Samsung reveals Galaxy A56 with more AI and a modest spec bump

Samsung is bringing even more AI to its line of budget-friendly phones. The new Galaxy A56, A36, and A26 now come with what the company calls “awesome intelligence,” enabling an array of new AI-powered image editing features already available with Samsung’s pricier S25 lineup.

One of these features is Best Face, an AI tool that lets you swap the facial expressions of up to five people in a motion photo in case someone blinks or looks away from the camera. It’s similar to Google Pixel’s Best Take and launched with the Galaxy S25 in January.

Besides new AI features, Samsung made some small design tweaks to each phone, as well. In addition to an oval-shaped rear camera housing, all three devices now have the same 6.7-inch full HD Plus display with an up to 120Hz refresh rate, as opposed to the smaller 6.6-inch screen on the A55 and A35, and 6.5 inches on the A25. The A56 comes with the same 12MP ultrawide sensor, 50MP main camera, and 5MP macro camera. It also has a 12MP selfie shooter (which is lower than the A55’s 32MP front-facing sensor).

Though the A56 comes with an upgraded Exynos 1580 chip, the A36 has a last-gen Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chip. All three A-series devices have a 5,000 mAh battery, but only the A56 and A36 support 45W charging and come with a “larger vapor chamber” to improve performance. Samsung has also extended IP67 dust and water resistance to the A26 for the first time. The phones will ship with Android 15 and come in a range of colors that vary by device.

At $499, the Galaxy A56 is the most expensive of the bunch and will launch in the US “later this year.” The A36 will be available on March 26th exclusively at Best Buy starting at $399, while the A26 will cost $299 when it launches on March 28th. The Galaxy A56, A36, and A26 will also be available for purchase in the UK on March 19th for £499, £399, and £299, respectively.