Samsung Galaxy A56 Review: Challenging the Pixel 9a’s Throne
Samsung Galaxy A56 offers a slim design, long battery life, 45W fast charging and six years of updates, but the camera lacks detail.
Samsung Galaxy A56 has a lot to prove. It needs to be good enough to attract buyers who don’t want to spend more on the Galaxy S25 and compete with many strong alternatives. Samsung must show it has improved from the A55 and can deliver a great budget-friendly phone. After using it as my main phone, I see some key improvements, but there’s still room for growth.
Samsung Galaxy A56 Specifications
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| 📅 Release Date | March 10, 2025 |
| 📏 Dimensions | 162.2 x 77.5 x 7.4 mm (6.39 x 3.05 x 0.29 in) |
| ⚖️ Weight | 198 g (6.98 oz) |
| 🏗 Build | Glass front & back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame |
| 📶 SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| 💧 Water Resistance | IP67 (dust/water resistant up to 1m for 30 min) |
| 📺 Display Type | Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1900 nits (peak) |
| 📐 Display Size | 6.7 inches (~87.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| 🔲 Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels (~385 ppi) |
| 📱 OS | Android 15, One UI 7, up to 6 major Android upgrades |
| 🎛 Chipset | Exynos 1580 (4 nm) |
| 🧠 CPU | Octa-core (1×2.9 GHz & 3×2.6 GHz & 4×1.9 GHz) |
| 🎮 GPU | Xclipse 540 |
| 💾 Storage & RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB/12GB RAM (UFS 3.1) |
| 📸 Main Camera | Triple: 50MP (wide), 12MP (ultrawide), 5MP (macro) |
| 🎨 Camera Features | Best Face, LED flash, panorama, HDR |
| 🎥 Main Camera Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| 🤳 Selfie Camera | 12MP (wide) |
| 🎞 Selfie Camera Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 10-bit HDR |
| 🔊 Stereo Speakers | Yes |
| 🎧 3.5mm Jack | No |
| 📡 Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| 🔗 Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| 📍 Positioning | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS |
| 💳 NFC | Yes (market/region dependent) |
| 🔌 USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
| 🛠 Sensors | Fingerprint (under display), accelerometer, gyro, compass |
| 🔋 Battery | 5000 mAh |
| ⚡ Charging | 45W wired (65% in 30 min, 100% in 68 min) |
| 🎨 Colors | Pink, Olive, Graphite, Lightgray |
| 🔢 Models | SM-A566V, SM-A566B, SM-A566B/DS, SM-A566E, SM-A566E/DS, SM-A5660 |
| ⚠️ SAR | 1.32 W/kg (head), 0.61 W/kg (EU head), 1.05 W/kg (EU body) |
| 💰 Price | ₹41,999 |
Samsung Galaxy A56 Review: Price and Availability
Samsung hasn’t confirmed if the Galaxy A56 will launch in the U.S., and it may release the Galaxy A36 there instead. In the U.K., the A56 will be available from March 19 for £499 ($635)—a big jump from the Galaxy A55’s £440 price, despite only minor hardware upgrades.
This price increase is a problem because cheaper rivals offer more exciting features. The Nothing Phone 3a (£329) and Nothing Phone 3a Pro (£449) stand out with bold designs and unique features.
For a little more, the Apple iPhone 16e, OnePlus 13R, and soon-to-be-released Google Pixel 9a are strong alternatives. With this price hike, Samsung faces tougher competition in the mid-range market.
Samsung Galaxy A56 Review: Design
Samsung has made the Galaxy A56 more comfortable and stylish than its predecessor. It has a metal chassis, Gorilla Glass Victus+ on both sides, and IP67 water and dust resistance, all in a thin 7.4mm body that weighs 198 grams—lighter and slimmer than the Galaxy A55.
