Galaxy S25 FE vs Galaxy A36 5G: Should you spend more for the Fan Edition?
You might be surprised how much the $399 Galaxy A36 shares with the S25 FE.
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Intro
If the Galaxy S25 FE is Samsung’s best value phone in the upper mid-range segment, then the Galaxy A36 5G is its counterpart in the entry mid-range space.
At $399, the A36 might surprise you with how much it shares with the S25 FE. You’re still getting a big AMOLED screen, dependable battery life, and Samsung’s long-term software support promise. For many buyers, that’s already enough at this price.
The Galaxy S25 FE starts at $649, which is $250 more than the A36. What do you get for that extra cost?
As usual, the biggest differences are in the chipset and camera system. The FE line is meant to be a gateway into Samsung’s flagship experience without going all the way to Galaxy S25 pricing. It packs a faster processor, a more advanced camera setup, and a few extras the A-series still doesn’t offer.
So is it worth paying the extra $250–300 for the FE?
At $399, the A36 might surprise you with how much it shares with the S25 FE. You’re still getting a big AMOLED screen, dependable battery life, and Samsung’s long-term software support promise. For many buyers, that’s already enough at this price.
As usual, the biggest differences are in the chipset and camera system. The FE line is meant to be a gateway into Samsung’s flagship experience without going all the way to Galaxy S25 pricing. It packs a faster processor, a more advanced camera setup, and a few extras the A-series still doesn’t offer.
Galaxy S25 FE vs Galaxy A36 differences:
| Galaxy S25 FE | Galaxy A36 |
|---|---|
| Premium design, thinner, and lighter | Plastic frame, Key Island buttons |
| Much faster and more capable chip | Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 |
| 8 GB RAM | 8 GB RAM |
| A telephoto camera | A macro camera |
| Flagship camera system (main, telephoto, ultrawide) | Basic triple camera (main, ultrawide, macro) |
| 45W wired charging | 45W wired charging |
| 25W wireless charging | No wireless charging |
| 7 years of updates | 6 years of updates |
Table of Contents:
Design and Size
Surprisingly similar
Both phones look remarkably similar from a distance, with nearly identical 6.7-inch flat screens and minimalist rear camera layouts. That said, you do start noticing the differences when you get up close.
The Galaxy A36 uses a plastic frame with Samsung’s “Key Island” button layout, while the S25 FE swaps that for an Armored Aluminum chassis that feels noticeably sturdier and more refined. Both are protected by Gorilla Glass Victus+ on the front and back, which is a nice surprise on the cheaper A36.
The S25 FE is also slightly lighter (190 g vs 195 g) and has slimmer bezels, contributing to a more modern, flagship-like aesthetic. Both share IP-rated water resistance, though the S25 FE’s IP68 rating allows deeper immersion than the A36’s IP67 (not that you should go diving with either of them…).
The Galaxy A36 uses a plastic frame with Samsung’s “Key Island” button layout, while the S25 FE swaps that for an Armored Aluminum chassis that feels noticeably sturdier and more refined. Both are protected by Gorilla Glass Victus+ on the front and back, which is a nice surprise on the cheaper A36.
The S25 FE is also slightly lighter (190 g vs 195 g) and has slimmer bezels, contributing to a more modern, flagship-like aesthetic. Both share IP-rated water resistance, though the S25 FE’s IP68 rating allows deeper immersion than the A36’s IP67 (not that you should go diving with either of them…).
| Galaxy S25 FE | Galaxy A36 |
|---|---|
| Thickness 7.4 mm | Thickness 7.4 mm |
| Dimensions 161.3 x 76.6 mm | Dimensions 162.9 x 78.2 mm |
| Weight 190 grams | Weight 195 grams |
The Galaxy S25 FE carries an IP68 water and dust-resistance rating, while the Galaxy A36 is rated at IP67. The difference is minor: IP68 means the phone can withstand immersion in up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes, while IP67 drops that to 1 meter.
The Galaxy A36 colors are Black, White, Lavender, and Lime, while the S25 FE colors are Icy Blue, Jet Black, Navy, and White.
Image credit — PhoneArena
Both phones feature 6.7-inch AMOLED panels with 120Hz refresh rates and 1,900 nits of peak brightness. They offer great visibility when you are outdoors, even under direct sunlight.
