Samsung Galaxy A56 5G vs Vivo V50 5G: Which Mid-Range Champion Should You Choose?

In the world of mid-range smartphones, two names have been making waves: the Samsung Galaxy A56 5G and the Vivo V50 5G. Both phones start at under 27,000 pesos and deliver an impressive mix of design, hardware, cameras, battery life, and software support. But which one truly deserves your money? We break it all down for you in this ultimate comparison.

Design: Sleek vs Tough

The Samsung Galaxy A56 5G offers a classic, flat-sided design with sharp edges and a modern minimalist vibe. It comes with an aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass Victus Plus on both the front and back, offering durability with IP67-rated water and dust resistance. This means it can survive being submerged in water up to one meter deep for 30 minutes — a great peace-of-mind feature.

In contrast, the Vivo V50 5G brings a sleeker, curvier design with a satin-like finish and a curved display. It’s lighter, more ergonomic, and more comfortable to hold for long periods. Notably, it boasts IP69 water and dust resistance, meaning it can withstand high-pressure, high-temperature water jets — something rarely seen in this price range. With additional diamond anti-drop film and a 10-facet internal cushioning structure, Vivo’s build quality clearly aims for toughness and elegance.

Winner: Vivo V50 5G — for its superior durability, higher IP rating, and ergonomic design.

Display: Flat vs Curved Immersion

The Galaxy A56 5G features a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display, Full HD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and up to 1,200 nits brightness. Its color accuracy, especially under the natural display profile, is excellent.

The Vivo V50 5G goes a step further with a 6.77-inch curved AMOLED display with the same Full HD+ resolution and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. Thanks to its curved screen, it offers a more immersive experience, especially when watching videos or gaming. While the A56 has improved bezel thickness over its predecessor, it still lags behind the V50 in visual appeal.

Winner: Vivo V50 5G — the curved display offers a more premium, immersive feel.

Performance: Exynos vs Snapdragon

Under the hood, the Galaxy A56 5G is powered by a Samsung Exynos 1480 chipset, paired with 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. It delivers snappy everyday performance and holds up well for casual gaming and multitasking.

The Vivo V50 5G uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chip with 8GB or 12GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB UFS 2.2 storage. While the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 handles GPU-heavy tasks slightly better, the A56 outperforms it in benchmarks like AnTuTu and PCMark, thanks to its faster storage and CPU performance.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy A56 5G — for better raw performance and storage speeds.

Cameras: Zeiss-Tuned vs Natural Processing

The Vivo V50 5G packs a Zeiss-tuned dual camera setup: 50MP main, 8MP ultra-wide, and a 50MP selfie camera. Its images are sharp, contrasty, and vibrant, with excellent shadow detail.

Samsung’s Galaxy A56 5G offers a 50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 5MP macro, and a 12MP front camera. Samsung’s natural color processing leans cooler, while Vivo offers warmer tones with a slight magenta tint. Both deliver impressive results, so your choice will depend on your color preference.

Winner: Tie — both deliver outstanding images for their price, with different color profiles.

Battery: Endurance vs Speed

Vivo leads here with a 6,000mAh silicon-carbon battery and 90W flash charging — giving it up to two days of use on a single charge. Samsung’s A56 5G has a 5,000mAh battery with 45W wired charging, which still offers all-day performance.

In battery benchmarks, the A56 lasted around 15 hours, while the V50 clocked an impressive 21 hours. Vivo’s faster charging and longer life make it a clear winner.

Winner: Vivo V50 5G — longer battery life and blazing-fast charging.

Software and Updates: Longevity Matters

The Galaxy A56 5G runs on One UI 7 (Android 15), offering a polished experience, though lacking flagship features like Samsung DeX. More importantly, Samsung promises 6 years of major OS updates and security patches, which is unmatched in this segment.

The Vivo V50 5G runs Funtouch OS 15 (Android 15) and promises 3 major OS updates and 4 years of security patches — still decent, but behind Samsung.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy A56 5G — unmatched software longevity.

Price and Value

In the Philippines, the Galaxy A56 5G starts at ₱23,990 (128GB) and ₱25,990 (256GB), making it the more affordable option. The Vivo V50 5G starts at ₱26,999 for 8GB + 256GB, ₱27,999 for 12GB + 256GB, and ₱30,999 for 12GB + 512GB.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy A56 5G — better value for budget-conscious buyers.

Final Verdict: Which Should You Buy?

✔ Choose the Samsung Galaxy A56 5G if you want:

• Stronger overall performance

• Longer software support

• Excellent cameras for the price

• More affordable pricing

✔ Choose the Vivo V50 5G if you want:

• Sleeker, more premium design

• Higher durability and IP rating

• Better battery life and charging

• Immersive curved display

Both phones are fantastic mid-range choices — it ultimately depends on your priorities.