims it will last all day when used efficiently. The fast charging compensates for the slightly smaller battery size.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
The Galaxy A55 5G offers a larger 5,000mAh battery, but only supports 25W wired charging, without wireless charging.
Battery life is impressive, easily lasting two days with moderate use, but the slower charging speeds may frustrate users who need a quick charge.
Martijn Casserly
The Edge 50 Neo narrowly wins due to its faster charging and wireless charging options.
Software
Both phones run Android 14, but the Motorola Edge 50 Neo stands out with a promise of 5 years of both OS updates and security patches.
Motorola also offers a near-standard Android experience with a few useful additions, making it one of the longest-supported mid-range phones out there.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
The Galaxy A55 5G, with Samsung’s One UI 6.1, offers a more feature-packed experience, but can feel cluttered compared to Motorola’s cleaner interface.
However, Samsung guarantees four years of OS updates and five years of security patches, which is still impressive for a mid-range device.
Martijn Casserly
The Edge 50 Neo wins for its extensive software support and cleaner Android interface.
Price and availability
The Motorola Edge 50 Neo starts at £329.99, positioning it as one of the most affordable phones with high-end features and long-term software support.
The Galaxy A55 5G is priced slightly higher, starting at £439 for the 128GB model.
While still competitive, it’s more expensive than the Motorola Edge 50 Neo and doesn’t offer as much in terms of software longevity.
You can also check out our reviews of the best budget phones and the best mid-range phones for more options.
Should you buy the Edge 50 Neo or Galaxy A55?
The Edge 50 Neo and Galaxy A55 5G both offer excellent features for their prices, but they target slightly different users.
Motorola’s offering is a better choice for those looking for a stylish design, faster charging and extensive software support at a more affordable price.
However, Samsung’s model shines with its larger screen, better performance and premium build quality.
If you value long-term updates and faster charging, choose the Edge 50 Neo. If performance and screen size are your top priorities, the Samsung Galaxy A55 5G is the better choice.