Galaxy A56 vs. Galaxy S24 FE: Which Samsung Phone Offers Better Value for the Price?

March 30, 2025

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Samsung’s smartphone lineup can get a little tricky, especially when two phones are priced so closely yet cater to very different audiences. That’s exactly what we’re looking at today with the Galaxy A56 and the Galaxy S24 FE. The A56 is Samsung’s latest mid-range contender, while the S24 FE sits on the lower end of Samsung’s flagship spectrum.

I picked up the A56 for around €380 and the S24 FE for about €420. That’s not a massive difference in price, but it raises an important question: which phone gives you more value for your money?

On paper, both have compelling features. The A56 offers better battery life and cooler temperatures, while the S24 FE packs flagship extras like wireless charging, a telephoto lens, and Galaxy DeX support. But as always, the real story is in how they perform in everyday use.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve tested both phones in real-world scenarios, running benchmarks, using them side by side, and shooting hundreds of photos. I’ve tested their screens, speakers, charging speeds, cameras, and more.

In this detailed comparison, we’ll break it all down—performance, design, display, camera, software, and everything in between—to help you decide which phone is the better fit for you.

Design and Build Quality

Samsung has introduced a distinctive camera bump design for the Galaxy A56, setting it apart from the Galaxy S24 FE’s more minimalistic aesthetic. While personal preferences may vary, many users tend to cover their devices with cases, rendering the back design less significant in daily use.

The Galaxy A56, for instance, pairs well with cases like the Tudia, which complements its green variant. From the front, both devices present a nearly identical appearance, featuring similar dimensions and display layouts. The Galaxy A56 measures 162.2 x 77.5 x 7.4 mm and weighs around 200 grams, whereas the Galaxy S24 FE comes in slightly thicker at 8 mm and heavier at 206 grams.

Both phones boast an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, ensuring durability against everyday elements. The button placement is standard, with volume and power buttons conveniently located on the right side. Both devices also feature a USB-C port, speaker grille, and SIM tray at the bottom.

The Galaxy S24 FE offers an additional advantage with its aluminum chassis, providing a more premium feel compared to the plastic frame of the Galaxy A56. Overall, while both phones share a common design language, the S24 FE’s build quality may appeal more to users seeking a premium touch.

Display Specs and Biometrics

Both the Galaxy A56 and the Galaxy S24 FE feature 6.7-inch displays with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels, delivering crisp and vibrant visuals. They support a 120Hz refresh rate, ensuring smooth scrolling and responsive touch interactions. Brightness levels peak at 1900 nits, facilitating clear visibility even under direct sunlight.

An important distinction lies in the display technology: the Galaxy A56 utilizes a Super AMOLED panel, while the Galaxy S24 FE is equipped with a Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, potentially offering better color accuracy and contrast. Both devices incorporate ultrasonic fingerprint scanners beneath the display, providing secure and swift unlocking capabilities.

However, users sensitive to Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) should note that the Galaxy S24 FE exhibits a higher PWM rate, which may reduce eye strain during prolonged use. Additionally, both phones support facial recognition as an alternative biometric authentication method.

Overall, the display experience on both devices is commendable, with the S24 FE holding a slight edge in display technology.

Software Updates and Apps

The Galaxy A56 ships with One UI 7 based on Android 15, offering the latest software features and enhancements. Samsung promises six years of security updates for this model, ensuring prolonged software support.

In contrast, the Galaxy S24 FE currently runs on One UI 6 but is slated to receive the One UI 7 update, aligning its software experience with the A56. The S24 FE includes exclusive features such as Samsung DeX, allowing users to connect their device to a monitor for a desktop-like experience.

Both phones come with a suite of pre-installed Samsung apps, including Samsung Pay, Samsung Health, and Bixby. While some users may find these applications beneficial, others might view them as bloatware. Fortunately, most pre-installed apps can be uninstalled or disabled according to user preference.

The overall software experience on both devices is smooth and user-friendly, with regular updates enhancing functionality and security.

Performance and Chipsets

Under the hood, the Galaxy A56 is powered by the Exynos 1580 chipset, featuring an octa-core processor with a peak clock speed of 2.9 GHz. This configuration ensures reliable performance for everyday tasks such as web browsing, social media, and video streaming.

In contrast, the Galaxy S24 FE houses the more robust Exynos 2400e chipset, a deca-core processor reaching speeds up to 3.1 GHz. This translates to enhanced performance, particularly in demanding applications and multitasking scenarios. Benchmark scores reflect this disparity: the S24 FE achieves approximately 1.5 million in AnTuTu benchmarks, whereas the A56 scores around 780,000.

