Samsung Galaxy A56 vs A55 vs A54: Breaking down the evolution in Samsung’s mid-range series

By Aleksandar Anastasov

Published: Nov 12, 2024, 9:25 AM

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Samsung

Galaxy A55 and A54 on top of each other laid on rusted surface.

Intro

Samsung’s Galaxy A5x series is a popular choice in the mid-range market, delivering dependable performance and a near-flagship design without breaking the bank. The Galaxy A56 looks to improve upon its predecessors, the A55 and A54, but for now mostly in terms of chip performance.

The Galaxy A56 is expected to pack a new Exynos 1580 processor, which promises faster performance and greater power efficiency compared to the Exynos 1480 in the A55 and the Exynos 1380 in the A54. Other enhancements may include a brighter display, wireless charging support, and an 8GB base RAM, all of which could make the A56 a meaningful upgrade over the previous two models.

In this comparison, we’ll take a look at how the upcoming Galaxy A56 from Samsung will build upon the last two models in this series, potentially noticing some of the trends and where the company might be heading with the Galaxy A5x.

Galaxy A56 vs Galaxy A55 vs Galaxy A54 differences:

Galaxy A56	Galaxy A55	Galaxy A54
Much faster and more power-efficient Exynos 1580 processor	Exynos 1480 processor	Exynos 1380 processor
Aluminum frame	Aluminum frame	Plastic frame
6.6" display with higher brightness	6.6" display with okay brightness levels	6.4" display with okay brightness levels
£439 / €479 starting price	£439 / €479 starting price	£449 / €459 starting price
Comes with 3 cameras at the back, might change the macro camera with a telephoto one	Comes with 3 cameras at the back, including a 50 MP wide, 12 MP ultra-wide, 5 MP macro	Comes with 3 cameras at the back, including a 50 MP wide, 12 MP ultra-wide, 5 MP macro
8GB base RAM	6GB base RAM	4GB base RAM
5,000 mAh battery	5,000 mAh battery	5,000 mAh battery

Table of Contents:

Design and Size

Samsung has reached a comfortable design

The Galaxy A54 introduced a new design in 2023, dropping the camera island and adopting a similar look to Samsung's more recent flagship phones. Then the Galaxy A55 improved upon that redesign by dropping the plastic frame for an aluminum one, which gave it a more premium feel. Samsung also introduced a slight bump where the volume and power buttons are, making its latest A5x series stand out even more from the previous.

But when it comes to design, we expect there two be little notable about the Galaxy A56. Samsung will most likely stick to the same look for 2025. That goes not only for the shape, but also for the size of the A56, which should be very similar to 161.1 x 77.4 x 8.2 mm. Those are the dimensions of the A55, which is somewhat larger compared to the A54, measuring at 158.2 x 76.7 x 8.2 mm.

Durability-wise, Samsung could increase the dust and water resistance to an IP68 rating, although that is typically reserved for much more expensive phones. So, an IP67 rating is what we expect to see, which is also what the A55 and A54 have and nearly as good.

There haven't been any leaks to hint at the Galaxy A56 colors yet, but here are the hues that the two previous generations came with:

Galaxy A55 colors:

Iceblue
Lilac
Navy
Lemon

Galaxy A54 colors:

Graphite
Lime
White
Violet

Display Differences

The Galaxy A55 came with a slightly larger 6.6" display compared to the 6.4" one on the Galaxy A54. It's bezels were also ever so slightly thinned out, making it more appealing at the front. That said, it scored the same 1000 nits of maximum brightness during our display lab tests, which is alright but nothing to write home about.

What we are hoping to see with the A56 is an increase by 200 nits, which would help the phone be more usable in bright conditions. Other than that, however, the displays on the A5x series are typically amazing, so there isn't much else to want for. The A55 even comes with the very durable Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection, which is also what the A56 should have.

Performance and Software

Where the upgrades are almost certain

If nothing else gets updated with a new A5x generation, then at least the processor will be. At least that is what Samsung has stuck to for the past few years. The Galaxy A54 came with the Exynos 1380 and the A55 from this year has the Exynos 1480.

Our benchmark performance tests showed us that the jump in CPU and GPU power was not that significant between the A54 and A55, but the Exynos 1580 said to come with the Galaxy A56 promises an exciting upgrade.

The Exynos 1580 comes with a much better CPU consisting of 8 cores: one Cortex-A720 core clocked at 2.9GHz, three more Cortex-A720 cores at 2.6GHz, and four energy-efficient Cortex-A520 cores at 1.95GHz. It also has a AMD Xclipse 540 GPU, which Samsung says is 37% faster and 20% more power efficient than the previous generation.

In other words, we expect the A56 to be a substantially more powerful phone compared to its latest predecessors, especially if we consider the rumored higher memory of 8GB. Storage will probably remain the same, however, with 128GB and 256GB options.

