Samsung Galaxy A36 5G Review: A stylish mid-ranger with solid, not-so-flashy features

The Samsung Galaxy A series has carved out a niche in the mid-range segment by blending premium experiences with affordability. With the release of the Galaxy A36 5G on March 10, 2025, Samsung continues to build on this reputation. But how does it fare in a competitive market crowded with options from realme and vivo? Here's a comprehensive breakdown.

Key Highlights of the Galaxy A36 5G

Design & Durability

The A36 5G sports a sleek look, shedding some weight compared to its predecessor, the A35. At 7.4mm thick and 195g, it’s slimmer and lighter. It retains Gorilla Glass Victus+ on both sides and a plastic frame, with IP67 water and dust resistance—durable yet elegant.

In comparison, the realme 14 Pro is more rugged with MIL-STD-810H and IP69 certifications, while vivo Y300 Pro+ leans towards style but with lower IP64 splash resistance. The A36 comes in modern shades like lavender, lime, and white.

Display

Samsung nails the display again with a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED panel, 120Hz refresh rate, and 1900 nits peak brightness. It’s sharper and brighter than the A35’s 1000-nit screen and beats the competition in color quality.

Still, rivals like realme 14 Pro (4500 nits) and vivo Y300 Pro+ (5000 nits) trump it in raw brightness—great for outdoor use. But Samsung’s tuning and Always-On Display feature make for a richer day-to-day experience.

Cameras

The A36 keeps a familiar triple rear setup:

50MP main (OIS)

8MP ultrawide

5MP macro

Image processing has improved over the A35, particularly in low light and HDR. Competitors offer dual setups only—both realme 14 Pro and vivo Y300 Pro+ skip the ultrawide lens, limiting versatility.

The 12MP selfie camera with HDR and 4K recording is a welcome upgrade. vivo’s 32MP front camera looks better on paper but is limited to 1080p video.

Performance & Software

The Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 (4nm) powers the A36—a leap over the A35’s Exynos chip. It’s fast, power-efficient, and future-ready with 6 major Android updates promised (vs 4 on A35).

In head-to-heads:

realme 14 Pro uses Dimensity 7300 – efficient but slightly edged out.

vivo Y300 Pro+ with Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 performs better in benchmarks but the A36 holds its own in real-world use.

One UI 7 (Android 15) offers a clean, responsive experience, better than realme UI 6 or vivo’s OriginOS, especially in update support.

Gaming & Multimedia

Thanks to the Adreno 710 GPU and 120Hz refresh rate, the A36 handles titles like Call of Duty Mobile and Genshin Impact smoothly on medium-high settings.

It doesn’t beat realme’s Mali-G615 GPU in frame rates or vivo’s better thermal management, but it’s great for everyday gamers.

The stereo speakers and in-display fingerprint sensor round out a strong multimedia package.

Battery & Charging

The 5000 mAh battery combined with Snapdragon 6’s efficiency ensures full-day use. The jump to 45W charging is significant—66% in 30 mins, full in just over an hour.

That said, realme’s 6000 mAh and vivo’s 7300 mAh batteries last longer, and vivo leads in charging speed with 90W fast charge.

Missing features: no wireless or reverse charging—common in competitors.

Storage Options

The A36 offers 128GB/6GB RAM up to 256GB/12GB RAM, but no microSD card slot. A35 had one, which might sway buyers who value expandable storage.

realme and vivo also skip SD cards but offer higher built-in storage (up to 512GB).

Pros

Gorgeous 6.7" Super AMOLED, 120Hz display

1900 nits peak brightness

Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 for reliable performance

Triple camera setup with OIS

12MP HDR selfie cam with 4K video

Stereo speakers, in-display fingerprint

45W fast charging, full in ~68 minutes

IP67 rating, One UI 7, Android 15 with 6 years of updates

Cons

Plastic frame

No 3.5mm headphone jack

No FM radio

No microSD slot

No wireless or reverse charging

Slightly pricier than rivals with similar specs