Early Look: Galaxy A36 and A56 Hands-on Review
Explore the hands-on review of the Galaxy A36 and A56, featuring camera upgrades, performance boosts, and long-term software support.
Samsung recently updated its mid-range Galaxy A series, which is crucial for the company’s sales and profits, even though it’s less exciting than their flagship devices. I had the chance to check out the new Galaxy A36 and A56 models, with the A26 still to come.
Both the A36 and A56 now feature a 6.7-inch display with Full HD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and 1,900 nits of peak brightness. The A36 has a Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset, while the A56 comes with the Samsung Exynos 1580. Both phones have a 50 MP main camera, a 12 MP front camera, and a 5,000 mAh battery with 45W fast charging. The A56 has a more premium aluminum frame, while the A36 has a plastic frame.
The software support is impressive, with both phones promising six major OS updates, which is more than even some flagships. This makes the Galaxy A series a great option for those who don’t need high-end devices but still want a solid, reliable phone with long-term software support.
Samsung Galaxy A36 and A56 – Full Comparison
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A36 🟠 | Samsung Galaxy A56 🔵 |
|---|---|---|
| 📱 Display | 6.7″ Super AMOLED, 120Hz | 6.7″ Super AMOLED, HDR10+, 120Hz |
| 🎨 Resolution | 1080×2340 pixels (Full HD+) | 1080×2340 pixels (Full HD+) |
| ☀️ Brightness | 1,200 nits (HBM), 1,900 nits (peak) | 1,200 nits (HBM), 1,900 nits (peak) |
| ⚡ Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 (4nm) | Samsung Exynos 1580 (4nm) |
| 🔄 CPU | Octa-core (4×2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1×2.9 GHz & 3×2.6 GHz & 4×1.9 GHz) |
| 🎮 GPU | Adreno 710 | Xclipse 540 |
| 🔋 Battery | 5,000mAh | 5,000mAh |
| ⚡ Charging Speed | 45W fast charging (66% in 30 min, 100% in 68 min) | 45W fast charging (65% in 30 min, 100% in 68 min) |
| 📷 Rear Camera | 📸 50MP (OIS, f/1.8) + 🌄 8MP (ultra-wide, f/2.2) + 🔍 5MP (macro, f/2.4) | 📸 50MP (OIS, f/1.8) + 🌄 12MP (ultra-wide, f/2.2) + 🔍 5MP (macro, f/2.4) |
| 🤳 Front Camera | 12MP (f/2.2, 4K video) | 12MP (f/2.2, 4K video) |
| 🎥 Video Recording (Rear) | 🎬 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps (gyro-EIS) | 🎬 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps (gyro-EIS) |
| 🎥 Video Recording (Front) | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps |
| 🏗️ Build Material | 🛡️ Gorilla Glass Victus+ (front & back), plastic frame | 🛡️ Gorilla Glass Victus+ (front & back), aluminum frame |
| 🌊 Water & Dust Resistance | 💧 IP67 (up to 1m for 30 min) | 💧 IP67 (up to 1m for 30 min) |
| 📦 Storage Options | 📁 128GB / 256GB (UFS 2.2) | 📁 128GB / 256GB (UFS 3.1) |
| 🏃 RAM Options | 🧠 6GB / 8GB / 12GB | 🧠 8GB / 12GB |
| 📡 Network | 5G, eSIM support | 5G, eSIM support |
| 📶 Wi-Fi & Bluetooth | 📡 Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4 | 📡 Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 |
| 🔑 Fingerprint Sensor | 🛑 Under-display (optical) | 🛑 Under-display (optical) |
| 🔊 Speakers | 🎶 Stereo speakers | 🎶 Stereo speakers |
| 🛠️ Operating System | 📱 Android 15, One UI 7 | 📱 Android 15, One UI 7 |
| 🆙 Software Support | 🔄 6 major Android updates | 🔄 6 major Android updates |
| 🛠️ Extra Features | 🧐 Virtual Proximity Sensing, 🔍 Circle to Search | 🧐 Virtual Proximity Sensing, 🔍 Circle to Search |
Samsung Galaxy A36
The Samsung Galaxy A36 follows the success of the A35, offering solid features at a great price. Our first impression is that it keeps the good things from its predecessor while adding a few upgrades.
Design and Build
The overall design hasn’t changed much, but the back now has a single vertical camera island instead of separate lenses. Compared to the A56, the A36 has a flatter glass surface over its cameras and a slightly smaller camera bump.
The phone comes in four colors: Lavender, Black, White, and Lime. Except for Black, the other colors have a shiny, reflective effect. The back panel is now covered with Gorilla Glass Victus+ for better durability, while the frame remains polycarbonate. It also has an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance.
Display and Experience
The A36 has a 6.7-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The screen is bright, colorful, and responsive. Samsung claims it can reach up to 1,900 nits of peak brightness.
The bezels are thinner than last year’s model, making the phone look more modern. The fingerprint sensor is under the display and works quickly and reliably.