This indicates that the S24 FE offers nearly double the performance of the A56. However, it’s noteworthy that the S24 FE tends to run hotter under load, which could impact user comfort during extended use. Conversely, the A56 maintains cooler operating temperatures, albeit with slightly reduced performance capabilities.

For users prioritizing top-tier performance and advanced features, the S24 FE stands out as the superior choice. Those seeking a balanced device with stable performance and better thermal management may find the A56 more suitable.

Battery Life and Charging Speed

The Galaxy A56 is equipped with a 5,000mAh battery, supporting 45W wired fast charging. This setup enables the device to charge from 0% to 80% in approximately 30 minutes, providing ample power for extended use. In contrast, the Galaxy S24 FE houses a slightly smaller 4,700mAh battery with 25W wired charging capabilities, resulting in longer charging times.

However, the S24 FE compensates with support for wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, allowing users to charge compatible accessories on the go. In practical usage, the A56 demonstrates superior battery longevity, often lasting up to two days on a single charge under moderate use.

The S24 FE, while still offering respectable battery life, typically requires daily charging, especially with intensive use. Users who prioritize longer battery life and faster wired charging may lean towards the A56, whereas those valuing wireless charging convenience might prefer the S24 FE.

Camera Specs and Performance:

Main Camera

Both the Galaxy A56 and the Galaxy S24 FE use sensors of similar size for their main cameras, so in theory, their image quality should be quite close. In practice, this turns out to be mostly true. The A56 tends to produce cooler-toned images, while the S24 FE leans warmer in its processing.

The S24 FE does have a slight edge in dynamic range, especially noticeable when capturing skies or high-contrast environments. In side-by-side comparisons, details in the clouds and shadows are more defined in the S24 FE’s shots.

Indoors, the S24 FE also pulls slightly ahead by lifting shadows more evenly, helping reveal more detail in dim settings. However, the difference is small enough that casual users may not notice unless comparing directly.

Ultrawide Lens

Both phones come equipped with an ultrawide lens, but neither uses a particularly large sensor. In good lighting conditions, the results are respectable on both—plenty of width in the frame, decent color balance, and minimal distortion. The S24 FE once again skews warmer, which can sometimes help skin tones or skies appear more natural.

In darker settings, the ultrawide sensor on the A56 struggles more, often producing noisier and less defined images. The S24 FE still shows noise, but it manages to retain more details and contrast, especially when zoomed in.

Telephoto and Zoom

This is where the S24 FE pulls away with a clear win. It features a dedicated telephoto lens that allows for proper optical zoom, something the A56 completely lacks. While the A56 can digitally zoom up to 10x using its main sensor, the resulting quality is far below what the S24 FE can produce at the same zoom level.

In testing, zooming in at 3x or 5x on the S24 FE results in sharp, detailed images with good color retention, whereas the A56 images begin to show artifacts and blur beyond 2x. The S24 FE also supports zoom up to 30x, which, while mostly for novelty, can be handy in certain situations like reading faraway signs or watching birds.

Portrait and Video Modes

Both phones support standard portrait photo modes that simulate background blur. Hair separation and edge detection aren’t perfect on either phone, but the S24 FE performs slightly better overall. Where the difference becomes more evident is in portrait video mode: the A56 lacks this feature entirely.

This omission is particularly relevant for content creators and social media users who rely on blurred background video recording. The S24 FE handles these portrait videos well, thanks to the extra processing power and better computational photography algorithms.

Night Mode and Low Light

In low-light scenarios, both phones take usable shots, but with different strengths. Surprisingly, the A56 occasionally pulls ahead in color processing—especially with artificial lighting where it keeps neon colors balanced better than the S24 FE.

However, the S24 FE does a better job at overall light control, preserving highlights and keeping shadows clean. Its night ultrawide shots are also cleaner with less visible noise. Zoom at night heavily favors the S24 FE because of its optical lens, delivering far more usable shots than the digital zoom from the A56.

Selfie Camera

Both devices offer decent front cameras, and while the A56 produces slightly sharper results, the S24 FE does a better job retaining highlights and managing dynamic range in tricky lighting.

In selfies taken outdoors, the differences are minimal. However, the A56 tends to blow out backgrounds in high contrast environments, whereas the S24 FE holds onto those details a bit better. If you’re frequently taking selfies in mixed lighting, the S24 FE will serve you better, but either phone works fine for everyday selfie use.

