Samsung Galaxy A56 5G VS Samsung Galaxy S25 FE

In terms of physical dimensions, the two phones are remarkably close. The Galaxy S25 FE is marginally more compact — 161.3 × 76.6 mm versus 162.2 × 77.5 mm for the A56 — and its volume of 91.4 cm³ is slightly smaller than the A56's 93.0 cm³. Both share an identical 7.4 mm thickness, so neither phone will feel noticeably slimmer in hand. The S25 FE also comes in at 190 g compared to the A56's 198 g, an 8-gram difference that is unlikely to be felt during casual use but does give the S25 FE a very slight ergonomic edge over extended sessions.

Where the gap becomes more meaningful is water resistance. Both phones are rated Waterproof, but the S25 FE carries an IP68 certification while the A56 is rated IP67. In practical terms, IP67 guarantees protection against immersion up to 1 meter for 30 minutes, whereas IP68 extends that to greater depths (typically 1.5 meters or more, per manufacturer testing). For most users this distinction rarely matters day-to-day, but it is a genuine advantage if accidental submersion is a concern — a pool drop, for instance, is far less risky with an IP68 device.

Neither phone features a rugged build or foldable form factor, so both target the same mainstream slab-phone audience. Overall, the Galaxy S25 FE holds a clear, if modest, design edge: it is slightly lighter, marginally more pocketable, and — most importantly — offers superior water resistance thanks to its IP68 rating.

Across every single display specification provided, the Galaxy A56 5G and Galaxy S25 FE are identical — and that shared spec sheet is genuinely impressive. Both feature a 6.7″ OLED/AMOLED panel at 1080 × 2340 px with a pixel density of 385 ppi, which is sharp enough that individual pixels are indistinguishable at normal viewing distances. The 120Hz refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling and responsive touch input, while a typical brightness of 1200 nits delivers solid outdoor legibility in most daylight conditions.

Both phones also share the same suite of premium display features: HDR10+ support for high dynamic range content on compatible streaming platforms, an Always-On Display for glanceable notifications, and Gorilla Glass Victus for scratch and drop resistance. Neither supports Dolby Vision, but HDR10+ is a robust standard that covers the vast majority of HDR content available today, so this omission is unlikely to matter for most users.

The verdict here is a straightforward tie. There is no differentiator — not even a minor one — between these two phones on display. Buyers choosing between them can set screen quality entirely aside and focus their decision on the other specification groups.

This is where the two phones diverge most dramatically. The Galaxy S25 FE is powered by the Exynos 2400, a flagship-tier chipset, while the Galaxy A56 5G runs on the mid-range Exynos 1580. The benchmark numbers tell the story bluntly: the S25 FE scores 2,147,521 on AnTuTu versus the A56's 932,578 — more than double. The gap is equally stark in Geekbench 6, where the S25 FE posts a multi-core score of 7,000 and single-core of 2,198, against the A56's 3,893 and 1,360 respectively. In practice, this translates to faster app launches, smoother multitasking under heavy load, and a notably more capable experience in demanding tasks like video editing or high-fidelity gaming.

The S25 FE's CPU architecture also reflects its flagship lineage: it fields a 10-thread configuration including a prime core clocked at 3.2 GHz, compared to the A56's 8-thread layout topping out at 2.9 GHz. On the memory side, the A56 actually ships with more RAM — 12 GB versus 8 GB — which could support more apps staying resident in the background. However, the S25 FE counters with faster 4200 MHz RAM and a higher maximum memory bandwidth of 64 GB/s (versus 51.2 GB/s), meaning its memory subsystem moves data more efficiently even if the pool is smaller.

The Galaxy S25 FE wins this category decisively. The Exynos 2400 outperforms the Exynos 1580 by a wide margin across every compute and GPU metric, and no amount of extra RAM on the A56's side closes that gap. Users who prioritize sustained performance and future-proofing will find the S25 FE in a different league here.

On the surface, the two camera systems look similar — both lead with a 50 MP main shooter and a 12 MP ultrawide, share identical apertures across all lenses, and include optical image stabilization. The meaningful differences, however, stack up firmly in the Galaxy S25 FE's favor. Its third lens is an 8 MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, whereas the A56 pairs its 5 MP third lens with 0x optical zoom — meaning the A56 has no true zoom capability and relies entirely on digital cropping, which degrades image quality at distance. For anyone who regularly photographs subjects from afar, this gap alone is significant.

The S25 FE also pulls ahead on sensor technology and video. It incorporates a BSI (back-side illuminated) sensor, which improves light capture efficiency — particularly useful in low-light conditions — while the A56 uses a standard front-side illuminated CMOS. On video, the S25 FE can record at up to 4320p (8K) at 30 fps, compared to the A56's ceiling of 2160p (4K). Beyond resolution, the S25 FE adds laser autofocus for faster, more reliable subject locking, supports RAW image capture for photographers who want full post-processing control, and includes manual shutter speed — a control the A56 omits entirely.

