Samsung Galaxy A27 Review: Six Years of Updates, But at a Cost

Verdict: Future-Proof Software, Present-Day Compromises

The Samsung Galaxy A27 is a budget Android smartphone that pairs a modern Infinity-O AMOLED display, Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 processor, and six years of Android updates with noticeable downgrades in camera hardware and water resistance compared with its predecessor.

Bottom line: the Galaxy A27 is a forward-looking budget phone built for people who keep devices for a long time, but it is not a slam-dunk upgrade over the Galaxy A26. Samsung has raised the price to USD 349.99 (approx. RM1,640) for the 6GB/128GB model while cutting back the ultrawide camera and water resistance, which undercuts the value story. The standout reason to buy this phone is its “six major OS upgrades and six years of security updates”, support that is rare in this price class. Yet Samsung’s own A37 undercuts it on both price and specs, making the A27 feel caught in the middle rather than the obvious budget choice.

Design and Display: The Notch Is Gone at Last

The headline change in this Galaxy A27 review is the switch to an Infinity-O hole-punch display that finally replaces Samsung’s older teardrop notch in the A2x line. You get a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED panel with Full HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, framed by thinner, more uniform bezels than before. The chin has not disappeared, but it is less distracting, and Gorilla Glass Victus+ adds a welcome layer of durability on the front.

For a budget phone display, this is one of the most appealing panels in its class: smooth scrolling, deep blacks, and a more premium look thanks to the punch-hole cutout. On the back, Samsung keeps the familiar minimalist layout but adds body-colored, metallic-looking accents around the camera island, plus new color options such as deep navy blue, pink, black, and light green in some markets. The trade-off is a downgrade in water resistance to IP64 from the A26’s IP67 rating, meaning the A27 is less tolerant of dust and full submersion than its predecessor.

Performance, Battery, and Software Longevity

Samsung’s one clear hardware upgrade is the move from Exynos 1380 to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 3. The company claims 7% higher CPU performance and 8% faster GPU performance over the Galaxy A26, with LPDDR5X RAM offering 50% faster memory speeds. Base RAM climbs from 4GB to 6GB, with 6GB/128GB, 8GB/128GB, and 8GB/256GB configurations plus microSD expansion up to 2TB. On paper, this should make everyday performance smoother and more efficient for multitasking and light gaming, without sacrificing the budget positioning.

Battery hardware remains unchanged: a 5,000mAh cell and 25W wired charging in a body that is 7.8mm thick and 200g heavy. The real game-changer is software. The Galaxy A27 ships with One UI 8.5 based on Android 16 QPR2 and is promised six generations of Android and One UI updates plus six years of security patches. That means someone buying this phone today could reasonably expect updates well beyond many flagships. Galaxy AI features such as Object Eraser, automatic voice transcription, Circle to Search, Google Gemini, Perplexity, and an updated Bixby are all present out of the box, giving this budget device a high-end software toolkit.

Cameras, Durability, and Value vs the A26 and A37

The Galaxy A27’s rear camera setup looks familiar at first glance: a 50MP main camera, 5MP ultrawide, and 2MP fixed-focus macro. However, that 5MP ultrawide is a step down from the A26’s 8MP unit, which means less detail in wide shots and a clear downgrade for landscape and group photography. The 12MP selfie camera replaces a 13MP predecessor, but Samsung says the newer sensor “captures a wider range of brightness and richer colors” than before, so quality may still improve despite the lower resolution.

Durability tells a similar story of give and take. The front glass is tougher, yet the phone’s overall protection slips from IP67 to IP64, reducing resistance to dust and water immersion. This matters if you often use your phone near pools or in heavy rain. Value is the hardest part to justify: the A27’s base model costs USD 349.99 (approx. RM1,640), which is USD 50 (approx. RM235) more than the Galaxy A26 launched at, despite these downgrades. Meanwhile, the Galaxy A37, with better cameras and a faster Exynos chip, is currently priced below the A27, making Samsung’s newer budget phone a tougher sell even within its own lineup.

Buy if / Skip if

• Buy the Galaxy A27 if you value long-term Android updates and plan to keep your phone for five to six years.
• Skip the Galaxy A27 if you already own a Galaxy A26 and care about ultrawide photos or stronger water resistance.
• Buy the Galaxy A27 if you want a modern-looking budget phone display with a 6.7-inch 120Hz Super AMOLED panel and Infinity-O design.
• Skip the Galaxy A27 if camera quality, especially ultrawide detail, is more important to you than a newer chipset.
• Buy the Galaxy A27 if you want Galaxy AI features such as Object Eraser, voice transcription, and multiple AI assistants in a lower-priced device.
• Skip the Galaxy A27 if you can buy the Galaxy A37 instead, since it offers better cameras and a faster chip for less at current prices.