Here are the coolest Samsung phones that never arrived in the US

It’s no secret that Samsung makes some of the best smartphones in the world. Its diverse lineup of Galaxy devices covers almost every price range, from the budget-friendly A-series to the wallet-busting Galaxy S24 Ultra. While Samsung brings many devices stateside, a few gems are only available overseas. I understand that Samsung can’t release 20 phones yearly in every market, but I would’ve loved to see at least a couple of these hit our shores.

Galaxy A55

Midrange beast

The Galaxy A55 is the first phone on my list, but it’s also Samsung’s most confusing omission. While last year’s Galaxy A54 was one of the best-selling phones in the world, Samsung decided that the US would not receive an encore, perhaps to protect sales of the Galaxy S23 FE. And Samsung has good reason to be scared that a $450 Galaxy A55 would eat into the sales of the S23 FE — because it’s fantastic.

I’ve enjoyed using the A55 for almost two months, and I can say confidently that it’s an excellent value. The Galaxy A55’s 6.6-inch OLED panel is gorgeous, with a 120Hz refresh rate. Someone also forgot to tell Samsung the A55 is a midrange offering because the build quality feels premium, with a brushed aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass Victus+ protecting the display.

However, the improvements on the A55 go beyond cosmetics; the Exynos 1480 is a good chipset. It’s time for people to let go of the blanket hatred for Samsung’s in-house silicon and embrace that the 1480 provides decent performance with battery life that can go toe-to-toe with the best devices on the market.

Galaxy Note Fan Edition

A Note 7 that doesn’t explode

What if I told you there was a Galaxy Note 7 you could actually take on a plane? That’s the case with the Galaxy Note Fan Edition, a 2017 release that bears a striking resemblance to Samsung’s most famous disaster. It featured a gorgeous 5.7-inch QHD Super AMOLED panel with a MicroSD card slot (remember those?) and 4GB of RAM. While it never made it to the US, it was offered in the Phillippines and Korea, giving us a tantalizing glimpse of what could have been if Samsung knew how to make a battery that didn’t burn your house down.

I would still love to see a return to this form factor. As Apple did with the iPhone SE 2022, I’d enjoy it if Samsung took an older design and updated the internals, throwing a bone to users who didn’t mind physical fingerprint readers and headphone jacks. It would never happen, and the Galaxy S23 FE is technically supposed to be that device, but we all know it’s not quite the same.

Galaxy Folder 2

Old school flip phone

No, that’s not a typo; I mean the Galaxy Folder 2, not the Fold 2. Samsung was manufacturing flip phones long before anyone had heard of ultra-thin glass, and the Folder 2 was absolutely fantastic. It featured a 3.8-inch touchscreen LCD and was powered by a Snapdragon 425 with 2GB of RAM. In another throwback to yesteryear, the Folder 2 had a removable battery — no worries about charging when you could instantly go back to 100%.

I recently had the chance to buy a Folder 2 off of eBay, and playing with one made me upset that it never got a US release. The Folder 2 is incredibly fun to use, and it starts a conversation every time I pull it out. Unlike other overseas releases, I couldn’t pop in a T-Mobile SIM and be on my way, as even its bands weren’t compatible. Thankfully, Wi-Fi worked, and I could scroll Instagram on Android 6.0, which was a pleasant surprise.

The Folder 2 is still popular in Asia today, with younger users who want minimalist devices. While it’s not exactly the technological equivalent of living in a log cabin, I can see the appeal of a flip phone that combines older form factors with newer apps and technology.

Galaxy A15 (with a twist)

We need more RAM

You might be confused about why the Galaxy A15 is on the list. Not only did it get a US release, but I reviewed it for Android Police last month. In my review, I mentioned how I would’ve loved to see more RAM in the A15, hoping it would combine with the Dimensity 6100+ chipset for even better performance. As it turns out, Samsung does offer the A15 with 6 and 8GB of RAM — just not in the US.

Unfortunately, this practice isn’t limited to the A15, as Samsung has a nasty habit of offering beefed-up versions of US releases overseas. I could possibly see Samsung wanting to streamline its supply chain, but for a company that ships more SKUs than mid-’90s Apple Computer, it seems like an odd place to cut back. What’s more, I’ve had a chance to use a Dimensity 6100+ with 8GB of RAM and the performance is noticeably better — if only Samsung gave us the option.

Galaxy M55

An interesting compromise

I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve never heard of the M-series Galaxy devices. It’s a popular Samsung lineup in India, and I can see why. While it lacks some features of the A series, like Samsung Knox, it more than makes up for it with quality features at a value price. The Galaxy M55 is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 with 8GB of RAM, an impressive combination given the M55 costs around $335.

Samsung didn’t stop there. The M55 features a gorgeous 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1,000 nits of peak brightness. It also includes a MicroSD card slot and a 5,000mAh battery. If Samsung were to release this in the United States, it would be a competitive midranger. I believe enough people would sacrifice build quality and Samsung Knox for an opportunity for an SD7G1 and 8GB of RAM for under $350.

We just want more options

It would be great if Samsung re-thought its lineup, taking the most popular device from each region and offering it for sale in the United States. We’d see a unique mix of high-quality budget devices alongside powerful flagships. I would be shocked if Samsung didn’t significantly broaden its budget and midrange lineups in the next several years, as consumers learn they don’t need to spend $1,300 on a Galaxy S24 Ultra to get a fantastic phone experience. Until then, I’ll ask Santa for a Galaxy Note Fan Edition and dream of what could have been.