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Need-to-knows
- Improved display brightness across all models
- Some new AI features including ‘Best Face’
- Galaxy A56 comes with Exynos 1580
- A56 comes in at $499/£499
Samsung has launched the new Samsung Galaxy A-series, including the Samsung Galaxy A56, as part of their refreshed mid-range phone offering. The market for phones at this price point is increasingly crowded with some very good options so Samsung has work to do to make the Galaxy A56, and its Galaxy A36 and A26, stand out.
The main headlines are enhanced AI capabilities, some taken directly from the S25 series, an improved chipset, some minor adjustments to the camera system and better fast charging. Among the context of the recent iPhone 16e release from Apple, the new Galaxy A-series stands as stiff competition, especially when you look at the price. Here’s all the key details!
Design and build: lighter and more robust
The Samsung Galaxy A56 carries over a similar form factor to the A55 that came before it, with the main difference found in the slightly larger rear camera housing. The A56 is also very light in the hand at 198 grams and measures just 7.4mm in thickness, which is a noticeable reduction from its predecessor.
The Galaxy A56 features a glass back panel protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ and the frame is constructed from aluminium. This all adds up to a largely premium feel across the A-series with better protection against drops and scratches. Gone are the days of cheap-feeling plastic parts.
Samsung has also made improvements to the phone’s water and dust resistance. The Galaxy A56 boasts an IP67 rating, which means it can withstand submersion in up to 1 metre of water for 30 minutes. This level of protection brings it on par with other similarly priced devices like the Honor 90 and much higher than that of the Nothing Phone 2.
Colour options for the Galaxy A56 include Awesome Graphite, Awesome Light Gray, Awesome Olive, and Awesome Pink which is in direct contrast to the iPhone 16e which only comes in black and white.
In terms of button placement and overall ergonomics, Samsung has made some subtle changes, slightly raising the power button and volume rocker closer to where your fingers naturally fall. The under-display fingerprint sensor has also been improved, offering faster and more reliable unlocking.
Display: bigger and brighter
The A56 now features a larger 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display, up from the 6.6-inch screen found on its predecessor.
This increase in screen size doesn’t come at the cost of resolution, as the Galaxy A56 maintains a Full HD+, 2340 x 1080 pixels resolution. That means the pixel density remains comfortably above 380 pixels per inch.
One of the standout features of the new display is its improved brightness capabilities. The Galaxy A56 has a peak brightness of 1,900 nits, far superior to that of the iPhone 16e. Another huge part of the A56’s display is the 120Hz refresh rate, which is becoming increasingly common in mid-range phones but is still a welcome addition.
Thoughtfully, Samsung has implemented an adaptive refresh rate system that can dynamically adjust between 60Hz and 120Hz depending on the content being displayed, helping to balance performance and battery life.
Colour reproduction on the Galaxy A56’s display is excellent, as we’ve come to expect from Samsung’s AMOLED panels. The screen supports HDR10+ content with various display modes and colour temperature adjustments, allowing you to fine-tune the visual experience.
In terms of bezels, Samsung has managed to further reduce the size of the borders around the display, resulting in a screen-to-body ratio of around 87.7% with a punch-hole front-facing camera.
These are impressive specs for a phone at this price and continues the trend of Samsung producing industry-leading displays.
Performance: a new chip on the block
At the heart of the Samsung Galaxy A56 lies the new Exynos 1580 chipset, marking a small but necessary upgrade in processing power. This 4nm chip represents Samsung’s latest efforts in bringing flagship-level performance to mid-range devices, even after some complaints about Exynos chips over the past few years.
The Exynos 1580 features an octa-core CPU configuration with one high-performance core clocked at 2.9 GHz, three performance cores at 2.6 GHz, and four efficiency cores at 1.9 GHz. It equates to an 18% performance gain compared to the Exynos 1480.
In terms of graphics, the Galaxy A56 is equipped with the Xclipse 540 GPU, which is based on AMD’s RDNA 2 architecture. This represents a significant leap in graphics capabilities compared to previous A-series models, which should result in better gaming performance and smoother handling of graphically intensive tasks.
The chipset is paired with 8GB of RAM in most regions, with some markets receiving a 12GB variant. Samsung has also implemented its RAM Plus feature, which can allocate up to 8GB of storage as virtual RAM, further enhancing multitasking capabilities.
Storage options for the Samsung Galaxy A56 include 128GB and 256GB variants, the former reserved for the corporate market. It’s worth noting that there’s no microSD card slot for expandable storage.
Samsung has also made improvements to the thermal management system, incorporating a larger vapour chamber to help dissipate heat more effectively. This should help maintain consistent performance during extended gaming sessions or when using resource-intensive apps.
Camera system: familiar hardware, new software tricks
The camera setup on the Samsung Galaxy A56 is very similar to that of the A55, but Samsung has made changes to the image processing and software features. The triple-lens rear camera system consists of:
- A 50MP main camera with an f/1.8 aperture and optical image stabilization (OIS)
- A 12MP ultra-wide camera with an f/2.2 aperture and a 123-degree field of view
- A 5MP macro camera with an f/2.4 aperture
Low-light performance has seen improvements thanks to enhanced night mode algorithms. The camera can now capture brighter and clearer images in challenging lighting conditions, with reduced noise and better detail retention.
