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The boring Galaxy A56 makes me think Samsung needs to revise its mid-range strategy ASAP

By Adrian Diaconescu

Published: Feb 28, 2025, 10:30 AM

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Samsung is preparing to officially announce some of its most exciting new phones of 2025 in just a couple of days. Wait, no, that's not right. Samsung is gearing up for the March 2 launch event of some of its least exciting products this year. There it is.

Now, I know what you're going to ask. Why do I always have to hate on the world's second-largest smartphone vendor? Well, I'm going to tell you why. Because the company seems to be running on autopilot for more than a little while, and the current state of the once-mighty and full-of-promise Galaxy A family illustrates Samsung's complacency better than anything else.

Why does the Galaxy A56 look so darn bland?

You may have forgotten this (and Samsung sure acts like it did), but Galaxy A5x devices used to be massively popular just a few short years ago. The A51, for instance, was 2020's fourth best-selling smartphone in the world, ranking behind three iPhone models to essentially take home the Android popularity trophy for that year.

Fast-forward to 2024, and the Galaxy A55 is nowhere to be found on the latest yearly top ten list of the best-selling phones around the globe. Will the Galaxy A56 match the glory of its ancestors? I think not, and the number one reason why is that the upcoming 6.7-inch mid-ranger looks practically identical to the humbler and cheaper Galaxy A36 at first glance.

Not even this snazzy color can make the boring Galaxy A56 pop. | Image Credit -- WinFuture

You may need a second or even a third look to comprehend how the A56 distinguishes itself from its little equally sized brother, and more annoyingly, you might need a few seconds (or even minutes) to understand the differences between this thing and a few Galaxy M-series devices released last year.

While generic designs are obviously not a uniquely Samsung problem in this day and age, companies like Google, OnePlus, and Motorola tend to make upper mid-range handsets you can easily mix up with their higher-end brothers and cousins rather than lower-end models.

Just take a quick look at the Motorola Edge (2024). You'll never guess that it routinely costs $300 these days. And how about the OnePlus 13R? That inexpensive powerhouse is pretty much as premium-looking as the "regular" OnePlus 13. And yes, I realize that the Galaxy A56 kinda, sorta resembles the Galaxy S25, but that's only because the S25 itself is, let's face it, pretty bland (at least on the surface).

Where's the Galaxy A76?

It's not only the A56's external appearance that I find boring and unexciting, but that spec sheet too. Exynos 1580 power? Meh. No 12GB RAM-packing variant? Get with the times, Samsung! 50 + 12 + 5MP triple rear-facing camera system? Meh again.

Good thing this is not the company's upper mid-range option this year, right? Right??? Wait, there's no Galaxy A76 in the pipeline? And the A56 is probably not coming to the US, leaving the mediocre A36 as the best new option for Samsung fans on tight budgets in 2025?

In lieu of a Galaxy A76, we'll get a Galaxy A36 that looks virtually identical to the Galaxy A56. | Image Credit -- WinFuture

That's a bad, lazy, and frankly inexplicable strategy for a tech giant that doesn't seem to understand that not everyone can afford a member of the Galaxy S25 family or even the Galaxy S24 FE. Granted, Galaxy A7-series devices have never sold like hotcakes (or like their Galaxy A5-series siblings), but instead of retiring the line, Samsung could have revised its role in the company's grand product roster.

Let's imagine for a second a Galaxy A76 with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, a larger-than-5,000mAh battery, 12GB RAM, and a $600 or so price point. Could Samsung pull that off? Absolutely. Would it be successful? I think so. Would it step on the S24 FE's turf? Kind of, which is why I believe Samsung must consider a broader strategy change.

Do we need a Galaxy S25 FE?

I think we do. But only because the Galaxy A76 is not happening, which I think is a mistake. What I'm trying to say is that Samsung does (clearly) need a slightly humbler phone than the Galaxy S25, but that should probably be a bit cheaper than the S24 FE to better compete against the OnePlus 13, Google's fast-approaching Pixel 9a, and yes, Apple's freshly released iPhone 16e.

The S24 FE is a pretty good phone, but the S25 FE could be better with a lower price point. | Image Credit -- PhoneArena

Samsung would then be much better off with a higher-end Galaxy A56 and a Galaxy A36 with a distinct design. The Galaxy A26, meanwhile, should be killed with fire in its current incarnation and redesigned from the ground up with (ideally) a smaller screen and a clearer focus on achieving the best possible balance between value and power in the sub-$300 segment.

Last but not least, Samsung's mid-range smartphone family would probably benefit from a rebranding effort too, although that's most likely the least of the company's worries these days.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.