At a time when smartphone producers are changing their real budget-friendly choices with dearer however nonetheless less-than-flagship units (*cough* iPhone 16e *cough*), Samsung’s Galaxy A sequence continues to signify the candy spot between affordability and long-lasting, fascinating {hardware}.
The Samsung Galaxy A55 has remained a characteristic of our greatest low-cost telephones listing for nearly a 12 months, and its newly introduced successor, the Samsung Galaxy A56, additional improves on the A-series system by throwing new AI instruments, quicker charging speeds, and slick new design tweaks into the combination.
I went hands-on with Samsung’s newest mid-ranger – in addition to the similarly-specced Galaxy A36 – at a current briefing occasion, and I’m assured that Samsung has, for essentially the most half, made the precise strikes when it comes to each upgrades and compromises. Might the Galaxy A56 be a better-value proposition than the Samsung Galaxy S25 this 12 months? It’s actually a chance.
Let’s begin with what’s not modified versus the Galaxy A55. Like its predecessor, the Galaxy A56 packs a 5,000mAh battery, an IP67 water resistance ranking, and a three-lens rear digicam setup comprising a 50MP predominant lens, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 5MP macro lens. In actually each different space, the Galaxy A56 is a greater telephone.
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Visually, this 12 months’s mannequin is completely different in a number of methods. Firstly, its three rear cameras are encompassed in a black, pill-shaped island, the place the A55’s lenses stand alone. The A56 nonetheless has flat aluminum edges, however its energy and quantity buttons are actually raised, reasonably than mendacity flush with the remainder of the physique.
Personally, I’m all for these adjustments, and the Awesome Lightgrey (learn: white) mannequin I dealt with in my briefing session felt significantly premium. The A56’s new digicam module eliminates that cheaper, common-among-knock-off-phones look that the A55’s standalone cameras have, and it additionally helps differentiate the A56 from the Galaxy S25.
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Samsung has bumped up the scale of the A56’s show, too. It’s now a 6.7-inch FHD+ panel (versus 6.6 inches on the A55), that means the A56 shares a show dimension with the Galaxy S25 Plus. You additionally get a better peak brightness with the A56, particularly 1,200 nits in High Brightness Mode (HBM) and as much as 1,900 nits in direct daylight. Sure, that’s not so good as the easiest Samsung telephones (the Galaxy S25 boasts a 2,600-nit peak), nevertheless it’s fairly good going for a mid-range handset (the pricier iPhone 16e tops out at 2,000 nits).
The actual feather within the cap of the A56, although, is its software program provision. It’ll include One UI 7 out of the field, changing into the primary non-Galaxy S25 handset to take action and supplying you with entry to options just like the Now Bar and in-depth Home Screen customization.
AI instruments together with Circle to Search and Object Eraser have been upgraded with new performance on the A56, whereas the opposite software program options like Custom filters, Read Aloud, and AI Select have been drafted over from the Galaxy S25.
The cheaper A36 will get these options, too, however the A56 additionally advantages from Auto Trim, which helps you to edit and create video montages on the contact of a button, and Best Face, which is basically Samsung’s model of Google’s Best Take characteristic.
That mentioned, the Galaxy A56 doesn’t have Galaxy AI. Not formally, anyway. Samsung says its new A-series handsets use Awesome Intelligence, not Galaxy AI, with the latter reserved for its flagship S-series units. Of course, some software program instruments exist in each characteristic units (see Circle to Search and Object Eraser), however Samsung is eager to keep away from throwing all of its smartphones into the identical software program basket. The message is evident: in order for you one of the best software program (assume Live Translate and Instant Slow-mo) go for an S-series mannequin. Awesome Intelligence is a step down, however for all intents and functions, it’s Galaxy AI Lite.
The Galaxy A56 does, nonetheless, match its flagship siblings within the longevity division. Samsung is promising a beneficiant six years of OS updates and 6 years of safety updates for its newest mid-ranger, which is an enchancment on the four-year dedication made to the A55. The similar is true of the A36.
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Bizarrely, the A56 really bests the Galaxy S25 in a single key space: wired charging pace. Where the S25 is caught with a 25W wired charging cap, the A56 tops out at 45W. There are not any wi-fi charging capabilities to talk of, nevertheless it’s fairly one thing that you just’ll get Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra-level charging speeds on the A56.
There are, after all, different compromises. The A56’s makes use of a Samsung Exynos 1580 chipset, which is an goal enchancment on the A55’s 1480 mind, however a far cry from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, which powers a lot of the finest Android telephones in 2025. Web looking, social media scrolling, and lightweight cell gaming are the order of the day right here, although the A56’s 8GB RAM capability (which may be boosted to 12GB in choose, as-yet-unconfirmed areas) ought to maintain its Awesome Intelligence options operating… awesomely?
The telephone’s show bezels, too, are a significant giveaway that that is certainly a mid-range handset and never a flagship system. The A56 is a looker from the again, however its lower-end price ticket is extra evident from the entrance.
That mentioned, for many who don’t care about wafer-thin show bezels, range-defying telephoto cameras, and benchmark-breaking energy, the A56 appears set to be a superb possibility. The Galaxy S25 is, after all, the higher telephone, however Samsung’s newest mid-ranger boasts sturdy sufficient specs to warrant consideration as a probably better-value handset. Stay tuned for our full assessment, the place we’ll share a definitive verdict in some way.
As for its worth, the Galaxy A56 prices £499 within the UK, which marks a slight enhance on the £439 beginning worth of the A55. It’s out there to pre-order now, and transport begins on March 19. We’re nonetheless ready to listen to official worth data for the US and Australia, however Samsung has confirmed that the telephone shall be coming to those areas later within the 12 months.
