Samsung’s Galaxy A-series phones have been consistent favourites, providing users with an affordable yet feature-rich alternative to flagship phones.
That looks set to be true once again in 2025, with the Galaxy A16 now being joined by A56, A26 and A36.
It’s the latter that’s our focus here, which offers a compelling set of features for its mid-range price. Here’s everything you need to know about the new Galaxy A36.
When was the Samsung Galaxy A36 released?
Samsung officially launched the Galaxy A36 alongside the A36 and A26 on 1 March or 2 March 2025, depending on where you’re based.
The device is available to buy in the UK and US now.
To see how the current launch date compares to those of earlier years, here’s when the previous generations launched:
- Samsung Galaxy A32 – February 2021
- Samsung Galaxy A33 – March 2022
- Samsung Galaxy A34 – March 2023
- Samsung Galaxy A35 – March 2024
How much does the Samsung Galaxy A36 cost?
The Galaxy A36 5G costs £399 in the UK for the only model available, which offers 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
That’s £60 more than the Galaxy A35. However, this price increase seems somewhat justified by the faster charging, improved AI features, brighter display, and more storage. You can buy it from Samsung or a third-party seller such as Amazon.
In the US, it’s priced at $399.99 5G model with 128GB and 8GB RAM. It’s one of the more affordable mid-range phones around. Again, it’s available from Samsung, or third-party retailers including Best Buy and Walmart.
For context, here’s how recent models were priced:
- Galaxy A35: £339/$399.99
- Galaxy A34: £349 (not available in the US)
- Galaxy A33: £329 (not available in the US)
- Galaxy A32: £249 (not available in the US)
Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd
What specs and features does the Samsung Galaxy A36 have?
Despite its affordable price point, the Galaxy A36 has a compelling set of features.
Visually, it has a similar design language to the flagship Galaxy S25 series, with an understated look, vertical rear camera arrangement and rounded corners. However, the use of plastic rather than glass on the back is a notable downgrade compared to more expensive handsets, including the Galaxy A56.
However, unlike the A56, the A36’s reflective finishes offer an unusual rainbow aesthetic when the light hits it.
Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd
One area where it doesn’t feel like there are any compromises is the display. The Galaxy A36 has a 6.7-inch, Full HD+ 120Hz AMOLED which Samsung claims is 20% brighter than the Galaxy A35‘s. These specs are almost identical to the flagship Galaxy S25+.
Within the screen is an optical fingerprint scanner, which is a more secure biometric option than the basic face unlock.
Elsewhere, Samsung has ditched its own Exynos chipsets on the Galaxy A36 in favour of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 3. However, the company’s claims of 6% overall performance improvement compared to the Exynos 1380 in the Galaxy A36 means you shouldn’t expect any big changes.
Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd
The A36’s camera setup is a slight downgrade compared to the Galaxy A56, with a smaller 50Mp main sensor and lower-res 8Mp ultrawide. However, you get the same 5Mp macro and 12Mp front-facing selfie lens.
While the battery capacity is unchanged at 5000mAh, wired charging speeds have been upgraded to 45W. That’s faster than even the regular Galaxy S25, and matches the S25+ and S25 Ultra.
The Galaxy A36 also excels when it comes to software. Not only is the phone running Samsung’s slick One UI 7 software (based on Android 15) but you also get several of the company’s flagship AI features. We’re talking Now Brief and AI Select from the Galaxy S25 series, plus the latest version of Circle to Search and integrated Google Gemini.
Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd
On top of that, Samsung is offering six years of both OS and security updates – that’s the best commitment of any phone at this price.
To see what the Galaxy A36 is up against, see our guides to the best mid-range phones and best Samsung Galaxy phones.
