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While I naively hoped to see the Galaxy S25 Edge ahead of MWC, that wasnt what I saw last week at Samsung's pre-show briefing. However, what I did see might intrigue many of you: a cheaper slice of Galaxy hardware in the form of the Galaxy A56. It will be available later this year, starting at $499 (or 499 in the UK), which is slightly cheaper than the Pixel 8a when it first appeared. Samsung also announced the Galaxy A36 and A26 today, and they'll start at $399 and $299 respectively. Many of the A series upgrades this year match what we saw from the S25. The A56 is thinner than its predecessor, down to 7.4mm from 8.2mm, while packing a marginally bigger 6.7-inch screen. The bezels, which were usually one of the most prominent visual tells of an A series, have been shaved the devices bezels down further on the A56, too. Photo by Mat Smith for Engadget. The hardware has been tweaked, with a brushed metal frame and a minor design twist: a new slightly protruding bump on the side where the volume and power buttons sit. When I got to handle the A56 briefly, I liked this. Asymmetry aside, it was easier to handle, which was surprising since this was a 6.7-inch device, and Im more used to 6.3-inch phones. The A56 felt less unwieldy. (Did Samsungs designers read my unhinged editorial on the sides of phones and decide to muddy the waters further? Perhaps.) It's a mixed bag on camera specs this year. The front of the A56 now has a lower-res 12-megapixel selfie camera, while on the back sits an upgraded 12MP ultrawide, 50MP main sensor with an f/1.8 lens and optical image stabilization. Theres still a 5MP macro lens for someone out there. Those new cameras feature many of the latest upgrades on the S25 family, including improved image signal processing for better low-light performance, as well as a raft of AI features, including enhanced subject detection in portrait mode. Samsung says the A56 will better recognize sky, skin, faces, hair and grass for improved bokeh effects. Regarding AI-powered image editing, theres also Object Eraser, auto trim for videos and Create Filter, where you can choose an existing image and apply its color and tone to a different photo. You'll also get Best Face, which lets you pick from multiple captures for everyone's best expression, as long as you have motion photos enabled. These aren't new features on smartphones, but their addition brings the midrange A56 closer to the Galaxy S25. Through One UI 7, the A56 gets style flourishes and home screen improvements like the Now bar, notification panel changes and scalable widgets in different shapes and sizes. Samsung also promises six generations of OS updates (up from four on last years A55) and six years of security updates. Photo by Mat Smith for Engadget. As you can tell by now, there arent any surprises here. The 5,000mAh battery is the same size as the A55's, although the charging speed is now 45W. The company says you can charge the device fully in just over an hour. Samsung has swapped to its own 4nm Exynos 1580 chip, too, with CPU boosts of around 18 percent. The hardware, once again, inches closer to the quality and premium feel of what we typically see on Galaxy S devices. It's peak midrange phone season. The Galaxy A56 goes up against the recently launched iPhone 16e, while rumors suggest Google's Pixel 9a could break cover very soon. The Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A26 Samsung also announced the Galaxy A36 5G and Galaxy A26 5G today, which both have 6.7-inch screens that get as bright as 1,200 nits and refresh at up to 120Hz. They come with One UI 7 as well, including features like Circle To Search that previously launched on pricier phones. Plus, they also feature triple camera systems on the rear with a 50MP main sensor, though their ultrawide setup camera is not as sharp as the A56 at 8MP. Some of the software features, like Best Face, are also reserved for the A56, though you'll still find the updated Object Eraser and Filters on the pair of cheaper handsets. Finally, though the A36 and A26 have the same IP67 rating and 5,000mAh battery as the A56, they'll only pack 6GB of RAM and the A36 uses the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 processor instead of the Exynos 1580 in the A56. Galaxy A56 price and availability In the UK, the Galaxy A56 will go on preorder on March 2nd and launch on March 19th. It'll come in four awesome (Samsungs wording) colors, Graphite, Olive, Pink and Light Grey. Because nothing screams awesome like a lighter shade of grey. While we do have US pricing, Samsung hasn't shared more precise timing for availability than "later this year."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsungs-midrange-galaxy-a56-has-ai-photo-editing-and-a-bump-for-its-buttons-230018254.html?src=rss
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New releases we picked up this week that belong on your reading list. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/what-to-read-this-weekend-warm-fusion-brings-biotech-and-body-horror-to-a-gritty-nyc-of-the-future-170043844.html?src=rss
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Side Quest, formerly called Mere Mortals, will premiere on March 26 on Apple TV+. It's the spin-off/expansion series for Mythic Quest, a comedy show on the streaming service about a video game studio developing an MMORPG of the same name. All four episodes of Side Quest will be available on the service on the same day the season four finale of Mythic Quest drops on the platform. Side Quest will revolve around the lives of the fictional studio's employees, as well as the players and fans impacted by the Mythic Quest game. The show will take on an anthology format, with a bunch of actors taking on leading roles for each installment. It was created by Mythic Quest writers Ashly Burch, John Howell Harris and Katie McElhenney, who also served as executive producers. Burch plays the character of Rachel in the original show. Charlie Day, Megan Ganz and Rob McElhenney, who created the Mythic Quest series, served as executive producers for the spin-off, as well. Lionsgate, 3 Arts Entertainment and Ubisoft produced the show for Apple TV+. In addition to announcing the show's premiere, Apple has also released the official trailer for the show, which gives you a pretty good idea of its tone and what you can expect if you watch it. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/apples-mythic-quest-spin-off-side-quest-debuts-on-march-26-160057451.html?src=rss
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