As for software, we highly doubt that Samsung will give the A5x more than the usual four years of major OS updates. As with the A55 and A54, the Galaxy A56 will also launch with the latest version of Android and Samsung's One UI skin on top, which in this case would be Android 15 and One UI 7.

And as for AI, Samsung will surely give the same Galaxy AI features it introduced to the previous two generations, although we might also see one or two new ones that are currently exclusive to the S24 FE and the flagship S24 series.

Camera

We need an update

We have had the same ultra-wide, macro, and selfie cameras on the Galaxy A5x models for the past three years now. Samsung upgraded the main camera with the Galaxy A54 in 2023 with a new 50 MP sensor, which was also the one the Galaxy A55 has. So, in short, we think it is time for another camera upgrade.

While there are no rumors to point at any camera-related changes coming with the A56, Samsung might decide to finally ditch the useless 5 MP macro camera for a somewhat usable telephoto one. This will arguably be an even bigger selling point than the new processor, as it would make the A56 one of the most best camera phones at its price point.

But if you are interested in the camera specs in detail, here's what the Galaxy A55 and A54 came with:

Main: 50 MP, f/1.8 aperture, 1/1.56" sensor size, 1.0µm pixel size, PDAF, optical image stabilization (OIS)
Ultra-wide: 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚, 1/3.06", 1.12µm
Macro: 5 MP, f/2.4
Front: 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm, 1/2.74", 0.8µm

Battery Life and Charging

Waiting for that wireless charging support

The Galaxy A55 and A54 both came with a 5,000 mAh battery capacity, but the former achieved much better results during our battery tests, especially when it came to battery drain during 3D gaming.

Since the A56 will probably have the same battery capacity, we are hoping that the new Exynos 1580 chip will offer yet another increase in battery life through better energy optimization. The improvement likely won't be significant, but it will still make the new model better.

As for charging, this year we were quite disappointed to see that the A55 has the same 25W wired charging speed and no wireless charging support like the A54. By adding wireless charging to the upcoming Galaxy A56, Samsung has an easy way of making it stand out more than its predecessors.

Specs Comparison

Samsung has basically been rehashing the same specs with its Galaxy A5x series for the past couple of years, and from what we know so far it might be doing it for the third year in a row. Our hopes are that the A56 will not only come with a new, slightly more powerful chipset, but with some much-needed upgrades to the brightness and charging.

Check out the full Galaxy A56 vs Galaxy A55 vs Galaxy A54 specs page, or take a look at the overview below:

Specs	Galaxy A56*	Galaxy A55	Galaxy A54
Size, weight	161.1 x 77.4 x 8.2 mm, 213 g	161.1 x 77.4 x 8.2 mm, 213 g	158.2 x 76.7 x 8.2 mm, 202 g
Screen	6.6" Super AMOLED 1080 x 2340 resolution 120Hz refresh rate Possibly higher brightness Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+	6.6" Super AMOLED 1080 x 2340 resolution 120Hz refresh rate 1000 nits brightness Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+	6.4" Super AMOLED 1080 x 2340 resolution 120Hz refresh rate 1000 nits brightness Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Processor	Exynos 1580 4nm	Exynos 1480 4nm	Exynos 1380 5nm
RAM, Storage	8/128 GB 8/256 GB LPDDR5	6/128 GB 6/256 GB LPDDR5	6/128 GB 6/256 GB LPDDR5
Cameras	50MP main 12MP ultra 5MP macro 32MP front	50MP main 12MP ultra 5MP macro 32MP front	50MP main 12MP ultra 5MP macro 32MP front
Battery	5000 mAh	5000 mAh	5000 mAh
Charging	USB-C 25W wired Might get wireless charging	USB-C 25W wired No wireless	USB-C 25W wired No wireless

*Expected specs

You can also use PhoneArena's tool for additional Android phone comparisons.

Summary

It's not hard to see that the Galaxy A55 was a somewhat uninspired upgrade over the Galaxy a54. It lacked two key features that fans really wanted — a telephoto camera and wireless charging. We highly doubt that the new, and impressive, Exynos 1580 will be the only new thing about the A56, so there is plenty of room for hope that we might get at least one of the two.

Whatever the case, we still know very little about the A56, even though the expected announcement in March is not that far off into the future at this point. But the closer we get the more will become clear, so stay tuned for more updates on this preliminary comparison.

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Aleksandar is a tech enthusiast with a broad range of interests, from smartphones to space exploration. His curiosity extends to hands-on DIY experiments with his gadgets, and he enjoys switching between different brands to experience the latest innovations. Prior to joining PhoneArena, Aleksandar worked on the Google Art Project, digitizing valuable artworks and gaining diverse perspectives on technology. When he's not immersed in tech, Aleksandar is an outdoorsman who enjoys mountain hikes, wildlife photography, and nature conservation. His interests also extend to martial arts, running, and snowboarding, reflecting his dynamic approach to life and technology.