This year the Samsung Galaxy A56, A36 and A26 represent three different takes on the mid-ranger formula with three different price tags. Below are prices for Europe, India and the US – yes, the A5x is available in the US this time around, which is a big deal.
| Galaxy A56 | Galaxy A36 | Galaxy A26 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 128GB | |||
| US | $500 | $400 | – |
| EU | €480 | €380 | €300 |
| UK | – | – | – |
| IN | ₹42,000 | ₹33,000 | – |
| 256GB | |||
| US | – | – | $300 |
| EU | €530 | €450 | €370 |
| UK | £500 | £400 | £300 |
| IN | ₹45,000 | ₹36,000 | – |
Note that there are some regional differences, e.g. India also has 12/256GB versions of the A56 and A36, but the A26 isn’t available at all. Also, during the launch time frame at least, Samsung India is offering a free storage upgrade.
Now, let’s look at the phones themselves. All three have 6.7” OLED displays with 1080p+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. They are rated IP67 and have 5,000mAh batteries. All three feature 50MP main cameras on the back with OIS.
The Samsung Galaxy A56 is the leader of the pack with the performant Exynos 1580 chipset. It has the biggest sensor in its main camera (1/1.56”) and a better 12MP ultra-wide camera. Its display supports HDR10+, both it and the A36 display can also achieve higher brightness than the A26 model. The A56 is also the only one with an aluminum frame, the other two use plastic (all three have Gorilla Glass Victus+ on the front and back).
Samsung Galaxy A56
The Samsung Galaxy A36 is powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 instead. Our A56 and A36 hands-on review has a performance section if you want to have a closer look at how the Exynos and Snapdragon compare. Anyway, the A36 uses slower UFS 2.2 storage instead of UFS 3.1 and its ultra-wide camera has an 8MP sensor. The 12MP selfie cameras on the A36 and A56 support 4K video recording, the 13MP camera on the A26 does not.
Samsung Galaxy A36
The Samsung Galaxy A26 runs on an Exynos 1380 in most regions and an even older 1280 in Latin America. On the plus side, this one is the only one with a microSD slot. It doesn’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack (neither do the others), not even stereo speakers. A few other downgrades include slower charging (25W instead of the new 45W charging on the A56 and A36), a side-mounted fingerprint reader instead of an under-display one and a notch instead of a punch hole.
Samsung Galaxy A26
Note that the A56, A36 and A26 will receive 6 OS updates and security patches for 6 years. That’s better than some flagships out there and almost as good as the Galaxy S models are getting.
Alright, have another look at the pricing table if you have to and let’s talk about which of the three (if any) is right for you.
The Samsung Galaxy A56 is a solid upgrade over its predecessor. And in markets where the A55 wasn’t available, it’s a great upgrade over the A35. Still, Samsung could have gone a bit further – a telephoto camera, perhaps, or wireless charging? Maybe it didn’t want to step on the toes of the S24 FE. What do you think – is the A56 the right mid-ranger for you?
The Samsung Galaxy A36 lives in the shadow of its A5x sibling, but the $100/€100 you save with this one is nothing to sneeze at. Or would you rather pay extra and get the more capable model?
The Samsung Galaxy A26 is clearly the budget option. It’s a mild upgrade over the A25 and something of an “A35 redo” with longer software support. Can you see yourself getting an A26?
