Samsung Galaxy A Series in SA

Samsung’s Galaxy A Series, its most popular lineup in South Africa is now available to purchase. The trio of 5G handsets, namely the Galaxy A56, A36 and A26 all features its AI powered ‘Awesome Intelligence’ features.

The Awesome Intelligence version of its AI, separate to Galaxy AI on its flagships, is available exclusively on these devices.

Powered by One UI 7, the new Awesome Intelligence features bring amazing search and visual experiences to Galaxy A series users, said Samsung in a media release.

“A fan-favourite on Galaxy A series devices last year, Google’s enhanced Circle to Search, makes it easier than ever to search and discover from the phone’s screen. With the latest upgrades, users can now get even more done on their phone. Circle to Search will quickly recognise phone numbers, email addresses and URLs on the screen so users can take action with a single tap,” it says.

Samsung says the A series takes the camera experience to a new level with creator-focused tools, starting with a powerful triple-camera system featuring a 50MP main lens on all devices and 10-bit HDR front lens recording on Galaxy A56 5G and Galaxy A36 5G for bright and crisp selfies.

The A56 will have an exclusive “best face” feature to capture group shots by selecting and combining the best expressions or features for up to five people from a motion photo, explains Samsung. Whether someone blinked or looked away, Best Face ensures everyone looks their best in a single, seamless shot.

The A56 will also have its Nightography feature with low noise mode on its 12MP selfie-cam and an additional wide camera support to capture images in low-light settings.

All the phones, the A56, A36 and A26 will offer its popular Object Eraser tool to remove unwanted objects from photos. They will also have the Filters feature to create custom filters based on existing photos to create a personalised effect.

Samsung: Longer software support and larger displays

The trio of the new Galaxy A Series devices will now come with six generations of Android OS and One UI upgrades and six years of security updates.

Meanwhile, the A56 and A36 will offer larger screens; both featuring a 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display with a 1200 nits brightness level. They also feature stereo speakers.

Larger battery on A Series

All three devices will offer a large 5000mAh battery, built to last all day. Samsung says the A56 and A36 supports 45W charging power and Super-Fast Charge 2.0 technology.

Under the hood

The A56 is powered by the Exynos 1580 chipset, starts with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It offers dual SIM with eSIM support. It has a 50+12+5MP camera.

The A36 is powered by a Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset, with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It also offers dual SIM with eSIM support. It has a 50+8+5MP camera.

The entry-level A26 has an Exynos 1380 chipset, with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It has a dual SIM slot with the second slot being a hybrid SD/SIM slot. It has a 50+8+2MP camera.

None of the models appear to have NFC support, thus no tap to pay functionality, while all models have an IP67 dust and water resistance rating.

Protection and privacy

The addition of One UI7 on the Galaxy A Series for the first time means  it will offer more robust security and privacy, including Samsung Knox Vault to ensure sensitive data always stays protected. Its overall protection includes Theft Detection and more.

Prices and availability

The Galaxy A Series is available immediately via the Samsung South Africa website and retailers. The A56 costs R10 999 and comes in olive and graphite; the A36 costs R7 499 and comes in lime and black; and lastly the A26 is priced at R4 999 and comes in mint and black.