One of the most notable new features is the AI-powered “Best Face” tool, which is similar to Google’s “Best Take” feature. This allows users to select the best facial expressions from a series of shots, combining them into a single image where everyone looks their best and is new to the A-series.
The main camera can record 4K video at 30fps, with electronic image stabilization (EIS) for smoother footage. There’s also a new AI-enhanced stabilization mode for even steadier videos, though this is limited to 1080p resolution.
The front-facing camera is a 12MP sensor with an f/2.2 aperture. While this is actually a lower resolution than the 32MP front camera on the A55, Samsung claims that the new sensor and improved processing result in better overall selfie quality, particularly in low light.
Battery life and charging: endurance and speed
The Samsung Galaxy A56 comes equipped with the same sized 5,000 mAh battery as the A55, but software refinements should bring efficiency gains to extend overall battery life.
In typical usage scenarios, the Galaxy A56 should comfortably last through a full day and potentially into a second day for more conservative users. The adaptive refresh rate display also helps in managing power consumption, dropping down to 60Hz when displaying static content.
One of the most significant upgrades in the battery department is the introduction of 45W fast charging support. This is a feature that was previously reserved for Samsung’s higher-end models. Samsung claims that this “Super Fast Charge 2.0” technology can charge the device up to 65% in just 30 minutes, with a full charge taking around 68 minutes.
Software and AI features: bringing flagship smarts to the mid-range
One of the biggest changes to the Samsung Galaxy A56 is the introduction of OneUI 7, Samsung’s latest software generation. In general, it’s a much cleaner and organised experience that has been well-received across the board.
Samsung has made a significant commitment to long-term software support for the Galaxy A56, promising six years of Android OS updates and security patches.
The Galaxy A56 also introduces what Samsung calls “Awesome Intelligence,” a suite of AI-powered features that aim to enhance various aspects of the user experience. While not officially branded as “Galaxy AI” (which is reserved for flagship models), there are a few features found on higher-end devices.
Some notable AI features include:
- Circle to Search: Search for text or images simply by circling them with a finger.
- Best Face: Similar to Google’s Best Take feature, this AI tool lets users pick their favourite facial expressions from a set of photos.
- Object Eraser: Remove unwanted features from a photo.
- AI-enhanced photo filters: The gallery app now offers more advanced AI-powered filters and editing tools.
- Auto Trim: This feature uses AI to automatically edit and create video montages.
Connectivity and audio: modern standards for a connected world
The Samsung Galaxy A56 comes well-equipped in terms of up-to-date connectivity options. Here’s a breakdown of its connectivity features:
- Wi-Fi 6: The device supports Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), offering faster speeds and better performance in crowded Wi-Fi environments compared to older standards.
- Bluetooth 5.3: This latest Bluetooth standard provides improved connection stability, range, and power efficiency for wireless accessories.
- Dual SIM: The Galaxy A56 offers dual SIM functionality, with support for two nano-SIM cards plus an eSIM, allowing for flexible connectivity options.
In terms of audio, the Galaxy A56 continues Samsung’s trend of not including a 3.5mm headphone jack. However, you do get:
- Stereo speakers
- Dolby Atmos support.
- Bluetooth audio codecs
- Adaptive sound: AI-powered feature analyzes the user’s environment and listening patterns to optimize audio output for different scenarios.
Comparison with Galaxy A36 and A26: a family of mid-rangers
While the Galaxy A56 takes the spotlight as the top-tier model in Samsung’s latest A-series lineup, it’s worth examining how it compares to its siblings, the Galaxy A36 and A26 which come at lower price points.
Galaxy A56 vs Galaxy A36:
The Galaxy A36 shares many features with its more premium sibling, including:
- 6.7-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate
- A similar 5,000mAh battery with 45W fast charging support
- IP67 water and dust resistance rating
- Identical software features, including One UI 7 based on Android 15 and six years of OS updates
Key differences include:
- A36 uses a Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chip instead of the Exynos 1580
- While both have a 50MP main camera, the A36 has an 8MP ultra-wide instead of 12MP, and the same 5MP macro
- A36 typically comes with 6GB of RAM
Galaxy A56 vs Galaxy A26:
The Galaxy A26, as the entry-level model of the trio, has more significant differences:
- Chipset: Uses an Exynos 1380, a significant step down from both the A56 and A36
- 50MP main, 8MP ultra-wide, and 2MP macro, with a 13MP front camera
- Supports 25W fast charging instead of 45W
Despite these differences, the A26 still shares some key features with its more premium siblings:
- Same display
- Same 5,000mAh battery capacity
- One UI 7 based on Android 15 with six years of OS updates
- IP67 water and dust resistance
Price:
The pricing structure for the new A-series lineup is as follows:
- Galaxy A56: $499/£499
- Galaxy A36: $399/£399
- Galaxy A26: $299/£299
By offering this range of devices, Samsung is trying to cover a huge range of potential customers. The build quality alone on the A26 makes the sub-$300 price tag particularly good value.
Conclusion: let the mid-range battle commence
This represents a strong entry for Samsung into the mid-range market. There aren’t any huge upgrades on the last generation, but incremental improvements, a high-quality build and a dynamic camera system mean there is still a lot to offer.
In terms of overall features, the A56 trumps the iPhone 16e and comes in at a lower price point. But there are other incredible options out there from the likes of OnePlus, Vivo and Honor. This competition is all very good for us, the consumers, as standards at lower price points continue to get driven up.
