Phone (3a) vs Galaxy A36 5G

Phone 1

Phone 2

Winner

Nothing Phone (3a)

The Phone (3a) wins this one, taking performance and camera decisively. Against the Galaxy A36 5G it's also the sounder buy at $6.18 per month of safe use.

Value Score: Phone (3a) 75 · Galaxy A36 5G 66 — methodology

The lifespan decider

When specs are close, support length decides it — this is what each phone costs per month of safe use.

Nothing Phone (3a) $349

Safe to buy$6.18/mo

2025◆ Buy-by Mar 20292031

Samsung Galaxy A36 5G $350

Safe to buy$6.12/mo

2025◆ Buy-by Mar 20292031

Category by category

Display

Phone (3a) 80Galaxy A36 5G 70

The Phone (3a)'s screen is the better one — 6.77-inch amoled, 1080×2392 (fhd+), up to 120hz, 3000 nits peak.

Performance

Phone (3a) 64Galaxy A36 5G 48

The Phone (3a)'s Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 is simply the faster chip.

Camera

Phone (3a) 79Galaxy A36 5G 67

The Phone (3a) has the stronger camera system (3 real rear lenses vs 2).

Battery

Phone (3a) 80Galaxy A36 5G 80

Battery capacities are close enough not to decide this.

Software longevity

Phone (3a) 67Galaxy A36 5G 68

Both phones' support windows end around the same time.

Value

Phone (3a) 75Galaxy A36 5G 66

Overall value goes to the Phone (3a) at $6.18 per month of safe use.

Full spec table

Spec	Phone (3a)	Galaxy A36 5G
Price (street)	$349	$350
Display	6.77-inch AMOLED, 1080×2392 (FHD+), up to 120Hz, 3000 nits peak	6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 1200 nits
Chipset	Snapdragon 7s Gen 3	Snapdragon 6 Gen 3
RAM	8GB/12GB	6GB/8GB
Storage	128GB/256GB	128GB/256GB
Battery	5,000 mAh	5,000 mAh
Charging	50W wired, no wireless	45W wired (charger not included)
Rear cameras	50MP main, 50MP telephoto 2x, 8MP ultra-wide	50MP main (OIS), 8MP ultra-wide, 5MP macro
Dimensions	163.52 × 77.50 × 8.35 mm	162.9 × 78.2 × 7.4 mm
Weight	201 g	195 g
Water resistance	IP64	IP67
Supported until	Mar 2031	Mar 2031

Phone (3a) full verdict →Galaxy A36 5G full verdict →Longevity master board →

Scores and verdicts are computed from our verified database — see exactly how. Specs from manufacturer documentation; prices reflect major US retailers.