Samsung has launched its new A series phones — Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56 — in 2025. I have already reviewed the Galaxy A56, and today we will talk about the “cheapest” option of the A series, the Galaxy A36. Well, calling it cheap would probably be wrong because its price is Rs 33,000 or around $400 (for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant).
But the question is whether this price is justified? If you compare on Amazon or Flipkart, you get options like OnePlus 12R, Realme 14 Pro Plus, and the new Nothing Phone 3 which are much better in specs. So what is this extra premium thing about?
There are only two reasons that give some value to A36:
- One UI Software Experience and 6 years of updates — which makes Samsung phones different from all others.
- Brand Value— Samsung name, easy availability in offline stores, and EMI offers.
But overall, this phone feels a bit average in its price range. Let’s go into Samsung Galaxy A36 Review and see its good and bad points!
Samsung Galaxy A36 Review
Design and Build Quality: A Premium Look
The design of the Galaxy A36 is impressive at first glance. While maintaining the boxy form factor of last year, this time we get to see a new camera module which gives the phone a more premium look. Gorilla Glass Victus+ has been given on both sides, which gives a lot of protection from scratches and falls. Plus, due to the IP67 rating, this phone is also safe from dust and water.
But there is also a compromise – plastic frame. The Galaxy A56 has an aluminum frame, which gives a slightly premium feel, but due to being plastic, the A36 is lighter. Overall build quality is solid, I would give it an A-.
Display: Samsung’s Special Touch
Samsung’s display quality is simply amazing! The display on the Galaxy A36 is top-notch. It sports a 6.6-inch Full HD+ AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. Colours are vibrant, touch response is smooth, and content viewing experience is amazing. Outdoor visibility is also much better — maximum brightness now goes up to 1200 nits, which is better than some flagship phones.
There is just one drawback — HDR10+ support is not yet available on apps like Netflix and Prime Video, but there is a chance we will get it in a future update. The bezels feel a bit old, Samsung should have trimmed them a bit. Still, the overall display experience is top-notch!
Performance: A little hope, a little disappointment
Now let’s talk about performance – there is good news and bad news here. The good news is that the One UI 7 experience is amazing. Animations are smooth, and the fluency of the software is quite good.
But the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset does lag behind the performance. When compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the OnePlus 12R and the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 in the iQOO NEO 10R, the A36 feels noticeably slow. App opening, multitasking – everything takes a little time.
Some better optimizations were seen in gaming – PUBG ran at 60 FPS which is better than A56, because A56 only gets 30 FPS. But if you are a hardcore gamer, then this phone will disappoint you.
Camera: Average Performance, No Major Upgrades
There is disappointment in the camera department. There is no special upgrade from last year’s A35. The primary camera is the same 50MP, along with 8MP ultrawide and 5MP macro sensor.
The big thing is that the 3x telephoto lens is absent – while this is available in phones like Realme 14 Pro Plus. Portrait shots can only be taken at 1x zoom, and when you compare them with Realme’s 3x portraits, Samsung falls short.
Colours look natural in daylight photos, but images are sometimes underexposed. Samsung’s optimisation is better in low light, but overall camera performance is pretty average. Selfies are good – Samsung’s human skin tone processing is quite good.
Video recording up to 4K 30FPS is supported from both the primary and selfie cameras, but the ultrawide camera is limited to 1080p only. At this price range, Samsung should have made improvements here.
Battery and Charging: Some better, some same old story
Samsung has lagged behind in the battery department too. While other Chinese brands are using new 6,000 mAh and 6,500 mAh silicon carbon batteries, the A36 still has the same 5,000 mAh battery. Screen-on time is also only up to 7 hours, while the competition gives backup of up to 8-9 hours.
One good thing is that now the A36 supports 45W fast charging . But the problem is that the charger does not come in the box – you will have to buy it separately. This also increases the overall cost.
Fingerprint Sensor and Haptics: Samsung, Please Improve!
Now let’s talk about some other small but important things – like fingerprint scanner and haptics. The fingerprint scanner of A36 is placed quite low, due to which one has to stretch the thumb to unlock the phone. And the scanner itself is a bit slow.
The vibration motor is also average — it degrades the experience during typing and navigation. The vibration motor in the A56 is noticeably better. Samsung should have worked a little harder here.
Final Verdict: Is the A36 worth buying?
In simple words, the Galaxy A36 seems to be a bit expensive deal. Yes, Samsung’s One UI and 6 years of updates are a big deal, but in this price range you get phones like OnePlus 12R , Realme 14 Pro Plus which are better than this in performance and camera.
If you only want a Samsung phone, the Galaxy S23 FE or A55 are much better — they have better cameras, performance, and haptics. Overall, the A36 is just an average phone that has some good things, but the price doesn’t justify it.
So will you buy the Galaxy A36, or switch to another phone? Do let me know in the comments!