Samsung Galaxy A56 review: The dependable, just not very desirable phone to buy

The Samsung Galaxy A56 has a great deal riding on it. It needs to be really good if it’s going to satisfy those who don’t want to spend more on the Galaxy S25, and to drag people away from the many very desirable alternatives available at the moment. It needs to show Samsung learned from its design mistakes with the Galaxy A55, and can make a brilliant affordable phone for everyone. I’ve been using it as my main phone, and while Samsung has made some crucial advances, it still has plenty to do.

Samsung Galaxy A56: design

Samsung has given the Galaxy A56 a really solid base to build on, with the phone having a metal chassis, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ on the front and the back, plus an IP67 dust and water resistance rating, all wrapped up inside a sensibly sized, 7.4mm thick body that weighs 198 grams. It’s considerable thinner and lighter than the Galaxy A55.

The cameras are arranged inside a vertical module, the power and volume keys are set in a raised “Key Island” section on the side of the phone, and it comes in a selection of good colors — pink, olive, graphite, and Lightgrey — all with the word “Awesome” in front of them. I didn’t think the Galaxy A55’s design was all that awesome because it was so sharp where the screen and chassis met, and it was uncomfortable to hold.

Samsung must have known, because the Galaxy A56 is a huge improvement. There’s no sharpness, and the glass and chassis meet with a tiny, but ergonomically essential curve. The difference this makes, along with the reduction in thickness, is so great that when you hold the Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A56 together, the Galaxy A56 feels less wide and more manageable, despite the two being the same size. Ergonomics really matter, and the Galaxy A56 proves it.

There are some nice details too. I like the metal chassis’ brushed finish and the way the new camera module matches the Galaxy S25’s look, plus how it picks up less dust than the Galaxy A55’s separate lenses. There is just enough flair to make the Galaxy A56 distinctive, at least compared to the Galaxy A55, and while I wouldn’t call it exciting to look at, getting it in one of the brighter colors gives it character. I’ve liked using the light, pleasing to hold Galaxy A56, which feels high quality and durable enough to use every day, for a very long time.

Samsung Galaxy A56: camera

The 50-megapixel main camera, 12MP wide-angle, and 5MP macro camera on the Galaxy A56 are familiar tools, and the photos produced are fine, but unfortunately there are some nit-picky problems that lead to the camera being a disappointment. Skies are frequently noisy, colors are surprisingly muted for a Samsung camera, exposure and dynamic range never quite get the scene right, and there’s some obvious image processing visible in challenging light.

Provided you’re not expecting Galaxy S25 Ultra-rivaling performance, and don’t look at the Galaxy A56’s photos too critically, it’ll take acceptable photos of your adventures. It’s well suited to social media, right down to clever features like the auto-highlight-reel generation for video, and the excellent photo editing tools pulled from the Galaxy S series.

There are a few AI editing tools, including Samsung’s Object Eraser and its Style generator. Object Eraser is held back by the processor, and isn’t as effective at making seamless changes as it is on the Galaxy S25 series, and you’ll see more blurring in use. It does the job though, and I’m sure some will have fun with the Style generator and the Best Face feature.

I don’t like to crop an image down and see noise, edge enhancement, blur, and a general lack of detail. But sadly, it happens all too often with the Galaxy A56’s main camera. It’s not alone though, and other phones like the Redmi 14 Pro Plus, suffer from the same problems. The camera isn’t a Galaxy A56 high point, but used generally for social posts and fun photos when you’re out with friends, the technical drawbacks probably won’t worry you.

Samsung Galaxy A56: performance and software

Samsung’s choice of processor will likely be controversial. It’s the company’s own Exynos 1580 chip, while the Galaxy A36 uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3. Exynos doesn’t have the best reputation, so is it deserved here? I’ve used the phone for apps, calls, social media, and photography and haven’t been bothered by any hesitation or stuttering.

Playing games like Asphalt Legends: Unite doesn’t cause the phone to get too hot, and the stereo speakers are loud and sound really good. They’re positioned so your hands don’t cover them up when holding the phone in landscape orientation too. Benchmark figures show the phone won’t struggle with more graphically intensive games either. The fingerprint sensor and face unlock are a little slow to respond, but at least both are accurate. The screen has smaller, but still noticeable, bezels compared to the Galaxy A55, plus the peak brightness has been increased. The screen has been problem-free, but it’s quite reflective and does get a little more smudgy than Galaxy S series phones.

