Samsung’s Galaxy A series has long been the go-to choice for those wanting high-quality mid-range smartphones. With each iteration, the company refines its formula, bringing in upgraded specifications and subtle design changes. In 2025, Samsung introduced its latest mid-range contender, the Galaxy A56, to follow up last year’s Galaxy A55. While the differences between these two phones may not seem revolutionary on paper, a deeper look reveals nuanced enhancements that might justify the upgrade — or not.
For those living in the United States, the A56 marks a more accessible option because the A55 was never officially released there. That alone could make the decision simple for many buyers. However, for international users who have both devices available in their markets, the question becomes more complex: is the A56 truly worth the extra money, or is the A55 still a smart choice in 2025?
When first inspecting both models, the design philosophy is familiar. The phones share similar aesthetic lines with Samsung’s established mid-range visual language. However, the Galaxy A56 features a more refined, slightly thinner build. It’s also lighter in hand, offering a more comfortable grip for daily use. A significant materials upgrade is the addition of Gorilla Glass Victus Plus on the back of the A56, providing greater durability compared to the standard glass found on the A55. This upgrade may seem minor, but for users concerned with long-term wear and tear or accidental drops, it’s a practical enhancement.
Both devices are built with aluminum frames, which not only provide a premium feel but also improve structural rigidity. As for water and dust resistance, there is no divergence — both smartphones maintain an IP67 rating, ensuring they can withstand occasional splashes or brief submersion.
Turning the attention to display technology, Samsung continues to impress in the mid-range arena. The Galaxy A56 comes with a 6.7-inch OLED panel, slightly larger than the 6.6-inch screen on the A55. Despite the minor increase in size, both displays deliver a 1080p resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate, ensuring buttery smooth navigation and media consumption. The visual quality between the two is practically identical, with vibrant colors, deep contrast, and strong viewing angles. However, the newer A56 edges out its predecessor in peak brightness, reaching over 1200 nits, compared to around 1000 nits on the A55. This difference translates to better visibility in harsh sunlight, which could be crucial for outdoor users.
Audio experiences also see subtle changes. Both models are equipped with stereo speakers, a must-have for immersive media playback. The A55 offers slightly louder output, but the A56 counters with warmer, deeper tones and more prominent bass, resulting in a fuller audio profile. Whether this matters depends on personal preference, but audiophiles may appreciate the improvement in tonal richness.
Security is handled by an optical under-display fingerprint scanner on both models. These sensors are equally responsive and reliable, offering quick access to the home screen without fuss. Storage configurations remain largely the same as well, with options for 128GB or 256GB. However, the A55 stands out by supporting microSD expansion, a feature missing on the A56. For users who rely on local storage for media, apps, or documents, this absence could be a deciding factor.
In terms of software, the Galaxy A56 ships with Android 15 and One UI 7, Samsung’s latest interface. The A55, although launched with Android 14 and One UI 6, is expected to receive the same upgrade, ensuring feature parity. What differentiates the newer model is longer software support, with six years of security patches and major Android upgrades, compared to five years on the A55. This longevity could play a key role for those planning to hold onto their phones for several years.
Performance is another area where the A56 clearly establishes itself as the superior device. It runs on Samsung’s latest in-house processor, the Exynos 1580, whereas the A55 is powered by the Exynos 1480. On paper, these chips may appear similar, but real-world benchmarks and usage tell a different story. The A56 performs better in synthetic benchmarks, with higher scores reflecting snappier app launches, smoother multitasking, and improved responsiveness. For gaming, the new chipset offers better frame stability and efficiency, giving the A56 a noticeable edge in demanding scenarios.
Despite the performance boost, both phones exhibit excellent thermal management. Even under extended stress tests, neither device suffers from significant throttling or overheating. This is a testament to Samsung’s engineering, ensuring the devices remain cool during long gaming sessions or intense app usage.
However, when it comes to battery endurance, the A55 surprisingly comes out on top. Both phones are equipped with 5,000 mAh batteries, but the A55 scored 13 hours and 27 minutes in active use, outperforming the A56’s 12 hours and 8 minutes. While the difference might not seem drastic, it could mean the difference between a phone lasting through a long day or requiring a top-up before evening.
Charging technology sees a notable update in the A56. It supports 45-watt fast charging, up from 25 watts on the A55. In practical terms, this translates to quicker top-ups: the A56 reaches around 65% in 30 minutes, whereas the A55 hits 55% in the same span. Interestingly though, the full charge time is slightly longer on the A56, likely due to battery management or charging protocols. While the faster initial top-up is helpful, especially for users on the go, the difference might not justify an upgrade by itself.
On the camera front, Samsung has retained a familiar setup for both models. The rear camera array consists of a main sensor, an ultra-wide lens, and a macro camera. In well-lit conditions, the output from the main cameras is nearly indistinguishable. Both phones deliver sharp, detailed photos with accurate colors. When digitally zooming to 2x, the A56 shows slightly cleaner and sharper results, although the difference is marginal.
Night photography offers a more complex picture. The A55 often produces more balanced exposures, with realistic shadows and highlights, while the A56 tends to brighten shadows, sometimes resulting in less natural-looking images. Depending on user preference, this could be viewed as either a positive or a drawback.
The ultra-wide lenses behave similarly across both devices, with good color consistency and distortion control during the day. At night, neither sensor impresses, delivering soft and noisy results. Ultra-wide nighttime photography remains a weak spot across most mid-range phones, and Samsung’s offerings here are no exception.
Where the A56 shows a distinct change is in the selfie department. It uses a new 12-megapixel front camera, replacing the 32-megapixel sensor found in the A55. Despite the lower megapixel count, the newer sensor produces sharper and more detailed images, likely due to improvements in sensor quality and image processing. Selfies look more refined and balanced in different lighting scenarios.
Video capabilities are strong on both models. The main rear cameras record 4K footage with good sharpness, vibrant colors, and dynamic range. Even the ultra-wide lens performs well in video mode, outperforming many similarly priced competitors. At night, the A56 produces slightly better video quality, thanks to improved sharpness and detail retention.
When you compile all of these details, a clear pattern emerges. The Galaxy A56 is a more refined, technically advanced smartphone, featuring meaningful upgrades in build quality, performance, display brightness, speaker tuning, and software longevity. However, it does so without completely redefining the experience from the A55.
The A55 continues to be a strong contender in 2025, especially when you consider its lower price point in many regions. It offers slightly better battery life, expandable storage, and nearly identical camera performance. For budget-conscious users or those who value microSD support and longer endurance, the A55 remains a smart buy.
On the flip side, buyers who prioritize long-term software support, improved gaming performance, and a brighter screen may find the A56 more appealing. Yet for many, the incremental enhancements might not justify the added cost unless the device is found at a discount.
In conclusion, the A56 is a solid update, but not a must-have replacement. It brings more polish and power, but the Galaxy A55 still stands tall, delivering flagship-lite features at a compelling value. For those looking to upgrade from an older A-series model or trying Samsung for the first time, both phones offer a satisfying experience — but the best choice ultimately depends on your budget, needs, and priorities.
If value and longevity matter most, the Galaxy A55 might be your perfect match. If you want the latest specs, stronger performance, and longer software support, the A56 is the more future-proof option. Either way, Samsung’s A series continues to prove that mid-range doesn’t have to mean compromise.
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