Everything we know about the Samsung Galaxy A56, A36 and A26
Samsung launches their latest budget smartphone range for half the price of Apple’s ‘affordable’ lineup.
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The battle of the best budget phones has three new contenders, all hailing from Samsung’s latest Galaxy A series.
Users won’t have to settle for the bare basics or a camera quality that’s still stuck in the early 2000s, thanks to the integration of One UI 7 and 50MP main camera lens. Certain features from the new Galaxy S25 range, such as Best Face and Circle to Search, will also be available – along with more years of security upgrades compared to previous A series models.
The new lineup will also start from just $499, leaving a noticeably smaller dent in pockets compared to Apple’s “affordable” alternative which kicks off from $999.
Samsung says the Galaxy A56 5G, Galaxy A36 5G and Galaxy A26 5G is designed for value conscious shoppers who want some premium functionality without having to fork out for the latest and greatest models.
“The new Galaxy A series marks an important step in our mission of AI for all, by opening Galaxy’s incredible mobile AI experiences to even more people around the world,” said President and Head of Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics, TM Roh.
“With these awesome new features and capabilities, we are excited to unlock limitless creativity on the Galaxy A series while ensuring a safe, reliable and fun mobile experience.”
Samsung Galaxy A56 5G
The Galaxy A26 5G will be the top-tier option in the A series, making it equivalent to the Galaxy S25 Ultra in the flagship range. It will be the only model to be available in two storage options, and the sole version to have a 12MP ultra wide camera (compared to the 8MP in the Galaxy A36 5G and Galaxy A26 5G).
Samsung Galaxy A36 5G and Galaxy A26 5G
The Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A26 share many of the same features, such as memory and storage (6GB/128GB), but has slight differences in terms of its physical size and certain camera specs (including the Galaxy A36 5G’s 5MP macro camera and 12MP front camera, versus the Galaxy A26 5G’s 12MP front camera and 13MP front camera). The Galaxy A36 5G is also the most lightweight out of the three models.
The cheapest of the bunch, the Galaxy A26 5G, additionally uses a Super AMOLED Display instead of a FHD+ Super AMOLED Display.
WHAT’S NEW IN THE GALAXY A SERIES?
Samsung’s Galaxy A series is the perfect bridge between dumb phones and flagship phones, offering a middle ground for people looking for their first phone or for those who don’t care about having the latest tech but still prefer something from one of the bigger smartphone brands.
Here’s a breakdown of what we know so far about the new range.
Design
Compared to older A series models, the new releases will be thinner and more lightweight. The design will be consistent across the board, featuring a larger 6.7-inch screen (although the actual viewable area will be closer to 6.5-inches due to the camera hole and rounded corners).
The Galaxy A256 5G, Galaxy A36 5G and Galaxy A56 5G will also have an IP67 rating, which can help with any accidents where the phone might find itself skinny dipping in freshwater (up to 1m for up to 30 minutes).
And most importantly, have a Corning Gorilla Victus+ applied to the front and back. Although the amount of glass varies between the models, with the cheaper A26 5G featuring more plastic.
Features
While the new Galaxy A series won’t get Galaxy AI, you can still enjoy some of the clever features in the latest Galaxy S25 range.
• Best Face: You can use one of the standout features from the Galaxy S25 lineup in the A series. If you have photos where someone has their eyes closed or has their head turned away, Best Face hone into the person’s face and replace it with another still shot from the same Motion Photo.
• Circle to Search: The Google-powered function lets you search for information by circling an image, video or bit of text on your screen.
• Object Eraser: Trace around unwanted objects or people in photos and watch them disappear.
• Filter: Get create with your photos and apply a variety of personalised filters.
• Song Search: Similar to Shazam or SoundHound, Samsung’s Song Search function lets you find the song that’s playing on your phone or in the background at a store. You can also try humming the tune of a song that’s been on your mind.
Battery
The Galaxy A56 5G, Galaxy A36 5G and Galaxy 26 5G will have a 5000mAh battery, and can support 45W charging power and Super-Fast Charge 2.0 technology. The 45W power adapter won’t be included in the box, but you can purchase it separately from Samsung and the usual retailers like The Good Guys and Amazon Australia. There are also 50W and 65W power adapters to help juice up your phone even more quickly.
More security updates
Samsung has progressively increased the number of years for security updates in previous A series launches, with the company now landing at six years with the new range. This can be pretty handy if you’re planning on selling or buying a refurbished model.
Of course, there’s also Samsung’s Knox Vault to keep your data secured inside the device instead.
WHEN CAN YOU BUY THE SAMSUNG GALAXY A SERIES IN AUSTRALIA?
The latest range will hit stores from March 27, 2025. Unlike the flagship series, this lineup won’t be available to pre-order.
HOW MUCH WILL THE SAMSUNG GALAXY A SERIES COST?
There are three models in Samsung’s new Galaxy A series, with a couple of colour options available for the Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56.
• Samsung Galaxy A56 5G: from $699 (available in Awesome Olive and Awesome Graphite)
• Samsung Galaxy A36 5G: from $549 (Awesome Lavender and Awesome Black)
• Samsung Galaxy A26 5G: from $499 (available in Black).
CURRENT SAMSUNG DEALS
- 52 per cent off Samsung Galaxy Fit3, $71.99 (down from $149) at Amazon Australia
- $500 off 49” Odyssey OLED G93SD Curved DQHD Gaming Monitor, $1799 (down from $2299) at Samsung
- $200 Trade-in Bonus for Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra at Samsung
- $148 off Samsung Galaxy A55 (128GB), $549 (down from $697) at The Good Guys
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