Samsung Galaxy A56 Review

Samsung Galaxy A56 Review: Software, Performance, and Benchmarks

• The Samsung Galaxy A56 boasts One UI 7.0 based on Android 15, promising 6 OS upgrades and 6 years of security updates, a standout feature among mid-range phones.

• It features AI-powered enhancements like AI Select, improving Smart Select functionality by analyzing screen content for actions such as text extraction from photos, GIF creation, and wallpaper generation.

• The device is powered by the new Exynos 1580 chipset, showcasing a significant performance boost over its predecessor, the Exynos 1480, with approximately 17% CPU improvement and 30% GPU enhancement in benchmark tests.

• While the Exynos 1580 delivers notable performance gains, benchmark results reveal that competitors like the Xiaomi 14T and OnePlus Nord 4, using Dimensity 8300 and Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 SoCs respectively, still outperform the Galaxy A56.

• Despite this, the Galaxy A56 demonstrates excellent sustained performance, maintaining near-maximum performance in both CPU and GPU stress tests, showcasing impressive stability.

The Samsung Galaxy A56 features One UI 7.0 on Android 15, offering one of the longest software support lifespans in the midrange category with six OS upgrades and six years of security patches. While certain advanced features available on the Galaxy S25 are absent due to hardware constraints, the A56 does include AI functionalities like AI Select, which enhances Smart Select, enabling detailed content analysis for actions such as text extraction from photos, creating GIFs, and generating wallpapers. The Circle to Search feature is also included, facilitating online searches based on on-screen content, while Read Aloud is limited to Samsung’s default web browser. The native Gallery app contains an effective Object Eraser feature.

Powered by the Exynos 1580 chipset, the Galaxy A56 offers significant upgrades over the Exynos 1480, with new ARMv9 CPU cores and an enhanced GPU based on AMD’s RDNA 3 architecture, named Xclipse 540. The device is available in configurations of 8GB RAM/128GB storage and 12GB RAM/256GB storage, all using UFS 3.1 for fast data access.

Benchmark results indicate varied performance levels compared to competitors. In GeekBench 6, the multi-core score for the Galaxy A56 stands at 3899 and the single-core at 1364, which is lower than competitors like the Xiaomi 14T and OnePlus Nord 4, which utilize more powerful chipsets like the Dimensity 8300 and Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3. Similar trends are observed in AnTuTu 10 and 3DMark Wild Life Extreme scores. Although the Exynos 1580 demonstrates about 17% improvement in CPU performance compared to its predecessor, it still trails behind its rivals.

Sustained performance testing reveals strong retention, with the Exynos 1580 maintaining between 80-100% of its peak performance during CPU stress tests. The GPU also showed over 99% stability throughout its stress tests, indicating reliability under pressure. However, the Galaxy A56’s overall performance, while substantial, does not outpace some similarly priced devices, indicating that while it effectively utilizes its chipset, competitors may offer superior performance in real-world scenarios. The device aims to combine flagship-like qualities within its budget segment, despite some criticisms regarding its camera system and design aspects.