Samsung quietly nudged up the cost of two midlevel phones, the Galaxy A37 5G and Galaxy A57 5G, by $50 compared with last year. This comes after the company raised prices on its premium phones by $100 the month before. There is no announced replacement for the Galaxy A26 this year.

Why prices went up (short answer: money)

Samsung did not point to a single cause for the price bump. Industry researchers say a few things are at play. Memory supply is tight, which lifts the cost of RAM and storage. Global factors, like higher oil prices and tariffs, add more uncertainty and can increase shipping and component costs. IDC research manager Jitesh Ubrani notes that price increases and fewer upgrades have become common, and that memory shortages are a major bottleneck for phone makers.

Price, configurations, and launch

  • Galaxy A57 5G: $550 for 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage, $610 for 256 GB. Official sale date: April 9.
  • Galaxy A37 5G: $450 for 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage, $540 for 8 GB RAM and 256 GB. Official sale date: April 9.
  • Both models promise six years of software updates, and they ship with IP68 dust and water resistance.

What changed: small but real updates

If you expect huge leaps for that extra cash, temper your hype. The updates are mostly processor upgrades, modest camera improvements, better durability, and a few connectivity perks on the A57.

Processors and performance

  • Galaxy A37: Now runs on Samsung Exynos 1480. Samsung claims about 14 percent faster CPU, 24 percent better graphics, and a much bigger jump in neural processing compared with last years model.
  • Galaxy A57: Uses Exynos 1680. Improvements are smaller but real, roughly 10 percent faster CPU, 7 percent faster graphics, and a 42 percent lift in neural processing versus the prior chip.
  • Both phones keep a 5,000 mAh battery and 45-watt wired charging. Wireless charging is not included.

Displays and build

  • Both phones have 6.7-inch Super AMOLED panels with 120 Hz refresh and a 1,900 nit peak brightness figure.
  • The A57 has a Super AMOLED Plus display and slimmer bezels, plus a slightly thinner and lighter body (0.5 mm thinner and 18 grams lighter than its predecessor).
  • Both use Gorilla Glass Victus+ on front and back. The A37 has a plastic frame, while the A57 has a metal frame.

Cameras and imaging

  • Both phones use a 50 MP main sensor. The A37 now has larger pixels and improved image signal processing, which should produce brighter photos, HDR video, and faster capture speeds.
  • AI improvements power better portrait segmentation and quicker object removal from photos.
  • The A57 does not change camera hardware much, but updated processing aims to improve ultrawide and low-light shots, and to smooth transitions when switching lenses.

Connectivity, software, and extras

  • The A57 adds Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 6.0. The A37 does not get those upgrades.
  • Both phones include eSIM support and the upgraded Bixby experience that helps adjust device settings via natural language.
  • Samsung is shipping many of the same software features that arrived on its flagship line, such as visual search improvements and transcription features in the voice recorder app. However, some newer flagship-only features like advanced task automation and certain cross-platform file sharing are not available on these A-series models.

Where these phones stand in the market

The A37 and A57 will face tight competition from other midrange devices. Expected rivals include a forthcoming Motorola Moto G Stylus refresh, the Nothing Phone 4a Pro which offers a stronger triple-camera package and telephoto, and the Google Pixel 10a which brings extra software perks and wireless charging. Samsung often counters higher launch prices with big discounts during sales and carrier promos, which is when these models tend to look like better deals.

Bottom line: you get modest performance and camera upgrades, a longer software support promise, and a higher price. If you buy at a sale or have a carrier deal, these phones could be worth it. If you buy at launch, check whether the new processor and minor camera tweaks justify the extra cost for your needs.