Between the Galaxy A36 and Galaxy S26, the Galaxy A36 comes out ahead in battery capacity and screen size, while the Galaxy S26 wins on antutu and ram. Overall, the Galaxy A36 scores 61.5 and the Galaxy S26 scores 64.6 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Galaxy S26 edges ahead on the Mars Score (61.5 vs 64.6), but the 3.1-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the Galaxy A36 if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. The biggest gaps in its favor are battery capacity, screen size.
Pick the Galaxy S26 if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. Its strongest claims are antutu, ram, weight, among others.
Both ship with comparable main camera, refresh rate, 5g support, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Why Samsung - Galaxy A36 wins
- ▲Battery capacity — 25.00% more. 5000 mAh vs 4000 mAh.
- ▲Screen size — 8.06% more. 6.7 " vs 6.2 ".
Why Samsung - Galaxy S26 wins
- ▲AnTuTu — 235.94% more. 2150000 vs 640000.
- ▲RAM — 50.00% more. 12 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲Weight — 27.00 g less. 168 vs 195.
- ▲Pixel density — 10.39% more. 425 ppi vs 385 ppi.
- ▲Water resistance: IP68 (vs IP67).
- ▲Promised OS updates: 7 (vs 6).
- ▲Wireless charging: 15 W vs 0 W.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Samsung - Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 195 g | 168 glead |
| Thickness | 7.4 mm | 7.4 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP67 | IP68lead |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Samsung - Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.7 "lead | 6.2 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 385 ppi | 425 ppilead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 1900 nits | 2400 nitslead |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Samsung - Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 50 MP | 50 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Samsung - Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 5000 mAhlead | 4000 mAh |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 45 W | 45 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 0 W | 15 Wlead |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Samsung - Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Samsung - Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 6 years | 7 yearslead |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, Galaxy A36 or Galaxy S26?+
Galaxy A36 has 25.0% more battery — 5000 mAh vs 4000 mAh.
Which is lighter, Galaxy A36 or Galaxy S26?+
Galaxy S26 is 27g lighter — 195g vs 168g.
Is Galaxy A36 waterproof?+
Galaxy A36 has an IP67 rating.
Does Galaxy S26 support 5G?+
Yes, Galaxy S26 supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, Galaxy A36 or Galaxy S26?+
Galaxy S26 offers 12GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, Galaxy A36 or Galaxy S26?+
Galaxy S26 has a 50 MP main camera vs 50 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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