While many enthusiasts anticipated the debut of the Galaxy S25 Edge ahead of the Mobile World Congress (MWC), Samsung's recent pre-show briefing unveiled something equally intriguing: the Galaxy A56. This exciting new smartphone will be available later this year, with a starting price of $499 in the US and £499 in the UK, making it a slightly more affordable option compared to the Pixel 8a at launch.
In addition to the Galaxy A56, Samsung also announced the Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A26. These new models will start at $399 and $299, respectively. This year, many upgrades in the A series mirror those found in the flagship Galaxy S25, enhancing the overall appeal of Samsung's midrange offerings.
The Galaxy A56 boasts a sleeker design, now measuring just 7.4mm in thickness compared to its predecessor's 8.2mm. The device features a slightly larger 6.7-inch display, with significantly reduced bezels, which have historically been a telling visual characteristic of the A series. The brushed metal frame adds a touch of elegance, while a new design twist includes a subtly protruding bump on the side that houses the volume and power buttons. During a brief hands-on experience, I found this asymmetrical design surprisingly comfortable for a 6.7-inch device, especially as I am used to handling smaller 6.3-inch phones.
When it comes to camera specifications, the Galaxy A56 presents a mixed offering. The front-facing camera features a lower resolution 12-megapixel selfie lens, while the rear boasts an upgraded dual-camera setup: a 12MP ultrawide lens alongside a 50MP main sensor with an f/1.8 lens and optical image stabilization. Additionally, there is a 5MP macro lens for close-up photography. The new camera system inherits several enhancements from the Galaxy S25, including improved image signal processing for better low-light performance and a suite of AI features aimed at enhancing portrait mode.
Samsung claims that the Galaxy A56 will exhibit improved recognition capabilities for various elements such as sky, skin tones, faces, hair, and grass, thereby enhancing bokeh effects in photographs. The device also includes AI-powered image editing tools like Object Eraser, auto-video trimming, and Create Filter, which allows users to apply the color and tone of one image to another. Additionally, the Best Face feature enables users to select the best facial expressions from multiple captures, provided motion photos are enabled. While these features are not entirely new to smartphones, their inclusion brings the midrange A56 closer to the premium experience of the Galaxy S25.
Running on One UI 7, the Galaxy A56 introduces several style enhancements and home screen improvements, including a revamped notification panel and scalable widgets in various shapes and sizes. Samsung promises an impressive six generations of OS updates and six years of security updates for the A56, a significant upgrade from the four OS updates offered for last year’s A55.
The device retains the 5,000mAh battery capacity of its predecessor but now supports faster 45W charging, allowing users to fully charge the phone in just over an hour. Additionally, Samsung has equipped the A56 with its own 4nm Exynos 1580 chip, delivering approximately an 18% increase in CPU performance. This upgrade further aligns the hardware quality of the A56 with that of higher-end Galaxy S devices.
The Galaxy A56 enters a competitive midrange market, positioning itself against the recently launched iPhone 16e and rumors of the upcoming Google Pixel 9a. Samsung's strategy with the A series aims to provide consumers with high-quality smartphones at more accessible price points.
Alongside the Galaxy A56, Samsung also introduced the Galaxy A36 5G and Galaxy A26 5G, both featuring 6.7-inch screens that can reach brightness levels of 1,200 nits and refresh rates of up to 120Hz. These models also come equipped with One UI 7 and include features such as Circle To Search, previously available on more expensive devices. Both models feature triple camera systems with a 50MP main sensor, although their ultrawide camera is slightly less capable at 8MP compared to the A56's offerings. Some software features, including Best Face, are exclusive to the A56, but the updated Object Eraser and filters are available on the more affordable models.
The Galaxy A56 will be available for preorder in the UK starting March 2nd, with a launch date set for March 19th. It will come in four vibrant colors: Graphite, Olive, Pink, and Light Grey. While the US pricing is confirmed, Samsung has yet to provide specific details regarding when the device will be available in the United States, only stating that it will launch later this year.
