What you need to know
- Samsung is releasing the Galaxy A56 5G later this year for $500, equipped with an Exynos 1580 chipset.
- The Samsung Galaxy A36 5G and Galaxy A26 5G will be available this month for $400 and $300, respectively.
- All three phones will receive “Awesome Intelligence,” a collection of selected AI features coming to the A-series.
Following a series of leaks, Samsung has officially unveiled the Galaxy A26 5G, Galaxy A36 5G, and Galaxy A56 5G on March 1. The Galaxy A56 5G will be released at a price of $499.99 later this year. On the other hand, the Galaxy A36 5G and Galaxy A26 5G will be available on March 26 and March 28, respectively.
In addition to hardware upgrades, all three A-series phones will debut with significant software enhancements. They will come pre-loaded with One UI 7 based on Android 15 and will receive six years of full OS upgrades, a first for Samsung’s budget lineup.
Samsung is also introducing “Awesome Intelligence,” a simplified version of Galaxy AI that includes essential features like Best Face on the Galaxy A56 5G, and improved Object Eraser and Circle to Search on all models.
Furthermore, a new “Filters” feature has been added to mimic Apple’s Photographic Styles tool, allowing users to create custom filters by extracting colors and styles from existing photos for a personalized effect based on their mood and taste.
While the Galaxy A55 5G did not make it to the U.S. last year, there’s speculation that the Galaxy A56 5G might face the same fate. If it does arrive in the U.S., it will compete with devices like the OnePlus 13R and the rumored Google Pixel 9a at the $500 price point. With a 5,000mAh battery, an Exynos 1580 chipset, and 8GB of memory, the Galaxy A56 5G is poised to rival other smartphones. It features a triple-camera system with a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and a 5MP macro camera.
The Galaxy A36 5G is the next device in the lineup, powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 mobile platform with 6GB of memory and a 5,000mAh battery. The camera setup includes a 50MP main sensor, an 8MP ultrawide camera, and a 5MP macro lens. Priced at $399.99, it comes in three color options: Awesome Black, Awesome Lavender, and Awesome Lime (exclusive to Best Buy).
Lastly, the most affordable option is the Galaxy A26 5G, priced at $299.99 and available only in black. It features a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 2MP macro camera.
The Galaxy A26 5G, Galaxy A36 5G, and Galaxy A56 5G all come with 5,000mAh batteries, 128GB of storage, and IP67 dust and water resistance. They also feature larger screens this year, with all three phones sporting a 6.7-inch AMOLED display panel with 120Hz refresh rate support.
The Galaxy A36 5G and Galaxy A26 5G will be available later this month, while the availability of the Galaxy A56 5G has not been disclosed yet.