Samsung Galaxy A37 Review: Samey but Solid

Best Prices Today: Samsung Galaxy A37 5G

The Samsung Galaxy A37 is an affordable phone, incorporating design cues and some AI features from Samsung’s flagship S series.

It isn’t meant to dazzle with high-end performance or cutting-edge features, but it aims to deliver a genuine Samsung experience in an economical package. This is why the Galaxy A-series is popular among budget-conscious consumers.

With a starting price of £399/$449, the A37 faces stiff competition from the Honor 600 Lite, Nothing Phone (4a), Moto G86 5G, and the discounted Oppo Reno 13, Google Pixel 9a, and Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro.

For those seeking more power and a slimmer design, the Samsung Galaxy A57 is available at a slightly higher price point.

Samsung markets the A37 as a sleek smartphone with enhanced cameras over its predecessor, a long-lasting battery, AI editing tools, and the latest One UI 8.5 interface. I tested the Galaxy A37 5G over several weeks to see if it meets these claims.

Note: Our review unit of the Galaxy A37 was provided by Three UK, but they did not influence the review process.

Design & Build

• Identical design to predecessor
• IP67 dust and water resistance
• Volume key is too high up to be comfortable

The Galaxy A37 is visually similar to its predecessor, the Galaxy A36, maintaining the same design and frame size.

The differences include an extra gram in weight, bringing the A37 to 196g, and new color options: Awesome Charcoal, Awesome Lavender, Awesome White, and Awesome Graygreen.

The review model I received was in ‘Awesome Charcoal’, while the Lavender and Graygreen options are more striking for those seeking a distinctive look.

The Galaxy A37’s design remains unchanged, but it boasts a solid build with Gorilla Glass Victus+ on both the front and back, coupled with a plastic frame that mimics metal, though it lacks the high-end finish of the S series.

The phone’s right side features a raised ridge for the volume and power keys, known as Key Island, making these buttons easy to locate. However, the volume button is positioned rather high, which might be inconvenient for users with smaller hands.

Samsung has improved water resistance from the A36, with the A37 now providing IP67 protection, making it capable of withstanding submersion in 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes.

Screen & Speakers

• Colourful 6.7-inch display is great for media
• Not the brightest screen in its category
• Stereo speakers are great for the price

The A37’s 6.7-inch display is vibrant and uses Samsung’s Super AMOLED technology to enhance colors. It’s the same display as its predecessor, the A36.

With a Full HD resolution (1080 x 2340), the screen offers 385ppi, a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth interactions, and a brightness of 1200 nits, comparable to the pricier Galaxy A57. This is impressive, given the A37’s lower price by £100/$100.

This display is suitable for texting, streaming, and gaming, offering good brightness and color. However, under bright sunlight, visibility is reduced, falling short of competitors like the Nothing Phone 4a or Moto G86.

Samsung states a peak brightness of 1900 nits. If you need a phone with excellent sunlight visibility, the A37 may not be ideal.

The device includes stereo speakers on its short edges, providing satisfactory volume and clarity for its size and price. Bluetooth connectivity is available for those who prefer external speakers or headphones.

Specs & Performance

• Samsung Exynos 1480
• 6GB or 8GB of RAM
• 128GB or 256GB of storage

The Galaxy A37 is powered by Samsung’s Exynos 1480 chipset, differing from the A36, which used Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chip.

The focus here is on RAM. The review unit I had was the 256GB storage model with 8GB of RAM. The entry-level model, priced at £399/$449.99, only has 6GB of RAM. Based on my experience, I would caution against the lower RAM version, as it may lead to frustration. Notably, Samsung UK does not offer this variant at present.

Performance improvements over the A36 aren’t substantial. The A37 handled various tasks, but switching between apps showed noticeable lag, and the interface occasionally felt sluggish. Loading demanding games took longer than on more powerful devices. However, I played Call of Duty Mobile on high graphics settings without issues.

While flagship-level speed isn’t expected at this price, the lower RAM variant might be frustrating to use.

In benchmark tests, the 8GB RAM A37 performs similarly to the Phone (4a), though the Nothing Phone is smoother. Both outperform the Moto G86.

The Galaxy A37 includes Bluetooth 5.3, WiFi 5, NFC, GPS, and dual-SIM capability.

Samsung Galaxy A37 5G benchmarks

Cameras

• 50Mp main sensor
• 8Mp ultrawide
• 5Mp macro
• 12Mp selfie camera

The cameras on the Galaxy A37 are much like those on the A36. The setup includes a 50Mp main, 8Mp ultrawide, and 5Mp macro cameras on the rear, with a 12Mp front camera.

Despite similarities, the main 50Mp camera has minor enhancements, with a larger sensor and improved ISP over the A36.

Photos from the main 50Mp camera are bright and detailed, with vivid colors thanks to Samsung’s image processing.

The 5Mp telephoto lens allows 2x optical zoom with reasonable quality. Digital zoom up to 10x is possible, but clarity declines significantly, so it’s best not to zoom too far.

The 4x zoom performs well, capturing enough detail to read text on a distant boat, as illustrated in the samples below.

Switching to the 0.6x, 8Mp ultrawide camera lets you capture broader landscapes, though dynamic range and overall clarity are slightly reduced.

Portrait mode effectively blurs backgrounds around subjects, though it sometimes struggles with defining outlines accurately, such as cat ears at 2x zoom.

