Samsung’s Galaxy A37 5G is not trying to be the loudest phone in the room, and honestly, that might be the point.
At a time when upgrading your phone feels more painful than it should, Samsung’s latest midrange device sounds like the kind of practical Android that Malaysian and SEA buyers actually look for: decent performance, good battery, proper durability and a price that does not immediately trigger financial regret.
According to Engadget’s review, the Galaxy A37 5G comes in at $450, placing it below the $500 mark and slightly cheaper than Google’s Pixel 10a at $499. Of course, Malaysian pricing was not part of the review, so we will need to wait for local availability and RM conversion before calling it a confirmed bargain here. But on paper, this is exactly the sort of phone that could appeal to students, young working adults and mobile gamers who want a reliable daily driver without jumping into flagship pricing.
A simple design, but not cheap-feeling
The biggest downgrade versus the pricier Galaxy A57 is the build. Instead of an aluminium frame, the A37 uses a full plastic chassis. That sounds budget, but Engadget notes that Samsung has done a good job making it feel sturdier than expected.
You also get more colour choices than the A57, with white, lavender, charcoal and graygreen depending on retailer. For people who like their phone to have a bit more personality, that is actually a nice win.
The layout is very standard Samsung: volume buttons, power button, stereo speakers and a multi-camera setup. The bottom bezel is slightly thicker than the rest, which might annoy you if you are super picky about symmetry, but it is not exactly a dealbreaker.
One thing that will sting for some SEA users: no microSD card slot. Since the A36 already dropped it, the A37 continues that direction. If you download lots of anime episodes, shoot tons of photos, or keep games like Genshin, Honkai, MLBB and PUBG Mobile installed together, choose your storage wisely. The phone comes with either 128GB or 256GB.
On the plus side, Samsung upgraded water resistance to IP68, up from IP67 on the A36. For Malaysia’s sudden rain, sweaty commutes and mamak-table accidents, that matters more than people admit.
Performance sounds good enough for everyday use
Inside, the Galaxy A37 runs on Samsung’s Exynos 1480 chip. It is not a fresh flagship-level processor, and the base model only gets 6GB RAM, though there are 8GB variants too.
Engadget noticed some early stutter during setup, but performance improved after the phone had time to finish updates and background optimisation. For daily use like scrolling, messaging, casual games and lighter AI tools, the phone was described as snappy enough.
Samsung also brings in a few useful software tricks, including Google’s Circle to Search, improved transcription tools and Object Eraser inside the Camera and Gallery apps. These are the kind of features that used to feel reserved for more expensive phones, so seeing them trickle down is nice.
The in-display optical fingerprint scanner seems a bit more sensitive. Engadget had better results after registering fingerprints again, so new buyers should take their time during setup instead of rushing through it.
Camera and battery are the big highlights
The A37’s main camera gets a 50MP sensor with larger photo receptors, helping it perform better in low light. Engadget compared it with the Pixel 10a, which is a strong midrange camera benchmark, and found the Samsung held up surprisingly well.
Photos from the A37 are sharp and colourful, though Samsung’s processing can look brighter and more sharpened compared with Google’s more flexible image output. At night, the A37 still produced detailed shots, even if the Pixel 10a remained better with white balance and texture.
There is also an 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 5MP macro camera. The ultra-wide sounds useful enough, while the macro lens seems more like one of those “nice to have, but not essential” additions.
Battery life may be the real killer feature. The A37 packs a 5,000mAh battery and lasted 29 hours and 10 minutes in Engadget’s local video rundown test. That is about an hour longer than the Pixel 10a and only around an hour behind the much more expensive S26 Ultra. Wired charging goes up to 45W, though there is no wireless charging.
Should Malaysia care?
If Samsung prices this properly in Malaysia, the Galaxy A37 5G could be a very sensible midrange choice. The big 6.7-inch OLED screen is good for gaming and Netflix, the battery life sounds excellent, and IP68 protection is genuinely useful in our weather.
The Pixel 10a may still win on camera tuning, cleaner software and overall polish, but Samsung has wider brand familiarity in SEA and usually stronger retail presence. For buyers who want a dependable Android phone without going flagship, the A37 looks like one to watch.
Source: Engadget