Published 2026-05-01 by James Maxwell
The Galaxy A57 5G is Samsung’s most significant mid-range upgrade in years, not a minor spec bump. Launched in the UK on 10 April 2026 per Samsung Newsroom UK, it brings a full IP68 waterproof rating, a faster Exynos 1680 chipset, a brighter display, and six years of software support to a segment that previously settled for much less. Whether that justifies paying more than the now-discounted A56 is the question worth answering properly.
The Galaxy A57 5G is Samsung’s 2026 flagship killer for the mid-range, succeeding the A56 5G with upgrades across chipset, durability, display brightness, software longevity, and storage capacity. For the deep dive on launch day specs and the full retailer breakdown, read our Galaxy A57 5G review. The single biggest shift is the jump from IP54 splash resistance to full IP68 waterproofing, which changes what you can realistically do with this phone day-to-day. Every upgrade is substantive rather than cosmetic.
Here’s the full picture at a glance:
Feature | Galaxy A57 5G | Galaxy A56 5G |
|---|---|---|
Chipset | Exynos 1680 | Exynos 1480 |
IP Rating | IP68 (1.5 m / 30 min) | IP54 (splash only) |
Display | 6.7" Super AMOLED+, 1,900 nits | 6.7" Super AMOLED, 1,200 nits |
Weight | 179 g | 198 g |
Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E (6 GHz) | Wi-Fi 6 |
OS Updates | 6 years (to 2032) | 4 years (to 2029) |
Max Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB |
RRP (base) | £529 | £499 |
The A57 also introduces 512 GB storage, the first time any A-series Samsung phone has offered that capacity. For anyone who shoots a lot of video or keeps their phone for five-plus years, that matters.
The Galaxy A57 5G starts at £529 for the 256 GB model and rises to £699 for the 512 GB / 12 GB RAM variant, based on Samsung’s official UK pricing. The A56 5G launched at £499 a year earlier and is now available from £249 across 15 UK retailers on Shopping.co.uk (128 GB Grey).
That price gap is wider than it looks on paper. The A56 at £249 is half the price of the A57, but it’s also the 128 GB version. To get a fair comparison, you’d want the A56 in 256 GB, which sits somewhere between those extremes depending on the retailer.
The A57’s £529 RRP is competitive with phones like the Google Pixel 8a (which launched at £499 in 2024) and sits £70 below the iPhone 16e (£599). For what you get on paper, Samsung is pricing this aggressively.
We’re tracking the Galaxy A57 5G in Awesome Gray 256 GB from £19 across 8 UK retailers including Currys, Samsung UK, Very.co.uk, and iD Mobile, with prices ranging up to £529 at time of writing. That £19 figure appears to be a bid or part-exchange listing at Laptops Direct rather than a straight purchase price, so check the full terms before clicking through. Monitor related listings on Shopping.co.uk to catch price movements as the phone settles into the market.
If you’re buying accessories, Samsung’s official silicone case for the A57 in Dark Blue is listed from £24.49, and a transparent screen protector is available from £12 via Amazon. Both are worth factoring in at purchase, since the A57’s glass will still scratch regardless of IP68.
The Exynos 1680 in the A57 5G delivers real, measurable gains over the Exynos 1480 in the A56. Per SamMobile, CPU performance is up 12.5%, GPU performance up 13.8%, and NPU (AI processing) performance up 42% generation-on-generation.
Per Trusted Reviews, those numbers translate to snappier app loading and better sustained performance under load. The 42% AI uplift is the headline figure. Samsung has been pushing Galaxy AI features across its lineup, and a faster NPU means the A57 handles on-device AI tasks (live translate, photo editing, call assist) with noticeably less lag than the A56.
For everyday use, browsing and social media, the A56 was never slow. The A57 is for people who want headroom as apps grow heavier over the next few years.
IP68 means the Galaxy A57 5G can be submerged in 1.5 metres of water for up to 30 minutes, per Android Central’s breakdown of the rating. The A56’s IP54 covers splashes and light rain but not submersion. That is a different class of protection.
