Sam Rutherford for Engadget RATING : 8 / 10 Pros - Big and bright 6.7-inch OLED display
- IP68 dust and water resistance
- Sleek, lightweight design
- Strong battery life
- Six years of OS and security updates
- Fingerprint reader could be better
- 256GB model costs $540
- No microSD card slot
With the price of damn near everything going up these days, finding a good deal is harder than ever, especially when you're shopping for electronics. However, after refreshing its midrange phone lineup for 2026, Samsung has a new contender for the best phone under $500 in the Galaxy A37 5G. It's not the fastest or flashiest device around, but for anyone who just wants a solid Android handset for a decent price, this is it. And in a time when every dollar counts, this phone feels like a small blessing for budget-conscious buyers.
Design and display
Sam Rutherford for Engadget One of the biggest differences between the Galaxy A37 and its more expensive sibling — the A57 — is that it features a full plastic chassis instead of an aluminum frame. That said, Samsung made sure the phone doesn't feel cheap. Unless you're really paying attention, you may not even notice. I had to tap a quarter on its back and sides to confirm. There's also another plus to the A37's less luxurious design, as it's available in way more colors — white, lavender, charcoal and graygreen (depending on retailer) — compared to the A57, which only comes in navy.
Aside from its frame, Samsung kept things super simple. You get a volume rocker and lock/power button, stereo speakers and an assortment of cameras. The one small quirk to the A37's design is that the bezel below its screen is a tiny bit thicker than it is anywhere else, which may bother folks with OCD tendencies. Unfortunately, because Samsung removed the microSD card slot on its predecessor, that means the A37 doesn't have one either. On the bright side, Samsung has upgraded the new model's water resistance, so now you get an IP68 rating instead of IP67 like on the A36.
Performance
Sam Rutherford for Engadget While the Exynos 1480 chip in the A37 is a couple years old, it gets the job done. Its base 6GB of RAM isn't all that impressive either. Thankfully, there are higher-end models with 8GB along with the choice of either 128GB or 256GB of storage (but no microSD card slot). I did notice a little stuttering during the phone's initial setup, but like a lot of Android handsets, once you give it a day to update apps, optimize software and download things in the background, that went away. Regardless, for doomscrolling, playing casual mobile games and even using some light AI apps, the A37 feels pretty snappy. Another small bonus for this generation is new support for Google's Circle to Search along with enhanced transcription features and the ability to use the Object Eraser tool (which Samsung borrowed from the flagship Galaxy S line) in the Camera and Gallery apps.
The one component that felt a little hit or miss was Samsung's in-screen optical fingerprint reader. After setting it up the first time, I noticed I often had to tap my finger multiple times in order to unlock the device. However, after re-registering my digits a second time, I got much faster and consistent performance. So take your time and be careful when you set up biometric security.
Cameras
Sam Rutherford for Engadget One of the A37's biggest upgrades is a new 50-megapixel main sensor that packs larger photo receptors, which helps quite a bit in low light. Even when compared to the Pixel 10a, which is sort of the gold standard for image quality on mid-range phones, the A37 held its own. Photos were sharp and colorful, though Samsung's processing does come with its own set of pros and cons. Without editing, I can see how people might prefer the A37's pic of some tulips over the Pixel 10a's due to its brighter exposure. However, Google's processing gives you more to work with, especially if you don't mind making minor edits to things like contrast.
But the more impressive thing is that the A37 largely kept pace with the Pixel 10a at night by producing sharp, detailed photos. Google's phone still has an edge when it comes to more accurate white balance and textures while Samsung's penchant for oversharpening can be seen in shots like the one I took of a tree light from below. The A37 also features a serviceable 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 5MP macro lens, though I'm not a huge fan of the latter as it relies on you to delicately move the phone around to focus.
Battery life
Sam Rutherford for Engadget The combination of a big 5,000mAh battery and a relatively efficient chip allows for very good battery life. On our local video rundown test, the Galaxy A37 lasted 29 hours and 10 minutes. That's only an hour shy of what we got from the S26 Ultra, which is nearly triple the price, and an hour longer than the Pixel 10a (28 hours). Meanwhile, its wired charging speed is faster than I expected at up to 45 watts, though sadly, there's no support for any kind of wireless charging.
Wrap-up
Sam Rutherford for Engadget For my money, I still prefer the Pixel 10a when it comes to mid-range Android phones. But the Galaxy A37 isn't far behind and it comes with some nice bonuses you won't get from Google's handset. For people who prefer larger devices, Samsung's 6.7-inch OLED panel gives you more room to work (or play) with. And despite actually having a slightly smaller battery, the A37 offers just a bit more longevity, plus faster wired charging when you need to top it off before running out the door.
On the other hand, the Pixel 10a has a more premium design (including a perfectly flat back), better image quality and a nicer UI with a wider range of AI-powered software. But it also costs $499 instead of $450. So while it wouldn't be my first choice, Galaxy A37 is certainly worth checking out for anyone that's been feeling beat up by rising costs and is simply looking for an affordable, well-made all-rounder.
