Nothing Phone (3a) vs Samsung Galaxy A36 5G
35.1Performance34.7
58.8Display46.2
54.7Camera41.7
59.2Battery52.5
73.3Features89.3
7 spec wins — Nothing Phone (3a)3 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy A36 5G
InnoReviews verdict
Nothing Phone (3a) wins this phone face-off, 52.4 to 47.4, pulling ahead mainly in camera (+13) and display (+13). Samsung Galaxy A36 5G still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Nothing Phone (3a)
- Stronger display score: 59 vs 46
- Stronger camera score: 55 vs 42
- Stronger battery score: 59 vs 53
- 167% higher Front camera: 32 MP vs 12 MP
- 150% higher Peak brightness: 3,000 nits vs 1,200 nits
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy A36 5G
- Stronger features score: 89 vs 73
- 100% higher OS update pledge: 6 years vs 3 years
- 12% lower thickness: 7.4 mm vs 8.4 mm
Display
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy A36 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.77 ″+1% | 6.7 ″ |
| Panel type | AMOLED | Super AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1080x2392 | 1080x2340 |
| Pixel density | 387 ppi+1% | 385 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 3,000 nits+150% | 1,200 nits |
| Screen-to-body | 87.4 % | — |
Performance
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy A36 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 | Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 |
| AnTuTuDifferent AnTuTu versions — not compared | 800,000 | 816,934Bottom 27% |
| AnTuTu 11 (CPU) | — | 304,148Bottom 27% |
| AnTuTu 11 (GPU) | — | 133,245Bottom 37% |
| AnTuTu 11 (Memory) | — | 150,052Bottom 20% |
| AnTuTu 11 (UX) | — | 229,489Bottom 22% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 1,150+13%Bottom 45% | 1,016Bottom 33% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 3,250+12%Bottom 45% | 2,902Bottom 35% |
| RAM (max) | 12 GB | 12 GB |
| Storage options | 128/256GB | 128/256GB |
| Storage type | UFS 2.2 | UFS 2.2 |
Camera
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy A36 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 50 MP | 50 MP |
| Main aperture | f/1.88 | f/1.8 |
| Ultra-wide | 8 MP | 8 MP |
| Telephoto | 50 MP | — |
| Optical zoom | 2 x | — |
| Max video | 4K@30fps | 4K@30fps |
| Front camera | 32 MP+167% | 12 MP |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy A36 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | 50 W+11% | 45 W |
| Wireless charging | 0 W | 0 W |
| Active use endurance | 11 h | — |
Design
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy A36 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 201 g | 195 g+3% |
| Thickness | 8.4 mm | 7.4 mm+12% |
| IP rating | IP64 | IP67 |
| Frame material | Aluminum | Plastic |
Connectivity
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy A36 5G |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.4 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 2.0 | USB-C 2.0 |
| eSIM | Yes | Yes |
Software
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy A36 5G |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 15 (Nothing OS 3.1) | Android 15 (One UI 7) |
| OS update pledge | 3 years | 6 years+100% |
Audio
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy A36 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
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