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Nothing Phone (3a) vs Samsung Galaxy A56

The Samsung Galaxy A56 comes out ahead on 4 counts and the Nothing Phone (3a) on 3.

Which should you buy?

Pick the Nothing Phone (3a) for

  • Faster wired charging: 50 W vs 45 W
  • Brighter display: 3,000 vs 1,200 nits peak
  • Optical zoom (2×), which the other lacks

Pick the Samsung Galaxy A56 for

  • Lighter: 198 g vs 201 g (3 g less)
  • Thinner: 7.4 mm vs 8.4 mm
  • OS updates for longer, until Mar 2031
  • Better water resistance: IP67 vs IP64

Size comparison

The Nothing Phone (3a) is 1.3 mm taller, 1 mm thicker and 3 g heavier than the Samsung Galaxy A56. Its screen is 0.07" larger.

  • Nothing Phone (3a)163.5 × 77.5 × 8.4 mm
  • Samsung Galaxy A56162.2 × 77.5 × 7.4 mm

Specs side by side

LaunchNothing Phone (3a)Samsung Galaxy A56
AnnouncedMarch 4, 2025March 2, 20251
ReleasedMarch 11, 2025—
BodyNothing Phone (3a)Samsung Galaxy A56
Size163.5 × 77.5 × 8.4 mm162.2 × 77.5 × 7.4 mm
Thickness8.4 mm7.4 mm (better)
Weight201 g198 g (better)
Framepolycarbonate1Solid metal frame
Backglass1Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+
Water resistanceIP64IP67 (better)
ColoursBlack, White, BlueAwesome Pink, Awesome Graphite, Awesome Olive, Awesome Lightgray
DisplayNothing Phone (3a)Samsung Galaxy A56
Size6.77"6.7"
TypeLTPS Flexible AMOLEDSuper AMOLED
Resolution1080 × 23921080 × 2340
Refresh rate120 Hz120 Hz
Peak brightness3,000 nits (better)1,200 nits?
ProtectionPanda GlassCorning Gorilla Glass Victus+
Performance and softwareNothing Phone (3a)Samsung Galaxy A56
ChipsetQualcomm SM7635 Snapdragon 7s Gen 3Exynos 1580
CPUOcta-core (1x2.5 GHz Cortex-A720 & 3x2.4 GHz Cortex-A720 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A520)Octa-core (1x2.9 GHz & 3x2.6 GHz & 4x1.9 GHz)1
Process4 nm4 nm
Ships withAndroid 16 with Nothing OS 4.0Android
OS updates3 years (to Mar 2028)6 years (to Mar 2031) (better)
Security updates6 years (to Mar 2031)6 years (to Mar 2031)
MemoryNothing Phone (3a)Samsung Galaxy A56
RAM8 GB / 12 GB8 GB / 12 GB
Storage128 GB / 256 GB128 GB / 256 GB
Card slotNoNo1
CamerasNothing Phone (3a)Samsung Galaxy A56
Rear50 MP Main, OIS 50 MP Telephoto (2× optical) 8 MP Ultrawide50 MP Main, OIS 12 MP Ultrawide 5 MP Macro
Main camera50 MP50 MP
Optical zoom2× (better)None
Front32 MP12 MP
Video4k @30 fpsUHD 4K (3840 x 2160)@30fps
BatteryNothing Phone (3a)Samsung Galaxy A56
Capacity5,000 mAh5,000 mAh
Wired charging50 W (better)45 W1
Reverse wirelessYes1—
ConnectivityNothing Phone (3a)Samsung Galaxy A56
5GYesYes
Wi-Fi802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4GHz+5GHz
Bluetooth5.4Bluetooth v5.3
NFCYesYes
USBUSB Type-CUSB Type-C, USB 2.0
Headphone jackNoNo
eSIM—Yes
FeaturesNothing Phone (3a)Samsung Galaxy A56
FingerprintOn-screen optical1On-screen, optical1
Stereo speakersYesYes

Highlighted: the better value where one is clearly better. Sources for each phone are listed on the Nothing Phone (3a) and Samsung Galaxy A56 pages.

Quick answers

Is the Nothing Phone (3a) bigger than the Samsung Galaxy A56?
The Nothing Phone (3a) is 1.3 mm taller, 1 mm thicker and 3 g heavier than the Samsung Galaxy A56. Its screen is 0.07" larger.
Which has the bigger battery, the Nothing Phone (3a) or the Samsung Galaxy A56?
Both have a 5,000 mAh battery.
Which gets software updates for longer?
The Samsung Galaxy A56: its maker promises OS updates until around March 2031, against March 2028 for the Nothing Phone (3a).

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