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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Samsung’s new Galaxy A37 and A57 5G phones pack a lot of value.
• The 45W wired charging stands out, as it beats even the Galaxy S26.
• With aggressive carrier promotions, the A-series will likely sell well (again).

Hear me out: the most popular smartphone on the market is probably not the one in your pocket — or your wishlist. 

According to Counterpoint Research, the best-selling iPhone in 2025 was the iPhone 16 — not the iPhone 17 or iPhone 17 Pro Max. For Samsung, the Galaxy A16 5G topped the list, followed by the Galaxy A06 4G. Surprising, right? 

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That’s why phones like the new Galaxy A37 5G and A57 5G matter so much. They’re competitively positioned, with price points and feature sets that make them appealing to arguably the most critical user base, especially in the US: carrier store customers. The A-series is among the most obtainable handsets, with frequent BOGO and ‘free phone‘ promotions that play well with Samsung’s brand power.

You likely won’t see any TV spots or billboard ads for the midrange Samsung phones, but I’d bet that by this time next year, I’ll be writing about how they quietly became the brand’s top sellers in 2026, outpacing the likes of the Galaxy S26 series and the foldables. And I’m more bullish about that claim than ever. Here’s why.

Power play

With this year’s A-series of Galaxy phones, Samsung has done something I’d like to think only eagle-eyed journalists would notice: offering a faster wired charging rate than even the more expensive Galaxy S26. 

That’s right, both the $450 Galaxy A37 5G and the $550 Galaxy A57 5G support 45W charging, beating the $800 Galaxy S26, which caps charging at 25W. As forgettable as the vanilla Samsung flagship is, this feels like a strategic move by the company, and one that sets the A-series for success with its intended user base.

As I’ve learned over the years of reviewing phones, and as reader surveys have shown, people mainly care about price, battery, and storage — and in that order. The fancy privacy displays, built-in stylus, and abundance of superfluous AI features that you hear more and more about as you go up the price ladder are more or less optional.

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It helps that the list of caveats with Samsung’s cheaper phones has gotten shorter over time, and this year’s roundup of omissions and drawbacks feels the most forgiving. We’re talking only six years of OS and security upgrades (versus Samsung’s previous commitment of eight years), lower-end Exynos processors (compared to more tested Qualcomm Snapdragon or MediaTek processors), and no wireless charging.

In the broader landscape, Samsung’s new A-series presents a formidable package that rivals even its flagship siblings. Between the 6.7-inch AMOLED displays, versatile quad-camera array, and massive 5,000mAh batteries, you’re looking at a well-rounded duet of handsets that will likely dominate the market in 2026, especially during the shopping seasons ahead, even if you don’t hear much about it.