Samsung Galaxy A56 5G (SM-A566B) / Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

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 14 Pro Max: 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max; 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB. The UK model supports nano-SIM and eSIM. The 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Plus are separate.

SpecificationSamsung Galaxy A56 5G (SM-A566B)Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Release year20252022
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		6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED; 2796 × 1290 pixels, 460 ppi; ProMotion adaptive refresh up to 120 Hz, Always-On, Dynamic Island; 1,000 nits typical, 1,600 HDR peak, 2,000 nits outdoor peak

ProMotion rises to 120 Hz during motion and drops on static images, balancing smoothness and battery; this is what lets the lock screen stay always on. Dynamic Island uses the front-camera cutout as an area for notifications and activities.

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		48 MP Main (24 mm, ƒ/1.78, second-generation sensor-shift OIS), 12 MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, ƒ/2.2, 120°), 12 MP 3× Telephoto (77 mm, ƒ/2.8, OIS); LiDAR scanner

The main camera also provides a 12 MP 2× telephoto image by using the center of the sensor; the total optical zoom range is 6×. LiDAR measures depth for night portraits and focusing. Apple ProRAW allows DNG capture.

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		Lithium-ion; up to 29 hours of video; 15 W wireless with MagSafe, 7.5 W with Qi; 50% in 35 minutes with a 20 W adapter; Lightning port

No adapter is included in the box.

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 Samsung—
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		—
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 Samsung160.7 × 77.6 × 7.85 mm; 240 g Apple
ColoursAwesome Graphite, Awesome Lightgrey, Awesome Olive, Awesome Pink Samsung—
Chip—A16 Bionic; 6-core CPU (2 performance + 4 efficiency), 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine Apple
Storage—128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB

On the 128 GB model ProRes video is limited to 1080p at 30 fps.

Apple
Video—4K at 24/25/30/60 fps; Dolby Vision HDR up to 4K 60 fps; Cinematic mode 4K HDR at 30 fps; Action mode 2.8K at 60 fps; ProRes up to 4K 30 fps

Action mode stabilizes video shot while walking or running without a gimbal.

Apple
Front camera—12 MP TrueDepth, ƒ/1.9, autofocus; Face ID

Front-camera autofocus arrived with this generation.

Apple
Safety features—Emergency SOS via satellite, Crash Detection

Emergency SOS via satellite works only in countries Apple supports and where there is no mobile or Wi‑Fi coverage.

Apple
Durability and build—IP68 (up to 30 minutes at 6 metres); Ceramic Shield front, textured matte glass back, stainless steel frame Apple
Connectivity and location—5G (sub-6 GHz), Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax) 2×2, Bluetooth 5.3, Ultra Wideband, NFC; precision dual-frequency GPS

Dual-frequency GPS improves location accuracy among tall buildings.

Apple
Software—Compatible with iOS 27

It is on the compatible-models list in Apple’s iOS 27.2 user guide.

Apple