Samsung just made a serious play to democratize AI in smartphones. The company unveiled its Galaxy A57 5G and A37 5G today, bringing what it calls "Awesome Intelligence" - essentially flagship-level AI features - to the mid-range market. With upgraded cameras, six years of OS support, and aggressive pricing, Samsung's betting that everyday users want premium AI tools without the premium price tag. The A57 5G leads the pack as the most powerful A-series device yet, while both phones ship with One UI 8.5 and Android 16 starting April 10.
Samsung is done keeping AI features locked behind flagship pricing. The company's new Galaxy A57 5G and A37 5G, announced today, bring what Samsung internally calls "Awesome Intelligence" to the mid-range segment - a clear shot at making tools like voice transcription and AI photo editing standard across price points, not premium perks.
"The new Galaxy A series reflects our continued commitment to AI democratization by bringing the latest innovations to more Galaxy users," TM Roh, Samsung's President and Head of Device eXperience Division, said in the announcement. It's a statement that signals where the smartphone market's headed - AI as table stakes, not a selling point.
The Galaxy A57 5G leads the charge. At just 6.9mm thick and 179 grams, it's actually slimmer than many flagships while packing upgraded CPU, GPU, and NPU silicon. Samsung isn't disclosing the exact chipset, but the company claims meaningful performance gains over last year's A56 5G. More interesting is what's running on that hardware.
One UI 8.5 brings a cascade of AI-powered features that used to live exclusively on Galaxy S-series phones. Voice Transcription in the Voice Recorder app can now transcribe and translate call recordings or convert voicemail to text. AI Select, accessible with a long press on the Edge Panel, surfaces contextual actions for extracting text or creating content without manual selection. It supports drag-and-drop in multi-window layouts, letting users move images directly into Samsung Notes or the Photo Editor.
Photo editing gets the full AI treatment too. Object Eraser now delivers what Samsung describes as "more natural results" when removing background distractions. Best Face - previously a flagship exclusive - supports continuous shooting and works across more photos, helping capture group shots where everyone actually looks camera-ready. The A57 5G adds Auto Trim for video editing, while both phones get Filters and Edit Suggestions that automatically refine photos without user input.
Circle to Search with Google gets an upgrade too, adding multi-object recognition. Users can now search multiple items in a single image - think an outfit plus accessories - all at once. It's the kind of quality-of-life improvement that sounds minor until you're actually using it.
On the AI assistant front, Samsung is hedging its bets. The upgraded Bixby acts as a conversational device agent, letting users control Galaxy settings through natural language. But Gemini from Google is also baked in, handling complex tasks across native and select third-party apps. It's a pragmatic approach - give users choice rather than forcing a single AI experience.
Camera hardware backs up the software smarts. Both phones sport a triple-camera system led by a 50MP main sensor with an improved Image Signal Processor. The A57 5G steps up with a 12MP ultra-wide (versus 8MP on the A37), faster shutter speeds, and enhanced image processing that Samsung claims sharpens detail while reducing noise. Nightography improvements mean both devices adapt to low light automatically, capturing what the company calls "true-to-life" photos and videos without manual tweaking.
The A57 5G's slimmer profile doesn't sacrifice battery. A 5,000mAh cell powers up to two days of use according to Samsung's testing, with Super Fast Charging 2.0 hitting 60% in roughly 30 minutes. A 13% larger vapor chamber versus the previous generation keeps thermals in check during gaming or extended recording sessions. The 6.7-inch Super AMOLED+ display runs at 120Hz with Vision Booster for outdoor visibility.
Both phones carry IP68 water and dust resistance - not universal in the mid-range segment - and ship with Samsung Knox Vault security. The Knox implementation here differs from flagship models in hardware architecture, but still provides tamper-resistant protection for sensitive data. Features like Auto Blocker, Private Sharing, and the new Private Album give users granular control over privacy, while Privacy Alerts proactively flag potential risks around location permissions or data monitoring.
The real standout is long-term support. Samsung is committing to six generations of Android OS upgrades and six years of security updates for both devices. That matches what the company offers on its flagship S-series, effectively guaranteeing these phones stay current through 2032. It's a sharp contrast to competitors who still cap mid-range devices at two or three OS updates.
Pricing wasn't disclosed, but Samsung is positioning these as "awesome price" devices - industry speak for undercutting flagships while over-delivering on features. The Galaxy A57 5G comes in Awesome Navy, Awesome Gray, Awesome Icyblue, and Awesome Lilac. The A37 5G offers Awesome Lavender, Awesome Charcoal, Awesome Graygreen, and Awesome White. Both launch April 10 in select markets, with Samsung Care+ coverage available for extended protection.
The move puts pressure on Apple, which still gates many AI features to its Pro lineup, and Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi and Oppo who've been aggressive on hardware specs but slower on long-term software support. If Samsung can deliver on performance and actually maintain six years of updates, the A-series could reset expectations for what mid-range means in 2026.
Samsung's Galaxy A57 5G and A37 5G represent more than incremental spec bumps - they're a strategic bet that AI is moving from luxury to necessity in smartphones. By bringing flagship-tier features like advanced voice transcription, multi-object search, and AI-powered photo editing to accessible price points, while backing it with six years of support, Samsung is forcing the industry to rethink what "mid-range" actually delivers. If the execution matches the promise, these phones could accelerate AI adoption far faster than another round of $1,200 flagships ever would. The real test comes April 10 when users can actually judge whether Awesome Intelligence lives up to its name.
