Want an affordable Galaxy phone? I tested Samsung’s latest surprise reveal

Seemingly out of nowhere – and following a successful Unpacked event for the Galaxy S25 series launch back in January – Samsung has dropped the surprise reveal of its all-new Galaxy A56 handset, coinciding with Mobile World Congress (MWC). I got to test it out in person ahead of 2025's show.

The updated model to last year's impressive yet affordable A55, the Galaxy A56 lines itself up well among the best Android phones, especially if you're seeking one of the better cheap phones available. This year seems to be a hotbed of affordable devices, adjacent to the pricier flagships, with Samsung saving little time following Apple's iPhone 16e reveal.

With many competitors expected in the coming days and weeks, too, just what makes the Samsung Galaxy A56 special? I've handled the phone – having reviewed the earlier A55 just 9 months previous – and can tell you how it compares, what new goodies it brings, and whether it's worth the cover price.

Samsung Galaxy A56 price

The Galaxy A56 will only launch in a 256GB storage configuration (the 128GB is for a business enterprise version only), priced at £499 in the UK. While that may seem as if it's a £50 price jump over the last generation, it's actually an equal match for that storage volume.

The Galaxy A56 will launch in wider territories, with pre-orders open now (2 March) and the on-sale date listed as 19 March. I don't have specifics regarding regional pricing and availability at this stage – but am assuming, like with the A55, that the A56 won't launch in the USA.

Samsung Galaxy A56 vs A55

• Smaller bezel for larger screen, now 6.7-inch
• 20% brighter (1200 nits to 1900 nits max)
• New, thinner design: just 7.4mm
• Updated 'camera island' design
• 45W charging (up from 25W)

If you go check out my Galaxy A55 review, the first obvious difference about the newer A56 is on its rear. Samsung has shifted away from the iconic triple camera design and, in a sense, gone back in time – giving the new handset an 'island' that's more akin to the S22 flagship era.

And while the Galaxy A56 is no Galaxy Edge in terms of its design, it is slimmer than the earlier A55 – down from 8.2mm to 7.4mm this time around. It seems Samsung's design direction is in making devices thinner and more visually appealing.

This A series also gets a nip and tuck to the screen bezel, just as its S series flagship cousins did this year, meaning a larger panel size can be squeezed into more or less the same footprint. The result? A 6.7-inch panel, increasing over the 6.6-inch one of the last generation. It's not just a marginally bigger screen, though, it provides a big brightness boost compared to before, elevating the model to more premier levels.

Surprisingly, Samsung has also boosted the charging speed – up to 45W. That's not going to win prizes for being the fastest ever seen, but it's a significant speed boost over the 25W of its predecessor. It's what people have been asking for, so it's a good to see Samsung shifting in the right direction here.

Samsung Galaxy A56: Key Spec

• Awesome Graphite / Awesome Light Gray / Awesome Olive / Awesome Pink
• Samsung Exynos 1580 processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage
• 15% larger vapour chamber for cooling
• Triple rear cameras:
  • Main: 50-megapixel, f/1.8 aperture, optical stabilisation (OIS)
  • Wide: 12MP, f/2.2
  • Macro: 5MP
• 5000mAh battery capacity
• 8GB RAM, 256GB storage

As you can see from all of the 'Awesome' names listed above, the A56 has some rather hyped-up colourway options available. None are as vibrant as they might read, mind, with the Light Gray of my sample being precisely that – a light grey that's relatively reflective and suitably subdued.

The A56 is glass-coated on both the front and rear – with Gorilla Glass Victus+, no less – and that's great from a premium look point of view, but I don't think it's ideal from a practicality perspective. After picking up the phone it was quickly smeared with fingerprints, which isn't such a hot look. Pop this handset down on a material surface and I'm fairly sure it'll promptly slide away, too, which could cause that glass back some unwanted bother.

Encasing the glass sandwich, however, is a brushed metal frame – which looks very smart. I particularly like the subtle indent where the on/off and volume buttons live, giving the A56 a greater sense of identity. Interestingly, there are also A36, A26 and A16 models – but I'm only interested in the affordable yet premium top-end model for this preview.

While Samsung and Qualcomm's relationship seems strong of late, for the Galaxy A56 the Korean brand has elected to go with its own silicon, in the shape of the Exynos 1580 processor. There's 8GB RAM (the only variant) and, as I said further up page in the 'price' section, 256GB storage.

While I've only fiddled around with the handset rather than thoroughly tested it, I have high hopes that it'll perform well – recent Exynos chips have been more stable and less power-consuming than some not-too-distant iterations. There's also that larger vapour chamber here, to improve heat dissipation, despite the thinner design.

As for the cameras: despite a newly designed island in which they live, the triple arrangement is an echo of the previous generation. That means a 50-megapixel main, 12MP wide-angle and a macro camera. No zoom to be found here, but that's befitting of the price. Samsung has upgraded the image signal processor (ISP) this generation, while AI tools, including Object Erase and Creative Filters bring enhanced shooting options.

Samsung Galaxy A56: First impressions verdict

The affordable phone landscape continues to evolve with great offerings this year – and I'm skipping over any truly cheap options here – and Samsung's Galaxy A56 looks like a strong contender on the face of it.

I like how the design language shifts the look of the A series away from the flagship S series, giving greater definition between Samsung's ranges. But I'm less sold on the fingerprint-magnet that is the glass rear in particular – without a case the A56 is quickly going to look messy.

Overall, though, the Galaxy A56 is a successful yet subtle update over its predecessor. It delivers all the integral components – from cameras to battery – with performance and charging upgrades that will bring tangible benefit. The price is now to the upper limit of 'affordable', but it's still a compelling proposition.

Also consider

Samsung choosing Mobile World Congress to drop its latest Galaxy devices is like a flash from the past – but it's also savvy timing, as the A56's reveal gets the brand in ahead of the rumoured Google Pixel 9a reveal and the already-known Nothing Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro phone launches. It's hot on the heels of Apple's iPhone 16e reveal, too. All of which ought to be compelling competition at this price point – whether you're Android or Apple aligned.