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The Galaxy A sequence is one in every of Samsung’s hottest and best-selling smartphone lineups, recognized for delivering premium design and options at a extra inexpensive worth than the flagship Galaxy S sequence. For 2025, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy A56 and Galaxy A36 with minor upgrades over the Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35. The brand new A sequence telephones function a barely refreshed design as properly. Nonetheless, are the minor upgrades and delicate redesigns sufficient to tackle the competitors? Learn on to search out out.
I will begin with the pricing. The Galaxy A56 was initially priced at Rs. 41,999 for the bottom variant with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage at launch. In the meantime, the Galaxy A36 had a beginning price ticket of Rs. 32,999 (8GB + 128GB). For our evaluation, Samsung offered us with the Superior Olive variant of the Galaxy A56. As for the Galaxy A36, we’re trying out the Superior Lavender possibility.
As talked about earlier, the Galaxy A sequence is understood for providing a premium design at a extra accessible worth level, typically borrowing options from Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S lineup. As an illustration, each the Galaxy A56 and A36 include a glass again protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+, whereas the A56 additionally options an aluminium body with a brushed end. The extra budget-friendly A36 opts for a matte plastic body. Each handsets function a flat body, show, and rear panel.
Each telephones function a glass sandwich design
Design-wise, the 2 telephones look practically equivalent from the back and front. Each sport a pill-shaped digital camera module that seems to be floating and homes three cameras. An LED flash is positioned exterior, proper subsequent to the module. This new digital camera module design marks a delicate shift from what we noticed on the Galaxy A55 and A35, which featured three separate digital camera rings.
The best facet body on each telephones encompasses a protruding part that homes the Energy and Quantity buttons. You will discover the USB Kind-C port, SIM tray (supporting twin nano SIM playing cards), two microphones, and a loudspeaker on the backside. The highest a part of the telephone options two extra microphones.
The best body encompasses a bump, which homes the quantity and energy button
On the entrance, the bezels are slimmer than these of final yr’s fashions, though the chin stays barely thicker than the remainder of the bezels. You will discover a hole-punch cutout on the prime centre for the selfie digital camera. Each telephones additionally supply an IP67 score.
The telephones function a hybrid stereo speaker setup
Total, each telephones feel and look premium and minimalist. The in-hand really feel can be fairly good, with the flat body providing good grip. I would not name them one-handed telephones, although, even if you happen to’ve received giant palms.
Similar to final yr, each the Galaxy A56 and Galaxy A36 share the identical display measurement. Nonetheless, this yr, the screens are barely bigger and brighter. Each telephones supply a display decision and a 120Hz refresh fee. You’ll be able to select between Adaptive and Commonplace refresh fee in show settings. The A56 provides HDR10+ help, whereas the A36 does not.
Each telephones sport a 6.7-inch Tremendous AMOLED show with a 120Hz refresh fee
When it comes to brightness, the shows on each telephones are rated to supply a peak of 1,900 nits. In real-world utilization, the panel on each the Galaxy A56 and Galaxy A36 performs excellently indoors and works properly outdoor as properly. Watching content material on each telephones is a nice expertise, however it’s much more pleasurable on the Galaxy A56, because it provides HDR10+ help.
The telephones function an in-display optical fingerprint sensor that labored properly through the evaluation. Nonetheless, the location may’ve been higher.
The Galaxy A56 and Galaxy A36 supply the Android 15-based One UI 7 out of the field and one of many longest software program help cycles amongst mid-range telephones. Samsung guarantees 6 years of Android OS updates and safety patches, which is great.
Other than the same old One UI 7 options, the brand new Galaxy A56 and A36 additionally get a number of AI options. There’s a lot to check out, however it’s positively not as lengthy an inventory as what you’ll discover on the Galaxy S sequence telephones. Other than Google Gemini and Circle to Search, you get AI Choose, which helps you to seize textual content from pictures, create a clipping or a GIF from a picture, and even design a wallpaper from a picture that is on the display.
