The Samsung Galaxy A57 is the corporate’s new mid-ranger for 2026, however what’s actually new in comparison with 2025’s Galaxy A56?
Whereas the 2 telephones look related at a look, look just a little nearer and also you’ll begin to see refined variations not solely within the total design, however key areas like show tech, efficiency and software program that ought to make the Samsung Galaxy A57 just a little extra tempting – and fairly presumably among the best mid-range telephones round.
Whereas we’re but to totally assessment this yr’s mid-ranger, we’ve spent a while with the cellphone forward of its launch, and right here’s the way it compares to the Samsung Galaxy A56 on paper.
Slimmer, lighter and extra sturdy
One of the rapid variations between the Galaxy A57 and its predecessor comes within the design division. The Galaxy A57 is 0.5mm thinner than the 7.4mm-thick Galaxy A56, measuring in at 6.9mm – and whereas that doesn’t sound like a lot on paper, it makes a noticeable distinction within the total really feel of the cellphone.
Picture Credit score (Trusted Critiques)
Commercial
Mixed with a weight of simply 179g, 20g lighter than the A56, it ought to really feel far more snug to carry and use in day-to-day life, even when it isn’t fairly as ultra-slim because the likes of the iPhone Air and Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.
As an added bonus, the Galaxy A57 can also be extra sturdy, with Gorilla Glass Victus Plus on each the entrance and rear glass panels, together with IP68 mud and water resistance, up from final yr’s IP67.
A brighter, extra premium-looking display
Apparently sad simply making the cellphone thinner and lighter, Samsung additionally centered its sights on upgrading the show expertise with this yr’s mid-ranger. The Galaxy A57 might sport the same-sized 6.7-inch display because the A56, however a cursory look on the telephones and the variations are rapid – particularly in terms of the scale of the bezels.
The Galaxy A56 had massively mismatched bezels; there’s no getting round it. The perimeters measured in at 2.2mm thick, the brow was 2mm thick, and the chin was a whopping 3.3mm thick, and consequently, it didn’t look notably premium.
Picture Credit score (Trusted Critiques)
The Galaxy A57, for comparability, has 1.5mm-thick sides and brow, with a barely thicker 2.5mm chin. It’s nonetheless not utterly symmetrical, but it surely not less than feels extra premium than final yr’s panel. Elsewhere, Samsung has boosted the Imaginative and prescient Booster tech to make movies look sharper and brighter when displayed on the Tremendous AMOLED panel.
Commercial
In different areas, nevertheless, the 2 panels are practically an identical; each provide a clean 120Hz refresh fee, a peak brightness of 1900 nits, and FHD+ decision.
A lift in efficiency
The occasional outlier apart (I’m taking a look at you, Pixel 10a), you’ll be able to at all times depend on boosted efficiency from newer smartphones, and that’s very a lot the case with the Galaxy A57 – although it nonetheless received’t compete with essentially the most highly effective telephones within the mid-range market.
Picture Credit score (Trusted Critiques)
At its coronary heart is the Exynos 1680, up from the Exynos 1580 on the A56, coupled with both 8- or 12GB of RAM – and that is sooner LPDDRX5 RAM too. Mixed with both 256- or 512GB of storage, the latter of which is new for this yr, the Galaxy A57 ought to ship an uptick in efficiency and boosted storage to match.
There’s additionally an upgraded vapour chamber, which is seemingly 13% greater, although final yr’s Galaxy A56 by no means actually received all that scorching in use – in our expertise, anyway.
Commercial
First to get One UI 8.5, and extra OS upgrades
The Galaxy A57 is the primary in Samsung’s A-series to get the One UI 8.5 replace that launched with the flagship Galaxy S26 vary final month – although the Galaxy A56 will seemingly get the improve someday within the close to future.
Picture Credit score (Trusted Critiques)
What’s extra spectacular is the long-term software program assist. The Galaxy A56 supplied a wonderful mixture of 4 years of mixed OS and safety upgrades, however the Galaxy A57 takes that to 6 years.
That’s a reasonably strong promise for a mid-range cellphone, solely actually bested by the likes of the Pixel 10a and iPhone 17e, and will see the cellphone via to One UI 14 primarily based on Android 22. The A56, alternatively, will cease at One UI 11 primarily based on Android 19.
New ‘Superior Intelligence’ options
Neither the Galaxy A56 nor A57 get the total suite of Galaxy AI options – that’s for the corporate’s flagships and foldables – however they do get a simplified toolkit below the ‘Superior Intelligence’ umbrella. For the Galaxy A56, that meant options like object eraser, finest face and auto trim.
With the Galaxy A57, Samsung has added the identical improved Circle to Search tech and upgraded Bixby expertise that shipped with the Galaxy S26 vary, with the previous permitting you to seek for total outfits directly, whereas the latter permits Samsung’s digital assistant to regulate numerous features of your cellphone.
Commercial
Picture Credit score (Trusted Critiques)
What’s extra, you need to use each on the cellphone directly; one is activated by urgent the ability button, the opposite by voice.
Samsung has additionally launched voice transcription tech with this yr’s mid-ranger, providing transcription not solely within the recorder app however in calls too.
The query is whether or not the Galaxy A56 will get the identical options as soon as it too receives the One UI 8.5 replace – we’ll have to attend and see for now.
Early ideas
In comparison with final yr’s Galaxy A56, the Galaxy A57 appears like a way more refined mid-range smartphone. It’s thinner, lighter, and extra sturdy, and it boasts a display that, whereas not fairly the very best for the worth, is actually headed in the proper route.
Added bonuses like sooner LPDDR5X RAM, elevated base storage, an extended software program promise and extra AI options all look to sweeten the deal – although key {hardware}, from the digicam setup to battery life and charging velocity, really feel nearly an identical to final yr’s mannequin.
Commercial
We seemingly received’t suggest upgrading from final yr’s A56 in case you’ve received one, although we’ll save our closing ideas till we’ve spent some extra time with each telephones aspect by aspect.