The Galaxy A56 has Samsung’s excellent One UI 7 software over Android 15, and it’s one of the phone’s high points. It’s logical and pleasantly designed, so it never feels arduous or confusing to use, something made possible by small, sensible changes such as being able to order the app drawer vertically rather than over separate pages. You still have to take time setting it up though, and there are some odd things to look out for, such as the always-on screen defaulting to tiny notification icons in the top corner, rather than more informative cards like other Galaxy phones.

There’s less emphasis on Galaxy AI on the A56 compared to the S series, with none of the summary, note taking, or translation tools available. Now Brief is an S Series exclusive, but the Now Bar appears on the A56’s lock screen, however it’s underutilized compared to Apple’s Dynamic Island. Google’s Circle to Search is available, along with Google Gemini. Samsung clearly wants to keep the full Galaxy AI suite for its top phones, but you get the interesting AI-powered Essential Space when you buy a Nothing Phone 3a or Nothing Phone 3a Pro, indicating mid-range phones don’t need to miss out completely. Samsung will support the Galaxy A56 for six years for both major software and security updates, which is far longer than most people will consider keeping it for.

Samsung Galaxy A56: battery and charging

The 5,000mAh battery does a good job of making the Galaxy A56 a phone with a two-day life between charges, provided you aren’t playing games for hours, and don’t expect much more than five hours screen time. A 30-minute YouTube video takes about 4% from the battery, and a 30-minute gaming session takes 9%. This reflects decent efficiency, but also that it would benefit from some refinement in future software updates.

A big update is the introduction of 45W fast charging to the Galaxy A series, meaning it matches the charging speed of the Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S25 Ultra. You don’t get a charger in the box, but using a USB Power Delivery-compatible Anker charger it took 30 minutes to reach only 30%, and fully charged after about 70 minutes.  The Galaxy A56 does not have wireless charging.

Samsung Galaxy A56: price and availability

At the time of writing Samsung has not announced the Galaxy A56 for the U.S. yet, and it’s not certain it will based on the firm’s strategy with the Galaxy A55. Samsung may release the Galaxy A36 in the U.S. instead. The Galaxy A56 will be available to buy in the U.K. from March 19 and costs 499 British pounds, which is around $635. This is a considerable increase over the Galaxy A55’s 440 pound cost, and it’s hard to see exactly where it has come from because the hardware updates aren’t revolutionary.

It’s a serious problem for Samsung because two of the Galaxy A56’s biggest rivals cost less to buy, and are considerably more interesting. The Nothing Phone 3a is 329 pounds and the Nothing Phone 3a Pro is 449 pounds. The 3a Pro is everything the Galaxy A56 is not — bold, exciting, and individual. If you feel your personality reflects those traits, or you’d like to project them, it’s the better option.

Pay a little more and the Apple iPhone 16e and the OnePlus 13R should be considered, plus we’re expecting the excellent Google Pixel 8a to be replaced by the Google Pixel 9a soon too, and it’s likely to have a similar price to the Galaxy A56. By increasing the price, Samsung has put itself into a whole new bracket, and struggles to keep up.

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy A56?

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra suffered this year due to the impressive range of alternatives, from the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max to the OnePlus 13 and the Google Pixel 9 Pro. The Galaxy A56 faces the same challenge, and Samsung hasn’t helped it win hearts by increasing the price. What happens is the downsides become more of an issue, and the phone becomes more difficult to recommend.

The design and style is mature, the build quality is excellent, and the software is agile and responsive. Unfortunately what’s inside the phone isn’t much of a step forward over the Galaxy A55, and it’s hard to applaud things like an upgrade to 45W charging when such speeds should be considered standard on most phones today.

However, while the Galaxy A56 isn’t a dream phone, or one that eclipses the competition, it has been a reliable partner over the last 10 days or so. Everything works, calls sound great, connectivity is solid, and I’ve taken some photos with it that do make me smile. It’s a trustworthy, but not a lust-worthy smartphone, and if you’re happy with that, it’s a solid purchase.