Samsung Galaxy A56 5G (SM-A566B) / Apple iPhone 14 Pro

Samsung Galaxy A56 5G (SM-A566B): SM-A566B (Europe/UK); the listed configuration is 8 GB / 256 GB, with 8/128 and 12/256 GB depending on market. The Galaxy A55 (previous generation) and Galaxy A36 5G are separate models.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro: iPhone 14 Pro; 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB storage options. US models (A2650) use eSIM only. The iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 14 are separate models.

SpecificationSamsung Galaxy A56 5G (SM-A566B)Apple iPhone 14 Pro
Release year20252022
Display6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED, 2340 × 1080; up to 120 Hz refresh; up to 1,200 nits in High Brightness Mode

120 Hz makes scrolling smoother; 1,200 nits is reached in High Brightness Mode, which switches on automatically in sunlight. Allowing for the rounded corners, the visible area is 6.5 inches.

Samsung		6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED; ProMotion up to 120 Hz; always-on display; Dynamic Island

ProMotion changes the refresh rate with the content: scrolling looks smoother, and the rate drops on still images to save battery. Dynamic Island uses the front camera cut-out as an area for alerts and live activities.

Apple
GlassCorning Gorilla Glass Victus+ front and back (camera glass excluded)

Glass on the back as well is uncommon in this class; Samsung notes the camera lens covers are not included.

Samsung		—
ProcessorExynos 1580 (4 nm); octa-core: 1 × 2.9 GHz, 3 × 2.6 GHz, 4 × 1.9 GHz; Xclipse 540 GPU

Samsung says a larger vapor chamber than the previous generation spreads heat better in games and multitasking.

Samsung		—
Memory and storage8 GB RAM, 256 GB storage (234.4 GB available); 8/128 and 12/256 GB options depending on market; no microSD slot

With no card slot, storage cannot be expanded later, so the capacity choice matters for heavy photo and video use.

Samsung		—
Rear cameras50MP wide, ƒ/1.8, autofocus and OIS; 12MP ultra-wide, ƒ/2.2; 5MP macro, ƒ/2.4; 10× digital zoom

Optical stabilisation (OIS) is on the main camera only and reduces shake at night and in video. There is no telephoto camera; zoom is digital.

Samsung		48 MP main; 12 MP ultra wide (120°); 12 MP 2x and 12 MP 3x telephoto; up to 15x digital zoom

The 3x telephoto is a separate lens; values up to 15x are digital zoom and lose detail.

Apple
Front camera and video12MP front camera, ƒ/2.2, fixed focus; 4K 30 fps recording on the rear camera, 240 fps slow motion in HD; 10-bit HDR video on the front camera

4K recording is limited to 30 fps; smoother video needs a drop to 1080p.

Samsung		—
Battery and charging5,000 mAh (typical); up to 29 hours video playback; 45 W Super Fast Charging 2.0 (adapter sold separately)

45 W speeds need a 45 W USB PD PPS adapter; lower-powered adapters take longer.

Samsung		Up to 23 hours of video playback; about 50% in 30 minutes with a 20 W or higher adapter; MagSafe 15 W, Qi 7.5 W

No power adapter is included in the box. The phone uses a Lightning port.

Apple
Connectivity5G Sub-6; Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax, 2.4/5 GHz); Bluetooth 5.3; NFC; USB-C (USB 2.0); no 3.5 mm headphone jack

USB 2.0 is slower than USB 3 ports for large video transfers and has no video output.

Samsung		—
SIMNano-SIM and eSIM; SIM+SIM, SIM+eSIM or dual eSIM combinations SamsungUS model: dual eSIM, no physical SIM tray; two lines active at once

Models sold in other countries may have a different SIM setup; the phone can store eight or more eSIM profiles.

Apple
Location and sensorsGPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS; in-display fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, geomagnetic, light and virtual proximity sensor

A virtual proximity sensor uses software and other sensors rather than dedicated hardware to turn the screen off during calls.

Samsung		—
Water and dust resistanceIP67 (tested in up to 1 m of fresh water for up to 30 minutes)

This is no guarantee against seawater, pool water or pressurised water.

Samsung		—
Software and updatesShips with One UI 7; 6 generations of Android/One UI upgrades and 6 years of security updates (until 31 March 2032 on the UK page)

This is the longest support yet in the Galaxy A series; rollout timing can vary by country and carrier.

Samsung		—
SecuritySamsung Knox Vault, Auto Blocker, Theft Protection

Knox Vault stores sensitive data such as PINs and passwords in an isolated hardware area separate from the main processor.

Samsung		—
Size and weight162.2 × 77.5 × 7.4 mm; 198 g Samsung147.5 × 71.5 × 7.85 mm; 206 g Apple
ColoursAwesome Graphite, Awesome Lightgrey, Awesome Olive, Awesome Pink SamsungSpace Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple Apple
Brightness—1600 nits peak for HDR; 2000 nits peak outdoors

The 2000-nit figure is a peak reached with automatic brightness in sunlight; manual brightness stays lower.

Apple
Chip—A16 Bionic; 6-core CPU (2 performance + 4 efficiency), 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine Apple
Storage—128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB

Storage cannot be expanded later; ProRes video and 48 MP ProRAW photos take a lot of space.

Apple
Video—4K at 24/25/30/60 fps; Cinematic mode 4K HDR at 30 fps; ProRes 4K at 30 fps; Action mode 2.8K at 60 fps; Dolby Vision HDR 4K at 60 fps

Action mode reduces shake when filming while walking or running, using software stabilisation that crops the image to 2.8K.

Apple
Front camera—12 MP TrueDepth; Face ID Apple
Cellular and wireless—5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave); Wi-Fi 6; Bluetooth 5.3; Ultra Wideband; NFC; precision dual-frequency GPS

mmWave 5G works only on the US model and with carriers that offer it.

Apple
Durability and materials—IP68 (up to 6 metres for up to 30 minutes); Ceramic Shield front, textured matte glass back, stainless steel frame

Water and dust resistance is not permanent and can decrease with normal wear.

Apple
Known software fix—iOS 16.0.2: fixed the camera vibrating and producing blurry photos when shooting with some third-party apps

The problem appeared with some third-party apps rather than Apple’s own Camera app; Apple fixed it in software in September 2022.

Apple