Samsung Galaxy A56 Challengers: It might have started the year with its flagship S series, but Samsung has now turned its attention to the mid-segment with the launch of three A series phones, the Galaxy A26, the Galaxy A36 and the Galaxy A5 at different price points. The most impressive of this trio is the Samsung Galaxy S56, which is close to the budget flagship segment at its starting price of Rs 41,999 and brings some very impressive specs to the table.
The most striking of these is the 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate and a 50 megapixel main camera with OIS, accompanied by a 12 megapixel ultrawide and a 5 megapixel macro camera on the back, with a 32 megapixel snapper handling selfies. You also get Android 15 out of the box with Samsung’s One UI 7 on top, with assured updates for six years, as well as a 5,000 mAh battery that keeps all this ticking smoothly with support for 45W charging (though with no charger in the box).
Snapdragon fans might frown at the Exynos 1580 chip that powers the device, but it does have some very impressive benchmarks going in its favour. All of this hardware and software goodness comes within a clean, minimalistic design that scores on understated style with a flat back and front, straight sides, and a dark horizontal capsule-shaped camera unit, topped off with Gorilla Glass Victus+ glass on front and back and IP67 dust and water resistance.
All of which makes this quite a stunning Galaxy in form as well as function. And it is going to need to be good in both departments to fight off some serious competition in a segment dominated not just by premium mid-segment devices but also some budget flagships.
Standing between the Galaxy A56 and A-grade success are these five very good phones:
OnePlus 13R: Shadow Of The Never Settler
Price: Rs 42,999 onwards
The biggest headache for the Galaxy A56 is the budget flagship killer brother of the OnePlus 13, the OnePlus 13R. At a price close to that of the Galaxy A56, the OnePlus 13R brings a larger and higher resolution 6.78-inch AMOLED display with 1264 x 2780 resolution and 120 Hz refresh rate. It too has a 50 megapixel main camera with OIS, although its ultrawide is 8 megapixel and the selfie is 16 megapixel.
The phone runs on the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which remains a flagship-level chip, with plenty of RAM and storage, and also has a massive 6000 mAh battery with support for 80W charging and a charger in the box.
Round that off with OnePlus’s OxygenOS and Android 15, along with a sleek design with Gorilla Glass 7i protection on the front and an IP65 rating, and you have a formidable challenger to not just the Galaxy A56 but any phone priced in the region of Rs 40,000.
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE: Many Fans Of This Edition
Price: Rs 37,999 onwards
It might be more than a year old now, but the Galaxy S23 FE remains a terrific performer and, thanks to a few price cuts, now stands in the way of its latest Samsung sibling. It might have a smaller 6.4-inch FHD+ display, but it is Dynamic AMOLED 2x, and comes with a 120 Hz refresh rate. The Exynos 2200 remains a very good chip, and the camera array on the back of the phone is more versatile than the one on Galaxy A56 – a 50 megapixel main sensor with OIS, an 8 megapixel telephoto with 3x zoom and OIS and a 12 megapixel ultrawide.
A 10-megapixel snapper handles selfies, and although the 4500 mAh battery is smaller than the one on the Galaxy A56 and charges at a relatively slower 25W, it comes with support for 15W wireless charging, which is a rarity in this segment.
Yes, you will not get One UI 7 out of the box, but updates are regular, and the camera still has very premium flagship feels, making this Fan Edition a fan favourite even now.
Xiaomi 14 Civi: Still Very Leica-ble
Price: Rs 39,999 onwards
The Xiaomi 15 series might be hogging most of the spotlight right now, but the Xiaomi 14 Civi remains a very good option for those who want a phone with a powerful chipset and good cameras.
It comes with a very eye-catching design and is available in six colours. It runs on the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor and sports a brilliant 6.55-inch AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and a high resolution of 1236 x 2750. The phone also boasts an impressive three-camera array on its back made in collaboration with the legendary Leica – a 50 megapixel main camera with OIS, a 50 megapixel telephoto with 2x optical zoom and a 12 megapixel ultrawide.
It is also the only phone in the market with two 32-megapixel selfie sensors in front. Add a number of innovative shooting modes to that mix, and you have one of the best camera setups in the segment. The phone comes with Android 14 out of the box but is expected to get Android 15, and has Xiaomi’s efficient HyperOS interface.
The 4700 mAh battery is not the largest, but it will get you through a day of usage, and the 67W charger will get it fully charged in a mere 40 minutes.
Google Pixel 8a: For The Purist & Photo Crowd
Price: Rs 37,999 onwards
It took a lot of criticism when it was launched at a price over Rs 50,000 last year, but Google’s Pixel 8a is now available at a much lower price, so much so that it is now a headache for the Galaxy A56. Being a Pixel, it, of course, comes with uncluttered, clean Android and gets updates before most other devices, and in another Pixel tradition, the 64-megapixel main camera with OIS and 13-megapixel ultrawide combine to take fantastic photographs, thanks to Google’s computational photography magic.
A 13-megapixel camera in front churns out some sharp selfies, and the presence of Google’s Tensor G3 ensures plenty of smart functions and even great AI performance, although it is hardly a gaming beast. All of this comes in a compact if slightly plain frame with a 6.1-inch FHD+ display that is a little dull in comparison to the others in this list. The 4492 mAh battery is on the smaller side too, and it charges only at 18W and comes with no charger, although there is support for 7.5W wireless charging.
It is a lightweight flagship, but still remains a terrific device for pure Android and photography fans.
iQoo 12: Still A Flagship
Price: Rs 41,999 onwards
It might have launched in late 2023, but the iQoo 12 remains a formidable presence in the market. The main reason for this is its still-strong spec sheet game, which is now available at an even lower price (it was launched at almost Rs 55,000).
The phone comes with a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a high refresh rate of 144 Hz and a resolution of 2800 x 1260 and runs on the still very powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip (similar to the one on the OnePLus 13R and Galaxy S24 Ultra).
It easily has the most impressive camera lineup in this list – a 50 megapixel main sensor with OIS, a 64 megapixel telephoto with 3x zoom, and a 50 megapixel ultrawide with autofocus on the back, although the 16 megapixel selfie sensor is a bit of a let down.
A large 5000 mAh battery keeps the iQoo 12 going, while a super fast 120W battery gets it recharged in next to no time. The FunTouch OS running on the phone is a little cluttered, and iQoo’s update game needs some work, but in terms of sheer specs, this remains a monster. A classy design adds to its nightmare value for the Galaxy A56.
