Samsung Galaxy A36 review

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Introduction

The next generation Galaxy A models are here and there is a midranger for everybody! Today we meet the most balanced of the Samsung new midrangers, the Galaxy A36.

There was a time when the Galaxy A numbers meant to differentiate screen sizes - the higher the number, the larger the slab. Remember the Galaxy A73 or the Galaxy A90, the once largest A phones? Samsung has finally settled on a universal display size, and the A16, A26, A36 and A56 all get a 6.7-inch AMOLED screen.

What's new in the Galaxy A36 other than its "awesome intelligence" you may ask? Well, besides its slightly larger 6.7-inch display and the updated software, you will also get 45W fast wired charging and a different hardware platform with a minor bump in GPU performance.

That's it. Mostly.

The rear trio of cameras has been borrowed from the Galaxy A35 - 50MP OIS primary, 8MP ultrawide and a 5MP macro. There is a 12MP front camera, but while it may sound like a downgrade from the 13MP on the A35, it's actually a superior unit, so that's one camera upgrade if you are keeping count.

The Galaxy A36 keeps the same battery capacity as the A35 - 5000mAh, but we are glad that Samsung has upped the max charging power to 45W.

Finally, the Galaxy A36 boots Android 15 with One UI 7 out of the box, and it can expect six major Android versions in the upcoming years.

Samsung Galaxy A36 specs at a glance:

• Body: 162.9x78.2x7.4mm, 195g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), plastic frame, glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+); IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min).
• Display: 6.70" Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 1200 nits (HBM), 1900 nits (peak), 1080x2340px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 385ppi; Always-on display.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM6475-AB Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 (4 nm): Octa-core (4x2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55); Adreno 710.
• Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM; UFS 2.2.
• OS/Software: Android 15, up to 6 major Android upgrades, One UI 7.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, 1/1.96", PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 123˚, 1/4.0", 1.12µm; Macro: 5 MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 12 MP, f/2.2, (wide).
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, 10-bit HDR.
• Battery: 5000mAh; 45W wired, 66% in 30 min, 100% in 68 min.
• Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Wi-Fi 6; BT 5.4; NFC.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); stereo speakers; Virtual Proximity Sensing, Circle to Search.

There are other small updates like the Gorilla Glass Victus+ back panel. Or the updated overall design with a new look for the camera bump, which is now bigger.

Unboxing the Galaxy A36

The Galaxy A36 ships in a thin paper box, which contains the phone, a 3A-rated USB-C cable and a SIM ejection PIN.

If you want to make use of the 45W fast charging, you can opt for Samsung's own 45W power adapter, or any compatible USB-PD charger. Note that you will need a 5A-rated USB cable to reach 45W charging power, unlike the Galaxy S25 series that can do it with a 3A cable.