Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Apple - iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| AnTuTu | 640000 | 1620000 |
| Wired charging | 45 W | 20 W |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Battery capacity | 5000 mAh | 3561 mAh |
| Weight | 195 g | 170 g |
| Pixel density | 385 ppi | 460 ppi |
Between the Galaxy A36 and iPhone 16, the Galaxy A36 comes out ahead in wired charging / refresh rate, while the iPhone 16 wins on antutu / weight. Overall, the Galaxy A36 scores 63 and the iPhone 16 scores 60.1 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (63 vs 60.1). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is 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, refresh rate, battery capacity, among others. The single most decisive one: Wired charging — 125.00% more. 45 W vs 20 W.
Pick the iPhone 16 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. The single most decisive one: AnTuTu — 153.13% more. 1620000 vs 640000.
Both ship with comparable ram, 5g support, front camera, so those specs do not 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 says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Samsung - Galaxy A36 or Apple - iPhone 16?
Samsung - Galaxy A36 leads the current Mars Score by 2.9 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare screen size, pixel density, battery capacity against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Samsung - Galaxy A36 if…
Samsung - Galaxy A36 has the measurable edge on wired charging w, refresh rate hz, battery capacity mah.
Choose Apple - iPhone 16 if…
Apple - iPhone 16 has the measurable edge on antutu score, weight g, pixel density ppi.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Samsung - Galaxy A36 wins
- ▲Wired charging — 125.00% more. 45 W vs 20 W.
- ▲Refresh rate — 100.00% more. 120 Hz vs 60 Hz.
- ▲Battery capacity — 40.41% more. 5000 mAh vs 3561 mAh.
- ▲Screen size — 9.84% more. 6.7 " vs 6.1 ".
- ▲Main camera — 4.17% more. 50 MP vs 48 MP.
- ▲Promised OS updates: 6 (vs 5).
Why Apple - iPhone 16 wins
- ▲AnTuTu — 153.13% more. 1620000 vs 640000.
- ▲Weight — 25.00 g less. 170 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 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 195 g | 170 glead |
| Thickness | 7.4 mmlead | 7.8 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP67 | IP68lead |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Apple - iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.7 "lead | 6.1 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 385 ppi | 460 ppilead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hzlead | 60 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 1900 nits | 2000 nitslead |
Performance
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Apple - iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| RAMⓘ | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Storageⓘ | 128 GB | 128 GB |
| AnTuTuⓘ | 640000 | 1620000lead |
| CPU total clockⓘ | 8.4 GHz | 17.0 GHzlead |
Cameras
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Apple - iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 50 MPlead | 48 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Apple - iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacityⓘ | 5000 mAhlead | 3561 mAh |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 45 Wlead | 20 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 0 W | 15 Wlead |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Apple - iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy A36 | Apple - iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | iOSlead |
| Promised OS updates | 6 yearslead | 5 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, Galaxy A36 or iPhone 16?+
Galaxy A36 has 40.4% more battery — 5000 mAh vs 3561 mAh.
Which is lighter, Galaxy A36 or iPhone 16?+
iPhone 16 is 25g lighter — 195g vs 170g.
Is Galaxy A36 waterproof?+
Galaxy A36 has an IP67 rating.
Does iPhone 16 support 5G?+
Yes, iPhone 16 supports 5G.
Which has a better camera, Galaxy A36 or iPhone 16?+
Galaxy A36 has a 50 MP main camera vs 48 MP.