New Samsung A series starts at $499 – Are these the budget phones to beat?
Samsung is shaking up its A series for 2025 with budget-friendly phones offering sleek designs, great battery life and extended software support – all with a more premium feel.
The Samsung Galaxy A series follows its usual formula. You have the entry-level Galaxy A26 5G, the mid-range Galaxy A36 5G, and the more premium Galaxy A56 5G.
They go on sale in Australia from 27 March 2025 and will be available from Samsung and JB Hi-Fi for sure, but no other retailers have been announced.
It's likely Telstra, Optus and Vodafone will offer one or more of the models on a phone repayment plan but we'll know more closer to time.
How much will the new Samsung A Series cost in Australia?
The prices of the phones remain unchanged from last year, but the Galaxy A56 now comes with an additional storage option so you're not limited to just the 128GB capacity.
Here's a look at prices for the Samsung A series:
- Galaxy A56 128GB: $699
- Galaxy A56 256GB: $799
- Galaxy A36 128GB: $549
- Galaxy A26 128GB: $499
The Galaxy A56 packs 8GB of RAM, while the other two models come with a slightly lower 6GB.
Is the Samsung A Series worth buying?
I haven't reviewed the phones yet, but Samsung's budget-friendly A series is pretty popular, with the tech giant aiming to sell over a million units in Australia this year.
Last year, when I had reviewed the Galaxy A55 I was pretty impressed by what it had to offer. It does a fairly good job of mirroring the features and look of a flagship, albeit without a big hit to the hip pocket.
Here's a quick look at what you can expect from the three models this year, all of which come with eSIM support:
Camera upgrades: All models now come with a 50MP main camera, and the A56 5G and A36 5G have a front lens that shoots bright, HDR-quality selfies, even in low light. The Best Face feature makes it easier to capture the perfect group shot by selecting the best expressions from a motion photo.
Long-lasting updates: The A series gets six years of software and security updates, so it should keep running smoothly for several years.
Design and display: All three phones have a 6.7-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate and boast Corning Gorilla Glass Victus Plus for extra durability against scratches and cracks. They also have slimmer bezels so you get more screen real estate. Samsung has removed the microSD slot this time, citing low demand as the reason.
Battery life and fast charging: All models pack a 5,000mAh battery, and the A56 5G and A36 5G support 45W fast-charging.
Awesome Intelligence: You can access AI tools like Circle to Search, making searches way quicker and smarter, plus Song Search that helps you find tunes just by humming or hearing them nearby. Hate photobombers or unwanted shadows? You can use Object Eraser to get rid of distractions and make your pics look cleaner.
- Colours: The Galaxy A36 will be available in Awesome Black and Awesome Lavender, while the Galaxy A56 will come in Awesome Graphite and Awesome Olive. The Galaxy A26 will only be available in Black.
| Specs | Galaxy A56 | Galaxy A36 | Galaxy A26 |
|---|---|---|---|
Display | 6.7 inch | 6.7 inch | 6.7 inch |
Weight | 198g | 195g | 200g |
Camera | 12MP Ultra-Wide Camera 50MP Main Camera 5MP Macro Camera 12MP Front Camera | 12MP Ultra-Wide Camera 50MP Main Camera 5MP Macro Camera 12MP Front Camera | 12MP Ultra-Wide Camera 50MP Main Camera 2MP Macro Camera 12MP Front Camera |
Memory and storage | 8GB + 128GB 8GB + 256GB | 8GB + 128GB | 8GB + 128GB |
Battery | 5,000 mAh | 5,000 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
OS | Android 15 One UI 7 | Android 15 One UI 7 | Android 15 One UI 7 |
Security | Samsung Knox | Samsung Knox | Samsung Knox |
Water and dust resistance | IP67 | IP67 | IP67 |
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