The Galaxy A56 and A36 supply a few AI options
You will additionally discover an AI Object eraser in Samsung’s Gallery app that does an honest job at eradicating objects and distractions from photos. The Galaxy A56 additionally has a Favorite face function in Movement Pictures that helps you discover the very best faces in group pictures. One other helpful function is the Learn Aloud possibility present in Samsung Browser, and is out there on each telephones.
Total, the software program expertise on the Galaxy A56 and Galaxy A36 is comparable primarily and good. There are many customisation choices, it is simple to navigate across the UI, and never too many pre-installed apps. You’ll, nevertheless, discover the Look lockscreen on each telephones, however that can be disabled within the Settings, if you happen to did not do it through the preliminary Setup course of.
Samsung has offered improved chipsets on each the Galaxy A56 and Galaxy A36. Nonetheless, the latter now encompasses a Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC, slightly than an Exynos. The Galaxy A56 carried out considerably higher than the A36 in artificial benchmarks. Each telephones additionally carried out higher than their predecessors.
Benchmark | Samsung Galaxy A56 5G | Samsung Galaxy A36 5G |
---|---|---|
AnTuTu v10 | 8,91,530 | 6,28,956 |
PCMark Work 3.0 | 14,006 | 13,056 |
Geekbench 6 Single | 1,367 | 1,011 |
Geekbench 6 Multi | 3,883 | 2,945 |
GFXB T-rex | 115fps | 109fps |
GFXB Manhattan 3.1 | 71fps | 51fps |
GFXB Automotive Chase | 40fps | 29fps |
3DM Slingshot Excessive OpenGL | NA | 5,170 |
3DM Slingshot | Maxed Out | 6,641 |
3DM Wild Life | 5,084 | 3,412 |
3DM Wild Life Limitless | 5,272 | 3,489 |
When it comes to real-world utilization, I discovered each the Galaxy A56 and the A36 to be ok for performing most duties. The telephones additionally did fairly properly throughout our traditional gaming checks, the place I performed BGMI and Asphalt. Each handsets additionally did not get too scorching through the gaming periods or whereas charging.
The Galaxy A56 encompasses a bigger vapour chamber in comparison with final yr’s mannequin
Total, the Galaxy A56 and A36 supply good efficiency for multitasking, gaming, and different utilization situations.
The telephones function a hybrid stereo speaker setup, and audio efficiency is sort of good. The audio output from each the A56 and A36 is loud sufficient, with some bass, and displays zero distortion even at full quantity.
Each telephones supply good loudspeakers and microphones
Microphone and earphone high quality had been additionally good on each telephones. I additionally did not encounter any name drops through the evaluation.
The digital camera methods on the Galaxy A56 and Galaxy A36 are equivalent on the subject of the variety of sensors and sort. You get a principal, an ultrawide, and a devoted macro sensor. Nonetheless, the primary cameras on the A56 and A36, though a 50-megapixel unit, use completely different sensors. The ultrawide can be completely different on each telephones, however the macro sensor is identical. Samsung has up to date the selfie digital camera on each telephones, now that includes a 12-megapixel unit. Once more, the entrance sensors are completely different on the handsets.
The telephones include a redesigned rear digital camera module housing three sensors
The digital camera app is simple to make use of and provides the photograph, video, and some different modes on the backside, under the shutter button. Some toggles can be found on the prime, and you will find the digital camera zoom toggles above the shutter button. There is a Extra possibility that gives extra modes similar to Professional and Evening.
The Galaxy A56 takes good, detailed photos in daylight situations with barely oversaturated colors. Nonetheless, the publicity and highlights are one thing that wants some tuning. In low-light situations, the primary digital camera carried out decently, however photos are typically comfortable with decrease particulars and washed-out colors.
Prime to backside: Two x Daylight, One x Lowlight photos from the first rear digital camera (Faucet to develop)
The ultrawide digital camera produces good photos in daylight situations, however you will discover much less element and an okay dynamic vary. It does not carry out very properly in low-light situations, with photos showcasing noise and blurry particulars. The Macro digital camera can be nothing nice, however it may be enjoyable when there’s loads of mild. Selfies on the A56 are fairly good, with sufficient particulars and good dynamic vary.