In practical terms: the A56 survives a wet commute. The A57 survives dropping into a sink, a puddle, or a shallow pool. For a phone in the £529 bracket, IP68 is now the standard you should expect, and Samsung has finally delivered it at this price point.
The A57’s 6.7-inch Super AMOLED+ panel peaks at 1,900 nits, up from 1,200 nits on the A56’s Super AMOLED. That 58% brightness increase makes a significant difference in direct sunlight, which has been a consistent gripe with A-series phones.
The design change is equally welcome. Per SammyFans, the A57 comes in at 179 g, down from 198 g on the A56. That’s 19 g lighter on a phone this size, which you notice after an hour of use. At 6.9 mm thick, it’s also one of the slimmest phones in Samsung’s A-series lineup. Wi-Fi 6E support (6 GHz band) is a quiet but useful addition for anyone with a compatible router, offering faster speeds and less congestion than Wi-Fi 6.
Six years of OS updates and six years of security patches until 2032, per Samsung’s UK newsroom, is the single strongest reason to choose the A57 over the A56. The A56 only guarantees four years of OS updates (to 2029).
That two-year difference is worth real money over a phone’s lifespan. If you keep a phone for four or five years, the A57 stays supported until 2032. The A56 stops getting new Android versions in 2029, at which point apps start dropping compatibility. For a £529 phone, six years of support makes the total cost of ownership look much more reasonable than the upfront price suggests.
If you bought an A56 in 2025, upgrading to the A57 now is hard to justify. The A56 still gets software updates until 2029, the performance gap is real but not transformative for most users, and you’d be paying £529 for a phone you’d need to sell or trade in your current one to afford.
The A57 makes more sense as a fresh purchase or an upgrade from an A54, A53, or older. If your current phone is outside software support or the battery is degrading, the A57 is the right level to target. The A56 at £249 (128 GB) remains a strong option for budget-conscious buyers who don’t need the full IP68 or the longer software runway.
For more, read our Galaxy A57 vs Pixel 10a vs Nothing Phone 4a Pro.
At £529, the Galaxy A57 5G is priced £30 above the A56’s launch price but delivers IP68 waterproofing, a brighter display, and two extra years of software support, making it better value over a full ownership cycle than the headline price difference implies.
Best place to buy: Samsung UK — buying direct gives you access to trade-in deals and the official 512 GB model, with the added reassurance of Samsung’s own warranty process if anything goes wrong.
vs. the Galaxy A56 5G: The A56 at £249 (128 GB) is the better buy if you’re on a tight budget right now. If you’re buying at full price and plan to keep the phone for four or more years, the A57’s six-year support pledge makes it worth the extra £30 at launch.
Our take: Buy the A57 if you’re starting fresh and want a phone that stays supported into 2032; stick with the discounted A56 if £249 is your ceiling and you can live with IP54.
Is the Samsung Galaxy A57 5G waterproof?
Yes. The Galaxy A57 5G carries an IP68 rating, meaning it is rated for submersion in 1.5 metres of water for up to 30 minutes, per Android Central. Its predecessor, the A56 5G, was only IP54-rated, covering splashes but not full submersion.
What chipset does the Galaxy A57 5G use?
The A57 5G uses Samsung’s Exynos 1680, which delivers 12.5% faster CPU performance and 13.8% faster GPU performance than the Exynos 1480 in the A56, per SamMobile.
How long will the Galaxy A57 5G receive software updates?
Samsung has committed to six years of OS updates and six years of security patches for the A57 5G, keeping it supported until 2032, per Samsung’s UK newsroom.
Does the Galaxy A57 5G come in 512 GB?
Yes. The 512 GB / 12 GB RAM variant is available at £699, making it the first A-series Samsung phone to offer 512 GB of storage.
Where can I buy the Samsung Galaxy A57 5G in the UK?
At time of writing, the A57 5G 256 GB is available from 8 UK retailers including Currys, Samsung UK, Very.co.uk, and iD Mobile, with prices ranging from £19 (bid/part-exchange listings) to £529 for a standard purchase. Track the latest prices on Shopping.co.uk.