Uses Three Mobile's Network
Unlimited 5G data
24 month contract
£19.99 a monthuntil April 2026then price rises every April in contract by £1.50£9.00 upfront costPrice details
£536.76 total cost
Includes roaming in 50 destinations
Unlimited 5G data
24 month contract
£25.00 a monthuntil April 2026then price rises every April in contract by £2.50No upfront costPrice details
£680.00 total cost
Uses Three Mobile's Network
Unlimited 5G data
24 month contract
£14.99 a monthuntil April 2026then price rises every April in contract by £1.50£79.00 upfront costPrice details
£486.76 total cost
Includes roaming in 50 destinations
Unlimited 5G data
24 month contract
£23.00 a monthuntil April 2026then price rises every April in contract by £2.30No upfront costPrice details
£625.60 total cost
Unlimited 5G data
24 month contract
£25.00 a monthuntil April 2026then price rises every April in contract by £2.30No upfront costPrice details
£673.60 total cost
Unlimited 5G data
24 month contract
£23.00 a monthuntil April 2026then price rises every April in contract by £2.50£19.00 upfront costPrice details
£651.00 total cost
150 GB of 5G data
24 month contract
£20.00 a monthuntil April 2026then price rises every April in contract by £2.50£9.00 upfront costPrice details
£569.00 total cost
Includes roaming in 44 destinations
250 GB of 5G data
24 month contract
£24.00 a monthuntil April 2026then price rises every April in contract by £2.50£19.00 upfront costPrice details
£675.00 total cost
Includes roaming in 44 destinations
Uses Three Mobile's Network
100 GB of 5G data
24 month contract
£17.99 a monthuntil April 2026then price rises every April in contract by £1.50£99.00 upfront costPrice details
£478.76 total cost
Unlimited 5G data
24 month contract
£21.00 a monthuntil April 2026then price rises every April in contract by £2.50£135.00 upfront costPrice details
£619.00 total cost
Deals last updated on:
Uswitch services are provided at no cost to you, but we may receive a commission from the companies we refer you to. If a deal is "promoted" on Uswitch's tables, then it has been lent additional visibility as a result of us securing exclusivity on a great deal, or a commercial agreement to showcase what we believe to be market-leading value to consumers. Learn more about how our site works.
Until 2024, many mobile networks have increased contract prices in line with inflation. Starting in January 2025, Ofcom will introduce a ban on inflation-linked price hikes for new contracts. Future price changes will need to be set and fully disclosed in pounds and pence.
Samsung's Galaxy A series is designed to deliver some of the best parts of its flagship S25 series at a much more affordable price.
The new Galaxy A56 is the most premium model in its 2025 lineup, though it remains a solid mid-range device. Here's everything you need to know about it, from its release date and pricing to key specifications.
Supports Samsung's "Awesome Intelligence" which doesn't feature the full slate of AI features in the flagship Samsung phones.
Specs:
OneUI 7 is undeniably slick and has many AI smarts
Lead camera is more than capable
Fresh take on Samsung’s signature look, with built quality to match
Performance and battery life are unknowns right now
This price point is absurdly competitive right now
Misses out on some of the S25’s AI features
Samsung has priced the Galaxy A56 at £499 in the UK, offering a single 256GB storage option. This puts it on par with the £499 Google Pixel 8a, though the Pixel only includes 128GB of storage. Other midrange options, such as the OnePlus 13R and the newly launched iPhone 16e, start at £599.
The Galaxy A56 was released in the UK on March 19, and pre-orders were live from March 2.
After bringing a unified design to the Galaxy S and Galaxy A series last year, Samsung has taken a different approach with the latest Galaxy A models. Especially with its camera design—unlike the Galaxy S25 series, which features separately embedded lenses, the Galaxy A56 has all three rear cameras within a single vertical block.
Elsewhere, the Galaxy A56 comes with an IP67 dust and water resistance rating and is reinforced with Gorilla Glass Victus Plus on both the front and back. Unlike other Galaxy A models that use plastic frames, the A56 features metal sides, giving it a more premium look than its price might suggest.
Samsung has retained the 6.7-inch FHD+ display from the Galaxy A55 but with slimmer bezels. While they aren’t perfectly symmetrical, this trade-off helps keep costs down. The larger display also gives the A56 an advantage over the Pixel 8a, which has a more compact 6.1-inch screen.
Samsung rates the A56’s display brightness at 1,200 nits in high brightness mode, with a peak of 1,900 nits. Finally, Samsung brands all its Galaxy A56 colours with the "Awesome" label, but in simpler terms, the four options available are graphite, light gray, olive, and pink.