The key difference is in how smooth and touch-responsive they are. The S25 FE’s higher-end display driver and faster touch sampling make scrolling and gaming feel more fluid, while the A36’s motion occasionally stutters.
You get an in-display fingerprint scanner no matter which one you go for, but it is an optical one. Samsung reserves the ultrasonic sensor for flagships, but the ones used on the A36 and S25 FE are still fast and reliable.
You get an in-display fingerprint scanner no matter which one you go for, but it is an optical one. Samsung reserves the ultrasonic sensor for flagships, but the ones used on the A36 and S25 FE are still fast and reliable.
In our lab testing, their brightness results were almost identical:
- Galaxy S25 FE: 1761 nits (20% APL) / 1090 nits (100% APL)
- Galaxy A36 5G: 1748 nits (20% APL) / 1126 nits (100% APL)
Performance and Software
Two very different chips, two very different experiences
This is where you will see the most stark difference. The Galaxy A36 runs on the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, a 5nm mid-range chip comparable to the Exynos 1380. It’s fine for casual tasks, but in our testing, it showed slow app loading, frame drops in heavier games, and noticeable lag when multitasking.
The S25 FE is powered by the Exynos 2400, the same 10-core flagship chip used in the Galaxy S24 lineup. Paired with UFS 4.0 storage (vs UFS 2.2 on the A36), it felt dramatically faster and more efficient during our hands-on experience with it. So if you plan on using demanding apps, playing games, or want AI features, the S25 FE is the one to go for.
The S25 FE is powered by the Exynos 2400, the same 10-core flagship chip used in the Galaxy S24 lineup. Paired with UFS 4.0 storage (vs UFS 2.2 on the A36), it felt dramatically faster and more efficient during our hands-on experience with it. So if you plan on using demanding apps, playing games, or want AI features, the S25 FE is the one to go for.
| Galaxy S25 FE | Galaxy A36 |
|---|---|
| Chip Samsung Exynos 2400 | Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 |
| Process 4nm | Process 5nm |
| RAM, Storage 8/128 GB 8/256 GB 8/512 GB LPDDR5X RAM UFS 4.0 storage | RAM, Storage 8/128 GB 8/256 GB --- LPDDR4X RAM UFS 2.2 storage |
Software support is strong on both models, which didn't use to be the case. The S25 FE offers 7 years of updates, while the A36 promises 6 years. Both run Android 16 with One UI 8, but only the FE supports the full Galaxy AI suite (Live Translate, Note Assist, Generative Edit, Circle to Search). The A36 gets a lighter “Awesome Intelligence” package.
CPU Performance Benchmarks:
The Galaxy A36’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 is a mid-range 5nm processor designed primarily for power efficiency. It performs well for messaging, browsing, and streaming but slows down under heavier workloads like photo editing or multitasking between several apps.
The Galaxy S25 FE’s Exynos 2400 is in a completely different league. Built on a more advanced 4nm process with a 10-core architecture, it’s roughly 2.5× faster in CPU tests, scoring 2170 single-core and 7110 multi-core in GeekBench 6 versus 1019 / 2915 on the A36. That translates to a smoother overall experience.
The Exynos 2400’s Xclipse 940 GPU (based on AMD RDNA3) delivers a fourfold improvement in 3DMark benchmarks: 3623 vs 914 (High test) and 2253 vs 909 (Low test).
That enables a flagship-level gaming experience on the S25 FE. The A36, meanwhile, handles lighter games fine but struggles with more demanding ones, or apps that need a lot of graphical horsepower.
That enables a flagship-level gaming experience on the S25 FE. The A36, meanwhile, handles lighter games fine but struggles with more demanding ones, or apps that need a lot of graphical horsepower.
Camera
A huge difference in camera capability
Image credit — PhoneArena
The Galaxy A36 has three cameras, but the hardware is basic. Photos are acceptable in good light, but HDR is inconsistent, the ultrawide is soft, and the macro is more of a gimmick than a camera that's actually useful. Video performance is also mediocre, with limited stabilization when it comes to challenging conditions.
The Galaxy S25 FE brings a proper flagship camera setup. Even though it hasn't changed from its predecessor, the new FE should still take much sharper images across the board. Not to mention it has a telephoto camera that offers optical zoom, and much stronger low-light performance.
The selfie camera was upgraded to 12 MP, which matches the A36’s 12 MP one. The two even share the same aperture of f/2.2, so it will be interesting to test them side by side and see if they produce the same results.
