When we’re shopping for a new smartphone, security is – more often than not – an afterthought. But Samsung wants to change that by taking a rather different approach with its new premium mid-range smartphones. For the first time ever, the Korean company’s Knox Vault security feature is offered on the Galaxy A series, which includes the Samsung Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35.

As its name (somewhat) suggests, Knox Vault protects the phone against software and hardware attacks. This is accomplished by “constructing a secure execution environment that is physically isolated from the system’s main processor and memory,” as Samsung puts it. Simply put, Knox Vault works independently of the processor to make this possible.

There are a number of scenarios where Knox Vault proves to be useful. If your phone was lost or stolen, for example, Knox Vault will ensure that your password won’t be easily hacked. This prevents any unauthorised access to your phone, which then allows you to use the standard Find My Mobile feature to continue locking your phone and track its location.

Aside from that, there’s also the Auto Blocker feature. Though it’s separate from Knox Vault, Samsung says that security enhancements have been implemented on the Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35. If there are any suspicious APK installation taking place, the two phones are able to automatically block the process.

You’d be surprised just how often this particular scenario comes up. If you connect your phone to a public charger or computer, for example, malware can be easily installed on your device. Auto Blocker prevents this from happening, though we highly discourage connecting your phone to a charger or device that is easily accessible – hence easy to be tampered with – by the public.

Last but not least is using Secure Folder in tandem with Samsung Knox Vault. Apps and user data can be added to Secure Folder, which requires an additional password to gain access. This essentially doubles the protection of anything that is stored in the Secure Folder, assuming that the set password is different from the screen lock.

While some users may not pay much attention to Samsung Knox Vault, keeping user data safe and secure is always a good thing. With that in mind, it’s certainly a good security feature to have on the Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35, especially when other phone makers don’t put quite as much focus on this aspect.

If you’d like to learn more about the Samsung Galaxy A55 or Galaxy A35, check out our comprehensive reviews of the two phones by clicking on the links provided. Beyond Samsung Knox Vault, both phones have other compelling features to offer too.