Prime – Daylight; Backside – Lowlight ultrawide pictures (Faucet to develop)
Transferring on to video, the Galaxy A56 helps 4K 30fps recording throughout all cameras, aside from the Macro digital camera. The first rear digital camera carried out decently properly in each daytime and night time movies. Daylight movies have an excellent quantity of element and color copy with very much less noise. Nighttime movies do introduce some noise, however it’s fairly usable. The ultrawide and entrance digital camera additionally shoot good movies in daylight situations with good particulars and vivid colors. You get OIS within the major digital camera, however the telephone utilises EIS in 4K decision. The stabilisation is fairly good, however you’ll discover jitters if you happen to begin operating with the telephone. You additionally get 360 audio recording and audio playback options.
The Galaxy A36 does an excellent job with its principal rear digital camera, particularly in daylight pictures. The photographs supply loads of element, vibrant colors, and a large dynamic vary. Nonetheless, the publicity is inconsistent. In low-light situations, the first digital camera produces first rate and usable outcomes.
Prime – Daylight photograph; Backside – Lowlight photograph from the primary rear digital camera (Faucet to develop)
The ultrawide digital camera on the telephone is okayish at finest, however the photos are usable. It is the identical with the macro digital camera. Lastly, the selfie digital camera on the telephone performs properly in daylight situations with photos providing good particulars, however its low-light efficiency is not nice.
Prime – Ultrawide daylight; Backside – Ultrawide lowlight (Faucet to develop)
When it comes to video efficiency, the A36 allows you to shoot 4K 30fps movies utilizing the primary rear and the selfie digital camera. Video high quality from the primary rear digital camera is nice with satisfactory particulars and punchy colors throughout daylight. Evening movies are noisy and supply much less element. The stabilisation is first rate on the primary digital camera, however you will discover some shakes. You’ll be able to shoot 1080p movies utilizing the ultrawide digital camera, however the output is not something nice. Daylight ultrawide movies are usable, however lowlight efficiency is poor.
Each telephones function a 5,000mAh battery, the identical capability as their predecessors. Add the brighter and barely bigger show and extra highly effective processors, and also you get decrease battery life in comparison with the A55 and A35.
The Galaxy A56 and A36 supply the identical battery capability as their predecessors
Within the PCMark Work 3.0 battery check, the Galaxy A56 delivered a runtime of 12 hours and 13 minutes, whereas the Galaxy A36 lasted 12 hours and a pair of minutes. Throughout the evaluation, I did get a day’s price of life from each telephones with 4-6 hours of screen-on-time relying on utilization.
As for charging, each handsets help 45W quick charging, however you have to to make use of a 5A cable to achieve this velocity, because the cable offered within the field does not help it. In our charging checks, the Galaxy A56 and A36 attained a full cost in about 1 hour and 20 minutes, charging from 10 p.c.
The Galaxy A56 and Galaxy A36 are glorious mid-range telephones, providing nice software program help, premium design, high-quality shows, first rate cameras, and satisfactory efficiency. Nonetheless, there are many different telephones in the identical worth bracket that provide higher efficiency, battery life, and significantly better cameras. When you do not care an excessive amount of about efficiency, cameras, and battery life, however do care about software program help and premium construct, then you might contemplate the A56 or A36, relying in your price range.
Nonetheless, if efficiency, battery life, and cameras are larger priorities, then I would advocate the Nothing Telephone 3a Professional (Evaluate), Motorola Edge 50 Professional (Evaluate), OnePlus Nord 5 (Evaluate), or the Poco X7 Professional (Evaluate) as a substitute of the Galaxy A56. For these contemplating the Galaxy A36, you might once more take a look at the Poco X7 Professional or the Nothing Telephone 3a (Evaluate).
Samsung’s Galaxy A56 and Galaxy A36, whereas good telephones, are positively outshone by the competitors, particularly when you think about the pricing.