The phone’s cameras are arranged vertically, and the power and volume buttons sit on a raised Key Island. It comes in pink, olive, graphite, and light gray, all branded as “Awesome” colors. Unlike the A55, which had sharp edges, the A56 features a smooth, ergonomic curve where the glass meets the frame, making it more comfortable to hold despite having the same size.
Other details enhance the design: the brushed metal chassis gives a premium feel, and the camera module resembles the Galaxy S25’s while attracting less dust than the A55’s separate lenses. Though it’s not flashy, choosing a brighter color adds personality. Overall, the Galaxy A56 feels high-quality, durable, and comfortable for daily use.
Samsung Galaxy A56 Review: Cameras
The Galaxy A56’s camera setup includes a 50MP main camera, 12MP wide-angle, and 5MP macro. While it takes decent photos, it has some noticeable issues. Skies often look noisy, colors appear muted, and exposure isn’t always accurate. In tricky lighting, you might also notice visible image processing.
If you’re not expecting flagship-level performance, the A56 still delivers acceptable shots for everyday use. It’s great for social media, thanks to auto-highlight reel creation for videos and advanced editing tools from the Galaxy S series.
The AI editing features include Object Eraser and Style Generator, but due to the processor, Object Eraser isn’t as seamless as on the Galaxy S25 series. The Best Face feature can be fun, though.
If you zoom in or crop images, you might notice noise, blurring, and a lack of detail, similar to other budget phones like the Redmi 14 Pro Plus. Galaxy A56’s camera isn’t its strongest feature, but for casual photos and social media, it gets the job done.
Samsung Galaxy A56 Review: Battery and Charging
5,000mAh battery on the Galaxy A56 lasts up to two days with moderate use, as long as you don’t game for hours. Expect around five hours of screen time per charge. Watching a 30-minute YouTube video drains 4%, while 30 minutes of gaming uses 9%, showing good efficiency but with room for software improvements.
A major upgrade is 45W fast charging, the same as the Galaxy S25 Plus and S25 Ultra. However, there’s no charger in the box. Using a USB Power Delivery charger, it takes 30 minutes to reach 30% and about 70 minutes for a full charge. Wireless charging is not supported.
Samsung Galaxy A56 Review: Performance, Software and AI Features
The Samsung Galaxy A56 has an Exynos 1580 processor, while the Galaxy A36 uses Snapdragon 6 Gen 3. Despite Exynos’ reputation, the A56 runs smoothly for daily tasks like apps, calls, and social media.
It’s faster than the A55 and handles games without overheating. The stereo speakers are loud and well-placed, so your hands won’t block the sound.
The fingerprint sensor and face unlock work well but are a bit slow. The screen is brighter with thinner bezels than the A55 but reflects light and picks up smudges.
With One UI 7 on Android 15, the A56 is easy to use. It has a vertical app drawer for better navigation, but some settings may need adjusting.
It lacks advanced AI features like summarization and translation, but includes Google’s Circle to Search and Gemini.
Samsung offers six years of updates, ensuring long-term support.
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Pros and Cons of Samsung Galaxy A56
| Pros 🟢 | Cons 🔴 |
|---|---|
| 🪶 Slim and easy to carry | 📷 Camera quality could be better |
| 🔋 Lasts up to two days on a charge | 🕵️♂️ Fingerprint and face unlock are slow |
| 🖥️ User-friendly software | 💸 Higher price than the previous model |
| 📅 Gets updates for six years | 🔴 |
| ⚡ Supports 45W fast charging | 🔴 |
Is Galaxy A56 Worth Buying?
Galaxy A56 faces tough competition, just like the Galaxy S25 Ultra did. With a higher price, its weaknesses stand out more, making it harder to recommend.
It has a sleek design, great build quality, and smooth software, but its hardware isn’t a big upgrade from the Galaxy A55. Even 45W fast charging, while nice, is something many phones already offer.
That said, the A56 is reliable—calls are clear, connectivity is strong, and it takes decent photos. It’s not the most exciting phone, but if you want a solid, dependable device, it’s a good choice.
