Samsung Galaxy A56 competitors: OnePlus 13R to iQOO 12; a look at top 5 challengers

Samsung may have begun the year with its flagship S series, but with the release of three A series phones at varying price points—the Galaxy A26, Galaxy A36, and Galaxy A5—the company is now focusing on the mid-segment. The most remarkable of these three is the Samsung Galaxy S56, which has some extremely outstanding features and is priced around the budget flagship tier at Rs 41,999.

Among them, the most remarkable features are the 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED screen with a refresh rate of 120 Hz, a 50 megapixel OIS primary camera, a 12 megapixel ultrawide and a 5 megapixel macro camera on the rear, and a 32 megapixel camera for taking selfies. Along with a 5,000 mAh battery that supports 45W charging (albeit there isn't a charger included in the box), you also get Android 15 out of the box with Samsung's One UI 7 on top, with six years of guaranteed upgrades.

1. iQOO 12

Even though it was released in late 2023, the iQOO 12 is still a powerful competitor. Its still-strong spec sheet game, which is currently offered at an even reduced price (it originally released for over Rs 55,000), is the primary cause of this.

The phone is powered by the still incredibly potent Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 engine (the same chip used in the OnePlus 13R and Galaxy S24 Ultra) and features a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a high refresh rate of 144 Hz and a resolution of 2800 x 1260.

The iQOO 12's enormous 5000 mAh battery powers it, and its lightning-fast 120W battery allows it to be recharged quickly. Although iQOO's update game needs some work and the FunTouch OS on the phone is a touch crowded, this device is still a monster in terms of specifications. The Galaxy A56's nightmare value is increased by its elegant appearance.

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2. OnePlus 13R

The OnePlus 13R, the OnePlus 13's low-cost flagship sibling, is the Galaxy A56's biggest problem. The OnePlus 13R has a bigger and higher quality 6.78-inch AMOLED display with 1264 x 2780 resolution and a refresh rate of 120 Hz at a pricing that is comparable to the Galaxy A56. Despite having a 16 megapixel selfie camera and an 8 megapixel ultrawide, it also sports a 50 megapixel primary camera with OIS.

With an enormous 6000 mAh battery that supports 80W charging and comes with a charger, the phone is powered by the potent Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which is still a flagship-level CPU with lots of RAM and storage.

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3. Google Pixel 8a

When it was released last year for more than Rs 50,000, it received a lot of criticism. However, Google's Pixel 8a is now considerably cheaper, to the point that it is now a problem for the Galaxy A56. Naturally, being a Pixel, it has a clean, uncluttered Android operating system and receives upgrades before the majority of other smartphones. In keeping with Pixel history, Google's computational photography wizardry enables the 64-megapixel primary camera with OIS and 13-megapixel ultrawide to produce amazing images.

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Although it isn't exactly a gaming beast, the 13-megapixel front-facing camera produces some excellent selfies, and Google's Tensor G3 guarantees a number of clever features and even excellent AI performance. All of this is housed in a small, rather unadorned body with a 6.1-inch FHD+ screen that is a bit drab compared to the other devices on our list. Although it supports 7.5W wireless charging, the 4492 mAh battery is also on the smaller side, only charges at 18W, and comes without a charger.

4. Xiaomi 14 CIVI

It has a striking style and comes in different colors. It has an impressive 6.55-inch AMOLED display with a high resolution of 1236 x 2750 and a refresh rate of 120 Hz. It is powered by the potent Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 CPU. A 50 megapixel primary camera with OIS, a 50 megapixel telephoto with 2x optical zoom, and a 12 megapixel ultrawide are all part of the phone's remarkable three-camera array on the back, which was created in partnership with the renowned Leica.

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Additionally, it is the only phone available with two 32-megapixel front-facing selfie sensors. You have one of the greatest camera setups in the market when you combine it with a variety of creative shooting settings. The phone includes Xiaomi's own HyperOS interface and comes with Android 14 out of the box, while Android 15 is anticipated.

5. Samsung Galaxy S23 FE

Despite having a smaller 6.4-inch FHD+ screen, it has a 120 Hz refresh rate and is Dynamic AMOLED 2x. The phone's back-mounted camera array—a 50 megapixel primary sensor with OIS, an 8 megapixel telephoto with 3x zoom and OIS, and a 12 megapixel ultrawide—is more adaptable than the Galaxy A56's, and the Exynos 2200 is still a very powerful chip.

Selfies are taken with a 10-megapixel camera, and while the 4500 mAh battery is smaller than the one on the Galaxy A56 and charges at a slower rate of 25W, it supports 15W wireless charging, which is uncommon in this market.