The Sensible Choice: Samsung Galaxy A36 Review

Samsung Galaxy A36 5G design and build quality

Visually, Samsung opted for a simple design that is almost indistinguishable from the Galaxy A56 (read review). However, the chassis is made of plastic instead of metal. The glass back is retained, so this difference is hardly noticeable in everyday use — and becomes irrelevant with a protective cover anyway. In terms of color, the model is available in lavender, green, and white, or classic black, just like the review unit. Thanks to its angular design, the smartphone fits perfectly in the hand and also offers reliable protection against dust and water thanks to IP68 certification.

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In addition to the smartphone, other bundled accessories include only a SIM tool and a charging cable. A protective cover or screen protector, which normally comes as standard with many Chinese manufacturers, was excluded. A power adapter is also missing, which is a common practice among most manufacturers.

Samsung Galaxy A36 5G display

While previous models in the Galaxy A series differed in size, this year's Samsung Galaxy A36 and A56 have identical dimensions, in terms of their chassis and display. The latter measures 6.7 inches and uses Samsung's proven AMOLED technology, which is par for the course. As a result, the device scores big with brilliant colors, deep blacks, and excellent viewing angles. In terms of quality, there is virtually no difference between the displays.

The Galaxy A36 display is one of the best on the market in its price segment. In addition to excellent color reproduction, it impressed with a high peak brightness of 1,200 nits. Samsung also protects the screen using Gorilla Glass Victus+, while other devices in this price range often have to make do with older Gorilla Glass versions. As usual, Samsung installed an optical fingerprint sensor under the display. This unlocked the smartphone reliably and quickly throughout the duration of the review.

The bezels are relatively wide, which is acceptable considering the price range, but they are not symmetrical. Other manufacturers place greater value on a more coherent design in this department. If you don't consider this a relevant point, you can safely ignore the asymmetry, although narrower bezels would have made the device appear more compact overall.

Samsung Galaxy A36 5G software

Software is one of Samsung's greatest strengths. No other manufacturer in this price range offers six years of update support, which includes both new Android versions and essential security patches. Although there have recently been delays in the delivery of Android 15, the update is now being distributed. Samsung promises improvement with Android 16 and has kept all of its update promises in recent years.

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The One UI 7 user interface stands out visually from pure Android but remains largely familiar in terms of operation. Particularly noteworthy is the simplified mode for smartphone newcomers, a function that cannot be found in this manner with other manufacturers. This also makes the Galaxy A36 the ideal smartphone for inexperienced users.

At the same time, One UI offers smartphone experts a wide range of options for personalization that go beyond pure Android. One point of criticism, however, remains the presence of the Galaxy Store and the large number of pre-installed apps. Thankfully, these unwanted apps can be removed with just a few taps.

Samsung introduces AI tools to their mid-range handsets for the first time. These include an optimized voice assistant, automatic summaries of notes, and various image editing functions. However, not all functions found in the more expensive S models are available here. For instance, the automatic translation of phone calls is missing.

Samsung Galaxy A36 5G performance

While Samsung uses its own Exynos processor in the more expensive Galaxy A56, the Galaxy A36 uses the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 instead. It has either 6 or 8 GB of RAM at its disposal.

In our benchmark test, the Galaxy A36 delivered around a third less performance than the Galaxy A56, but in everyday use, the differences are barely noticeable even when compared directly. A potential bottleneck in the long term could be the RAM and storage. The basic version of the Galaxy A36 offers 128 GB of memory and just 6 GB of RAM.

While that might be sufficient currently, this could become a limiting factor over the next few years as software gets more resource-hungry. After all, Samsung promises up to six years of update support, which is remarkable in this price range. If you want to remain on the safe side, you can opt for the 256 GB model, which is equipped with 8 GB of RAM. However, the additional surcharge is not an insignificant amount.

The decision to remove the microSD slot makes your purchase decision all the more relevant. Subsequent memory expansion is therefore no longer possible. If you can't live with 256 GB of storage space, you are better off looking for another smartphone. Additional storage options are not planned by Samsung.

When it comes to connectivity, the Galaxy A36 lies at the cutting edge. 5G connectivity is now standard, but having eSIM support in this price range stands out as a positive point. Even after many years, this is still a rarity in the sub-$400 range and should particularly please all those who like to travel.

Samsung Galaxy A36 5G camera

Like its bigger sibling, the Galaxy A56, the Samsung Galaxy A36 also relies on a triple camera setup. Apart from the ultra-wide-angle sensor, the hardware is identical to that of the more expensive model. The main camera also delivers solid, high-resolution results overall, although color reproduction is strongly geared towards a "social media" aesthetic and sometimes deviates significantly from reality. Even when scene optimization is deactivated, red and green tones in particular tend to be over-saturated, which is particularly noticeable in nature shots. Conversely, photos taken in low light turn out too dark without effective brightening by the software.

The additional cameras for ultra wide-angle and macro shots cannot keep up with the main camera in terms of quality. This is also a limitation that applies to the Galaxy A56. While the ultra wide-angle sensor offers a certain degree of value, the macro lens remains more of a gimmick on the technical specifications than a selling point.

Samsung Galaxy A36 5G battery

The battery of the Samsung Galaxy A36 boasts a capacity of 5,000 mAh, a value that has established itself as the industry standard in recent years. However, the new silicon-carbon batteries mean that significantly higher capacities are now possible with the same thickness and weight. This is also possible in this price range, as the Honor Magic7 Lite with its 6,600 mAh impressively demonstrated.

But even without the new battery technology, the Galaxy A36 achieved a solid battery life of 15 hours and 35 minutes in the benchmark. In direct comparison with the A56, there is virtually no difference. In everyday use, a full battery charge easily lasts for a day, while efficient standby management means that two days without recharging are possible without any issues.

A full charge of up to 45 watts takes around 70 minutes. A charger is not included, but Samsung uses the open PD standard for the device to be easily charged with any compatible charger.