1. Introduction: The Heavy Legacy of the Best-Seller
1.1. Why the A5x Series Always Won
In the global mid-range market, when someone asks, "What phone should I buy that's good but not expensive?", the mind unconsciously drifts to Samsung's A50 series. This series has always been "Enough." It wasn't the fastest, didn't have the craziest zoom, but it was "Reliable." With the Galaxy A56, Samsung attempts to maintain this winning formula but adds a stronger dash of "Premium."
1.2. Key Changes vs. A55
At first glance, the A56 is the twin of the A55. But under the hood, significant changes have occurred: a more powerful processor, slimmer display bezels, and the first serious integration of Artificial Intelligence (Galaxy AI) in the mid-range series. The question is: Do these changes justify the potential price hike?
2. Design & Build Quality: Flagship Feel
2.1. Aluminum Frame & Glass
Samsung no longer uses plastic ("Glasstic") in this series. The A56 is a sandwich of glass (Gorilla Glass Victus+) and a brushed aluminum frame. The feeling in hand is exactly like the S24 Plus: cold, sturdy, and high-quality. The "Key Island" design (a raised area for volume and power buttons) remains, making it easy to find buttons without looking.
2.2. Bezel Reduction
The biggest criticism of the A54 and A55 was the thick bezels around the display, often referred to as the "Chin." Fortunately, in the A56, Samsung engineers have finally shaved these bezels down. The screen-to-body ratio has now reached approximately 88%, giving the phone a much more modern look. That thick bottom chin is history.
3. Display: Mid-Range Perfection
3.1. 1800 Nits Brightness
The 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display is brighter than ever. Peak brightness has hit 1800 nits, ensuring readability under direct sunlight. Color Accuracy is superb, and blacks are deep and pure, characteristic of Samsung panels.
3.2. The Refresh Rate Issue
There is still no sign of LTPO technology (variable refresh rate from 1 to 120Hz). The A56 can only switch between 60Hz and 120Hz. While competitors in this price range offer LTPO panels, Samsung reserves this for the S-series. However, One UI 7 animations run incredibly smoothly on this screen, masking the hardware limitation.
4. Hardware & Benchmarks: Exynos 1580
4.1. Collaboration with AMD
The Exynos 1580 chipset is the star of the show. Samsung has used a GPU with AMD's RDNA 3 architecture in this chip. The result? Graphical performance is about 30% better than the previous generation. Now, you can experience advanced shading and even basic Ray Tracing in supported mobile games.
4.2. Gaming Test
In Tekin Plus tests, Call of Duty Mobile ran on the highest graphics settings (Very High) with Max frame rate without lag. In Genshin Impact, after 30 minutes of play, some warmth was felt on the back, but we experienced no severe thermal throttling. The Vapor Chamber cooling system is about 70% larger than the A55.
5. Camera: The Era of Nightography
5.1. 50MP Main Sensor
On paper, the main sensor is the same 50MP as before. However, the Image Signal Processor (ISP) in the new chipset works miracles. Night shots have significantly less noise, and light sources (like street lamps) no longer suffer from excessive flare. Shutter speed has also increased, allowing you to take clear photos of moving subjects (like kids or pets).
5.2. New Selfie Camera
Samsung has finally ditched the old 32MP sensor and adopted the high-quality 12MP sensor from the S-series. The resolution might be lower numerically, but the quality, dynamic range, and Auto Focus in selfies have gone up a class. Skin tones look natural, not processed.
6. Software & AI: One UI 7
6.1. Galaxy AI Arrival
For the first time, Samsung has brought some flagship AI features to the A-series. The popular Circle to Search feature is active on the A56. Photo editing capabilities (like object removal and remastering) are also present. However, "Live Translate" for calls remains exclusive to the S-series for now due to NPU limitations.
6.2. 6-Year Support
The A56's trump card is support. Samsung has promised 6 years of security updates and 4 years of Android OS updates. This means your phone will receive up to Android 20. No Chinese brand offers such a commitment in this price range.
7. Battery & Charging: The Eternal Achilles Heel
7.1. Excellent Endurance
The 5000mAh battery, thanks to the efficient 4nm chipset, delivers brilliant performance. In mixed usage, the phone easily lasts 1.5 days.
7.2. 25W Charging: A Bad Joke
In 2025, seeing 25W charging speeds on a $450 phone is both laughable and tragic. While Xiaomi and Poco include 120W chargers in the box and charge the phone in 20 minutes, the A56 takes about 85 minutes for a full charge. And worse: there is no charger in the box!
8. Tekin Plus Verdict: Buy A56 or S23 FE?
The Samsung Galaxy A56 is a "Complete" and "Mature" phone. It has no weird gimmicks, but it scores high marks in all categories (Display, Build, Camera, Battery).
Buying Value vs. Competition:
If you are a gamer and charging speed matters, the Poco F7 Pro is a better option.
If you want a Telephoto (Zoom) camera and Wireless Charging, the S23 FE (despite weaker battery life) is a better option.
But if you want a "Hassle-free" phone that works for 5 years, is waterproof (IP67), and takes good photos in any condition, the A56 is the undisputed king of the mid-range market.
- Design Score: 9/10
- Hardware Score: 8/10
- Camera Score: 8.5/10
- Battery & Charging Score: 6/10
- Value for Money: 8.5/10