Galaxy A36 and A56 review

Hello — I’ve been a little distant from writing reviews lately, but I promise to return more often and share my impressions of the newest Samsung devices.

Today, for the first time, I’ve decided to review not the flagship Galaxy S or Galaxy Flip | Fold series, but the mainstream models of the Galaxy A series that Lithuanians love so much — the Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56.

Back when I was a child (and that was a very long time ago 😄), I used a Galaxy A7 (2018). It was my first and, so far, only Galaxy A series device. It wasn’t a flagship, but I liked the phone a lot, especially for its long battery life. Moving over from a Galaxy S7 Edge I didn’t feel much difference — just a plastic body and a slightly less elegant design. Even so, I used it fairly briefly, because after only six months I talked my parents into buying the revolutionary Galaxy S10+. I call it revolutionary because, in my opinion, those were Samsung’s golden years — that phone is precisely what got me interested in smart technology.

I’ve drifted off topic a little, but I want to mention that from 2020 onwards the Galaxy A series was often associated in my mind with cheaper, not especially well-made devices — plastic bodies and backs, with processor and camera quality that pushed you towards pricier models. That changed in 2023 with the Galaxy A54, which brought back a glass back. Online I increasingly saw reviews and comparisons against flagships.

This year the updated Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56 caught my interest. I became curious myself: what separates the 2025 Galaxy A and Galaxy S series? Is it worth spending a full €1,000 more on the very best Galaxy S25 Ultra? Or is a €350–450 budget enough for the same Galaxy experience? Let’s find out!

Design

The Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56 designs differ from previous years. It isn't just the camera island — which used to resemble the Galaxy S series — that has changed: over the past two years the devices have grown, and screens now measure a full 6.7 inches diagonally. These really are big phones, so some see that as an advantage and others as a drawback. I've heard various opinions about the size — some users even feel pushed into spending more to get the smaller Galaxy S or Galaxy Flip models.

At first glance the camera islands on both models look similar, but there are differences. The Galaxy A36's camera modules are integrated under a single piece of glass, while the Galaxy A56's cameras are separated by a black aluminium surround. The first approach is more practical, because dust and dirt are easier to wipe away. As for the islands themselves, they protrude slightly from the back, much like the Galaxy S25 series — it neither gets in the way nor particularly improves the look.

Both models’ screens are covered in Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+, which helps protect against smaller scratches and knocks. The back is made from the same glass. The Galaxy A36 has a chromatic-effect back whose colour shifts with the viewing angle, while the Galaxy A56 has a single-colour glossy back. Both phones pick up fingerprints quickly, so keeping them looking good means frequent cleaning, especially without a case.

There's a noticeable and important difference in the frame material. The Galaxy A56's frame is aluminium, the Galaxy A36's is plastic. Can you feel the difference? I asked family and acquaintances which model looked more expensive. Most guessed correctly purely from how the body felt in the hand. It was precisely the frame material that gave away the price. Personally I find the Galaxy A56's metal frame more substantial and more pleasant.

Both phones carry an IP67 rating for dust and water. I still wouldn’t recommend testing that in practice — these phones are more resistant to splashes than to prolonged submersion.

Samsung isn’t shy about colour variety in the Galaxy A series — the Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56 differ not only in the colour of the back but in the matching shade of the frame. The Galaxy A36 I tested was Awesome Lavender, and the Galaxy A56 Awesome Olive.

In Lithuania you can also find:

• Galaxy A36 in Awesome Lime, Awesome White and Awesome Black;
• Galaxy A56 in Awesome Pink, Awesome Light Grey and Awesome Graphite.

Galaxy A36 prices start from €379 for the 128 GB model (June 2025 — €299), and Galaxy A56 prices from €479 for 128 GB (June 2025 — €399).

Displays

These models’ displays are identical — I tried hard to spot differences and couldn’t. They’re Super AMOLED panels with FHD+ resolution, a 120 Hz refresh rate and peak brightness reaching 1,900 nits. Display quality is very similar to the Galaxy S24 FE I tested late last year, though unfortunately I couldn’t find confirmation that it’s the same panel. Probably not, since Galaxy S series devices usually use newer-generation E5 panels.

It's worth noting both models have 6.7-inch screens. The bezels are thinner than last year but still asymmetric — the bottom bezel is noticeably thicker. Is that very annoying? Perhaps not, but personally I'd like to see completely symmetrical edges. There's visible improvement every year, though, so this will probably change before long.

FHD+ resolution ensures a bright, clear image, and the colours are well calibrated and rich. The 120 Hz refresh rate makes browsing smooth, but it isn’t adaptive — it only drops as low as 48 Hz, so it may use more battery than LTPO displays.

The 12 MP front cameras sit under the display. This year I noticed a positive change — the silver ring around the cut-out, which used to spoil the display's uniformity, is gone. Although the megapixel count is the same, the sensors themselves differ physically. With the naked eye you can see that the Galaxy A36's camera looks somewhat greyer than the Galaxy A56's.

The displays also house optical fingerprint readers. They work quickly but are less reliable than the ultrasonic readers used in the Galaxy S series. The one significant drawback is their very low position, so unlocking the device requires a bit of finger gymnastics.

Cameras

The camera section is exactly where I expected to see the biggest difference between Galaxy A and Galaxy S devices — and so it proved. On the back, the Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56 both have a 50 MP main camera, but their sensors differ. The Galaxy A56 has the better camera, despite the identical megapixel count. The ultra-wide cameras differ obviously — the Galaxy A36 has an 8 MP lens, the Galaxy A56 a 12 MP one. The third camera is a 5 MP macro lens, identical on both models.