The Galaxy A56 features a new 12MP ultrawide camera on the back and a new 12MP selfie camera on the front. The rest of the camera setup, including the 50MP main camera and 5MP macro camera, remains the same as the Galaxy A55.
Despite this mix of old and new hardware, Samsung has made some notable improvements. The main camera now benefits from a more advanced AI-powered image signal processor (ISP), designed to enhance low-light photography. Meanwhile, the new front camera sensor improves low-light selfies and adds support for HDR video.
The AI portrait mode has also been upgraded to better focus shots and enhance details—not just for faces, skin, and hair but also for background elements like the sky and grass, so there is plenty to play with.
The Galaxy A56 doesn’t get full Galaxy AI support, but it does include "Awesome Intelligence,", which brings some of Galaxy AI’s core features. For example, Circle to Search returns now allowing users to search phone numbers, email addresses, URLs, and even songs.
Samsung has also upgraded its Object Eraser, giving A56 users more control over tidying up photos, while a filter creation tool lets you transfer the style of one photo to another, with manual adjustment options available.
The A56 also has exclusive tools compared to other new Galaxy A models. These include Best Face, which helps combine your and your friends' best expressions into one perfect shot, and Auto Trim, which automatically cuts and assembles video clips for you.
The Galaxy A56 is powered by Samsung’s Exynos 1580 chipset, an upgrade on the A55’s 1480, paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, which is standard in the UK. This is a generous storage offering, especially considering that some flagship phones costing significantly more still start with just 128GB.
To help maintain consistent performance, the Galaxy A56 has been equipped with improved vapour chamber cooling, featuring a chamber the same size as the one in last year’s Galaxy S24 Plus. While the Galaxy A series hasn’t been known for gaming performance in the past, this cooling upgrade should help provide a better experience when running demanding apps or games.
Out of the box, the Galaxy A56 runs on One UI 7, Samsung’s Android 15-based OS, which brings a refreshed, more practical interface. The A56 is promised six generations of Android updates and six years of security updates. While this falls short of the seven-year update commitment for the Galaxy S25 series and Google Pixel 8a, it’s still a solid software support guarantee for a budget-friendly device.
The Galaxy A56 is equipped with a huge 5,000mAh battery, the same capacity as the Galaxy S25 Ultra. This should translate to a really impressive battery life, especially for a phone in this ‘budget’ price range.
What’s even more notable is that the A56 supports up to 45W charging, matching the Galaxy S25 Plus and S25 Ultra. This is a great upgrade over previous models, offering much faster charging speeds—as long as you have a compatible charger. Interestingly, this puts it ahead of the standard Galaxy S25, which remains limited to 25W charging, just like older Galaxy A models.
Written by Archie Burkinshaw, Content Editor
The Samsung Galaxy A56 5G has a 6.7-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, ensuring smooth visuals. It's powered by the Exynos 1580 processor, paired with either 8GB or 12GB of RAM, and offers storage options of 128GB or 256GB. The device features a triple rear camera setup: a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 5MP macro lens. For selfies, there's a 12MP front-facing camera. The 5,000mAh battery supports fast charging up to 45W. Additionally, the A56 5G is IP67-rated for water and dust resistance.
Yes, the Galaxy A56 5G supports 5G connectivity, allowing for faster internet speeds and improved network performance.
Samsung has committed to providing up to six generations of Android OS updates and six years of security updates for the Galaxy A56 5G, ensuring the device remains up-to-date with the latest features and security enhancements.
The Galaxy A56 5G's camera system includes AI-driven features such as subject detection in portrait mode, an improved Object Eraser for removing unwanted elements from photos, and advanced Nightography for better low-light photography.
No, the Galaxy A56 5G does not support expandable storage via microSD card. However, it offers 128GB and 256GB internal storage options to accommodate your needs.
No, the Galaxy A56 5G does not include a 3.5mm headphone jack. Users will need to use wireless headphones or USB-C compatible audio devices.
The Galaxy A56 5G is available in four colours: Awesome Lightgray, Awesome Graphite, Awesome Olive, and Awesome Pink.
Yes, the Galaxy A56 5G has an IP67 rating, which makes it resistant to dust and capable of withstanding 30 minutes of immersion in up to 1 meter of water.
The Galaxy A56 5G does not support wireless charging. However, it does support fast wired charging up to 45W.
Pricing for the Galaxy A56 5G varies by region and storage configuration. Please visit Samsung's official website or contact authorized retailers for the most accurate and up-to-date pricing.
