Samsung Galaxy A56 5G (SM-A566B) / Apple iPhone 15 Plus

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 15 Plus: iPhone 15 Plus; 128, 256 and 512 GB. Apple’s spec page lists model numbers A3090 and A3094; models sold outside the US have a SIM tray. The iPhone 15, 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max are separate models.

SpecificationSamsung Galaxy A56 5G (SM-A566B)Apple iPhone 15 Plus
Release year20252023
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		6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED; 2796 × 1290, 460 ppi; Dynamic Island, True Tone, Wide colour (P3)

Dynamic Island uses the front camera cut-out as an area for notifications and Live Activities. Apple does not list ProMotion for this model; the display is not 120 Hz. Because the corners are rounded, the actual viewable area is slightly smaller than the 6.69-inch rectangle.

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		A16 Bionic; 6-core CPU (2 performance + 4 efficiency), 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine Apple
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		48MP Main (26 mm, ƒ/1.6, sensor-shift OIS); 12MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, ƒ/2.4, 120°); 12MP 2x Telephoto (52 mm, ƒ/1.6)

The 2x telephoto is not a separate lens; it uses the centre of the 48 MP main sensor (Apple says it is “enabled by quad-pixel sensor”). Photos can be 24 MP or 48 MP; digital zoom goes up to 10x.

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		—
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 SamsungDual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM); Dual eSIM support

The SIM tray is on models sold outside the US; eSIM use depends on carrier support.

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 Samsung160.9 × 77.8 × 7.80 mm; 201 g Apple
ColoursAwesome Graphite, Awesome Lightgrey, Awesome Olive, Awesome Pink SamsungBlack, Blue, Green, Yellow, Pink Apple
Brightness and contrast—1,000 nits typical; 1,600 nits peak (HDR); 2,000 nits peak (outdoor); 2,000,000:1 contrast

The outdoor peak is used briefly in strong sunlight; the HDR peak applies to HDR video and photos.

Apple
Storage—128 GB, 256 GB or 512 GB Apple
Video—4K at 24/25/30/60 fps; HDR video with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps; Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps; Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps

Action mode crops the image to apply strong digital stabilisation when running or in a vehicle, which is why it tops out at 2.8K.

Apple
Front camera and Face ID—12MP TrueDepth (ƒ/1.9, autofocus); Face ID Apple
Wireless—5G (sub-6 GHz, 4x4 MIMO); Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 5.3; second-generation Ultra Wideband; NFC with reader mode

Ultra Wideband shows the direction and distance of a nearby item or friend in Find My; availability varies by region. This UK page does not list mmWave 5G.

Apple
Safety features—Emergency SOS via satellite and Roadside Assistance via satellite; Crash Detection

Satellite features work only in certain countries and in open areas without mobile or Wi-Fi coverage.

Apple
Battery—Up to 26 hours video playback, 20 hours streamed, 100 hours audio; built-in lithium-ion

Apple quotes 6 hours more video playback than the iPhone 15.

Apple
USB-C and charging—USB-C, USB 2 (up to 480 Mb/s), DisplayPort; up to 50% in around 30 minutes with a 20W adapter; MagSafe up to 15W, Qi up to 7.5W

Although the port is USB-C, data speed is USB 2. Native DisplayPort output over USB-C mirrors video up to 4K HDR. No power adapter is included; a USB-C charge cable that supports fast charging is in the box.

Apple
Durability and materials—IP68 (maximum depth of 6 metres up to 30 minutes, IEC 60529); aluminium design, Ceramic Shield front, colour-infused glass back Apple