Samsung Galaxy A56 review: Capable mid-ranger with some rough edges

The Samsung Galaxy A56 is a capable mid-tier device that ticks several boxes for users. While flagships grab all the attention, modern mid-range phones offer plenty of power for day-to-day tasks. Here are my impressions of this mid-range device – kudos, caveats and all.

PREMIUM LOOKS, GOOD DISPLAY

The Samsung Galaxy A56 looks and feels like a premium product with its metal case, brushed aluminium finish and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ front and back. The 6.7-inch display is slightly larger and has thinner bezels than last year’s A55. Its peak brightness of 1,200 nits makes viewing content easy, even in bright sunlight.

The FHD+ (1,080 x 2,340) Super Amoled display is sharp and offers deep blacks and vibrant colours. Its 120Hz refresh rate (adjustable to 60Hz to save battery) offers smooth scrolling. This is a great screen for watching video content, viewing photos and reading text.

CAMERAS

The A56 includes a four-lens camera array that’s a mixed bag. It has 50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide and 5MP macro lenses. It also has a 12MP selfie camera.

The main and ultra-wide cameras capture sharp, detailed photos under good lighting. This softens slightly as the light decreases. Both lenses are prone to clipping (when highlights are blown out and appear white) under extremely bright sunlight. Portrait mode produces sharp, unnatural bokeh (background blur) transitions.

The macro lens is poor and works only in a narrow window. Get the distance to your object and lighting right and you can capture decent images. Otherwise, macro images are grainy and noisy.

The selfie camera captures detailed, vibrant photos. It is also subject to clipping against bright backgrounds, though.

PERFORMANCE

The A56 is equipped with 12GB RAM, 256GB storage and a mid-range Exynos 1580 chipset. It performs everyday tasks – scrolling socials and videos, editing images, chats and browsing – smoothly. It responds snappily to light multitasking. However, it struggles with demanding games like Real Racing 3 and Call of Duty, especially at high graphics settings.

BATTERY LIFE

The 5,000 mAh battery offers plenty of juice for daily use. In my case this included four to five hours of surfing, listening to music and watching videos. I never worried about battery life and typically ended the day with about a 30 per cent charge.

It supports 45W wired charging with a compatible PD charger. From an empty battery, it charged to 50 per cent in about 28 minutes and was fully charged in about 1 hour and 18 minutes.  

AI AND SOFTWARE

While it lacks the full Galaxy AI suite, it includes useful tools like Circle to Search, Object Erase and Best Face. Samsung promises six generations of OS upgrades and six years of security updates. This is a plus for anyone planning to keep the phone that long or resell it after a few years.

HOW IT STACKS UP

The Samsung Galaxy A56 offers a premium look and a great 6.7-inch display. Good battery life rounds out the package but there are some caveats. The camera array is a mixed bag with a decent main camera but poor macro lens. The mid-range processor lacks the power for more demanding games. It lacks the entire Galaxy AI suite but has commonly used AI tools that should keep non-power users happy.

Pros: Great screen, premium-looking finish, good battery life

Cons: Mixed camera array, processor can’t handle demanding games

Get it if: You want a stylish mid-range phone with a great screen and good battery life

OTHER MID-RANGE OPTIONS

The mid-range smartphone segment is extremely competitive with several capable choices. Here are some other picks for your shortlist, sorted by retail price:

Nothing Phone (3a) (S$549): 12GB RAM, 256GB storage, 50W wired charging, 5,000mAh battery, IP64, Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor

Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro+ (S$569; Usual Price: S$619): 12GB RAM, 512GB storage, 120W wired charging, 5,110mAh battery, IP 68, Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor 

Honor 400 (S$599): 12GB RAM, 256GB storage, 80W wired charging, 6,000mAh battery, IP66, Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor

Google Pixel 8a (S$599): 8GB RAM, 128GB storage, 18W wired/ 7.5W wireless charging, 4,492mAh battery, IP67, Google Tensor G3 processor

Oppo Reno13 (S$699; Usual Price: S$799): 12GB RAM, 256GB storage, 80W wired charging, 5,600 mAh battery, IP69, MediaTek Dimensity 8350 processor

Google Pixel 9a Smartphone (S$799): 8GB RAM, 128GB storage, 23W wired/ 7.5W wireless charging, 5,100mAh battery, IP68, Google Tensor G4 processor

Huawei nova 13 (S$521.64; Usual Price: S$598: 12GB RAM, 256GB storage, 100W wired charging, 5,000 mAh battery, IP: NA, Kirin 8,000 processor  

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Prices are accurate as of the time of publication.