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Samsung Galaxy A56 5G vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

₹1,10,000 apart. Here is what actually separates them.

The short version

Which one should you buy?

The Galaxy A56 5G starts ₹1,10,000 lower: ₹44,999 against ₹1,54,999 for the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

  • The Galaxy S26 Ultra charges faster: 60W against 45W.
  • The Galaxy S26 Ultra has the better screen on paper: brighter (2,600 nits against 1,200) and sharper (Quad HD+ against Full HD+).
  • Only the Galaxy S26 Ultra has a zoom camera, a 50MP 5x telephoto.
  • The Galaxy S26 Ultra is promised more software updates: 7 OS updates, against 6 OS updates for the Galaxy A56 5G.
  • The Galaxy A56 5G is the lighter phone: 198 g against 214 g.
Which to buy

Get the Galaxy A56 5G for the lower price and the lighter build. Get the Galaxy S26 Ultra for faster charging, the better screen and the zoom camera.

Side by side

Every spec, lined up

Better on paper

Spec score

SpecGalaxy A56 5GGalaxy S26 Ultra
Overall 7.5 out of 10 8.9 out of 10 (better)
Performance 7.2 out of 10 10 out of 10 (better)
Display 8.3 out of 10 9.1 out of 10 (better)
Rear camera 6.9 out of 10 9.3 out of 10 (better)
Front camera 5.1 out of 10 6.5 out of 10 (better)
Battery 6.9 out of 10 6.9 out of 10
Build 9.3 out of 10 9.3 out of 10
Software 9.3 out of 10 10 out of 10 (better)

Display

SpecGalaxy A56 5GGalaxy S26 Ultra
Size 6.7 inches 6.9 inches
Panel Super AMOLED Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Resolution 2340 x 1080 (Full HD+) 3120 x 1440 (Quad HD+) (better)
Refresh rate 120Hz 120Hz
Peak brightness 1,200 nits 2,600 nits (better)
Protection Gorilla Glass Victus+ Gorilla Armor 2 (front), Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (rear)

Performance

SpecGalaxy A56 5GGalaxy S26 Ultra
Chipset Exynos 1580 Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
CPU Octa-core, up to 2.9GHz Octa-core, up to 4.74GHz
RAM 8GB 12GB
Storage 128GB, 256GB 256GB, 512GB
Software One UI 7 · 6 OS updates One UI 8.5 · 7 OS updates (better)

Camera

SpecGalaxy A56 5GGalaxy S26 Ultra
Rear cameras 50MP main (f/1.8, OIS) + 12MP ultrawide (f/2.2) + 5MP macro (f/2.4) 200MP main (f/1.4, OIS) + 50MP telephoto (f/2.9, 5x optical) + 50MP ultrawide (f/1.9) + 10MP telephoto (f/2.4, 3x optical)
Front camera 12MP (f/2.2) 12MP (f/2.2, AF)
Video 4K at 30fps (rear) 8K at 30fps (rear)

Battery

SpecGalaxy A56 5GGalaxy S26 Ultra
Battery 5,000 mAh 5,000 mAh
Wired charging 45W 60W (better)

Build and connectivity

SpecGalaxy A56 5GGalaxy S26 Ultra
Network 5G (Sub6 FDD/TDD), 4G LTE 5G (Sub6 FDD/TDD), 4G LTE
SIM Dual nano SIM + eSIM Dual nano SIM + eSIM
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0
NFC Not listed Yes
Dust and water IP67 IP68 (better)
Weight 198 g (better) 214 g
Thickness 7.4 mm (better) 7.9 mm
Colours Awesome Olive, Awesome Midnight Blue, Awesome Violet Glow, Awesome Graphite, Awesome Lightgray, Awesome Pink Cobalt Violet, Black, Sky Blue, White, Pinkgold, Silver Shadow

Availability

SpecGalaxy A56 5GGalaxy S26 Ultra
Launch in India 3 Mar 2025 26 Feb 2026
Status On sale On sale
Price in India

Versions and prices

Galaxy A56 5G
  • 8GB + 128GB₹44,999
  • 8GB + 256GB₹48,999
Galaxy S26 Ultra
  • 12GB + 256GB₹1,54,999
  • 12GB + 512GB₹1,74,999

Prices in India as we last checked them. Sales and bank offers change them often, so check before you buy.

Quick answers

Galaxy A56 5G vs Galaxy S26 Ultra, answered

In India, the Samsung Galaxy A56 5G starts at ₹44,999 and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra starts at ₹1,54,999.

Read moreRead less

Which is cheaper, the Galaxy A56 5G or the Galaxy S26 Ultra?

The Galaxy A56 5G, by ₹1,10,000. Starting prices: ₹44,999 for the Galaxy A56 5G, ₹1,54,999 for the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The Galaxy A56 5G comes in 2 versions, up to ₹48,999. The Galaxy S26 Ultra comes in 2 versions, up to ₹1,74,999.

Which has the bigger battery, the Galaxy A56 5G or the Galaxy S26 Ultra?

Neither: both have 5,000 mAh. For charging, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is quicker: 60W to 45W. Battery life also depends on the chip and the software, so treat these as a starting point.

Which has the better display?

On paper, the Galaxy S26 Ultra's: it is brighter (2,600 to 1,200 nits). The Galaxy A56 5G has a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED at 120Hz, the Galaxy S26 Ultra a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X at 120Hz.

Which has the better camera?

On features, only the Galaxy S26 Ultra has a zoom camera. The main cameras are 50MP main (f/1.8, OIS) on the Galaxy A56 5G and 200MP main (f/1.4, OIS) on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. A spec sheet can't show how the photos look, so read a review before you decide on the camera alone.

Which processors do they use?

The Galaxy A56 5G runs the Exynos 1580, the Galaxy S26 Ultra the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy.

Which gets more software updates?

The Galaxy S26 Ultra. It is promised 7 OS updates; the Galaxy A56 5G, 6 OS updates.

Which is better protected against water?

The Galaxy S26 Ultra, rated IP68 to the Galaxy A56 5G's IP67. Still, no phone is fully waterproof, so keep them out of the pool.

Which is lighter?

The Galaxy A56 5G, at 198 g to 214 g.