Samsung Galaxy A56 Review

Design & Durability: A Balance of Premium Aesthetics and Practicality

The Galaxy A56 showcases refined design changes compared to its predecessor. The previously individually placed camera modules have been integrated into a single “island” design with 3D depth, creating a cleaner back panel. The combination of an aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass Victus Plus protection for the rear glass delivers a premium feel that stands out in this price range. Notably, the device has become thinner and lighter, offering improved portability.

Water and dust resistance maintains the IP67 rating, which means it can withstand immersion in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes—sufficient for everyday exposure to water or rain, though slightly disappointing compared to competitors offering IP68 protection.

Display: A 6.7-inch AMOLED Responsible for Visual Pleasure

The screen size has increased slightly to 6.7 inches, but reduced bezels keep the overall device size nearly identical. This AMOLED panel supports 1080p resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, along with HDR10+ content playback. Actual measurements show:

• Manual maximum brightness: 450 nits
• Automatic maximum brightness: 1,200 nits (a 200-nit increase from the A55)
• Adaptive 120Hz refresh rate that automatically adjusts to 60Hz for static content

Viewing angles and color reproduction reflect Samsung Display’s strengths, with significantly improved outdoor visibility.

Hardware & Performance: Introduction of the New Exynos 1580

Samsung has equipped this model with their in-house developed Exynos 1580 chipset. Benchmarks confirm performance improvements over the previous generation, though still lagging behind Snapdragon competitors. However, it’s more than capable for everyday use and moderate gaming.

• GPU: AMD RDNA3-based Xclipse 540 (with 2 WGPs, offering 37% performance improvement over predecessor)
• Actual benchmark results: Single-core performance up 20%, multi-core up 13%, GPU performance up 70%

Notably, thermal management is excellent, with minimal performance degradation even during extended stress tests. Storage options include 128GB and 256GB variants, though the disappointing removal of the microSD card slot limits expansion possibilities.

Camera System: Mixed Results

Rear Cameras:

• Main camera: Similar performance to predecessor
  • Daytime shooting: Excellent detail preservation and vibrant colors, though occasional blown highlights
  • Night shooting: Average in standard mode, but improved with night mode
• Ultra-wide camera:
  • Daytime: Accurate color reproduction and decent contrast
  • Night: Significant noise and detail loss
• Dedicated macro camera: Superior to 2MP offerings from competitors, but requires good lighting for best results

Zoom transition issue: Sudden blur effect when switching from 1x to 2x magnification (needs software improvement)

Front Camera:

• Resolution decreased from 32MP to 12MP, but actual image quality improved
• Features wide dynamic range and natural color reproduction
• Skin tone correction handled naturally

Video Performance:

• 4K 30fps recording supported on all cameras
• Main camera video: Excellent detail, color, and wide dynamic range
• Electronic stabilization: Works effectively even at 4K, producing smooth footage
• Night video: Good noise control but highlight clipping issues

Video limitations:

• 10-bit support advertised for front camera but option missing
• No HDR10+/HLG HDR support (missing from settings menu)
• Severe cropping when shooting 4K 30fps with ultra-wide camera

Battery & Charging: Room for Improvement

Equipped with a 5,000mAh high-capacity battery, actual test results show:

• Active use time: 12 hours 8 minutes (slightly shorter than the A55)
• Charging speed:
  • 45W fast charging supported (charger sold separately)
  • 65% charge in 30 minutes
  • Full charge time: 1 hour 13 minutes (slightly slower than the A55)

Software & Additional Features

Launched with One UI 7 (based on Android 15), Samsung guarantees 6 years of OS updates and security patches for this model. Notable software features include:

• Enhanced AI selection features: Analyzes screen content to provide various actions like text/image extraction, wallpaper creation, etc.
• Object removal tool in Gallery (quality lower than flagship models)
• Google Gemini AI assistant built-in

However, advanced features like Samsung DeX are not included.

User Experience Improvements

• Vibration motor: Increased rattling compared to predecessor, making a case almost essential
• Bezel optimization: Relatively thicker bottom bezel creating noticeable asymmetry
• Thermal management: Introduction of a large vapor chamber resulting in perfect scores in stability tests

Software Peculiarities

• Galaxy AI limitations:
  • Only photo-related AI features included (object eraser, best face synthesis, etc.)
  • All advanced AI features for calls/notes/translation excluded
  • Officially categorized under “Useful Features > Intelligence” rather than recognized as Galaxy AI
• Always On Display bug:
  • Screen shrinks with abnormal icon positioning
  • A new issue not observed in S series devices