Hardware and Features
The microSD card slot is gone, so there’s no expandable storage. The phone still has stereo speakers, NFC (in some markets), and Bluetooth 5.4 with LE support. It also supports dual-band Wi-Fi 6.
One big surprise is the 45W fast charging, which was previously only available on Samsung’s premium phones. It’s unclear how much faster it is compared to 25W charging, but it’s a nice upgrade.
Samsung Galaxy A56
The Samsung Galaxy A56 is part of the latest A-series lineup, sharing the same 6.7-inch display size as the A26 and A36. It remains the top mid-range option before stepping into Samsung’s flagship lineup.
Design and Build
The A56 keeps a familiar design with minor changes. The rear cameras are now housed in a single rounded camera island instead of separate lenses. While it looks almost identical to the A36, the camera glass design is slightly different, and the A56’s camera bump protrudes more, making it wobblier on flat surfaces.
The A56 comes in Pink, Olive, Graphite, and Light Gray, with a more solid color finish compared to the iridescent look of the A36. The back panel is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus+, and the frame is made of aluminum with a brushed finish, adding a premium feel. It retains the IP67 water and dust resistance rating.
Display and Features
Like the A36, the A56 features a 6.7-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The screen is bright, colorful, and sharp, with Samsung claiming peak brightness of up to 1,900 nits.
Samsung has slimmed down the bezels, giving the phone a modern look. The fingerprint sensor is hidden under the display and works quickly and reliably. The buttons are well-placed and provide good tactile feedback.
Hardware and Performance
The microSD slot is gone, just like on the A36. The stereo speakers remain, and NFC is available in some regions. One small difference is that the A36 has Bluetooth 5.4, while the Exynos-powered A56 is limited to Bluetooth 5.3. Both models still use dual-band Wi-Fi 6.
A surprising upgrade is the 45W fast charging, a feature usually reserved for premium Samsung models. Even the Galaxy S25 is still limited to 25W, making this an interesting choice for the A-series.
Software and performance
The Galaxy A-series, including the A36 and A56, launches with Android 15 and One UI 7.0. The new UI has a modern, simplified look, with an emphasis on AI and personalization. Features like Circle to Search, Now Briefing, Object Eraser for image editing, and Auto Trim for video highlights are present. These features are mostly carried over from the flagship Galaxy S25 models, except for Samsung DeX.
Samsung sets a new standard for mid-range phones with six OS updates and six years of security patches for the A36 and A56.
The Galaxy A36 features the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chip with a 15% larger vapor chamber for better thermal stability. It comes with 6/128GB or 8/128GB of storage, with no microSD slot. The A56 is powered by the new Exynos 1580 chip, offering a 37% performance boost over the A55. It also has a larger vapor chamber for improved thermal management. Both phones use UFS 2.2 and UFS 3.1 storage, respectively.
Early benchmark results show that the A56 performs well with the Exynos 1580, scoring 3899 on GeekBench. The A36, with Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, scores 2917. In AnTuTu, the A56 scored 908,689, while the A36 scored 613,492. Overall, the A56 outperforms the A36 in all tests.
Camera hardware and camera samples
The Galaxy A36 has two camera upgrades this year. The selfie camera now has a larger 12MP sensor. Also, video HDR (10-bit up to 4K @ 30fps) is now supported on both the front and rear cameras.
The Galaxy A56 has a few extra features. It has a larger sensor with 1.0µm pixels, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, and a Low Noise mode for selfies.
Here are some early camera samples from the Galaxy A36. Keep in mind that the software is still in testing.
The Galaxy A36 can record 4K video, but only with its main camera. You can check out some video samples.
The Galaxy A56 has similar upgrades. The old 32MP selfie camera has been replaced with a 12MP one. Video HDR (10-bit up to 4K @ 30fps) is available on both front and back cameras.
The back cameras remain the same. It has a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, and a 5MP macro lens. However, Samsung has improved the image processing with AI.
The Galaxy A56 now has better image enhancement, improved night photos, and a Low Noise mode for videos. Continuous shooting is faster, and switching between the main and ultra-wide cameras takes less than 430 milliseconds.
Here are some early sample photos from the Galaxy A56. The software is still being tested.
Unlike the Galaxy A36, the Galaxy A56 can record 4K videos with all its cameras. You can check out the video samples.
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Early Verdict
The Galaxy A36 and A56 are expected to be popular. Samsung hasn’t made big changes, but the removal of the microSD card slot might disappoint some users.
The new design looks good. The updated chipsets and cooling system improve performance. Thermal management is better, and the 45W fast charging is a nice upgrade. Camera quality has improved slightly, but it’s too early to tell how much.
One major upgrade is Samsung’s promise of six OS updates and six years of security patches. This is rare for midrange phones. They also launch with Android 15 and One UI 7.
Galaxy A36 and A56 seem like good choices, especially for users who keep their phones for years.
