Samsung’s Galaxy A57 5G and Galaxy A37 5G are now available in South Africa, and the headline isn’t the hardware. It’s that the AI capabilities Samsung has been building into its flagship S-series are now available on devices priced from R8,699. That shift is what Awesome Intelligence on One UI 8.5 is actually about.
Both devices launch with the full Awesome Intelligence platform, including Circle to Search with Google, Object Eraser, AI Select, Edit Suggestions, Filters, and Auto Trim on the A57. That’s not a trimmed-down version of the Galaxy AI experience. It’s the same toolkit, on a phone that sits well within reach of the prepaid and mid-range buyer that makes up the majority of the South African smartphone market.
The most significant new addition to that toolkit is Voice Transcription in the Voice Recorder app. Users can now transcribe and translate call recordings or convert voicemails directly to text, without a third-party app or a cloud subscription. For students managing lecture notes, professionals catching up on missed calls, or anyone navigating a multilingual working environment, this is a feature that changes how the phone gets used day-to-day.
Circle to Search with Google has been upgraded to support multi-object recognition, so users can search for multiple items within a single image in one step. AI Select is now accessible directly from the Edge Panel with a long press and supports Drag and Drop in Multi-Window, which speeds up the workflow between apps considerably. On the photo editing side, Object Eraser now produces more natural results when removing unwanted elements from the background of a shot. Best Face on the A57 supports continuous shooting to improve the chances of a good group photo.
Both Bixby and Gemini are available as AI agents on both devices. Bixby handles device settings and features through natural language, while Gemini navigates tasks across native Galaxy apps and select third-party apps. Users can move between them depending on what they’re trying to do.
Camera performance has been improved through upgraded hardware and a better Image Signal Processor, which raises the quality of the 50MP main sensor’s output across lighting conditions. Nightography performance has been improved on both devices for low-light shooting, and both include an ultra-wide lens and a 5MP macro camera. The A57 adds enhanced noise reduction and faster shutter speed handling for cleaner action shots.
On the hardware side, both devices carry an IP68 water and dust resistance rating and a 5,000mAh battery. The A57 supports Super-Fast Charging 2.0, reaching 60% in around 30 minutes, while a 13% larger vapour chamber helps sustain performance during extended use. The display is Super AMOLED+ with Vision Booster for clearer outdoor visibility.
Security has been extended alongside the AI features. Knox Vault provides hardware-level tamper-resistant protection, and the new Private Album feature lets users secure personal media quickly. Privacy Alerts give proactive notifications when apps are accessing location data or monitoring sensitive information in unexpected ways. In South Africa’s device security landscape, that kind of active notification matters.
Both devices ship with up to six generations of Android OS and six years of security updates, which means the AI features arriving on launch day will continue to be updated and expanded over the device’s life. That long-term software commitment is part of what makes the A-series Samsung’s most consequential product line in South Africa: it’s the range where Galaxy AI reaches the widest audience.
The Galaxy A57 5G is priced from R11,999 in Awesome Navy and Awesome Gray. The Galaxy A37 5G starts from R8,699 in Awesome Lavender, Awesome Gray, and Awesome Dark Green. Both are available from Samsung stores, Incredible Connection, and Takealot. Samsung Care+ is available for both. Buyers who add a Galaxy Fit3 at purchase save R699, and adding Galaxy Buds Core saves R799.