Samsung Galaxy A36 and A26 Duo Arrive With Lower Prices and Upgrades

Samsung has raised the bar for software longevity in the mid-range smartphone market, with its latest A-series devices (A16 and higher) now slated to receive six complete OS updates. This generation of devices also delivers enhanced performance, faster charging, improved cameras, and various other upgrades.

We have already covered the Galaxy A56 in a separate article and will now be talking about the Galaxy A26 and Galaxy A36 which bring cheaper price tags compared to the A56.

Samsung Galaxy A36

Samsung has matched display specs across its entire mid-range lineup, with the A56, A36, and A26 models all featuring identical 6.7-inch Super AMOLED panels delivering 1080p+ resolution. The screens offer enhanced brightness, achieving 1,200 nits in HBM with maximum output reaching 1,900 nits under optimal conditions. You also get Gorilla Glass Victus+, protecting both the display and rear panel, though the frame is polycarbonate here unlike the Galaxy A56’s aluminum.

Consistent with the previous generation, the handset maintains an IP67 certification, ensuring resistance against dust ingress and water exposure. Consumers can select from several color options, with all variants except the black model featuring an iridescent finish that shifts hues depending on lighting conditions and viewing angles.

While previous iterations always used a combo of Dimensity and Exynos processors, the Samsung Galaxy A36 now has Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset. The standard memory configuration offers 6 GB RAM paired with 128 GB storage, though select markets will receive an enhanced 8 GB/128 GB variant, with an optional upgrade path to 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage.

Although the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 isn’t a performance powerhouse, Samsung has optimized its potential by adding a larger vapor chamber cooling system that’s 15% larger than its predecessor, just as big as Samsung’s premium S series phones.

The new main camera design remains consistent across all new A-series models but with the same camera hardware as before: a 50MP main sensor with OIS, an 8MP ultrawide, and a 5MP macro camera. Still, there are two upgrades to talk about: a larger 12MP selfie camera sensor, which is even bigger than the Galaxy A56, and enhanced HDR video at 10-bit up to 4K @ 30fps.

The 45W charging upgrade has made its way down to the Galaxy A36 as well, though the 5,000 mAh battery capacity is no different from before. The phone will boot One UI 7 on top of Android 15 out of the box, with 6 years of OS upgrades and 6 years of security patches.

Samsung Galaxy A36 has a starting price of $400.

Samsung Galaxy A26

The Samsung Galaxy A26 represents a refresh of last year’s A35 at a more accessible price while maintaining similarities with the new A36 despite its more budget-friendly positioning. Under the hood, the A26 employs the Exynos 1380 processor—the same chipset that powered last year’s A35 model. Samsung noted that the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3’s CPU is 8% faster than the Exynos 1380, though there was no mention of efficiency. Unlike its higher-tier counterpart, the A26 does not benefit from the enlarged vapor chamber.

Memory configurations follow a similar pattern across the lineup, with the entry-level A26 offering either 6 GB or 8 GB of RAM depending on regional availability, paired with 128 GB of internal storage, and an optional upgrade to 8 GB RAM with 256 GB storage. The A26 stands out with a microSD card slot—a feature absent from higher-end A-series devices.

Samsung has extended its enhanced software commitment to this model as well, promising 6 complete operating system updates and 6 years of security maintenance, representing a substantial improvement from the previous generation’s 4 OS updates and 5 years of security support.

The screen specs are the same as the rest of the phones, but the Galaxy A26 has a notch for a selfie camera and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. This model has been slimmed down compared to its predecessor and has IP67-rated protection.

The camera hardware is the same as the Galaxy A36, except the selfie camera is an older 13MP shooter with no HDR support. This is the only phone in the series with a lower 25W charging on top of a 5,000 mAh battery.

The Galaxy A26’s starting price is $300.

Specifications