Samsung Galaxy A36 5G

Description

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.

Samsung Galaxy A36 review
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: 162.9×78.2×7.4mm, 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 (4×2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×1.8 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.

Samsung Galaxy A36 review
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.