5 Android phones you should buy instead of the Samsung Galaxy A56

Samsung’s Galaxy A series is one of the most popular affordable Android phone lines, and the Galaxy A56 5G is one of the latest entries. With a decent spec sheet, modern design, and $500 price tag, it should be an easy recommendation … right?

As it turns out, it’s not. In his Galaxy A56 5G review, my colleague Ryan Haines found that the phone’s mediocre performance, lack of wireless charging, and limited camera capabilities hold it back considerably. But above all, one of the A56’s most significant problems is that it’s outdone by the competition.

The Galaxy A56 5G isn’t a bad phone, but the simple fact is that your money is better spent elsewhere. Specifically, these are five Android phones you should buy instead.

One of those other Android phones is the Google Pixel 9a. The Pixel 9a earned a 10/10 score and an Editor’s Choice award when we reviewed it last April, and nine months later, it holds strong as the best $500 phone you can buy — hands down.

What makes the Pixel 9a so special is how well Google nailed almost every aspect of the day-to-day experience using the phone. The design is comfortable and practical (no camera bump!), all of the cameras are great, the Tensor G4 chip is a strong performer, battery life is solid, and Google’s software is just outstanding. Oh, and there’s wireless charging, too.

The Pixel 9a doesn’t really have one standout spec or feature that sets it apart from the competition, but when you use the phone and see how well everything comes together, you understand why it’s so darn good. Does this mean the Pixel 9a is perfect? Of course not. The phone’s charging speeds are slower than the Galaxy A56 5G, and it’s missing some helpful AI features available on more expensive Pixels.

But for $499, the Pixel 9a is about as close to perfect as a mid-range Android phone gets, and you’d be mad to buy the Galaxy A56 5G over it.

The Pixel 9a is an outstanding choice, but if you’re dead set on a Samsung phone, I’d sooner recommend the Galaxy S25 FE than the Galaxy A56 5G. It’s a better phone overall, and thanks to rampant sales/discounts, you can almost certainly buy it for the same price (or less) as the A56.

How much better? Performance-wise, the S25 FE’s Exynos 2400 chipset is a dramatic improvement over the Exynos 1580 powering the A56 — both in terms of its CPU and GPU. The S25 FE also has more RAM and much faster storage, making it a no-brainer if fast, smooth performance is a concern for you. And there’s more. The S25 FE has a dedicated telephoto camera (something the A56 lacks), a more durable IP68 rating, wireless charging, higher-resolution video recording (8K vs. 4K), and newer Wi-Fi/Bluetooth tech.

You can make an argument that those upgrades are worth the Galaxy S25 FE’s $650 retail price, but Samsung often has it available for much less; at the time of publication, the S25 FE is on sale for just $450 — $50 less than the Galaxy A56 5G. If you can find the S25 FE on sale, there’s no reason not to buy it instead of the A56.

The OnePlus 13R is, without a doubt, one of the best smartphone values released in 2025. Even a year after it hit store shelves and was replaced by the OnePlus 15R, the 13R remains an unbelievably good deal — and a natural alternative to the Galaxy A56 5G.

Comparing the OnePlus 13R side by side with the Galaxy A56, there’s no contest: OnePlus’ phone is better. Its Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip is significantly more performant, its 16GB of RAM blows past the A56’s paltry 6GB, and you get 256GB of base storage instead of 128GB. The 13R also has a telephoto camera, a larger battery, and much faster wired charging.

Although the 13R has technically been discontinued, you can still find it at select retailers. Its $600 retail price is higher than the Galaxy A56 5G’s, but I’d argue the 13R is well worth the extra $100. Plus, depending on available discounts and if you find a renewed/refurbished model, you can likely get it for less.

As good as the OnePlus 13R is, you may not be willing or able to spend more than $500 on your next smartphone. If you’re really trying to watch your budget, might I suggest the Motorola Moto G Stylus (2025)? It doesn’t put the A56 spec sheet to shame the way the 13R and S25 FE do, but that doesn’t matter thanks to its price.

The Moto G Stylus (2025) retails for just $400, and as with most phones on this list, it’s often available for less. Currently, Motorola is selling the Stylus for $350, with a free Moto Tag tracker included. And whether you get the Stylus at the full $400 price or at a discount, it really calls into question the A56’s value proposition.

Like the A56, the Moto G Stylus has an AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, and Motorola’s display is sharper and brighter, too. The Moto G has expandable storage (the A56 does not), a similar camera setup, faster wired charging (65W instead of 45W), wireless charging, and — as the name suggests — a built-in stylus.

The Galaxy A56 5G has a few advantages over Motorola’s phone, namely better AI features and a longer software update policy. But are those things really worth an extra $100? I’d argue not.

My fifth and final recommendation, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, is a really solid Android handset. While not a home run like the Pixel 9a, it’s a much more interesting choice than the Galaxy A56.

The design, of course, is an immediate standout. Between its giant camera bump, transparent backside, and LED light strips, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro is — by far — the most unique-looking phone on this list. That camera bump houses some pretty solid camera sensors, too, much better than what you’ll get on the A56. The Nothing Phone also has faster charging, cleaner software, and some really nifty AI features.

That all said, there is a caveat to the Nothing Phone 3a Pro. While it’s officially sold in the US, unlike all the other phones on this list, it lacks full network band support for US carriers — meaning your mileage will vary in terms of how good (or bad) your cell service is. AT&T and T-Mobile should be fine, but Verizon may be a little iffy.

This means the Nothing Phone 3a Pro won’t be for everyone, and that’s OK. But if the carrier compatibility isn’t an issue for you, Nothing’s handset is a pretty compelling option — especially with a retail price of $459.