Paul Jones / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Samsung has released the Galaxy A26 and A36 in the US for $299 and $399, respectively.
- Both phones launch with Android 15 and will get six years of software updates
- They share a 6.7-inch 120Hz display and 5,000W battery but differ in chipset, cameras, and other specs.
Samsung’s Galaxy A series has long been the go-to for anyone wanting a Samsung phone without a premium price tag. Fans will welcome two new budget additions — the Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A26 — which are now available to buy in the US, quelling any rumors they wouldn’t make it to American shores.
Starting with the more premium of the pair, the Galaxy A36 offers a 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1,000 nits of peak brightness. It runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chip, backed by 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
There’s no microSD slot, but you do get IP67 water resistance, a 5,000mAh battery with 45W charging, and a triple camera setup: 50MP main, 8MP ultrawide, and 5MP macro. Around the front, there’s a 12MP selfie camera.
Paul Jones / Android Authority
The Galaxy A26 shares some of those specs, including the 6.7-inch 120Hz display, the 5,000mAh battery, and the 50MP + 8MP dual rear cameras. But it’s powered by Samsung’s own Exynos 1380 chip instead and includes a 2MP macro sensor rather than 5MP. It also bumps the selfie camera to 13MP and adds a microSD card slot for expandable storage, but the charging speed is lower at 25W.
Both phones launch with Android 15 and One UI 7, and Samsung is promising six years of software support. That means OS updates through at least Android 20 and security patches into the early 2030s, which is pretty rare at this price point.
The Galaxy A36 is priced at $399 and comes in Awesome Black or Awesome Lavender colorways. The A26 lands at $299 and is only available in Awesome Black. Samsung is also offering up to $150 off with trade-ins, as well as savings of up to $80 more when you bundle your new phone with the Galaxy Buds FE or Galaxy Watch FE.
