Galaxy S25 FE vs Galaxy A36 5G: Expected differences

The Galaxy A36 5G is Samsung’s top mid-range phone in the U.S. right now, priced at $399 and offering a respectable mix of display quality, software support, and battery life. But with the Galaxy S25 FE expected to arrive later this year, many might be wondering — should you spend more and go for Samsung’s Fan Edition instead?With the S25 FE expected to deliver a flagship-grade chipset, wireless charging, more RAM, and a much more capable camera system, this shapes up to be a classic value vs performance comparison.

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Galaxy S25 FE vs Galaxy A36 expected differences:

Table of Contents:

The Galaxy A36 5G sticks to a functional design with a plastic frame and a “Key Island” camera bump that sets it apart visually from other Samsung phones. While it’s certainly distinctive, it feels a generation behind in terms of design.

The Galaxy S25 FE, by contrast, is expected to maintain the flagship-grade build of its predecessor, with Gorilla Glass Victus+ on the front and back and a sleek, flat-sided aluminum frame. It will also be noticeably thinner and slightly lighter than the A36, making it feel more premium in the hand.

*rumored/expected

The S25 FE will likely have an IP68 water and dust-resistance certification, while the A36 is a tiny bit limited at with an IP67 certification (not a great difference, though). Color options on the A36 include Black, White, Lavender, and Lime. The S25 FE’s colorways are still unknown, but we expect similarly bold options.

While both will likely share vibrant colors and good sharpness, the A36’s panel doesn’t match the flagship-tier polish of Samsung’s S-series phones. Color accuracy was decent in our tests, but not exceptional.

Both use under-display fingerprint scanners and offer face unlock, though only the fingerprint sensor is secure enough for authentication.

The Galaxy A36 5G is powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, a 5nm chip that performs similarly to last year’s Exynos 1380. It’s fine for casual tasks, but our tests showed stutters, slow app loading, and lag under heavier use. It’s strictly an entry-level performer by modern standards.

The S25 FE is expected to come with the Exynos 2400 chip, a 10-core processor used in some versions of Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S24. That alone puts it in a different performance class, and it’s paired with 12 GB of RAM versus 8 GB on the A36.

*rumored/expected

In software, both phones will run Android 16 with One UI 7, but the S25 FE benefits from Samsung’s promise of 7 years of updates vs 6 years for the A36. The A36 includes a lighter AI suite called Awesome Intelligence, while the S25 FE will support the full Galaxy AI experience with features like Live Translate, Generative Edit, and more.

*rumored/expected

In our review, the A36’s camera performance was mediocre. The main shooter tended to overprocess images, the ultrawide was soft, and video quality was below average — especially in difficult lighting. There’s no true zoom camera on the A36, and the macro lens adds little value.

The S25 FE, by contrast, is expected to offer flagship-grade stills and video with advanced computational photography and better dynamic range. If camera quality matters to you, it’s not a close race.

The Galaxy A36 5G has a 5000 mAh battery and supports 45W fast charging, which is a huge win in this price range. It lacks wireless charging, however. Battery life in our tests was solid, especially for browsing, but video playback and gaming drained it faster than expected.

The Galaxy S25 FE is expected to have a slightly smaller 4900 mAh battery, but also supports 45W wired and 15W wireless charging — giving it more flexibility and flagship-like convenience.

*rumored/expected

The Galaxy A36 is a solid mid-range phone that’s on the more affordable side and gets the basics right — especially the display and battery life — but cuts back on performance and camera quality. If your needs are modest and your budget is tight, it offers a decent value at $399.

The Galaxy S25 FE, on the other hand, is expected to deliver a flagship-grade experience for less than $700. With a much faster chip, a superior camera system, wireless charging, and more RAM, it’s a major upgrade across the board. Not to mention that it comes with Samsung’s full AI package of features.

If your budget can stretch beyond $400, the Galaxy S25 FE should be worth the wait and the more premium price tag.