Forget iPhone 16e: Samsung's $399 Galaxy A36 is the mid-ranger to beat

Following the launch of its latest flagship smartphones, Samsung today is introducing the new Galaxy A series lineup, which includes the A36 5G and A26 5G. (There’s also an A56 5G, but the company is holding off on sharing all the details for now.)

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These new models are the first of their kind to feature enhanced AI capabilities, more powerful chipsets, and a refreshed look and feel that’s akin to the more premium Samsung models — all while maintaining a budget-friendly price to offer great value. I got a chance to go hands-on with the phones ahead of their launch, and here are the best new features you should know about.

A(wesome) I(ntelligence)

A key upgrade across all new A series models is Awesome Intelligence, an AI experience that brings select features from Samsung’s flagship devices to the more affordable A series. Powered by One UI 7, it includes Circle to Search, which allows users to circle any part of the screen for quick assistance — whether it’s a web search, phone call, or finding a song.

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The suite also features Object Eraser, an AI tool that lets users remove unwanted objects from photos by simply tapping the area to be erased, with the AI filling in the background. Additionally, the new A series devices will include Filters, enabling users to create custom photo filters.

The A56 model also adds Best Face, a feature that allows users to swap a person’s expression in a group photo for a more flattering one. With these AI tools in mind, let’s examine each device’s specs.

Samsung Galaxy A36 5G

The Galaxy A36 5G features upgrades across the board, with improvements in display, camera, processor, and battery. The A36’s refreshed design features a linear lens layout with a triple camera array, which includes a 50MP OIS main lens, 8MP ultra-wide, and 5MP macro. The front camera has also been upgraded to 12MP, similar to the one on the Galaxy S25 lineup — though post-processing and how the device presents the captured image may differr.

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The A36 5G display is a bit larger and brighter than last year’s A35, boasting a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1200 nits, ideal even under direct sunlight, according to Samsung. Despite the increase in screen size, it has a slimmer and lighter form factor, weighing 195g compared to the 209g on last year’s A35. Like its predecessor, the phone still has an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance. 

Despite being lighter and more affordable, the phone felt surprisingly similar in the hand to the more expensive Galaxy S25. The weight and fit were just right, giving it a premium feel that you wouldn’t expect at this price.

The phone also received several upgrades under the hood. It is now powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, moving away from Samsung’s Exynos chipset, a 5,000mAh battery with 45W wired charging, up from its predecessors’ 25W rating, and a larger cooling system.

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You’ll get all of this, along with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, for a starting price of $399. The A36 5G is available in Awesome Black, Awesome Lavender, and Awesome Lime, the latter of which will be exclusively available at Best Buy beginning March 26. The two brighter colors are also iridescent and show a rainbow sheen when held at certain angles.

Lastly, Samsung is now promising six years of OS and security updates, up from four years of OS updates and five years of security updates for past models. This guarantees that users will be able to take advantage of newer features for longer and, as a result, extend how long they keep the phone before needing to upgrade.

Samsung Galaxy A26 5G

The mid-tier Galaxy A26 5G also received several upgrades, including a design similar to the A36 5G with a glass back cover, replacing the plastic one on the A25. It features a triple camera array with a 50MP main camera, 8MP ultra-wide, and 2MP macro lens, alongside a 13MP front-facing selfie camera.

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The A26’s display is now a larger 6.7-inch Super AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, made possible by reducing the bezel size. It also boasts an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance, a notable feature at its price point.

Additional upgrades include the new Exynos 1380 chipset (compared to the Exynos 1280), six years of OS/security updates, and similar Awesome Intelligence features as its bigger sibling. Priced at $299, the A26 will be available in only Black starting March 28.

What about the A56 5G?

The Galaxy A56 5G will launch later this year, so details about colors, availability, and form factor remain in the air. Samsung did share that it will have the same display, water and dust resistance, cameras, and battery as the Galaxy A36 5G, while the memory will be a bit higher at 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The phone is suggested to retail for $499. We’ll have to stand by for what more Samsung offers with the model to justify the higher price.