The app’s ‘more’ section features a dedicated macro mode for close-up shots. The A37 recommends positioning the camera 3 to 5cm from the subject for optimal results. With patience and focus assistance, I captured a few detailed close-ups.

Some shots weren’t as successful, and results depend on lighting, hand steadiness, and focus cooperation.

The selfie camera, like the rear ones, produces satisfying images. Its wide-angle mode accommodates more people in a shot without stretching your arm too far.

Portrait mode on the front camera effectively separates the subject from the background, though fuzzy hair often lacks sharp definition.

The Galaxy A37’s Nightography mode has been improved over its predecessor, enhancing low-light shots. It works well, as evidenced by a vibrant photo of a graffiti-covered door in a dark London street.

Video recording capabilities include up to 4K (3840 x 2160) at 30fps and 60fps for smoother playback at Full HD (1080p). Video quality remains smooth and steady, as with previous models.

Battery life & Charging

• 5000mAh battery
• Comfortably offers a full day of use
• 0-60% charge in as little as 30 minutes

Samsung claims the Galaxy A37 provides up to two days of battery life between charges, thanks to its 5000mAh battery. However, achieving this is challenging based on my tests.

With light usage, the phone lasted about a day and a half. My typical usage (around four to six hours of screen time) resulted in 16 hours of use (7 am – 11 pm) with 20% to 30% battery remaining by bedtime.

The A37 outperformed its two predecessors (A36 and A35) in the PCMark Work 3.0 battery test, recording 13 hours and 36 minutes, a two-hour improvement over the A36. However, this isn’t particularly remarkable in the benchmark.

While achieving two full days on a single charge is unlikely, the battery comfortably lasts a full day, though nightly charging is still necessary.

The 45W charging capability is retained (though you need to provide your own compatible charger), allowing a reasonable charging speed (0-60% in 30 minutes, according to Samsung). However, using a 45W GAN charger, I saw a 10% increase every 10 minutes.

Wireless charging isn’t supported, which is expected for a phone in this price range. Consider the Pixel 9a if wireless charging is essential.

Software & Apps

• One UI 8.5
• Android 16
• 6 years of OS and security updates

The Galaxy A37 arrives with Samsung’s One UI 8.5 interface atop Android 16. If you’re familiar with Samsung phones from recent years, the look and feel will be recognizable, but it may differ for those switching from other Android devices or iPhones.

One point of frustration is the duplication of apps, with Google’s applications present alongside Samsung’s own versions for functions like Calendar and web browsing.

Samsung encourages the use of its apps by default, but you can change this preference to Google or other applications if desired.

One UI is rich in features, offering a wide array of customization options and settings to tailor the experience to your liking, making the device feel more intuitive and personal.

Unlike the flagship S series, the Galaxy A37 doesn’t include the full suite of Galaxy AI tools, such as Now Bar or Now Brief.

However, it does feature simpler AI tools, like an object eraser in the gallery app for removing unwanted elements from photos, custom camera filters, and an AI select tool that analyzes highlighted screen areas for suggested actions, like setting an image as your wallpaper.

Google’s Gemini assistant and Samsung’s Bixby are both available for those who like to interact with their devices via voice commands.

The Galaxy A37 comes with several pre-installed apps and games—often referred to as bloatware—but these can be uninstalled for a cleaner app drawer.

A positive aspect of the Galaxy A37 is its longevity, with Samsung promising six years of operating system and security updates.

While it won’t astonish users, One UI 8.5 provides all the essentials needed for a device at the A37’s level.

Price & Availability

The Samsung Galaxy A37 starts at £399/$449.99 for the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage model. This price is $50 more than its predecessor, the A36, though the price remains unchanged in the UK, unlike the Galaxy A57.

Samsung has maintained pricing stability, and for those seeking enhanced performance—recommended here—the 8GB/256GB model is available for £459/$539.99.

Available directly from Samsung UK (only the pricier model) and Samsung US, the Galaxy A37 can also be purchased from various retailers and carriers after its release on April 10, 2026. Retailers include Amazon US, Argos, Currys, and Three, who supplied this review unit.

For more information, check out the best mid-range phones currently available.

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy A37 5G?

The Samsung Galaxy A37 5G serves as an excellent introduction to the Samsung brand for budget-conscious consumers. It delivers a solid Samsung experience, from its One UI 8.5 interface to its camera processing and AI integration.

It meets expectations for a smartphone at this price: reliable battery life, a decent display, capable cameras, and sufficient power for apps and games. However, it doesn’t impress with groundbreaking features.

As a result, the Galaxy A37 is a dependable mid-range phone, but those looking for more exciting options might explore other brands if not committed to Samsung.

Specs

• One UI 8.5, based on Android 16
• 6.7-inch, FHD+, Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 1900 nits peak brightness
• Fingerprint scanner
• Samsung Exynos 1480
• 6GB / 8GB RAM
• 128GB / 256GB
• Cameras:
• 50Mp main sensor
• 8Mp ultrawide
• 5Mp macro
• 12Mp selfie camera
• Up to 4K @ 30fps rear video
• Stereo speakers
• SIM 1 + eSIM / Dual eSIM
• Bluetooth 5.3
• 5,000mAh battery
• 162.9 x 78.2 x 7.4 mm
• IP68 certified
• 196g
• Colours: Awesome Charcoal, Awesome Lavender, Awesome White, Awesome Graygreen