Between the Galaxy A36 and iPhone 17 Air, the Galaxy A36 comes out ahead in wired charging and battery capacity, while the iPhone 17 Air wins on antutu and weight. Overall, the Galaxy A36 scores 61.5 and the iPhone 17 Air scores 60.3 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (61.5 vs 60.3). The decision isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
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 wired charging, battery capacity, main camera, among others.
Pick the iPhone 17 Air if the display is what you stare at all day — refresh rate, brightness, or sharpness is where the difference will be most visible. Its strongest claims are antutu, weight, pixel density, among others.
Both ship with comparable ram, 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
- ▲Wired charging — 125.00% more. 45 W vs 20 W.
- ▲Battery capacity — 72.41% more. 5000 mAh vs 2900 mAh.
- ▲Main camera — 4.17% more. 50 MP vs 48 MP.
- ▲Screen size — 1.52% more. 6.7 " vs 6.6 ".
Why Apple - iPhone 17 Air wins
- ▲AnTuTu — 206.25% more. 1960000 vs 640000.
- ▲Weight — 49.00 g less. 146 vs 195.
- ▲Pixel density — 19.48% more. 460 ppi vs 385 ppi.
- ▲Water resistance: IP68 (vs IP67).
- ▲Wireless charging: 15 W vs 0 W.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 195 g | 146 glead |
| Thickness | 7.4 mm | 5.6 mmlead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP67 | IP68lead |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.7 "lead | 6.6 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 385 ppi | 460 ppilead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 1900 nits | 2200 nitslead |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 50 MPlead | 48 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 5000 mAhlead | 2900 mAh |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 45 Wlead | 20 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 0 W | 15 Wlead |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | iOSlead |
| Promised OS updates | 6 years | 6 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, Galaxy A36 or iPhone 17 Air?+
Galaxy A36 has 72.4% more battery — 5000 mAh vs 2900 mAh.
Which is lighter, Galaxy A36 or iPhone 17 Air?+
iPhone 17 Air is 49g lighter — 195g vs 146g.
Is Galaxy A36 waterproof?+
Galaxy A36 has an IP67 rating.
Does iPhone 17 Air support 5G?+
Yes, iPhone 17 Air supports 5G.
Which has a better camera, Galaxy A36 or iPhone 17 Air?+
Galaxy A36 has a 50 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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