Samsung Galaxy A56 5G (SM-A566B) / Apple iPhone 13

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 13: iPhone 13 (2021); 128, 256 and 512 GB. The UK/European model A2633 and the US model A2482 use a nano-SIM plus eSIM; the US model also supports mmWave 5G bands. The iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 Pro are separate models.

SpecificationSamsung Galaxy A56 5G (SM-A566B)Apple iPhone 13
Release year20252021
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		6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED; 2532 × 1170 pixels, 460 ppi; HDR, True Tone, wide colour (P3)

Typical maximum brightness is 800 nits, with 1200 nits peak for HDR content; typical contrast is 2,000,000:1. The spec page does not list a refresh rate; the Pro models’ ProMotion is not on this model. Because of the rounded corners, the visible area is slightly smaller than a 6.06-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		—
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		12 MP Main (ƒ/1.6, sensor-shift optical stabilisation, 100% Focus Pixels) and 12 MP Ultra Wide (ƒ/2.4, 120°); 2x optical zoom out, digital zoom up to 5x

There is no telephoto camera: 2x refers to switching from the main to the ultra wide camera. Sensor-shift stabilisation compensates for hand shake by moving the sensor rather than the lens. Night mode, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 4 and Photographic Styles are available.

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		Up to 19 hours of video (15 hours streamed), up to 75 hours of audio; built-in lithium-ion battery; 15 W wireless charging with MagSafe, 7.5 W with Qi; about 50% in 30 minutes with a 20 W or higher adapter

The fast-charge figure comes from Apple’s testing with a 20 W USB-C adapter, sold separately. MagSafe aligns chargers and accessories with a magnet array on the back.

Apple
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 SamsungNano-SIM + eSIM or dual eSIM

Using eSIM requires carrier support and it is not supported in every region.

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		IP68 (IEC 60529; up to 6 metres for 30 minutes) Apple
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 Samsung146.7 × 71.5 × 7.65 mm; 173 g Apple
ColoursAwesome Graphite, Awesome Lightgrey, Awesome Olive, Awesome Pink Samsung—
Build—Ceramic Shield front, glass back, aluminium frame Apple
Chip—A15 Bionic: 6-core CPU (2 performance + 4 efficiency), 4-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 14 use a five-core-GPU version of the same chip; on this model the GPU has four cores.

Apple
Storage—128 GB, 256 GB or 512 GB

Capacity is chosen at purchase; there is no memory card slot.

Apple
Video—4K Dolby Vision HDR up to 24/25/30/60 fps; Cinematic mode 1080p at 30 fps; 1080p slo-mo at 120/240 fps

Cinematic mode blurs the background and can shift focus between people automatically; on this model it is limited to 1080p at 30 fps. Recording formats are HEVC and H.264; 8 MP stills can be taken while recording 4K.

Apple
Front camera and Face ID—12 MP TrueDepth, ƒ/2.2; Face ID

The front camera also records 4K Dolby Vision video and Cinematic mode.

Apple
Cellular and wireless—5G (sub-6 GHz; mmWave on the US model too), Gigabit LTE with 4x4 MIMO, Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax) 2x2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0, Ultra Wideband chip, NFC with reader mode

The band list depends on the model number: the UK model A2633 lists no mmWave bands; the US model A2482 supports n258/n260/n261.

Apple
Location—GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou; digital compass; iBeacon Apple
Port and video output—Lightning; video up to 1080p with the Lightning Digital AV Adapter; up to 4K HDR over AirPlay

Adapters are sold separately.

Apple
Audio formats—AAC, MP3, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Atmos; Spatial Audio playback Apple
Sensors—Face ID, barometer, three-axis gyro, accelerometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor Apple