The Samsung Galaxy A36 5G, officially launched on March 26, 2025, enters a competitive mid-range market where every dollar counts and every feature must justify itself. Priced at AED 1,249.00, the A36 doesn’t try to be revolutionary. Instead, it leans into Samsung’s strengths—display quality, software longevity, and a trusted ecosystem—while carefully trimming costs in areas where trade-offs are more acceptable.

This in-depth review is based on extended real-world usage. I’ve lived with the A36 as my daily driver, testing everything from camera performance to battery life, and comparing it against close rivals. Here’s everything you need to know before making your purchase decision.

Design & Build Quality: Subtle Refinements Without Risk

At first glance, the Galaxy A36 may not strike you as dramatically different from its predecessor, the A35. That’s partly true—Samsung has opted for incremental improvements here. However, what’s changed matters. The phone is slightly thinner, making it more comfortable to hold for long stretches. Samsung has also added Gorilla Glass Victus+ on both front and back, giving the phone a more premium look and feel, while still using a plastic frame to keep weight and cost down.

The new elongated camera housing gives the rear a fresh identity, even if it leans into nostalgia for older smartphone designs. It stands out subtly among the sea of minimalist glass slabs in the mid-range market. The color palette includes subdued finishes—Lavender, Lime, Black, and White. While not as bold or playful as some competitors, they feel mature and sophisticated.

The so-called “Key Island” around the volume and power buttons is an acquired taste. It offers tactile precision and easy access, though it slightly breaks the symmetry of the phone’s side frame. Still, it’s unique to Samsung’s A-series and adds a bit of visual personality.

Display: A Mid-Range Marvel

If there’s one category where Samsung almost always gets it right, it’s displays—and the A36 is no exception. Featuring a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED panel with FHD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, this screen is the phone’s crown jewel. Whether you’re watching YouTube, gaming, or simply browsing, the visuals are crisp, vibrant, and fluid.

In my testing, peak brightness reached close to 1,748 nits, which is impressive at this price point. This makes the A36 legible even under direct sunlight—something many budget phones struggle with. Color reproduction leans toward Samsung’s signature saturation, but it’s pleasing to the eye, especially for media consumption. And yes, if you prefer more natural tones, color calibration settings allow for adjustment.

The optical in-display fingerprint reader is fast and mostly accurate. Face Unlock is offered as well, but since it’s based on 2D image recognition, it’s more about convenience than security. Use it wisely.

Performance: Adequate for Everyday Needs

Our review sample is running on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 processor with 6GB RAM, the A36 handles daily tasks without drama. For social media, messaging, music streaming, and video playback, it’s a smooth ride. Apps open quickly, and switching between them is mostly seamless.

That said, this isn’t a phone built for heavy-duty gaming or multitasking. In titles like Genshin Impact and Call of Duty Mobile, frame drops were noticeable unless settings were lowered. Thermal performance is acceptable, but the phone does warm up during long sessions.

Benchmark scores position the A36 in the middle of the pack—it trails behind the Pixel 9a and Nothing Phone 3a, both of which offer better raw performance. Still, for the average user, the A36 will be more than capable.

One thing to note: the A36 lacks a microSD card slot. This won’t be a dealbreaker for cloud-savvy users, but local storage fans may want to opt for the 256GB variant.

Battery Life & Charging: Long-Lasting and Fast to Recharge

Samsung has wisely stuck with a 5,000mAh battery, which remains the gold standard for mid-range phones. In real-world use, I consistently saw between 6.5 to 7 hours of screen-on time. Light users could stretch this phone across two full days.

Charging is where the A36 impresses. Samsung has included 45W fast charging—a feature previously reserved for flagships. With a compatible charger, you can hit 50% in just over 30 minutes, and reach full charge in around 75 minutes.

Wireless charging is not supported, which is disappointing as some competitors are now including it. However, at this price point, wired speed is more crucial, and the A36 delivers in that regard.

Samsung’s battery optimization tools, including adaptive power saving and background app management, help stretch battery life even further.

Audio & Haptics: Passable for the Price

Audio on the A36 is serviceable. It features dual stereo speakers that get decently loud without much distortion, though the overall sound profile lacks depth and punch. Dialogue is clear, and music sounds fine for casual listening, but bass is minimal.

The haptics are similarly basic. The vibration motor delivers soft, mushy feedback that lacks the precision and nuance found in more expensive phones. It’s fine for notifications and typing but not satisfying for those who enjoy responsive feedback.

Software & Updates: Industry-Leading Longevity

This is where the Galaxy A36 truly stands out. It ships with Android 15 and Samsung’s One UI 7, offering a modern, feature-rich interface that’s highly customizable and user-friendly.

But the real highlight is Samsung’s promise: four years of major Android updates and two additional years of security patches. That’s six years of support—nearly unheard of in this category.

One UI 7 runs smoothly and offers a clean multitasking experience with features like split-screen, pop-up view, and Samsung DeX Lite. Samsung’s ecosystem also adds value through seamless integration with Galaxy Buds, Watches, and Tablets.

The Awesome Intelligence suite includes Circle to Search, AI photo editing, and Read Aloud functions. These aren’t as advanced as what’s available on the S-series, but they’re genuinely useful and make the phone feel smarter.

Camera System: Capable for Casual Use

The A36 carries forward the triple-camera formula: a 50MP main shooter, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 5MP macro sensor. While it sounds good on paper, the actual results are more nuanced.

In well-lit environments, the main sensor delivers sharp, colorful images with decent dynamic range. Samsung’s image processing is evident—sharpening and color boosting are noticeable, but not overly aggressive. The 8MP ultrawide performs acceptably for landscapes and large groups, though it suffers from softness at the edges and lacks detail in shadows.

The 5MP macro camera, as is often the case, feels underutilized. Focus is tricky and results are hit or miss. It’s hard not to wish this had been replaced with a better zoom or depth sensor.

The 12MP front camera does its job well in good lighting. Selfies are clear, and the portrait mode offers decent edge detection. Under artificial lighting, however, noise becomes more apparent and skin tones can appear washed out.

Video recording is capped at 4K/30fps on the main sensor. The footage is decent, though stabilization could be better. Ultrawide video recording doesn’t support 4K, which feels limiting for creators looking to film in various perspectives.

Samsung’s “Awesome Intelligence” features like Object Eraser and AI-generated edits are fun additions, but not game-changing. They’re useful, but they feel more like convenient tools than transformative tech.

Photo samples

Verdict: Practical, Polished, and Purposeful

The Samsung Galaxy A36 isn’t flashy—and that’s precisely why it works. It delivers solid performance, an excellent display, long battery life, and industry-leading software support, all in a well-built package that feels reliable.

Yes, the camera system and performance won’t blow anyone away. And no, it doesn’t offer wireless charging or a standout design. But for AED 1,249.00, the A36 offers one of the most well-rounded and future-proof experiences in the mid-range market.

If your priorities are daily reliability, screen quality, and long-term software support, this phone is a smart buy. A sensible, well-balanced mid-ranger that plays it safe but does so with style and substance.