The Galaxy M36, as seasoned Samsung fans might’ve already guessed, is essentially a more affordable spin on the A36. You’re getting a lot of the same core specs, but at a noticeably lower price.
Of course, there are trade-offs. The design isn’t as polished, and a few features have been trimmed to keep costs down. But with that drop in price, the question is: does the M36 still deliver where it counts? That’s exactly what we’re here to find out.
Samsung Galaxy M36: India pricing and variants
The Galaxy M36 5G starts at a pretty competitive ₹17,499 for the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage model. If you want a bit more memory, the 8GB + 128GB variant will set you back ₹18,999. The top-end version with 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage is priced at ₹21,999. Across the board, it’s priced well for what it offers — especially if long-term software support is high on your list.
Samsung Galaxy M36: Design & Build Quality
The Galaxy M36 is actually a pretty sleek-looking phone — at least from the back. Samsung's clearly getting bolder with the M series design, and we’re here for it. The Orange Haze shade we tested feels fresh and a little more fun than the usual black-and-blue crowd. The back panel is polycarbonate, sure, but it doesn’t scream “budget.” In fact, it feels fairly premium in hand, though it does love a good fingerprint smudge.
Samsung’s made some subtle changes to the camera layout this time. It’s still a vertical strip, but the arrangement’s been slightly reworked — a small detail, but it breaks the monotony we’ve come to expect. At just 7.7mm thick, the Galaxy M36 feels comfortably slim in hand. The flat sides give it a modern profile, though like the back, it’s all plastic — and yeah, it feels like it. Still, it doesn’t cross into cheap territory.
Flip it over, and things get a little less exciting. The front design is where the M36 shows its budget roots. The waterdrop notch is starting to feel outdated in 2025, and that chunky bottom chin could easily be half the size. Still, the 6.7-inch display gives you plenty of screen real estate — and then comes the surprise: Gorilla Glass Victus+. That's a rare spec to see at this price point, and it instantly elevates the durability game.
Samsung Galaxy M36: Display
The Galaxy M36 gets a slight size bump with a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED panel, but otherwise, it’s the same deal as last year’s M35 — FHD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and 1000 nits peak brightness.
But hey, if there’s one thing Samsung rarely messes up, it’s displays. And this one’s no different. Vibrant colours, deep blacks, buttery-smooth scrolling — this screen easily delivers some of the best visual quality in its price segment. No gimmicks, just a genuinely great panel that reminds you why Samsung still owns the AMOLED game.
Samsung Galaxy M36: Performance
Under the hood, the Galaxy M36 plays it safe — maybe too safe. It’s powered by the same Exynos 1380 chip as its predecessor. It’s a capable processor for day-to-day use, but let’s be real: no upgrade here feels like a missed opportunity for what’s supposed to be a new release.
We tested the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant, but Samsung also offers 8GB RAM with either 128GB or 256GB storage. The sweet spot is probably the 8+128 combo — especially since you get microSD card support for up to 2TB. So you can skip the pricier 256GB option without storage FOMO.
On paper, the M36 holds its own. It clocked around 6,00,000 on AnTuTu, held steady on the CPU throttling test (a mostly green graph, always a good sign), and landed scores of 1013 (single-core) and 2911 (multi-core) on GeekBench.
When it comes to gaming, the Exynos 1380 is no slouch — as long as you manage your expectations. BGMI ran at a smooth 60fps with no noticeable lag, and Call of Duty: Mobile hovered around 55–60fps with minimal frame drops. Even better, the phone barely warmed up during long sessions. Genshin Impact, however, is where things start to slip. You can play it at 60fps on low settings, but in heavy combat it drops to around 40fps. After 30 minutes of gameplay, the phone held steady at 41°C — warm, but not worrisome.
Everyday stuff — scrolling, texting, emails, YouTube — is smooth and snappy as well. No lag, no weird stutters, just a solid all-round experience.
Samsung Galaxy M36: Camera Performance
The Galaxy M36 sticks to a tried-and-tested formula. You get a 50MP main camera with OIS, an 8MP ultra-wide, and a 2MP macro lens that feels like it's there mostly to pad the spec sheet. Up front, there's a 13MP selfie shooter. If this sounds familiar, that’s because it's exactly the same setup as the Galaxy M35.
The main camera delivers reasonably good shots — there’s solid detail, and colour reproduction leans natural, especially with skin tones. There’s a 2x digital zoom toggle, and results there are… fine. Not tack-sharp, but usable for social.
Low light performance gets a boost from the OIS, and Night Mode does a good job of brightening up the scene and adding some punch to colours without going overboard.
Portrait mode, however, still needs some work. Edge detection can be hit or miss — especially around tricky areas like hair. You’ll get usable results, but don’t expect pixel-perfect separation every time.
On the bright side, the ultra-wide camera keeps pace with the main shooter in terms of colour tuning, so switching between lenses doesn’t feel jarring. And selfies from the 13MP front camera are surprisingly good. Natural skin tones, decent dynamic range — no over-smoothing nonsense.
Video capabilities are standard for the price: 4K at 30fps on both front and rear cameras. Footage is stable and sharp enough, though colours do get a little boost — sometimes more than necessary.
Samsung Galaxy M36: Software
The Galaxy M36 runs One UI 7 based on Android 15 out of the box, and the experience is smooth and polished. While there are a few preinstalled apps you might not need, the interface feels fluid, and daily usage is hassle-free. Samsung Wallet is also supported, so you can tap to pay, and the promise of six years of software and security updates makes this a phone you won’t need to replace anytime soon.
Samsung’s AI game is strong here. You get tools that actually make a difference—like Circle to Search for instant lookups without leaving the screen, and Image Clipper, which lets you lift objects out of photos like stickers, perfect for quick sharing.
Samsung Galaxy M36: Battery & Charging
I’ve got mixed feelings about the battery on the Galaxy M36. The 5,000mAh cell easily gets you through a full day — even with heavy use. So, no complaints on endurance. But here’s the thing: it’s a step down from last year’s 6,000mAh battery on the Galaxy M35. Sure, it’s slimmer and lighter now, but losing that extra headroom stings a little.
Charging, unfortunately, is still stuck in the slow lane. You get 25W wired charging, and it takes about 90 minutes to go from 0 to 100%. That’s fine if you're not in a rush, but most of the competition is pulling ahead with faster charging speeds at this price point.
Samsung Galaxy M36 Review: Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy M36 handles day-to-day tasks with ease and is reasonably priced for what it offers. But here’s the thing—it’s not a major upgrade over the M35. You’re looking at the same processor, the same camera setup, and the M35 even packs a slightly bigger battery.
If you're a Samsung loyalist on a budget, the M35 still makes a lot of sense—especially since it’ll also get Android 18 in 2028. The only real reasons to pick the M36 instead? A more refined design and a longer software update promise. So, if those two matter to you, the M36 might just be worth the extra spend.
