Motorola and Samsung continue to fiercely compete in the mid-range phone market with their latest offerings.
The Edge 50 Neo and the Galaxy A55 5G are among the most recent models, both packed with features aimed at delivering value for money. However, which one will prove to be a better buy?
Although we still haven’t fully tested the Edge 50 Neo, our hands-on impressions have given us some first thoughts. Here’s a comparison of these two devices to help you decide which one offers the better deal.
Design & Build
The Motorola Edge 50 Neo focuses on style, featuring vegan leather and suede finishes, making it stand out in a crowded mid-range field.
Available in four unique Pantone-curated colours like 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 while weighing a relatively light 171g.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy A55 5G adopts a more premium build with an aluminium frame and Gorilla Glass Victus+ on the front. Its flat edges resemble the flagship Galaxy S24, but it feels bulkier at 213g.
The Galaxy A55 also includes IP67 protection, which, while slightly less robust than the Edge 50 Neo’s IP68, still offers 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 more lightweight and unique design, though the Galaxy A55 5G offers more durability with Gorilla Glass Victus+
Screen
The Motorola Edge 50 Neo features a 6.4-inch pOLED display with ‘Super HD’ (1220p) resolution.
The panel supports HDR10+ and offers an impressive 120Hz refresh rate, delivering smooth scrolling and vibrant colours.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
The Galaxy A55 5G steps up with a larger 6.6-inch AMOLED display, offering a Full HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate.
The screen is bright, with up to 1000 nits, but may struggle slightly in extreme outdoor conditions.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The Galaxy A55 5G wins for its larger display, though both offer excellent colour accuracy and refresh rates.
Performance
The Motorola Edge 50 Neo is powered by the MediaTek 7300 chipset, paired with up to 12GB of RAM.
It handles daily tasks and multitasking smoothly but may face slight limitations when handling intensive 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, particularly in gaming and heavier workloads.
Martyn 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 optimisation make for high-quality photos, but it may struggle 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.
However, there is no dedicated telephoto lens, and while the camera performs well in good lighting, it falters in low-light conditions, similar to the Edge 50 Neo.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
The Edge 50 Neo wins for its inclusion of a telephoto lens, adding versatility to the camera system.
Battery & Charging
The Motorola Edge 50 Neo packs a 4310mAh battery, which supports 68W TurboPower fast charging and 15W wireless charging.
While the capacity is slightly smaller compared to Galaxy A55 5G, Motorola claims it will last all day with efficient use. The fast charging makes up for the slightly smaller battery size.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
The Galaxy A55 5G offers a larger 5000mAh battery but only supports 25W wired charging, with no wireless charging.
The battery life is impressive, easily lasting two days of moderate use, but the slower charging speeds may frustrate users who need quick recharges.
Martyn Casserly
The Edge 50 Neo wins narrowly for 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-stock Android experience with a few useful additions, making it one of the longest-supported mid-range phones available.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
The Galaxy A55 5G, running Samsung’s One UI 6.1, offers a more feature-rich 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.
Martyn Casserly
The Edge 50 Neo wins for its extended software support and cleaner Android interface.
Price & 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 see our round-ups of the best budget phones and 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 cater to slightly different users.
Motorola’s offering is a better choice for those seeking a stylish design, faster charging, and extended software support at a more affordable price.
Samsung’s model, however, shines with its larger display, better performance, and premium build quality.
If you value long-term updates and faster charging, go with the Edge 50 Neo. If performance and display size are your top priorities, the Samsung Galaxy A55 5G is the better pick.