PhoneArena Camera Score:
Across the board, the Galaxy S25 FE achieved a total camera score of 143 points, compared to the A36’s 120, which is roughly a 19% overall improvement. This difference is pretty much what you would expect from a mid-range phone versus one built on flagship-grade camera hardware.
Main Camera
It's clear just how much better the S25 FE's main camera is at capturing more light. The colros also look much better compared to the A36.
Ultra-Wide Camera
We see the same differences when comparing the ultrawide cameras. Also, the S25 FE's ultrawide camera ahs a wider field of view, which means it can capture more in the shot.
Zoom Quality
Obviously, the fact that the S25 FE has a dedicated telephoto camera results in a clear win in this comparison. That said, it is impressive that the A36 can take an image that's good enough for text to be mostly readable, alebit grainy.
Selfie
The image from the A36 selfie camera looks a lot more "digital" and low-quality. The S25 FE, on the other hand, has produced great skin tones and ample detail, without too much digital sharpening.
Battery Life and Charging
Similar specs, but the A36 is missing wireless charging
Image credit — PhoneArena
The A36 has a 5,000 mAh battery, which is only slightly larger than the S25 FE’s new 4,900 mAh battery. Both support 45W wired charging, which gets you to about 50–65% in half an hour.
PhoneArena Battery and Charging Test Results:
Our battery tests show that while the Galaxy A36 5G lasts a bit longer in light use, the Galaxy S25 FE proves more efficient overall. It outperforms the A36 in our video and gaming battery tests thanks to the Exynos 2400’s better thermal control, and it charges faster too — 64% in 30 minutes vs 55%. Both support 45 W wired charging, but only the FE adds 25 W wireless and reverse charging, making it the more versatile daily driver.
Audio Quality and Haptics
The Galaxy S25 FE delivers balanced stereo sound with strong mid-tones and good volume levels. The A36 starts to sound harsh near full volume and lacks bass depth.
Both phones lack a headphone jack, but Bluetooth support is identical, offering LDAC and aptX for compatible wireless headsets.
As for haptics, the S25 FE uses crisper, tighter vibration motors that feel more premium, while the A36’s feedback is softer and buzzier. It gets the job done but doesn’t match the precision of the FE.
Specs Comparison
Here's a quick overview of the Galaxy S25 FE vs Galaxy 36 specs:
| Galaxy S25 FE | Galaxy A36 |
|---|---|
| Size, weight 161.3 x 76.6 x 7.4mm, 190g | Size, weight 162.9 x 78.2 x 7.4 mm, 195g |
| Screen 6.7" OLED 120Hz | Screen 6.7" OLED 120Hz |
| Processor Exynos 2400 4nm | Processor Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 5nm |
| Versions: 8/128 GB 8/256 GB 8/512 GB LPDDR5X | Versions: 8/128GB 8/256GB --- LPDDR4X |
| Cameras: 50 MP main 12 MP ultrawide 8 MP telephoto 12 MP front | Cameras: 50 MP main 8 MP ultrawide 5 MP macro 12 MP front |
| Battery: 4900 mAh | Battery: 5000 mAh |
| Charging: USB-C 45W wired 25W wireless | Charging: USB-C 45W wired No wireless |
Summary
Image credit — PhoneArena
The Galaxy A36 5G is a competent mid-range phone that delivers solid performance for its $399 price tag. It offers a big, bright screen, battery life that you can depend on, and Samsung’s generous update policy — everything most casual users need.
But the Galaxy S25 FE operates on an entirely different level thankts to its flagship-grade chip, faster storage, better audio, wireless charging, and a much more capable camera system. It without a doubt feels like a more premium device.
If you’re on a strict budget, you probably won't be disappointed by the A36, although there are some good alternatives like the Nothing Phone (3a). But if you can stretch to $649, the S25 FE is a far smarter long-term purchase, as it will be fast amd relevant even years from now.
But the Galaxy S25 FE operates on an entirely different level thankts to its flagship-grade chip, faster storage, better audio, wireless charging, and a much more capable camera system. It without a doubt feels like a more premium device.
If you’re on a strict budget, you probably won't be disappointed by the A36, although there are some good alternatives like the Nothing Phone (3a). But if you can stretch to $649, the S25 FE is a far smarter long-term purchase, as it will be fast amd relevant even years from now.
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