Sony Xperia 1 VIII / Samsung Galaxy A56 5G (SM-A566B)

Sony Xperia 1 VIII: XQ-GE54 · 12 GB / 256 GB

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.

SpecificationSony Xperia 1 VIIISamsung Galaxy A56 5G (SM-A566B)
Release year20262025
Announcement13 May 2026 Sony—
ProcessorSnapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SonyExynos 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 / storage12 GB RAM / 256 GB UFS Sony—
ExpansionmicroSDXC; up to 2 TB Sony—
Display6.5-inch OLED · 1080 × 2340 · 19.5:9 Sony6.7-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
Refresh rateUp to 120 Hz Sony—
Front / rear glassGorilla Glass Victus 2 / Victus Sony—
Resistance ratingIPX5 / IPX8; IP6X

Laboratory conditions; water resistance is not permanent.

Sony		—
Main camera24 mm equivalent · f/1.9 · 1/1.35-inch Exmor T · 48 MP effective Sony—
Telephoto70 mm equivalent · f/2.8 · 1/1.56-inch Exmor RS

48 MP effective sensor; 12 MP photo recording.

Sony		—
Ultrawide16 mm equivalent · f/2 · 1/1.56-inch Exmor RS

48 MP effective sensor; 12 MP photo recording.

Sony		—
Front camera12 MP · f/2 · 1/2.9-inch Sony—
Video4K HDR; 24/30/60/120 fps Sony—
Photo formatsJPEG and RAW DNG Sony—
Battery5000 mAh Sony—
ChargingUSB PD; Qi; Battery Share Sony—
USBUSB-C · USB 3.2 5 Gbit/s; DisplayPort 4K/60 output Sony—
SIMnanoSIM + eSIM or two eSIMs SonyNano-SIM and eSIM; SIM+SIM, SIM+eSIM or dual eSIM combinations Samsung
WirelessWi-Fi 7; Bluetooth 6.0; NFC Sony—
Audio3.5 mm headphone jack; stereo speakers Sony—
Launch system / supportAndroid 16; up to 4 OS upgrades and 6 years of security Sony—
Dimensions / weight162 × 74 × 8.3 mm; 200 g Sony—
Glass—Corning 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
Memory and storage—8 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 cameras—50MP 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
Front camera and video—12MP 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 charging—5,000 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
Connectivity—5G 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
Location and sensors—GPS, 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 resistance—IP67 (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 updates—Ships 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
Security—Samsung 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 weight—162.2 × 77.5 × 7.4 mm; 198 g Samsung
Colours—Awesome Graphite, Awesome Lightgrey, Awesome Olive, Awesome Pink Samsung