The Galaxy S25 FE is the clear winner in this category. While both phones share a competent imaging foundation, the S25 FE's true optical zoom, superior sensor design, 8K video ceiling, and broader manual controls place it in a noticeably higher tier for photography and videography.

The software feature sets of these two phones are nearly identical, which is unsurprising given they share the same manufacturer and ecosystem. Both run a full-featured Android build with dynamic theming, customizable notifications, picture-in-picture, split-screen multitasking, on-device machine learning, and a solid suite of privacy controls. The breadth of shared functionality means neither phone disadvantages users from a day-to-day software standpoint.

Two differences stand out. First, the Galaxy S25 FE ships with Android 16 while the Galaxy A56 5G launches on Android 15 — giving the S25 FE a generational head start and, in practical terms, a slightly longer runway before its OS version ages out of relevance. Second, only the S25 FE supports PC mode, allowing it to be connected to an external display and used as a desktop-like computing environment. For users who want to consolidate their devices or work from a single screen on the go, this is a meaningful capability the A56 simply cannot offer.

The Galaxy S25 FE takes a narrow but genuine edge here. Android 16 out of the box and PC mode functionality are the only differentiators in this group, but both are real advantages — one extending software longevity, the other expanding the phone's utility beyond a handheld device.

Battery capacity is essentially a wash here. The Galaxy A56 5G packs a 5000 mAh cell versus the Galaxy S25 FE's 4900 mAh — a 100 mAh difference so small that it will never be perceptible in real-world use. Both phones match on wired charging speed at 45W, and neither includes a charger in the box, so users coming from slower-charging devices will need to factor in that additional purchase regardless of which phone they choose.

The one meaningful distinction is that the S25 FE supports wireless charging, while the A56 does not. Wireless charging trades raw speed for convenience — the ability to drop the phone on a pad without fumbling for a cable is a quality-of-life feature that, once adopted, tends to become a daily habit. It also reduces wear on the charging port over time. For users already invested in a wireless charging ecosystem at home or at the office, the A56's omission of this feature is a genuine drawback.

Given the negligible capacity gap, the Galaxy S25 FE takes the edge in this category solely on the strength of its wireless charging support. Both phones charge equally fast over a cable, but the S25 FE offers an additional, more convenient path to a full battery that the A56 simply cannot match.

The audio specs for these two phones share a common baseline: both drop the 3.5 mm headphone jack, deliver stereo speakers for immersive media playback, and omit an FM radio. Users reliant on wired headphones will need an adapter or Bluetooth alternatives on either device.

The only differentiator in this group is microphone count. The Galaxy S25 FE features 3 microphones to the Galaxy A56 5G's 2. An additional microphone enables more sophisticated spatial audio capture and improved noise cancellation during calls and video recording — the phone can more effectively isolate the user's voice from background noise by triangulating sound sources. This is particularly relevant for video creators or frequent voice/video callers in noisy environments.

The Galaxy S25 FE holds a slim but legitimate edge here thanks to its third microphone. For most casual users the real-world difference will be subtle, but for those who prioritize call clarity or on-device video audio capture, it is the more capable of the two.

Shared connectivity fundamentals — 5G, NFC, USB-C, GPS, gyroscope, accelerometer, and compass — are present on both phones, so neither leaves users short on everyday essentials. The divergence begins with cellular throughput: the Galaxy S25 FE supports download speeds up to 9,640 Mbits/s and uploads of 2,550 Mbits/s, roughly double the Galaxy A56 5G's 5,100 / 1,280 Mbits/s. In practical terms this gap only matters in areas with very dense, high-capacity 5G networks, but it does reflect the S25 FE's more advanced modem and positions it better for network infrastructure that continues to expand.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth follow the same pattern. The S25 FE adds Wi-Fi 6E support, which opens access to the less congested 6 GHz band — a tangible benefit in dense environments like apartments or offices where the 5 GHz band is crowded. Its Bluetooth 5.4 is a minor step ahead of the A56's 5.3, with incremental improvements to connection reliability. One notable trade-off, however, is SIM flexibility: the A56 accommodates 2 physical SIMs and 2 eSIMs, making it significantly more appealing for frequent travelers or dual-SIM users, while the S25 FE is limited to 1 SIM and 1 eSIM. Additionally, the S25 FE includes a barometer — useful for altitude tracking and weather sensing — which the A56 lacks.

This group has no single winner. The S25 FE leads on raw wireless performance, Wi-Fi 6E, and sensor depth, but the A56 5G holds a clear practical advantage for anyone who depends on dual physical SIM support. The right choice here depends entirely on the user's specific connectivity priorities.

The miscellaneous specs for the Galaxy A56 5G and Galaxy S25 FE are identical across every data point provided: both include a video light, and neither features a sapphire glass display, a curved screen, or an e-paper display. There is nothing in this group that separates the two phones in any meaningful way.

This is a clear tie. Buyers should weight this category at zero when making their decision and focus on the groups where genuine differences exist.