Galaxy A57 and A37 Camera: Settings, Differences and Limits

Camera hardware-wise, the A57 and A37 are very similar, and so are their cameras’ capabilities. Both have 50MP f/1.8 main cameras with OIS backed by 1/1.56-inch sensors, according to GSMArena’s Galaxy A57 review and Galaxy A37 review. Where they differ is in their ultrawide cameras and video-recording capabilities, but those differences are smaller than the $100 price gap suggests.

We haven’t shot with either the Galaxy A57 or the Galaxy A37. Everything we know about these phones’ cameras comes from Samsung’s Galaxy A57 and Galaxy A37 spec sheets, which we’ve supplemented with information from GSMArena and SamMobile, which we cite as appropriate. Samsung announced the Galaxy A57 and Galaxy A37 on March 25, 2026; both went on sale in April.

Our information about the Galaxy A57’s and Galaxy A37’s image quality comes from GSMArena and SamMobile. Everything else, including the settings below, is based on Samsung’s spec sheets and the One UI 8.5 camera app they ship with.

Galaxy A57 vs A37 camera specs

Samsung’s support site for the US shows the same shooting modes under More for both phones, including Pro, Pro video, Night, Macro, Panorama, Food, Hyperlapse and Single Take.

There’s no telephoto on either phone, so 2x will be a crop from the main camera and anything beyond that will be digital zoom.

What's new compared with the A56 and A36

Galaxy A57

The cameras on the A57 seem to be carried over from the A56. There’s no mention of any sensor upgrades in SamMobile’s review and GSMArena’s review claims they’re the same as on the A56 too.

So while the hardware seems the same, Samsung has focused on improving processing and speeds this time around.

• Thinner, lighter body (6.9 mm and 179 g, respectively, compared to 7.4 mm and 198 g), IP68 instead of IP67 ingress protection rating
• Samsung claims an improved ISP and a faster shutter speed for photographing fast-moving objects (slightly sharper images in good lighting conditions according to GSMArena)
• Preview doesn’t blur when zooming in and out (switching between 0.6x and 1x), which is a first for an A phone according to SamMobile
• Best Face feature has been improved (now works for more photos and also for continuous shooting), new Auto Trim feature (creates highlight reels)

Galaxy A37

The A37 gets the more meaningful camera upgrade of the two. Its main sensor increases in size, going from 1/1.95-inch in the A36 to 1/1.56-inch, the same size as the one in the A57. According to GSMArena, the phone’s main camera does a good job in daylight as well as at night.

Otherwise, the camera setup remains unchanged with the 8MP ultrawide and 5MP macro sensors making another appearance.

Switching over from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, the Galaxy A37 instead sports Samsung’s Exynos 1480 SoC.

The Galaxy A37 also moves up to an IP68 dust and water resistance certification.

Settings by situation, phone by phone

For one thing, GSMArena noticed that the A57’s 50MP images tend to be a bit soft, so you’re really only going to see an advantage from the higher resolution in daylight shots of stationary objects. Its Night mode can also backfire, resulting in coarser detail and more blown-out highlights (on the A37, it didn’t make much of a difference either way). And while the macro camera sounds nice in theory, keep in mind that both phones’ main cameras can focus down to about 9cm, meaning a 2x shot taken from relatively close range will often serve you better.

The macro camera has to sit between 3.5 and 5cm from your subject (via GSMArena), meaning in many situations your phone will end up blocking the light from reaching whatever it is you’re trying to shoot. There are additional methods for shooting close-ups with a fixed-focus lens in our Samsung macro photography guide.

Limits to plan around

• Neither of them has a telephoto camera; when taking portraits, 2x from the main camera will be the farthest you can zoom in while retaining image quality.
• Neither can shoot video with HDR or enable Horizontal Lock, and video tops out at 4K30. (GSMArena also noted that the A57’s Pro video mode doesn’t have a 24fps option, which is available on Samsung’s S-series phones.)
• The A37’s and A57’s front cameras and ultrawide cameras have fixed focus, so make sure you’re an appropriate distance away from your subject when shooting with them.
• Although Samsung’s Expert RAW page mentions A-series “models with advanced camera systems,” it doesn’t specifically call out the A37 or A57 as compatible, and we couldn’t confirm RAW capture in Pro mode from Samsung’s documentation. We’d treat both as JPEG cameras until we know for sure you can take RAW photos in Pro mode.
• According to GSMArena’s comparison, the A37 doesn’t take quite as sharp selfies in low light as the A57 does.

Which should you buy, and is it worth upgrading?

Those who shoot a lot of landscapes or videos, or take selfies in darker environments, should go for the A57: not only is its ultrawide noticeably wider than the one on the A37, but only its ultrawide camera shoots video in 4K. In addition, images it takes in less-than-ideal lighting conditions are consistently sharper, according to GSMArena. If saving $100 is important, go for the A37. During the day, images taken with either phone are pretty much neck and neck. In darker environments, GSMArena found that while the A37’s main camera tends to produce softer pictures than the A57’s, its exposures and colours are more consistent. On the lower-end Galaxy A17, the main camera has OIS, but a much smaller sensor and tops out at 1080p video (see our Galaxy A17 settings guide for tips on getting the most out of these). For those buying in India, our best Samsung camera phone in India guide has the A57 and A37 pitted against the S25 FE at India prices from Samsung India.

If you’re coming from an A56, there’s no camera-related reason to upgrade to the A57. Our Galaxy A56 camera guide still applies to the photos you're getting, and our A56 settings page shows the starting values. An A36 owner, however, would notice an improvement with the A37’s larger main camera sensor. From an A55 or older, including the A54, either phone is a step up in speed and software support, and our Galaxy A55 camera guide explains where that phone falls short.

Looking for zoom? You may want to look beyond the A series. $150 more than the A57 will get you the Galaxy S26 FE and its 3x telephoto.

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