The Samsung Galaxy A57 and Galaxy S25 FE are two smartphones that often find themselves in the same price range, making them viable options for consumers. However, when you take a closer look at their features, it becomes clear that the S25 FE is the superior choice, especially for those seeking a more powerful and versatile device. While the A57 is a solid mid-range option, the S25 FE crosses the border into the upper mid-range segment with some flagship-level features. In this article, I will delve into the key differences between these two devices, highlighting why the S25 FE is the better choice for most users.
Design
The design of these smartphones is quite similar, with both featuring Gorilla Glass Victus+ sheets on the front and back, held together by an aluminum frame. However, the S25 FE is slightly thicker and heavier than the A57, which may be a consideration for some users. The color options and camera island design are the only two things that set the two handsets apart.
Display
The displays on both smartphones are essentially the same, with the same diagonal, resolution, refresh rate, and HDR features. According to my tests, the max brightness is also the same. Therefore, don't base your decision on displays alone. The A57's screen is just as good as the one on the more expensive model.
Battery Life
The battery life of these smartphones is roughly the same, but the A57 has a slight edge in this category. It shows better endurance in web browsing and video streaming tests, earning a better Active Use Score. However, the S25 FE is better for 4G calls, which may be a consideration for some users.
Charging
Both smartphones offer the same charging speed, which is 45W wired fast charging over Power Delivery. However, the S25 FE has the added bonus of wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, making it the winner in this category.
Speaker Test
The S25 FE has slightly louder speakers and a more desirable tuning, with deeper and cleaner vocals, crispier highs, and warmer tracks overall. While the difference is negligible in reality, it is still a notable advantage for the S25 FE.
Performance
The two phones are powered by in-house chipsets with Xclipse GPUs that are co-developed with AMD. The A57 employs a typical mid-range Exynos 1680 SoC, while the S25 FE gets a flagship-grade Exynos 2400 chip. The performance gap between the two phones is hard to ignore, with the S25 FE easily beating the A57 in every benchmark scenario. The Exynos 2400 has about 58% faster CPU and almost 2.5x more powerful GPU.
Camera Comparison
The A57 and S25 FE have a lot of similarities in their camera configurations. However, the S25 FE has a key advantage with its 8MP 3x zoom telephoto, while the A57 has a 'macro' camera instead. The S25 FE's telephoto isn't too impressive, but it's certainly a lot better than a 5MP dedicated unit for close-ups.
Verdict
The price gap between the two phones is about $180/€150/INR 9,000, but the S25 FE's advantages are hard to overlook. The S25 FE is the more powerful smartphone by a significant margin, with a better camera system overall, more versatile hardware with 3x optical zoom, better speakers, and wireless charging support. While the A57 is a solid mid-range option, the S25 FE is the better choice for most users.
