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Samsung Galaxy A56 vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra comes out ahead on 8 counts and the Samsung Galaxy A56 on 2.

Which should you buy?

Pick the Samsung Galaxy A56 for

  • Lighter: 198 g vs 218 g (20 g less)
  • Thinner: 7.4 mm vs 8.2 mm

Pick the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra for

  • Bigger screen: 6.9" vs 6.7"
  • Brighter display: 2,600 vs 1,200 nits peak
  • Higher-resolution main camera: 200 MP vs 50 MP
  • Optical zoom (5×), which the other lacks
  • OS updates for longer, until Feb 2032
  • More RAM: up to 16 GB vs 12 GB
  • More storage: up to 1 TB vs 256 GB
  • Better water resistance: IP68 vs IP67

Size comparison

The Samsung Galaxy A56 is 0.6 mm shorter, 0.8 mm thinner and 20 g lighter than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Its screen is 0.2" smaller.

  • Samsung Galaxy A56162.2 × 77.5 × 7.4 mm
  • Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra162.8 × 77.6 × 8.2 mm

Specs side by side

LaunchSamsung Galaxy A56Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
AnnouncedMarch 2, 20251January 22, 20251
Released—February 7, 20251
Launch price—$1,3001
BodySamsung Galaxy A56Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Size162.2 × 77.5 × 7.4 mm162.8 × 77.6 × 8.2 mm
Thickness7.4 mm (better)8.2 mm
Weight198 g (better)218 g
FrameSolid metal frameTitanium
BackCorning Gorilla Glass Victus+—
Water resistanceIP67IP68 (better)
ColoursAwesome Pink, Awesome Graphite, Awesome Olive, Awesome LightgrayTitanium Silverblue, Titanium Black, Titanium Whitesilver, Titanium Gray, Titanium Jadegreen, Titanium Jetblack, Titanium Pinkgold1
DisplaySamsung Galaxy A56Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Size6.7"6.9"
TypeSuper AMOLEDDynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X
Resolution1080 × 23401440 × 3120 (better)
Refresh rate120 Hz120 Hz
Peak brightness1,200 nits?2,600 nits (better)
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass Victus+Corning Gorilla Armor 2
Performance and softwareSamsung Galaxy A56Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
ChipsetExynos 1580Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform for Galaxy
CPUOcta-core (1x2.9 GHz & 3x2.6 GHz & 4x1.9 GHz)12x 4.47 GHz Oryon (Phoenix L) and 6x 3.53 GHz Oryon (Phoenix M)1
Process4 nm3 nm1 (better)
Ships withAndroidOne UI 7
OS updates6 years (to Mar 2031)7 years (to Feb 2032) (better)
Security updates6 years (to Mar 2031)7 years (to Feb 2032) (better)
MemorySamsung Galaxy A56Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
RAM8 GB / 12 GB12 GB / 16 GB (better)
Storage128 GB / 256 GB256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB (better)
Card slotNo1No1
CamerasSamsung Galaxy A56Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Rear50 MP Main, OIS 12 MP Ultrawide 5 MP Macro200 MP Main 50 MP Ultrawide 50 MP Telephoto (5× optical) 10 MP Telephoto (3× optical)
Main camera50 MP200 MP (better)
Optical zoomNone5× (better)
Front12 MP12 MP
VideoUHD 4K (3840 x 2160)@30fps8K at 30 fps
BatterySamsung Galaxy A56Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Capacity5,000 mAh5,000 mAh
Wired charging45 W145 W
Wireless charging—15 W1
Reverse wireless—Yes
ConnectivitySamsung Galaxy A56Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
5GYesYes
Wi-Fi802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4GHz+5GHzWi-Fi 7 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be tri-band)
BluetoothBluetooth v5.35.41
NFCYesYes1
USBUSB Type-C, USB 2.0USB Type-C 3.2 (5Gbps)
Headphone jackNoNo1
eSIMYesYes1
FeaturesSamsung Galaxy A56Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
FingerprintOn-screen, optical1Ultrasonic under-display
Stereo speakersYesYes1
Stylus—Yes

Highlighted: the better value where one is clearly better. Sources for each phone are listed on the Samsung Galaxy A56 and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra pages.

Quick answers

Is the Samsung Galaxy A56 bigger than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra?
The Samsung Galaxy A56 is 0.6 mm shorter, 0.8 mm thinner and 20 g lighter than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Its screen is 0.2" smaller.
Which has the bigger battery, the Samsung Galaxy A56 or the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra?
Both have a 5,000 mAh battery.
Which gets software updates for longer?
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: its maker promises OS updates until around February 2032, against March 2031 for the Samsung Galaxy A56.

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