Nothing Phone (3a) vs Samsung Galaxy A36 Comparison and Differences
Smartphone 1
Nothing Phone (3a)
Smartphone 2
Samsung Galaxy A36
Smartphone 3
Nothing Phone (3a) or Samsung Galaxy A36 Specs Comparison
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Common specs
| Brand and model | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy A36 | |
| Rating | (+0) | (+0) | |
| Release date | 2025, March 04 | 2025, March 02 | |
| Dimensions (HxWxD) | 163.5 x 77.5 x 8.4 mm | 6.44 x 6.44 x 3.05 in | 162.9 x 78.2 x 7.4 mm | 6.41 x 6.41 x 3.08 in | |
| Weight | 201 g | 7.09 oz | 195 g | 6.88 oz | |
| Body Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), plastic frame, glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+) | ||
| Case | buy from Amazon | buy from Amazon | |
| Colors | Black, White, Blue | Lavender, Black, White, Lime | |
| Battery | 5000 mAh, | 5000 mAh, | |
| Approximate price | $ 399.00 | 380 EUR | |
| Check price | from Amazon | from Amazon |
Screen
| Technology | AMOLED | Super AMOLED | |
| Touchscreen | capacitive touchscreen | capacitive touchscreen | |
| Display colors | 1B | 16M | |
| Screen size | 6.77" in | 6.7" in | |
| Screen area | 111.5 cm2 | 110.2 cm2 | |
| Screen format | 20:9 (height:width) | 19.5:9 (height:width) | |
| Screen to body ratio | 88.0% | 86.5% | |
| Screen resolution | 1080 x 2392 px | 1080 x 2340 px | |
| Screen PPI /points per inch/ | 387 PPI | 385 PPI | |
| Screen protection | Panda Glass | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ | |
| Other specs | - 120Hz, HDR10+, 800 nits (typ), 1300 nits (HBM), 3000 nits (peak) -Ultra HDR image support |
- 120Hz, 1200 nits (HBM), 1900 nits (peak) -Always-on display |
|
| Screen protector | buy from Amazon | buy from Amazon |
Camera and Video
| Rear camera, main | 50 MP, Triple | 50 MP, Triple | |
| Camera specs | -50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm (wide), 1/1.57", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS -50 MP, f/2.0, 50mm (telephoto), 1/2.74", 0.64µm, PDAF (25cm - ∞), 2x optical zoom -8 MP, f/2.2, 15mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm |
-50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/1.96", PDAF, OIS -8 MP, f/2.2, 123˚, (ultrawide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm -5 MP, f/2.4, (macro) |
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| Functions | LED flash, panorama, HDR | LED flash, panorama, HDR | |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS, OIS | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS | |
| Front camera, selfie | 32 MP, Single | 12 MP, Single | |
| Specifications | 32 MP, f/2.2, 22mm (wide), 1/3.44" | 12 MP, f/2.2, (wide) | |
| Functions | HDR | ||
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, 10-bit HDR |
Performance
| Operating system - OS | Android 15, up to 3 major Android upgrades, Nothing OS 3.1 | Android 15, up to 6 major Android upgrades, One UI 7 | |
| Chipset | - Qualcomm SM7635 Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 (4 nm) | - Qualcomm SM6475-AB Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 (4 nm) | |
| CPU | - Octa-core (1x2.5 GHz Cortex-A720 & 3x2.4 GHz Cortex-A720 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A520) | - Octa-core (4x2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55) | |
| GPU | Adreno 710 (940 MHz) | Adreno 710 | |
| External memory | No | No | |
| Internal memory | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM |
Benchmark
Communication and Connectivity
| SIM card | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) | |
| Network | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | |
| Bands | -2G - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 -3G - HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - Global HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100 - India -4G - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66 - Global 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41 - India -5G - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66 SA/NSA - Global 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41 SA/NSA - India |
-2G - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 -3G - HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 -4G - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 66 -5G - 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 |
|
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G | |
| GPRS | Yes | Yes | |
| Edge | Yes | Yes | |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | |
| GPS | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS | |
| NFC | Yes | Yes (market/region dependent) | |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | |
| Bluetooth | 5.4, A2DP, LE | 5.4, A2DP, LE | |
| Harmful irradiation |
SAR - 1.07 W/kg (head) SAR EU - 0.53 W/kg (head) 1.29 W/kg (body) |
Music and Audio
| Radio | No | No | |
| Headphone jack | No | No | |
| Others |
Other features
| Sensors | - Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | - Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass, proximity | |
| Other extras |
- Circle to Search - 50W Fast charging, 50% in 19 min, 100% in 56 min - IP64 dust tight and water resistant (water splashes) -3 LED light strips on the back (notifications, camera fill light, 26 addressable zones) |
- Circle to Search - 45W Fast charging, 66% in 30 min, 100% in 68 min - IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min) |
Reviews and Opinions on Nothing Phone (3a) and Samsung Galaxy A36
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