Camera Comparison: Galaxy A56 vs. Galaxy S24 FE

Camera Feature	Galaxy A56	Galaxy S24 FE
Main Sensor	50MP, f/1.8, OIS	50MP, f/1.8, OIS
Ultrawide Sensor	8MP, f/2.2	12MP, f/2.2
Telephoto Lens	None (digital zoom only)	3x Optical Zoom, 8MP
Zoom Range	Up to 10x (digital)	Up to 30x (optical + digital)
Portrait Photo	Yes, 2x max zoom	Yes, 3x zoom with better edge detection
Portrait Video	Not supported	Supported
Night Mode	Decent, slightly oversaturated	Better control, cleaner shadows
Selfie Camera	32MP, f/2.2	10MP, f/2.2
Selfie Highlights	Sharper detail, but overexposed	Balanced exposure, better dynamic range
Video Recording	4K@30fps main only	4K@60fps main, portrait video supported
Mic & Audio Quality	Slightly tinny in video	Clearer and better focused

Pricing and Storage Options:

When comparing the Samsung Galaxy A56 and the Galaxy S24 FE, pricing plays a significant role in the decision-making process. The Galaxy A56 is positioned as a mid-range device, offering a balance between performance and affordability.

In Europe, the 128GB model is priced at €479, while the 256GB variant is available for €529. In the UK, the Galaxy A56 is listed at £499 for the 256GB model.

On the other hand, the Galaxy S24 FE, being a Fan Edition model, incorporates several features from Samsung’s flagship series, which is reflected in its pricing. In Europe, the 128GB version is available for €416, and the 256GB model is priced at €530. In the UK, the Galaxy S24 FE is listed at £649.

It’s important to note that these prices are subject to change based on promotions, regional variations, and retailer-specific deals. Potential buyers should also consider factors such as storage needs, desired features, and overall budget when making a purchasing decision between these two models.

Galaxy A56 vs. Galaxy S24 FE “Pros & Cons” Comparison:

Pros

Both have large 120Hz AMOLED displays for smooth scrolling and vibrant content.
A56 has faster wired charging (45W vs. 25W), making it quicker to top up.
S24 FE includes wireless and reverse charging, ideal for power-sharing on the go.
S24 FE features a dedicated telephoto lens, enhancing zoom and portrait shots.
A56 stays cooler under load, offering better thermal management for extended usage.
Both phones come with long-term software support, including multiple OS updates and security patches.

Cons

A56 lacks a telephoto camera and portrait video mode, limiting versatility.
S24 FE tends to run hot, especially during demanding tasks like 4K recording or long video calls.
Color processing and white balance are inconsistent on both phones, particularly in tricky lighting.

Conclusion:

Choosing between the Galaxy A56 and the Galaxy S24 FE ultimately comes down to your priorities. The Galaxy A56 offers excellent battery life, cooler thermals, and a more affordable price point, making it a great option for users who want a reliable phone without spending too much. Its performance is perfectly adequate for day-to-day use, and the new camera bump design adds a touch of uniqueness to the A series.

On the other hand, the Galaxy S24 FE stands out as a more premium device in terms of features and performance. You get a more powerful Exynos 2400e chipset, wireless and reverse charging, better zoom capabilities with the telephoto lens, and exclusive features like Galaxy DeX. It’s the phone for power users who want flagship-like extras without spending Galaxy S-level prices.

Camera performance between the two is closer than expected in normal lighting, but the S24 FE pulls ahead when zoom, low-light photography, and video processing come into play. The A56 does a great job, especially for casual users, but if you value versatility, the S24 FE is the better choice.

Both phones offer great displays, decent audio, and Samsung’s long-term software support, so you’re not losing out either way. If you’re after better value for money with top-tier features, the S24 FE is worth the extra cost. But if you’re looking to save and still get a capable, efficient phone, the A56 won’t disappoint.

BUY the Galaxy A56 here

BUY Galaxy S24 FE Here

Friendly Questions About Galaxy A56 vs. Galaxy S24 FE:

Which is better: Galaxy A56 or Galaxy S24 FE?

The Galaxy S24 FE is better for users who want performance, camera versatility (including a telephoto lens), and extra features like wireless charging. The A56 is a solid choice for users who prefer better battery life and a cooler-running device at a lower price.

Does the Galaxy A56 have a telephoto lens?

No, the Galaxy A56 does not have a telephoto lens. It uses digital zoom from the main sensor, while the S24 FE has a dedicated 3x telephoto lens.

Is the Galaxy A56 good for gaming?

The A56 performs well for casual gaming but may lag during graphically intensive titles compared to the S24 FE, which has a more powerful processor.

Does the Galaxy S24 FE support wireless charging?

Yes, the S24 FE supports both wireless charging and reverse wireless charging. The A56 does not support either.

Which phone has better battery life: Galaxy A56 or S24 FE?

In day-to-day use, the Galaxy A56 offers better battery life due to its more efficient processor and larger battery capacity.

Do both Galaxy A56 and S24 FE have the same display quality?

Both have 6.7-inch AMOLED 120Hz panels, but the S24 FE has better PWM performance and may be better suited for PWM-sensitive users.