Samsung expands its popular A Series with the addition of the Galaxy A56 5G, a midrange contender that promises upgrades in charging speed, innovative AI features, and extended software support.
Offered in eye-catching Awesome Pink, sleek Awesome Graphite, and subtle Awesome Lightgray, the phone is priced at P23,990 for the 128GB model and P25,990 for the 256GB configuration.
We tested the Galaxy A56 5G in daily use to see if its improvements live up to the hype. Read on for our experience with this midranger:
Design & construction
This new Galaxy A Series phone features a flat aluminum frame with rounded corners. The pink finish of our review unit offers a stylish yet clean look. Notably, the sharp metal edges improve grip, a practical advantage over the often slippery nature of curved displays.
The volume rocker and power button all sit on the right side of the device. At the bottom is the USB-C port, flanked by the dual SIM card slot and a loudspeaker. Note that there’s no microSD card slot on this phone, so you will need to look for alternatives if you need additional storage space.
The back of the phone offers a clean aesthetic with its smooth glass surface, broken only by a vertically oriented, protruding camera island. This integrated module is a visual update from the Galaxy A55 5G’s separate camera rings. The flash unit is situated beside the rear camera setup, and a minimalist Samsung logo is placed at the bottom half.
Adding to the phone’s appeal are its IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, along with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection on both the front and back. For enhanced peace of mind, we still advise using a durable case and screen protector.
Display & multimedia
The Samsung Galaxy A56 5G has an expansive 6.7-inch screen, framed by slim bezels and a discreet, centered punch-hole for the selfie camera. The Super AMOLED display delivers rich visuals with its Full HD+ resolution, fluid 120Hz refresh rate, and a 1200nits peak brightness.
Media content comes to life on the Galaxy A56 5G, thanks to the rich and vivid colors produced by its AMOLED display. The generous screen provides ample viewing space, making activities like scrolling through social media, streaming videos, and playing games a more comfortable and immersive experience.
The stereo speakers produce decent clear sounds—loud enough for when you’re indoors or in quiet spaces, but not so much when outside or in busy environments.
Camera
Like most Samsung phones, its cameras are one of the Galaxy A56 5G’s strong suits. This midrange device offers a triple rear camera system composed of a 50MP primary sensor with OIS, a 12MP ultrawide sensor, and a 5MP macro sensor. In front is a 12MP snapper.
Both front and rear cameras provide good to great results. Under good lighting conditions, you get vibrant and detailed photos. There are times when the images come out too saturated, which is a result of the camera software’s post-processing. In low light or during nighttime, shots still come out with decent quality. However, the cameras take a little bit longer to process and will require you to hold still for a few seconds to avoid blurry images.
For videos, the Samsung Galaxy A56 5G is capable of shooting up to 4K at 30fps—not just with the rear camera but also with the selfie shooter.
Performance
Performance on the Samsung Galaxy A56 5G is handled by the new Samsung Exynos 1580 chipset, along with the Samsung Xclipse 540 GPU. Out of the box, you get 128GB of internal storage and 8GB of RAM. For users with greater storage needs, a 256GB version is available. Furthermore, the RAM can be expanded virtually to 16GB using the RAM Plus feature.
The phone runs on ONE UI 7 based on Android 15, which looks polished and has less bloatware than we expected from a Samsung phone. It comes with AI-powered features such as Circle to Search, Best Face, and Object Eraser. Moreover, the A Series phones are promised to get six years of security patches and up to six major OS updates.
This device handles everyday smartphone tasks, light gaming, and streaming without issue. While demanding games may experience lag, casual gamers can enjoy smooth gameplay with less intensive titles or by lowering graphics settings on more intensive ones.
Equipped with a 5000mAh battery, this phone delivers over a day of mixed usage, easily handling activities such as watching videos, browsing social media, gaming, and basic tasks with Wi-Fi or data on. The 45W wired fast charging gets you back to full power quickly—but not as quickly as those offered by other phones in this price range..
The Samsung Galaxy A56 covers a wide range of connectivity options with support for Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, NFC, and, of course, 5G. For security, this phone offers face recognition and an in-display fingerprint sensor. Both provided accurate and responsive experiences during our review period.
Speed says
As an everyday smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy A56 5G presents a compelling package. Its durable construction and premium design are immediately appealing, complemented by impressive cameras, a bright and expansive display, a clean and intuitive UI, and dependable battery performance. Just be aware that it doesn’t offer microSD support, and gaming enthusiasts might find its performance somewhat limited.
