Samsung A36 AnTuTu Review and Performance

In the world of smartphones, where flashy features often overshadow everyday usability, finding a phone that truly balances design, performance, and value can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. The new Samsung Galaxy A36 quietly steps into this space, offering a taste of flagship design with a far more approachable price tag. And while its performance numbers, like its AnTuTu scores, are worth looking at, the bigger story here is how well-rounded this phone feels in day-to-day use.

Let’s break it down from top to Samsung A36 AnTuTu scores, cameras, display, software, performance benchmarks, and battery to see whether this is the phone you should actually be carrying in your pocket.

First Impressions

The A36 might not be the most expensive phone around, but it sure doesn’t look or feel cheap. Samsung has given it a clean, minimalist design language similar to what you might expect from its flagship S series. The camera module is sleek and compact, and the overall look is sharp without being loud.

It’s built with a plastic frame, but both the front and back are protected by Gorilla Glass Victus Plus. That means it’s not just about looking good it can survive everyday knocks and drops from your hand or table. The phone is also IP67 certified, so it’s safe from dust and accidental splashes or even quick dips in water. Those are rare protections to find in this price segment.

You get three color options: black, white, and a soft lavender that catches light beautifully. The bezels could be slimmer, sure, but they’re not distracting, and overall this phone nails the “premium without pricey” aesthetic.

Performance and AnTuTu Scores

When it comes to raw performance, the Galaxy A36 holds its own in the mid-range space. Powered by the Samsung Galaxy A36’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset paired with up to 12GB of RAM, it manages to strike a solid balance between speed and efficiency. In real-world use, the phone feels smooth while handling everyday tasks, and even with casual gaming or heavy multitasking, it rarely shows signs of slowing down. Looking at benchmark results, the phone scores an impressive 612,542 points on AnTuTu (v10), which reflects its well-rounded processing and graphical capabilities. On Geekbench (v6), it hits 2,897 points, showing good CPU performance, while on 3DMark Wild Life Extreme, it reaches 925 points, giving you a fair idea of its graphics power. 

These numbers may not challenge flagship territory, but for its price bracket, they show that this phone can handle almost everything you throw at it without breaking a sweat.

Those numbers won’t break any records, but they align well with the phone’s focussmooth everyday performance with the bonus of feature-rich software. Apps open quickly, animations are fluid, and thanks to Samsung’s memory optimization, background multitasking works surprisingly well for a mid-ranger.

For gamers, light to moderate titles run fine, but demanding games at max settings may show some frame drops. That’s expected given the mid-tier chipset. The upside is that the phone doesn’t overheat during extended use, which helps battery life too.

Camera Performance

The camera setup is straightforward: a 50MP main sensor, an 8MP ultrawide, a 5MP macro, and a 12MP selfie shooter. On paper, nothing groundbreaking. In real use, though, the photos come out surprisingly good for this range.

Outdoor shots from the main camera show punchy colors (classic Samsung) and decent detail, even if the dynamic range sometimes struggles with very bright skies. Portrait mode does a fair job with edge detection and skin tones, although the wide focal length could use a slight crop for a more natural look. Selfies are bright and detailed in daylight, though they can get a bit soft under low light.

The 5MP macro lens isn’t spectacular. It needs a lot of light to get sharp results but it’s fun for the occasional close-up. Low-light shots from the main camera hold up thanks to OIS and Samsung’s AI processing, keeping noise in check. And importantly, both front and rear cameras shoot 4K video at 30fps, which is rare at this price. Stability is good, and it adjusts exposure smoothly when lighting changes.

So, while the A36 won’t outshoot flagship phones, it handles everyday photography with confidence.

Display & Audio

If there’s one area where Samsung almost always outshines the competition, it’s displays. The A36 continues that tradition with a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED panel. It’s sharp, vibrant, and brightreaching up to 1200 nits in high-brightness mode making it perfectly usable outdoors.

Colors pop, blacks are deep, and contrast is excellent. Watching videos or gaming on this screen is genuinely enjoyable. It runs at a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, though it’s fixed rather than adaptive (not LTPO). That means it won’t save battery by dropping to lower refresh rates, but at this price point, that’s not a dealbreaker.

You also get stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support. Once enabled, they add noticeable depth and richness to movies and games. The only real downside is the lack of HDR playback on streaming platforms like Netflix, but that’s a minor trade-off considering how good everything else looks.

Software Experience

One of the strongest selling points of the A36 is its software. It ships with One UI 7 based on Android, and Samsung promises a massive six generations of OS updates. That’s unheard of in this price segment.

One UI 7 is clean, fast, and full of thoughtful features. You get AI-powered tools like Circle to Search, AI Select (which can identify objects or extract text from images), and even AI photo editing with object eraser and photo remastering. The always-on display is simple but now supports the new “Now Bar,” and the notification shade has been redesigned for easier access.

While many mid-range phones offer decent hardware, few can match the depth and polish of Samsung’s software experience. It’s one of those things you appreciate more the longer you use it.

Battery Life

Battery life is another area where the A36 quietly impresses. It packs a 5,000mAh cell, which easily lasts a full day even with heavy usage, streaming, camera use, and browsing all mixed in. For lighter users, it can stretch well into a second day.

Charging has improved too. While there’s no charger in the box, it now supports 45W fast charging, up from 25W on last year’s model. With a compatible charger, it goes from near empty to around 70% in under an hour, which is great for quick top-ups.

A36 vs. A56: Which One Makes More Sense?

A fair question many people will have: should you buy the A36 or spend more for its sibling, the Samsung Galaxy A56?

Here’s the short version: the A56 has a metal frame instead of plastic, a slightly faster chip, and a few extra camera features. It also costs about 10,000 more. In everyday use, the difference isn’t huge. The A36 feels nearly as premium, runs the same software, and handles daily tasks just fine. Unless you specifically need extra performance for gaming or heavy multitasking, the A36 gives you most of what the A56 offers while saving you money.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy A36 might not top the charts in raw performance, but that’s not its goal. It aims to be a dependable, polished all-rounder and it succeeds. From its classy design and durable build to its beautiful display, thoughtful software, and respectable AnTuTu scores, it’s a phone that feels complete.

If you want a mid-range phone that nails the essentials, lasts for years with software updates, and doesn’t compromise on user experience, this is an easy recommendation. It’s not the phone for hardcore gamers or camera purists, but for everyone else, it hits that sweet spot between practicality and pleasure.

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