Samsung Galaxy A57 Review: 5 Reasons to Skip It, 2 Reasons to Buy It
not to buy
to buy
Samsung Galaxy A57 Review: 5 Reasons to Skip It, 2 Reasons to Buy It
A straightforward, no-bias breakdown after extended hands-on testing, here is the honest verdict.
Few reviews generate as much reader debate as this one. The Samsung Galaxy A57 has been one of the most requested phones for a detailed breakdown, and after extended hands-on testing, here's a straightforward verdict: five reasons that make this phone hard to recommend, and two genuine reasons it might still be worth considering.
Pricing in Pakistan
The physical difference from the A56 comes down to just 0.5mm in thickness, the in-hand feel is nearly identical. The side curve seen on the A56 has been removed, and the redesigned "translucent" camera island doesn't feel like a meaningful visual upgrade.
The A57's display experience falls noticeably short of Samsung's own S-series, and bezel experience falls behind competitors like Vivo phones, Realme GT Neo, or Realme GT7.
Daylight visibility is a genuine struggle, described as barely adequate for regular outdoor use, particularly in summer. For anyone spending over Rs. 150,000, better display alternatives exist, including Samsung's own FE lineup or Vivo's X200 FE.
On top of that, the camera also falls short for photography-focused buyers. The lack of a telephoto lens limits zoomed video quality, and portrait video mode isn't available on either the front or rear camera, a notable omission at this price range.
The A57 ships with One UI 8.5 on Android 16, bringing Samsung's full AI feature set typically reserved for higher tiers, including Circle to Search, Call Assist, and Call Translation, backed by 6-7 years of promised software updates.
Sustained CPU throttle testing performed well with no overheating issues, a meaningful improvement over older Exynos generations. PUBG and Call of Duty Mobile run comfortably at 90fps.
Competing phones in this price range now commonly offer 6,000-7,000mAh batteries. The A57 ships with just a 5,000mAh battery, a genuine step behind current market expectations.
Competing brands in this range commonly offer 65W-80W fast charging. The A57's 45W charging takes roughly 90-105 minutes for a full charge, and no charger is included in the box, adding real cost on top of an already premium price tag.
Two reasons to buy: sustained performance and Samsung's consistent long-term software updates. Everything else falls short of what this price point should reasonably offer.
This phone makes the most sense for buyers who specifically value Samsung's software ecosystem and long-term update commitment over raw hardware specs, camera versatility, or battery life. Buyers upgrading from significantly older Samsung phones will likely feel a stronger improvement than those coming from the A56.
Frequently asked questions
The 8GB/256GB variant starts around Rs. 165,000-168,000, with 12GB/256GB and 12GB/512GB variants also available.
Not significantly. Physical dimensions differ by just 0.5mm, and the in-hand experience feels nearly identical, though hardware performance sees a modest improvement.
No, the phone supports 45W wired charging, but no charger is included in the retail box.
No, the phone lacks a telephoto lens, which limits zoomed video and photo quality compared to competitors offering one at similar prices.
The two main reasons are Samsung's well-optimized, thermally stable hardware performance and its consistent long-term software update commitment, up to 6-7 years.
It uses an Exynos 1680 chipset clocked at 2.9GHz, paired with an XCLIPSE 550 GPU and LPDDR5X RAM.