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WhichPhoneToBuy

Apple iPhone 16 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy A56

The Samsung Galaxy A56 comes out ahead on 5 counts and the Apple iPhone 16 Plus on 3.

Which should you buy?

Pick the Apple iPhone 16 Plus for

  • Brighter display: 2,000 vs 1,200 nits peak
  • More storage: up to 512 GB vs 256 GB
  • Better water resistance: IP68 vs IP67

Pick the Samsung Galaxy A56 for

  • Bigger battery: 5,000 vs 4,674 mAh (7% more)
  • Thinner: 7.4 mm vs 7.8 mm
  • Smoother display: 120 Hz vs 60 Hz
  • More RAM: up to 12 GB vs 8 GB
  • Newer: launched March 2025

Size comparison

The Apple iPhone 16 Plus is 1.3 mm shorter and 0.4 mm thicker than the Samsung Galaxy A56.

  • Apple iPhone 16 Plus160.9 × 77.8 × 7.8 mm
  • Samsung Galaxy A56162.2 × 77.5 × 7.4 mm

Specs side by side

LaunchApple iPhone 16 PlusSamsung Galaxy A56
AnnouncedSeptember 9, 20241March 2, 20251
ReleasedSeptember 20, 20241—
Launch price$8991—
BodyApple iPhone 16 PlusSamsung Galaxy A56
Size160.9 × 77.8 × 7.8 mm162.2 × 77.5 × 7.4 mm
Thickness7.8 mm7.4 mm (better)
Weight199 g198 g
Frame—Solid metal frame
Backglass1Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+
Water resistanceIP68 (better)IP67
ColoursUltramarine, Teal, Pink, White, Black1Awesome Pink, Awesome Graphite, Awesome Olive, Awesome Lightgray
DisplayApple iPhone 16 PlusSamsung Galaxy A56
Size6.7"6.7"
TypeSuper Retina XDR OLEDSuper AMOLED
Resolution1290 × 2796 (better)1080 × 2340
Refresh rate60 Hz120 Hz (better)
Peak brightness2,000 nits1 (better)1,200 nits?
Protection—Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+
Performance and softwareApple iPhone 16 PlusSamsung Galaxy A56
ChipsetApple A18Exynos 1580
CPU6-core (2 performance + 4 efficiency)1Octa-core (1x2.9 GHz & 3x2.6 GHz & 4x1.9 GHz)1
Process—4 nm
Ships withiOS 18Android
OS updates—6 years (to Mar 2031)
Security updates—6 years (to Mar 2031)
MemoryApple iPhone 16 PlusSamsung Galaxy A56
RAM8 GB18 GB / 12 GB (better)
Storage128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB (better)128 GB / 256 GB
Card slot—No1
CamerasApple iPhone 16 PlusSamsung Galaxy A56
Rear48 MP Main, OIS 12 MP Ultrawide50 MP Main, OIS 12 MP Ultrawide 5 MP Macro
Main camera48 MP50 MP
Optical zoomNoneNone
Front12 MP12 MP
Video4K at 60 fps1UHD 4K (3840 x 2160)@30fps
BatteryApple iPhone 16 PlusSamsung Galaxy A56
Capacity4,674 mAh15,000 mAh (better)
Wired charging—45 W1
Wireless charging25 W—
ConnectivityApple iPhone 16 PlusSamsung Galaxy A56
5GYes1Yes
Wi-FiWi-Fi 71802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4GHz+5GHz
Bluetooth5.31Bluetooth v5.3
NFCYes1Yes
USBUSB-C: USB 2.0 480 Mbit/sUSB Type-C, USB 2.0
Headphone jack—No
eSIMYes1Yes
Satellite messagingYes1—
FeaturesApple iPhone 16 PlusSamsung Galaxy A56
Fingerprint—On-screen, optical1
Stereo speakers—Yes

Highlighted: the better value where one is clearly better. Sources for each phone are listed on the Apple iPhone 16 Plus and Samsung Galaxy A56 pages.

Quick answers

Is the Apple iPhone 16 Plus bigger than the Samsung Galaxy A56?
The Apple iPhone 16 Plus is 1.3 mm shorter and 0.4 mm thicker than the Samsung Galaxy A56.
Which has the bigger battery, the Apple iPhone 16 Plus or the Samsung Galaxy A56?
The Samsung Galaxy A56 has the bigger battery: 5,000 mAh against 4,674 mAh. Real battery life also depends on the chip and screen.

More comparisons