Between the Galaxy A36 and iPhone SE (3rd gen), the Galaxy A36 comes out ahead in main camera and battery capacity, while the iPhone SE (3rd gen) wins on weight and antutu. Overall, the Galaxy A36 scores 61.5 and the iPhone SE (3rd gen) scores 40.7 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Galaxy A36 is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 20.8 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
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 main camera, battery capacity, wired charging, among others.
Pick the iPhone SE (3rd gen) 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 weight, antutu, wireless charging.
Both ship with comparable 5g support, water resistance, optical image stabilization, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Galaxy A36 is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Samsung - Galaxy A36 wins
- ▲Main camera — 316.67% more. 50 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲Battery capacity — 147.77% more. 5000 mAh vs 2018 mAh.
- ▲Wired charging — 125.00% more. 45 W vs 20 W.
- ▲RAM — 100.00% more. 8 GB vs 4 GB.
- ▲Refresh rate — 100.00% more. 120 Hz vs 60 Hz.
- ▲Front camera — 71.43% more. 12 MP vs 7 MP.
- ▲Screen size — 42.55% more. 6.7 " vs 4.7 ".
- ▲Pixel density — 18.10% more. 385 ppi vs 326 ppi.
Why Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) wins
- ▲Weight — 51.00 g less. 144 vs 195.
- ▲AnTuTu — 21.88% more. 780000 vs 640000.
- ▲Wireless charging: 7.5 W vs 0 W.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 195 g | 144 glead |
| Thickness | 7.4 mm | 7.3 mmlead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP67 | IP67 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.7 "lead | 4.7 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 385 ppilead | 326 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hzlead | 60 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 1900 nitslead | 625 nits |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 50 MPlead | 12 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MPlead | 7 MP |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 5000 mAhlead | 2018 mAh |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 45 Wlead | 20 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 0 W | 7.5 Wlead |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | iOSlead |
| Promised OS updates | 6 yearslead | 5 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, Galaxy A36 or iPhone SE (3rd gen)?+
Galaxy A36 has 147.8% more battery — 5000 mAh vs 2018 mAh.
Which is lighter, Galaxy A36 or iPhone SE (3rd gen)?+
iPhone SE (3rd gen) is 51g lighter — 195g vs 144g.
Is Galaxy A36 waterproof?+
Galaxy A36 has an IP67 rating.
Does iPhone SE (3rd gen) support 5G?+
Yes, iPhone SE (3rd gen) supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, Galaxy A36 or iPhone SE (3rd gen)?+
Galaxy A36 offers 8GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, Galaxy A36 or iPhone SE (3rd gen)?+
Galaxy A36 has a 50 MP main camera vs 12 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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