Photo quality differs greatly between these models. Shots from the Galaxy A56’s main camera are good quality, though detail is sometimes lacking, especially when zoomed. The Galaxy A36’s main camera, meanwhile, produces only adequate results. Because of the longer capture time, photos often come out blurred and lose quality. The sensor itself captures less detail, so colours look unnatural. It’s a similar story with the ultra-wide cameras — the Galaxy A36 captures more noise and the frame looks blurrier than the Galaxy A56’s.

Both devices’ main cameras support two modes: 12 MP or 50 MP. The 50 MP mode captures more detail, but the shot can lack stability. The Galaxy A36 takes an extremely long time to capture higher-resolution photos, and the shutter button responds very sluggishly.

Some camera features have carried over from the Galaxy S25 series. Custom Filter lets you build your own favourite photo filter from sample images — you can easily apply various styles and moods. If you don't like a filter, it's simple to remove in the Gallery app. Perhaps gloomy Lithuanian days will look like sunny Spain? 😄

Video resolution won't surprise anyone. The Galaxy A56 can film up to 4K at 30 frames per second on every camera (except macro), while the Galaxy A36 has more restrictions — the main camera manages up to 4K30, but the ultra-wide unfortunately only Full HD (1080p). Video is better on the Galaxy A56, but both phones need more work on contrast and dynamic range, because subjects can disappear in very brightly lit areas.

Performance and battery

The processor is the essential component of any device — it determines not only performance but important processes such as photo capture and AI features. We all know the Galaxy A series usually uses older, weaker processors than the flagship lines. The Galaxy A36 has a 4 nm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, while the Galaxy A56 has Samsung’s own Exynos 1580, also built on 4 nm. And yes — this time Exynos is the better chip. The difference is obvious: the Galaxy A56’s processor is up to 37% more powerful than the Galaxy A36’s. You feel that in real use — the Galaxy A56 opens apps faster, the camera captures photos more quickly, animations are smoother, and the device performs better in games.

Since these devices are aimed more at younger people, particularly children and teenagers, I tried a range of games. Most run well and smoothly, but the devices heat up, especially with more demanding titles.

It’s also worth noting the Galaxy A36 has 6 GB of RAM and the A56 8 GB. Even so, performance differs from pricier models — the devices occasionally stutter and warm up somewhat. Whether that’s down to the processor, older memory or unoptimised software is hard to say.

The Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56 don’t support microSD cards this year, so physically expanding storage is impossible. Fortunately Samsung offers 128 GB and 256 GB configurations, so most users should have enough.

Both devices have 5,000 mAh batteries, and charging speed has increased to 45 W. That's a good update, though the main competitors offer considerably faster speeds. Like most models in this segment, the phones don't support wireless charging. Since adverts often emphasise long battery life, it's worth noting both devices can run for up to two days. The Galaxy A56 is slightly more efficient, but overall runtime should be very similar.

Galaxy AI

Alongside the Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56, Samsung introduced AI features too. The company calls them “awesome intelligence” — Galaxy AI tools adapted for the Galaxy A series. There’s a marked reduction in functionality here, though, with only a handful of features offered compared with the broad range of the Galaxy S25 series.

Photo Assist offers features such as Object Eraser, Best Face, Edit Suggestions, Custom Filters and Auto Trim. Object Eraser works on both the Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56, but far worse than on the Galaxy S25 series. Even the interface differs, and the feature feels more like the older photo editing tool than genuine Galaxy AI. Object removal quality is poorer and there are restrictions that no longer exist on Galaxy S25 phones. Best Face lets you improve group photos by fixing closed eyes or unwanted expressions. Auto Trim helps pick out the best moments from a video.

The devices also have AI Select, which lets you mark any content on screen and use it quickly. If it's an image you can save it to the gallery; if it's text you can copy it to the clipboard.

The Galaxy A series has offered Circle to Search since last year. Just outline an object on screen and Google Search quickly finds a match. You can also identify a song you're hearing or translate foreign text into Lithuanian. I use Circle to Search every day and often miss it when using other devices.

One UI

The Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56 ship with the One UI 7 interface running on Android 15. They’re among the first devices to get One UI 7, while the majority of Samsung users were still waiting for the update. Most features found on pricier models work here too, though some capabilities remain limited.

On the Galaxy S25 series, for example, animations run more smoothly — especially on the Always On display. On the Galaxy A56 and Galaxy A36, older display technology and a fixed refresh rate mean the Always On animations aren't as smooth, and there's no option to choose a background image at all. The Now Bar sits higher on these models' lock screens than on the S25, because the fingerprint sensor is positioned differently. Now Bar on these devices doesn't show Google Sports results either.

These devices also have a limited assistant function — the side button only summons Bixby. The phones don’t support Gemini integration with Notes, Calendar and other Samsung apps.

Samsung promises the Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56 up to six years of OS and security updates. That’s a welcome change, but it raises the question of whether these devices will still run smoothly in a few years. I doubt it very much — the processors will barely withstand the OS changes. In all likelihood the devices will start slowing after two years, and six years is an extremely long period for mid-range phones.

Verdict: pros and cons

The Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56 have received plenty of updates and improvements. Using them, you really can experience a full Galaxy AI experience. If Samsung improved camera quality and replaced the macro camera with a telephoto, the experience would improve further still.

If Galaxy AI features aren’t important to you and you’re looking for a device at a lower price, the Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56 are well worth attention — especially now that their prices have fallen from launch.

Is it worth paying more for a Galaxy S25? That depends on your needs, but I’d certainly spend more if I had to choose between them.

You can buy the Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56 through this link. Don’t forget my discount code ROKAS10, which gives you 10% off. Buying through this link helps support my work.